Project Gutenberg - Luther's Small Catechism

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Small Catechism of Martin Luther by Martin Luther, 

translated by Robert E. Smith.

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: The Small Catechism of Martin Luther

Author: Martin Luther

Translator: Robert E. Smith

Release Date: March 1999 [EBook #1670] [Most recently updated December 31, 2004]

Language: English

Luther's Little Instruction Book: 
The Small Catechism of Martin Luther

Translation by Robert E. Smith From the German text, printed in:
Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church.
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, pp. 538-559.

I. The Ten Commandments

The Simple Way a Father Should Present Them to His Household

The First Commandment

You must not have other gods. (Exodus 20:3)

What does this mean?

We must fear, love, and trust God more than anything else.

The Second Commandment

You must not misuse your God's name. (Exodus 20:7)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will not use His name to curse, swear, cast a spell, lie or deceive, but will use it to call upon Him, pray to Him, praise Him and thank Him in all times of trouble.

The Third Commandment

You must keep the Sabbath holy. (Exodus 20:8)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will not look down on preaching or God's Word, but consider it holy, listen to it willingly, and learn it.

The Fourth Commandment

You must honor your father and mother. [So that things will go well for you and you will live long on earth]. (Exodus 20:12)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will neither look down on our parents or superiors nor irritate them, but will honor them, serve them, obey them, love them and value them.

The Fifth Commandment

You must not kill. (Exodus 20:13)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will neither harm nor hurt our neighbor's body, but help him and care for him when he is ill.

The Sixth Commandment

You must not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that our words and actions will be clean and decent and so that everyone will love and honor their spouses.

The Seventh Commandment

You must not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will neither take our neighbor's money or property, nor acquire it by fraud or by selling him poorly made products, but will help him improve and protect his property and career.

The Eighth Commandment

You must not tell lies about your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16 )

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will not deceive by lying, betraying, slandering or ruining our neighbor's reputation, but will defend him, say good things about him, and see the best side of everything he does.

The Ninth Commandment

You must not desire your neighbor's house. (Exodus 20:17)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will not attempt to trick our neighbor out of his inheritance or house, take it by pretending to have a right to it, etc. but help him to keep & improve it.

The Tenth Commandment

You must not desire your neighbor's wife, servant, maid, animals or anything that belongs to him. (Exodus 20:17)

What does this mean?

We must fear and love God, so that we will not release our neighbor's cattle, take his employees from him or seduce his wife, but urge them to stay and do what they ought to do.

The Conclusion to the Commandments

What does God say to us about all these commandments?

This is what He says: "I am the Lord Your God. I am a jealous God. I plague the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me with their ancestor's sin. But I make whole those who love me for a thousand generations." (Exodus 20:5)

What does it mean?

God threatens to punish everyone who breaks these commandments. We should be afraid of His anger because of this and not violate such commandments. But He promises grace and all good things to those who keep such commandments. Because of this, we, too, should love Him, trust Him, and willingly do what His commandments require.

Coburg

II. The Creed

The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household

The First Article
On Creation

I believe in God the Almighty Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God created me, along with all creatures. He gave to me: my body and soul, my eyes, ears and all the other parts of my body, my mind and all my senses. He preserves them as well. He gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and land, wife and children, fields, animals and all I own. Every day He abundantly provides everything I need to nourish this body and life. He protects me against all danger. he shields and defends me from all evil. He does all this because of His pure, fatherly and divine goodness and His mercy, not because I've earned it or deserved it. For all of this, I must thank Him, praise Him, serve Him and obey Him. Yes, this is true!

The Second Article
On Redemption

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, descended to Hell, on the third day rose again from the dead, ascended to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Almighty Father. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

What does this mean?

I believe that Jesus Christ is truly God, born of the Father in eternity and also truly man, born of the Virgin Mary. He is my Lord! He redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, bought and won me from all sins, death and the authority of the Devil. It did not cost Him gold or silver, but His holy, precious blood, His innocent body—His death! Because of this, I am His very own, will live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him righteously, innocently and blessedly forever, just as He is risen from death, lives and reigns forever. Yes, this is true.

The Third Article
On Becoming Holy

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the community of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and an everlasting life. Amen.

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot come to my Lord Jesus Christ by my own intelligence or power. But the Holy Spirit called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as He calls, gathers together, enlightens and makes holy the whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus in the one, true faith. In this Church, He generously forgives each day every sin committed by me and by every believer. On the last day, He will raise me and all the dead from the grave. He will give eternal life to me and to all who believe in Christ. Yes, this is true!

By Norma Boeckler

III. The Our Father

The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household

Introduction

Our Father, Who is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:9)

What does this mean?

In this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real Father and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust and complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach their beloved Father with their requests.

The First Request

May Your name be holy. (Matthew 6:9)

What does this mean?

Of course, God's name is holy in and of itself, but by this request, we pray that He will make it holy among us, too.

How does this take place?

It happens when God's Word is taught clearly and purely, and when we live holy lives as God's children based upon it. Help us, Heavenly Father, to do this! But anyone who teaches and lives by something other than God's Word defiles God's name among us. Protect us from this, Heavenly Father!

The Second Request

Your Kingdom come. (Matthew 6:10)

What does this mean?

Truly God's Kingdom comes by itself, without our prayer. But we pray in this request that it come to us as well.

How does this happen?

It happens when the Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that we believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly lives here in this age and there in eternal life.

The Third Request

May Your will be accomplished. As it is Heaven, so may it be on Earth.
(Matthew 6:10)

What does this mean?

Truly, God's good and gracious will is accomplished without our prayer.
But we pray in this request that is accomplished among us as well.

How does this happen?

It happens when God destroys and interferes with every evil will and all evil advice, which will not allow God's Kingdom to come, such as the Devil's will, the world's will and will of our bodily desires. It also happens when God strengthens us by faith and by His Word and keeps us living by them faithfully until the end of our lives. This is His will, good and full of grace.

