The Lutheran Warbler Has a Lenten CD You Can Order

The Lutheran Warbler
Order the CD here - click link.
This is her channel on Youtube - 117 hymns so far.

Disc Price: $14.99Add to Cart

Love Beyond Degree: Lenten Reflections with the Lutheran Warbler   