The Fourth Request

Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

What does this mean?

Truly, God gives daily bread to evil people, even without our prayer. But we pray in this request that He will help us realize this and receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

What does "Daily bread" mean?

Everything that nourishes our body and meets its needs, such as: Food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, yard, fields, cattle, money, possessions, a devout spouse, devout children, devout employees, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and other things like these.

The Fifth Request

And forgive our guilt, as we forgive those guilty of sinning against us. (Matthew 6:12)

What does this mean?

We pray in this request that our Heavenly Father will neither pay attention to our sins nor refuse requests such as these because of our sins and because we are neither worthy nor deserve the things for which we pray. Yet He wants to give them all to us by His grace, because many times each day we sin and truly deserve only punishment. Because God does this, we will, of course, want to forgive from our hearts and willingly do good to those who sin against us.

The Sixth Request

And lead us not into temptation. (Matthew 6:12)

What does this mean?

God tempts no one, of course, but we pray in this request that God will protect us and save us, so that the Devil, the world and our bodily desires will neither deceive us nor seduce us into heresy, despair or other serious shame or vice, and so that we will win and be victorious in the end, even if they attack us.

The Seventh Request

But set us free from the Evil One. ( Matthew 6:12)

What does this mean?

We pray in this request, as a summary, that our Father in Heaven will save us from every kind of evil that threatens body, soul, property and honor. We pray that when at last our final hour has come, He will grant us a blessed death, and, in His grace, bring us to Himself from this valley of tears. Amen

What does this mean?

That I should be certain that such prayers are acceptable to the Father in Heaven and will be granted, that He Himself has commanded us to pray in this way and that He promises to answer us. Amen. Amen. This means: Yes, yes it will happen this way.

IV. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household

What is Baptism?

Baptism is not just plain water, but it is water contained within God's command and united with God's Word.

Where in the Word of God is this?

Where our Lord Christ spoke in the last chapter of Matthew (Matthew
28:19):
"Go into all the world, teaching all heathen nations, and baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

What does Baptism give? What good is it?

It gives us the forgiveness of sins, redeems us from death and the
Devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as
God's words and promises declare.

What are these words and promises of God?

Our Lord Christ spoke one of them in the last chapter of Mark (Mark
16:16):
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not
believe will be damned."

How can water do such great things?

Water doesn't make these things happen, of course. It is God's Word, which is with and in the water. Because, without God's Word, the water is plain water and not baptism. But with God's Word it is a Baptism, a grace-filled water of life, a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul said to Titus in the third chapter (Titus 3:5-8): "Through this bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that we, justified by the same grace are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying."

What is the meaning of such a water Baptism?

It means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, in turn, a new person daily come forth and rise from death again. He will live forever before God in righteousness and purity.

Where is this written?

St. Paul says to the Romans in Chapter Six (Romans 6:4): "We are buried with Christ through Baptism into death, so that, in the same way Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, thus also must we walk in a new life."

V. How You Should Teach the Uneducated to Confess

What is confession?

Confession has two parts: First, a person admits his sin Second, a person receives absolution or forgiveness from the confessor, as if from God Himself, without doubting it, but believing firmly that his sins are forgiven by God in Heaven through it.

Which sins should people confess?

When speaking to God, we should plead guilty to all sins, even those we don't know about, just as we do in the "Our Father," but when speaking to the confessor, only the sins we know about, which we know about and feel in our hearts.

Which are these?

Consider here your place in life according to the Ten Commandments. Are you a father? A mother? A son? A daughter? A husband? A wife? A servant? Are you disobedient, unfaithful or lazy? Have you hurt anyone with your words or actions? Have you stolen, neglected your duty, let things go or injured someone?

Please suggest to me a simple way to confess.

You should speak to your confessor this way:

Honorable, dear Sir: Would you please hear my confession and pronounce forgiveness according to God's will.

He will respond: Yes. Please go ahead.

Then say: I confess in the presence of God that I am a poor sinner and guilty of every kind of sin. I specifically admit to you that I am a servant, maid, etc., but I'm afraid that I have served my master unfaithfully. >From time to time, I have not done what I was told to do. I have angered them and caused them to swear at me. I have neglected my duty and allowed damage to be done. My words and actions have been shameful. I have been angry with my peers. I have complained about my master's wife and sworn at her, etc. I am sorry for all of this and ask for grace. I want to do better.

A master or a lady of the house should speak this way: I specifically confess to you that I have not faithfully led my children, servants or wife to God's glory. I have cursed. I have set a bad example with my obscene words and actions. I have hurt my neighbor and spoken evil things about him. I have charged him too much, cheated him and sold him badly made goods.

Let him also confess any other sins against God's commandments and his place in life, etc.

If a person is not burdened with sins such as these or greater sins, he should not look for other sins or invent them, because that would turn confession into torture. Instead, he should mention one or two that he knows about. For example: specifically I confess that I once cursed. Once I used inappropriate language. Once I neglected to do this or that thing, etc. Let that be enough.

If you do not know of anything you have done wrong (which does not seem possible), do not say anything in specific, but receive forgiveness based upon the general confession you make to God in the presence of your confessor.

After this, the Confessor will say:
May God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith!

Then he will ask:
Do you also believe that the forgiveness I give is God's forgiveness?

Then you will answer:
Yes, dear sir.

After this, he will say: May what you believe happen to you. And by the command of my Lord Jesus, I forgive your sins in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Go in peace! The confessor will know how to use additional passages to comfort and to encourage the faith of those who sorrow, are troubled or whose conscience is greatly burdened. This is only meant to be a general confession for the uneducated.

VI. The Sacrament of the Altar


The Simple Way a Father Should Present it to his Household

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under bread and wine for us Christians to eat and to drink, established by Christ Himself.

Where is that written?

The holy apostles Matthew, Mark and Luke and St. Paul write this: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the night on which He was betrayed, took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to His disciples and said: 'Take! Eat! This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me!' In the same way He also took the cup after supper, gave thanks, gave it to them, and said: 'Take and drink from it, all of you! This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you to forgive sins. This do, as often as you drink it, to remember Me!'"

What good does this eating and drinking do?

These words tell us: "Given for you" and "Shed for you to forgive sins." Namely, that the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are given to us through these words in the sacrament. Because, where sins are forgiven, there is life and salvation as well.

How can physical eating and drinking do such great things?

Of course, eating and drinking do not do these things. These words, written here, do them: "given for you" and "shed for you to forgive sins." These words, along with physical eating and drinking are the important part of the sacrament. Anyone who believes these words has what they say and what they record, namely, the forgiveness of sins.

Who, then, receives such a sacrament in a worthy way?

Of course, fasting and other physical preparations are excellent disciplines for the body. But anyone who believes these words, "Given for you," and "Shed for you to forgive sins," is really worthy and well prepared. But whoever doubts or does not believe these words is not worthy and is unprepared, because the words, "for you" demand a heart that fully believes.

Appendix I How a Father Should Teach His Household to Conduct Morning and Evening Devotions.

Morning Devotions

As soon as you get out of bed in the morning, you should bless yourself with the sign of the Holy Cross and say:

May the will of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done! Amen. Then, kneeling or standing, say the creed and pray the Lord's Prayer. If you wish, you may then pray this little prayer as well: My Heavenly Father, I thank You, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, that You kept me safe from all evil and danger last night. Save me, I pray, that you will keep me safe today from every evil and sin as well,, so that all I do and the way that I live will please you. I put myself in your care, body and soul and all that I have. Let Your holy Angels be with me, so that the evil enemy will not gain power over me. Amen. After that, with joy go about your work and perhaps sing a song inspired by the Ten Commandments or your own thoughts.

Evening Devotions

When you go to bed in the evening, you should bless yourself with the sign of the Holy Cross and say:

May the will of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done! Amen. Then, kneeling or standing, say the creed and pray the Lord's Prayer. If you wish, then you may pray this little prayer as well: My Heavenly Father, I thank You, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son, that You have protected me, by Your grace. Forgive, I pray, all my sins and the evil I have done. Protect me, by Your grace, tonight. I put myself in your care, body and soul and all that I have. Let Your holy angels be with me, so that the evil enemy will not gain power over me. Amen.

After this, go to sleep immediately with joy.

Appendix II How a Father Should Teach His Household to say Grace and Return Thanks at Meals:

The Blessing

The children and servants should come to the table modestly and with folded hands and say: All eyes look to you, O Lord, and You give everyone food at the right time. You open Your generous hands and satisfy the hunger of all living things with what they desire. (Psalm 145:15-16) Note: "What they desire" means that all animals get so much to eat, that they are happy and cheerful. Because, worry and greed interferes with such desires. After this, pray the Lord's Prayer and the following prayer: Lord God, Heavenly Father, bless us and these gifts, which we receive from Your generous hand, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Thanking God

After eating, too, they should modestly fold their hands and say:

Thank the Lord, because He is kind and His goodness lasts forever! He gives all creatures food. He gives livestock their food and feeds the young ravens that call out to Him. A horse's strength does not give Him pleasure. A man's legs do not give Him joy. People who fear the Lord and who wait for His goodness please Him.

After this, pray the Lord's Prayer and the following prayer:

We thank You, Lord God, Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for all
Your blessings. You live and rule forever! Amen!

Appendix III The Home Chart A number of passages to use to teach and admonish people in all holy orders and statuses in life about their duties.

For Bishops, Pastors and Preachers: 1 Tim. 3:2-4 Titus 1: 6

What Hearers owe their Pastors: 1 Cor. 9:14 Gal. 6: 6 1 Tim. 5:17-18 Heb. 13:17

For Earthly Authorities
Rom. 13:1-4

For those Under Authority Matt. 22:21 Rom. 13:5-7 1 Tim. 2:1-3 Titus 3:1 1 Peter 2:13-14

For Husbands 1 Peter 3:7 Col. 3:19

For Wives Eph. 5:22 1 Peter 3:5-6

For Parents
Eph. 6:4

For Children
Eph. 6:1-3

For Servants, Maids, Hired Hands and Workers
Eph. 6: 5-7
Col. 3:22

For the Man and Woman of the House
Eph. 6:9
Col. 4:1

For Young People in General 1 Pet. 5:5-6

For Widows 1 Tim. 5:5-6

For Everyone in General Rom. 13:8-10 1 Tim. 2:1-2

If everyone will learn his part,
The whole household will fare well.

________________________________________________________________________

This text was translated in 1994, revised in 2002 and revised and expanded in 2004 for Project Wittenberg by Robert E. Smith. It has been placed in the public domain by him. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at:

Concordia Theological Seminary
Email: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu
Surface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825
USA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126

Shop and Compare: Which Blog Is the Original?

I thought Paul McCain had repented of his plagiarism, because he recently published another person's blog post and gave credit (and the link) at the top of the copy.

But this morning I saw a commemoration of Constantine and his mother Helena. This is how the McCain post begins:

Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus served as Roman Emperor from AD 306 to 337. During his reign the persecution of Christians was forbidden by the Edict of Milan in 313, and ultimately the faith gained full imperial support.

I put those words into Google's search and got this from Aardvark Alley:

Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus served as Roman Emperor from AD 306 to 337. During his reign the persecution of Christians was forbidden by the Edict of Milan in 313. Ultimately, the faith gained full imperial support.

Constantine called himself Equal to the Apostles.

The only difference is that Aardvark has a Wikipedia link for the Edict of Milan. McCain's does not. McCain altered one sentence slightly.

Both posts have the same collects, McCain's are at the top, AA's at the bottom. I could not find the source for the collects. Perhaps AA created them himself.

For Methodius, McCain gave a mention of AA at the bottom of the post (but no link), disguising the fact that it was 100% copied. The citation should be at the top, thus:

From Aardvark Alley:

We Pray

O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who raises up earthly rulers to work Your will in this life, You called Constantine...

Bethany, WELS, Appleton

When the pastor of Bethany (WELS) in Appleton was caught posting a Swindoll (!) meditation as his own, the minister published an apology and erased the plagiarism, excusing it as due his heavy workload. The apology disappeared almost as fast as the Swindoll robbery.

Comment from the second IL post - 

Michael Schottey said...

It is ironic, and sad, that the response of the pastor was not to leave his apology as is. Rather, he misused the commands of our Lord to try and slander those who pointed out his sin. 

Perhaps less time reading Chuck Swindoll and more time reading the Large Catechism is in order.

Bethany in Appleton is also host to a Church and Change conference, a gathering of unrepentant plagiarists who are offended by Luther quotations.

McCain and his boss at Concordia Publishing House make a total of $500,000 a year, according to public records.

The lack of remorse exhibited by McCain is a certain sign of his special status with Synod President Harrison. 

Previously I thought of McCain as Harrison's campaign manager, but that was too modest a role for him. Synod Presidents are figureheads who represent a faction within the denomination. They are selected before they are elected.

John Moldstad represents the WELS disciples in the Little Sect on the Prairie (aka ELS).

Mark Schroeder is the public relations director for WELS Church and Change, smoothing the way for Mark Jeske, who could not get elected dog-catcher in that sect.

Mark Hanson is the Lavender Mafia frontman in ELCA.

The LCMS reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode where it is revealed at the end - the puppet is the human and the "ventriloquist" is the dummy.

---

More McCain plagiarism.

---

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Shop and Compare: Which Blog Is the Original?":

Ichabod,

This morning as I was leaving the breakfast table, my thoughts focused upon your latest posting about plagiarism. I don't know Paul McCain from Adam, but all of a sudden, the thought of plagiarizing had me thinking, the following:

My thought:

"Plagiarizing as a practice by pastors, is a clear indication that the Holy Spirit has been either ignored, or kicked to the curb. Not to depend upon the Word and the Spirit, is an act of killing one's faith. After all, did not Jesus promise His [then] disciples and future disciples that His Holy Spirit would guide them into all the truth?"

When one does not rely on the Promised One, than that is evidence in itself, that personal faith is a dying ember. But, I suppose that faith’s dying embers don’t matter when one believes in UOJ – universal objective justification – that all will come out [okay] in the wash of eternity……

Nathan M. Bickel - emeritus pastor

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

---

Here is Paul McCain's epic fail - the total recall of The Book of Concord.

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - People of North Carolina Victims of Ugly Elitism from Gay Episcopal Leaders

Does Andy have two daddies?
This is the new advocacy of emergent churches.

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - People of North Carolina Victims of Ugly Elitism from Gay Episcopal Leaders:

'via Blog this'

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - WILMINGTON, DE: Death of a Cathedral.Closure Coming to a Lutheran Church Near You, Maybe Yours

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - WILMINGTON, DE: Death of a Cathedral:


WILMINGTON, DE: Death of a Cathedral

By David W. Virtue in Delaware
www.virtueonline.org
May 19, 2012

"There is a balm in Gilead," sang the choristers at a solemn service marking the end of 161 years of worshipping life at the Cathedral Church of St. John, in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday, but it was hard to find any balm in a building that has stood here as a neighborhood landmark in America's First State. By all accounts, it still has many good years left in it. Tragically, it no longer has enough parishioners to keep the doors open as its coffers have run dry.

Former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold gave an "appreciation and thanksgiving sermon" dropping the usual "sacred space", "sacred place" and "giving thanks for the sacred presence" (whatever that means) themes familiar to Episcopalians. He recalled the "many emotions" the church brought to peoples' minds, but in fact his sermon was a eulogy, a memorial service for a cathedral that will now join many others that have closed in The Episcopal Church from Kalamazoo in Western Michigan to Providence, Rhode Island and perhaps, in time, the Washington National Cathedral. Most Episcopal cathedrals are on life support. Over the next 20 years they will quietly close and be sold off to developers.

In Delaware, St. John's cathedral had its origins through the largess of the DuPont family. Now its sanctuary, still in excellent condition, will close.

Today, for the first time in years, the cathedral was full with some 300 in attendance. It is the last time it will be full. Mostly grey heads shuffled into the sanctuary -- some with canes, others in wheelchairs, and, what seemed to this writer, a disproportionate number of women priests. I later learned that the diocese has passed the male to female ratio of priests. There are now more women priests in the diocese. There is not one single orthodox parish to be found in the diocese. Its liberal bishop, the Rt. Rev. Wayne Wright, oversees a mere 38 parishes, making it one of the smallest dioceses in The Episcopal Church.

In July, a decommissioning will take place, a sort of ecclesiastical funeral service for family and friends. The cathedral will then be dismantled and its parts, including a magnificent set of stained glass windows over the altar, sold off to the highest bidder.

As these aging, sad looking Episcopalians looked around them for the last time, the lines of one congregational hymn captured the moment, "Mortal pride and earthly glory, sword and crown betray our trust; though with care and toil we build them, tower and temple fall to dust."


'via Blog this'

Update on Tim Glende's Church Growth Efforts in Savoy, Illinois

Maybe they needed more Driscoll and less Stanley.
Eight years of Tim Glende seemed to knock the ambition out of the congregation.

bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Tell Us about Star of Bethlehem, Savoy, Illinois -...":

By now the vote is in, and one wonders whether Glende's old church got the up or down vote.

The church is (was?) on the south edge of town with open country (farmers' fields) to three sides. The WELS likes to plant churches, for some reason, where few people live and can walk to, I think because the land is cheap in those locations. But it's cheap for a reason since businesses don't want to locate far away from their customer base. By the locations they choose, it seems the WELS wants only to cater to the car culture, and they seem to think that people who want to actually walk to church can remain heterodox, since they don't show enough commitment. (BTW, public transportation usually doesn't run on Sunday mornings and in the evenings in most cities.) It's the WELS CG version of Schuler's drive-thru church, where if people wanted to attend without a car, they were just out of luck. It's like the health insurance companies who locate their offices on the second floor of buildings without elevators in order to attract only the healthy.

I've heard of WELS churches failing in a large metropolitan area when two or more WELS churches were close by, but the nearest WELS church to Glende's church was 51 miles away in Normal, IL, according to the WELS church locator. Evidently the CG services were so bad, the WELS members there drove 51 miles to get away from it, or turned to local LCMS churches:

http://welslocator.locatorsearch.com/

Map:
http://g.co/maps/x4kc9

Or more Stanley and less Driscoll.

***

GJ - WELS financial savvy does not compute. St. Peter's in Freedom had $250,000 to spend before the The CORE even got started. One can only guess how much has been spent since then, just to have an evening service a few blocks away from another WELS congregation.

The latest venue was especially strange, sharing a former WELS church building with ANOTHER emergent church (entertainment style, generic, afraid of a confessional label - like "Lutheran").

Or - Kudu Don Patterson has money for African safaris, for $40,000 to pay for fund-raises to start a new church, but a mission has nothing. And yet, Kudu Don gets a free vicar every single year.

There are WELS pastors who cannot buy food when they need medicine, but WELS has enough money to own two office buildings at once.

Oh yes - one long-time WELS member, later a pastor, told me how they pushed old the old crew-cut guys out of the Love Shack to make room for cool guys like Wayne Mueller and Paul Kelm.

Crown Him with Many Crowns, The Lutheran Hymnal, #341

St. Etheldreda's Church was built in the late 1200's.

"Crown Him with Many Crowns"
by Matthew Bridges, 1800-1894

1. Crown Him with many crowns
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

2. Crown Him the Virgin's Son,
The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
Which now His brow adorn;
Fruit of the mystic rose,
As of that rose the stem;
The root whence mercy ever flows,
The Babe of Bethlehem.

3. Crown Him the Lord of Love.
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his wondering eye
At mysteries so bright!

4. Crown Him the Lord of Life
Who triumphed o'er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.

5. Crown Him the Lord of Heaven,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the King to whom is given
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns
For He is King of all.

Hymn #341
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Rev. 19:12
Author: Matthew Bridges, 1851, cento, alt.
Composer: George J. Elvey, 1868
Tune: "Diademata"

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Exaudi, The Sunday after the Ascension. John 15:26-16:4

Exaudi, The Sunday after the Ascension, 2012

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Time

The Hymn # 9            O Day of Rest                        1:89

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual          

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #195      Christ Jesus Lay       1:46

The Spirit of Truth

The Communion Hymn # 341          Crown Him     1:70

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #261         Lord Keep Us Steadfast                  1:93

KJV 1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:  27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. 16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.  2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.  3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.  4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Prayer

Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks unto Thee, that through Thy Holy Spirit Thou hast appointed us to bear witness of Thy dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: We beseech Thee, inasmuch as the world cannot endure such testimony, and persecutes us in every way, grant us courage and comfort, that we may not be offended because of the cross, but continue steadfastly in Thy testimony, and be found always among those who know Thee and Thy Son, until we obtain eternal salvation through the same, Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Gaost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Spirit of Truth

Luther’s Sermon for Exaudi - http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/04/luthers-sermons-john-1526-164-exaudi_21.html

Luther’s Second Sermon for Exaudi - http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/04/luthers-sermons-john-1526-164-exaudi.html

This is a fine passage to consider in light of the ascension of Christ. Although the disciples were trying to grasp all this before the crucifixion, they knew and remembered it afterwards, especially when Jesus ascended into heaven before their eyes and sent the Holy Spirit to them, to bring to remembrance all they had seen and experienced.

In the same way we should consider this with Christ seated at the right hand of God, triumphant over sin, death, and Satan in His resurrection and ascension. All the powers marshaled against Him failed, and the rest of history is just a time of waiting until all authority and power is finally subdued under His feet.

There is a lot of evidence of that happening already, in history. No kingdom has lasted and grown forever. Each one has a rise and a decline. The Eastern Roman Empire is often dated from Constantine to the fall of Constantinople, 313 AD to 1453 AD, 11 centuries of Greek, Christian rule. And yet it ended. At one time the nobles ate from solid gold tables, and a serving dish of solid gold was so heavy that it had to be moved, suspended from a beam. Although we brag about the wealth of one area or another, the wealth of Constantinople was beyond belief, with plates of gold hanging from one gate, a treasury no one dared to rob. And yet it fell into decline and decay. The power that took the city (the Ottoman Empire) lasted for a limited time, even though it also spread across Europe.

Later the Ottoman Empire was called the “sick man of Europe” and collapsed into fragments.

But the Kingdom of Grace established by Christ has grown and spread throughout the ages. This was already predicted long before He was born – of the increase of His government there shall be no end…

KJV Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

So it is entirely correct to say that Christ rules over this world now and has all power, though many do not know it.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 

The Holy Spirit always accompanies the Word. One of our American Lutheran teachers clarified this, since truth is often mixed with error. The purer the Word, the greater the power. There is a point where the message itself has no divine content, because it is designed to appeal to man alone. However, the Gospel is still taught by faithful liturgies and hymns.

In the Age of Rationalism, the sermons were about building roads and bridges and getting proper medical treatment. Rationalistic church bodies hate the Christian faith and persecute it, yet God continues to work. Those who hate the Christian faith the most will undermine the text of the Bible first, which undermines the authority of the Word. They get people used to accepting everything, then get rid of the historic liturgy and the great hymns of Christianity. Catechism fades away, and little is left. The last stage of an apostate congregation prepares them to close or to become honestly Unitarian. Sometimes the switch to honest Left-wing ideology wakes people up and they realize what they are abandoning.

Thus Paul said there must be sects and divisions (heresies) to prove what is faithful to God’s Word. The apostates yell “You are divisive!” over the  divisions they created while begging for tolerance. Once they are in control, there is no tolerance for the traditionalists of any group.

Bad money drives out good – in doctrine too. When a denomination goes downhill, they multiply their false teachers until falsehood looks like the only way.

The Spirit of Truth remains the teaching of the Word. No human agency can change that.

John 15:27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

The disciples and the witnesses of the resurrection were important in establishing the Christian Church, because they built it upon Christ. They were with Christ in His public ministry and during His resurrection appearances. Paul was an exception to the public ministry but not to the teaching of Christ after the resurrection. The eleven bore the brunt of the tension during the Passion but also had the extensive training from being with Christ.

We can conclude that many of the 500 were those named in the Gospels as being healed or witnessing the healing of Christ, or who carried the cross for Christ (Simon of Cyrene).

When people conspire to commit fraud, their stories eventually unravel, sometimes quite quickly. They always work hard to make themselves look legitimate. Separated, they begin to contradict one another. In one crime drama, one rats out the other (faked) so the second one rats out the first. It is all staged so they can see how quickly the police will work to undermine their dicey story.

But the Bible has separate witnesses that agree with one another in substance while using different details, adding and subtracting, sometimes using completely different verbiage. The skeptics tie themselves in knots finding contradictions, then concede they cannot explain why their own theories fail.

Luther emphasizes the absolute authority of the Word in all his writings. The bible is the book that judges all books. No human authority is above it, because it is the Book of the Holy Spirit.

With that emphasis is complete confidence in the truth of the Word and the opposition of unbelievers when they hear that truth. Jesus comforts His disciples with the concept that they will have the Spirit from the Son and the Father, but they will face demonic opposition because of it.

Everything Jesus predicted came true.

Luther – http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/04/luthers-sermons-john-1526-164-exaudi.html

6. This is the consolation which Christ gives the disciples to strengthen their faith. They would have need of it in their coming work for him. This promise is a promise to his whole Church that, after his resurrection and ascension, the word and teaching of the Holy Spirit shall at all times, so long as Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, testify through the apostles and their successors, and that this testimony shall remain in the world, no matter who hears it or hears it not. For the disciples were not to be concerned as to who did or did not hear and receive their testimony, but they should know, because it is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, that he would be present and working with them, to the end that some might believe. Nor should the world be able to hinder or prevent this, though it should rage against it with its hatred and persecution. Yea, even if no person on earth received their teaching, nevertheless the world should be reproved through the preaching of his Word. He says: The Holy Spirit will reprove the world, which will thus receive the judgment of its condemnation because it heard the preaching but nevertheless would not believe it and therefore has no excuse; as he said afterwards: “If I had not come and spoken unto them,” and “had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin.”

The false teachers argue from their success, even though their success is laughable and temporary. They do not argue from the Word because they cannot. They often cite their glorious institutions, the physical manifestations of what they do. Do they have mansions? The worst false teachers have 20 mansions, all bought with cash? Does that make the worst of the lot better, for their real estate?

The Word is true whether anyone believes it or not. The scorn of unbelievers in the visible church comes from their trust in their endowment funds and real estate, their popularity at the moment. Jesus said that everything will pass away, “My Word will never pass away.”

If I wanted to stake my claim on anything, it would be the eternal Word rather than crumbling real estate.

16:1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.  2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 

Not be offended – If the disciples had faced opposition without the warnings, they would have said, “This is a fine fix. We trusted in Him and we are now in a dank prison.” That would have been cause to blame the Gospel and Christ. But he warned them it would be bad but blessed by God – and it was. According to tradition, all the disciples died violently from persecution – except perhaps John. No one knows for sure, but there are stories recorded from the earliest days about them. As I said before, there was not much interest in biographies of the saints when they wanted to teach the Gospel instead.

Now we have the reverse – everything is about the human founders, even outright fables, but almost no Gospel, even teaching against faith in the Gospel of Christ.

The ultimate outrage within religion was realized when people executed the disciples and imagined they were doing a service to God. This horrible crime was repeated in the Reformation and afterwards in stories too numerous to list.  The first hymn by Luther was prompted by two young men being burned at the stake for being faithful to the Word – “Flung to the heedless winds.”

The persecution of the Church in Jerusalem did two things.

It drove the Christians into the Roman Empire to spread the Gospel.

It spared the Christians the horrible slaughter in the siege of Jerusalem, only a few years later.

3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 

The rage is the result of the Holy Spirit convicting people of their unbelief. Some think, “This is not working. They are opposed and filled with a foolish hatred.” But that is working. Their hardness and blindness is worsened when they reject the Word. They feel the effect of condemning – the sin of unbelief – but they reject the Word. As James says, “The demons believe and their hides bristle.”

No matter what their lofty position might be, they do not know the Father and do not know the Son when they conduct themselves in a war against the Gospel.

4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

This is clearly a farewell sermon. Jesus trained the disciples, step by step, not telling them all the challenging news until they were ready to hear it.

In the previous sermon Luther said “faith always grows,” which he illustrated with the examples of the disciples growing in faith and gladly bearing the cross.

He also said that faith does a person no good if that person does not endure to the end. This sermon was given so His disciples would endure and remain steadfast. And so we must also. 

Symbol by Norma Boeckler

Luther's Brilliant Section in the Smalcald Articles Describes All False Doctrine, Must Be Studied.

And in those things which concern the spoken, outward Word, we must firmly hold that God grants His Spirit or grace to no one, except through or with the preceding outward Word, in order that we may [thus] be protected against the enthusiasts, i.e., spirits who boast that they have the Spirit without and before the Word, and accordingly judge Scripture or the spoken Word, and explain and stretch it at their pleasure, as Muenzer did, and many still do at the present day, who wish to be acute judges between the Spirit and the letter, and yet know not what they say or declare. For [indeed] the Papacy also is nothing but sheer enthusiasm, by which the Pope boasts that all rights exist in the shrine of his heart, and whatever he decides and commands with [in] his church is spirit and right, even though it is above and contrary to Scripture and the spoken Word.

All this is the old devil and old serpent, who also converted Adam and Eve into enthusiasts, and led them from the outward Word of God to spiritualizing and self-conceit, and nevertheless he accomplished this through other outward words. Just as also our enthusiasts [at the present day] condemn the outward Word, and nevertheless they themselves are not silent, but they fill the world with their pratings and writings, as though, indeed, the Spirit could not come through the writings and spoken word of the apostles, but [first] through their writings and words he must come. Why [then] do not they also omit their own sermons and writings, until the Spirit Himself come to men, without their writings and before them, as they boast that Me has come into them without the preaching of the Scriptures? But of these matters there is not time now to dispute at greater length; we have elsewhere sufficiently urged this subject.

For even those who believe before Baptism, or become believing in Baptism, believe through the preceding outward Word, as the adults, who have come to reason, must first have heard: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, even though they are at first unbelieving, and receive the Spirit and Baptism ten years afterwards. Cornelius, Acts 10, 1 ff., had heard long before among the Jews of the coming Messiah, through whom he was righteous before God, and in such faith his prayers and alms were acceptable to God (as Luke calls him devout and God-fearing), and without such preceding Word and hearing could not have believed or been righteous. But St. Peter had to reveal to him that the Messiah (in whom, as one that was to come, he had hitherto believed) now had come, lest his faith concerning the coming Messiah hold him captive among the hardened and unbelieving Jews, but know that he was now to be saved by the present Messiah, and must not, with the [rabble of the] Jews deny nor persecute Him.

In a word, enthusiasm inheres in Adam and his children from the beginning [from the first fall] to the end of the world, [its poison] having been implanted and infused into them by the old dragon, and is the origin, power [life], and strength of all heresy, especially of that of the Papacy and Mahomet. Therefore we ought and must constantly maintain this point, that God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments. It is the devil himself whatsoever is extolled as Spirit without the Word and Sacraments. For God wished to appear even to Moses through the burning bush and spoken Word; and no prophet neither Elijah nor Elisha, received the Spirit without the Ten Commandments [or spoken Word]. Neither was John the Baptist conceived without the preceding word of Gabriel, nor did he leap in his mother's womb without the voice of Mary. And Peter says, 2. Ep. 1, 21: The prophecy came not by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Without the outward Word, however, they were not holy, much less would the Holy Ghost have moved them to speak when they still were unholy [or profane]; for they were holy, says he, since the Holy Ghost spake through them.


http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/project-gutenberg-smalcald-articles.html

Smalcald Articles, Part III, VIII. Book of Concord.

***

GJ - Strangely, it was Jay Webber, UOJ advocate, who pointed me to this section of the Book of Concord. I found this section on Enthusiasm  the most condensed and insightful passage in doctrinal literature. Although there are many beautiful and insightful passages in the Book of Concord, this is the greatest of them all.

First of all, Enthusiasm explains the false foundation of all false doctrine, including the papacy and Islam. They separate the Holy Spirit from the Word in this way. The pope simply declares "the truth" on his own, and his followers accept those messages as divine revelation. Delving into papal announcements, while writing Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, convinced me how true this was. I read about the scapular (a piece of cloth) being worn to reduce time in Purgatory, "an astonishing legislation" from the pope. Likewise, world religions simply invent all kinds of fantasies and market them as eternal truths.

But Enthusiasm also explains completely the false spin put on the Christian faith by all errorists. Enthusiasm rejects the efficacy of the Word, the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit through the Word.

The Synodical Conference (tm) has had many different battles go on forever because the leaders and members did not grasp or defend this basic concept of efficacy or the fight the obvious signs of Entusiasm. Thus the SC has fostered UOJ, Receptionism, Pentecostalism, Ecumenism, and sinuflecting to Rome.

Enthusiasm is claiming that the entire world has been absolved of sin, without the Word. It just happened, the errorists claim, and it worked backwards to beginning of time, and is efficacious in the unborn. The hero of UOJ, E. Preuss, wrote that every single person on earth is born forgiven. And E. Preuss joined Roman Catholicism as a "scholar" defending superstitions about the Virgin Mary. Two Concordia professors in a row left the LCMS for the Church of Rome, and now the students are joining Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy.

No one properly trained in Biblical Lutheran doctrine would join Roman Catholicism. They either do not know the Scriptures, or Lutheran doctrine, or Roman dogma.

UOJ would have been snuffed out faster than a fluttering moth if the Synodical Conference (tm) had been founded by Lutherans instead of a Pietistic cult. As I understand it, Bishop Stephan bought Mormon land to establish Perryville. The Mormons established polygamy in Missouri, covertly, and Bishop Stephan practiced it overtly on the same land. Stephan could not have done it without the help, support, and empowerment of his obsequious followers. As Walther explained "privately," Stephan's adultery was Mrs. Stephan's fault.

The UOJ Enthusiasts can talk all day and read their essays to each other at conferences. They cannot get past a gigantic boulder in the road - Luther's explanation of their dogma. They all claim a quia subscription to the Book of Concord. Congratulations - let them explain their favorite dogma in the light of the Smalcald Articles, Isaiah 55:8-11, and Romans 10.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Luther's Brilliant Section in the Smalcald Article...":

As Dr. Cruz and myself quoted to UOJist and Huberite Joe Krohn, LCMS Pastor Rolf Preus made the following clarification of what UOJ (Universal Objective Justification) teaches:

"God comes to sinners who see their sins and he tells them in the gospel that they have a Savior who has taken away their sins. He forgives them their sins for Christ's sake. This gospel that says your sins are forgiven for Christ's sake is the means by which God brings you to faith and keeps you in the faith.

You cannot agree with this statement if you deny that God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven the entire world of sinners. What have I said in this statement? I have said that God comes to sinners (who do not yet have faith) and tells them that they have a Savior who has taken away their sins. I say that God forgives these sinners (who do not yet have faith). Then I say that this gospel that tells these sinners (who do not have faith) that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake is the means by which God brings them to faith.

Can you see this? God forgives sinners for Christ’s sake. This is how God brings them to faith. If God had not forgiven them before they believed God would have no means of bringing them to faith.

You use the word promise as if it means that God will do something that he has not yet done. You turn the gospel into a deal: God will forgive you if you believe. Thus, by appealing to the concept of promise you reject the substance of the promise."

The quote can be read in context here:
http://www.lutherquest.org/discus40/messages/103666/101645.html?1333494984

(BM - Bolded section is my emphasis)

The discussion with Joe Krohn can be found here:
http://extranos.blogspot.com/2012/05/more-proof-that-old-time-orthodox.html

Relic from tomb of apostle St. Paul is coming to namesake cathedral | StarTribune.com

Relic from tomb of apostle St. Paul is coming to namesake cathedral | StarTribune.com:


In June 2009, Vatican archaeologists drilled a hole into the sarcophagus and inserted a probe to remove a sample of its contents, Cathedral of St. Paul spokeswoman Carolyn Will said in a news release. The contents included purple fabric, red incense, chalk and protein substances. Bone fragments were sent for carbon-14 testing, which concluded that they came from someone who lived around the first and second centuries A.D.

"This would seem to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition which claims that these are the mortal remains of St. Paul," Pope Benedict said at the time. "All of this fills our hearts with profound emotion."


'via Blog this'

***

GJ - ELCA/Seminex leaders rejoice - "Paul really did exist after all."

The Art of Norma Boeckler Glorifies God. Her New Book Is Published through Amazon

Link for the Art of Norma Boeckler

The Art of Norma Boeckler, by Norma Boeckler, glorifies God by using her talent and skills to show us God's Creation and His revelation of grace in the Sacred Scriptures. Bethany Lutheran Church and all those connected with us through the blog, Internet worship, and books enjoy her art in many forms.

Norma designed the Bethany Lutheran Chapel,
photographed it, and created this Photoshop.
I said, "We need the candles lit," so she lit them with Photoshop.

Norma loves to create religious art, but she pursues many avenues of expression. She seems to have unlimited abilities. In Japan, she learned about enameled jeweled. She studied Photoshop and Dreamweaver. She made special paper for her artwork. One has to wonder what she has not done.

Every art lover should own this book, because this volume collects Norma's work and displays it in various categories. The contents include:
1.  Flowers
2.  Butterflies
3.  Birds
4.  Still life
5.  Landscapes
6.  Portraits
7.  Abstracts
8.  Marine life
9.  Rug paintings
10. Jewelry
11. Religious Books Illustrated

I am happy to add that her artwork has enhanced many graphics I created to emphasize Biblical verses, doctrinal statements, and Lutheran hymns. Her creations are shared in blogs and on Facebook, so many people have had a chance to comment on the beauty and design of her work.

Therefore, this book is only a glimpse of Norma Boeckler's work, and she continues at a rapid pace. I suggest this as a gift for adults and children, for all ages, because there is so much to delight the senses.

Among my favorites are the bird paintings, which capture the movement and charm of God's choir. Every morning they sing Matins, not knowing where their next meal will come from, as Martin Luther observed.

Norma enjoyed developing this book, and we are all grateful she devoted so much time to it. Our copy is a keepsake.

Bio of Norma Boeckler

Part Two of Norma Boeckler's Bio

Thrivent Works with the United Religions Initiative

This is the Thrivent palace in Appleton,
which allows media honcho Jeske to visit his disciples in Fox Valley,
where WELS pastors are especially dense.

Thrivent board member Mark Jeske now oversees funding for Missouri, WELS, and ELCA,
which I estimate to be around $170,000,000 a year,
based on SP Harrison's figure of $60 million a year to Missouri alone.
Jeske is the furtive leader of Church and Change.

Note the Thrivent information on the YouTube page.

“The conference was initiated by the Program and Veteran Committees of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio; John Young and Rita Semel, respectively, chairs of those committees. The leader for the project was Caroline Knowles. She has developed a chaplaincy for veterans both with ICP and with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley. They co-sponsored the conference with the Graduate Theological Union and the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County. A special thank you goes to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for their generous support.”

http://www.urinorthamerica.org/blog/2012/05/04/interfaith-center-at-the-presidio-conference-the-hidden-wounds-of-war

Thrivent support for United Religions Initiative

http://www.interfaith-presidio.org/pdf/twist_event_flyer.pdf

URI

http://www.green-agenda.com/unitedfaith.html

This is an all-religions stained glass window, sponsored by Thrivent.
Thrivent and its board share the same philosophy - free thinkers of the Masonic Lodge variety.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Thrivent Works with the United Religions Initiativ...":

The Lutheran Synods (WELS, ELS, LCMS, ELCA) are financing Thrivent's support for the Satanic New Age religions.

Not only is Thrivent's supporting the satanic earth worshiping United Religions Initiative but their financial support for Lynne Twist is also deeply occultic.

http://elevate.us/lynn-twist/05/

Lynne Twist, "When you're in the GREAT-FULLNESS of life you are one with God, you are one with the Universe, you're one with all - there is no other. And that is so fulfilling that the bowl of life overflows and dribbles over..."

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raklatt (http://raklatt.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Thrivent Works with the United Religions Initiativ...":

James 1:21b - receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Martin Luther on the above - Those who are without the Word in their endeavor to attain heaven, accomplish nothing.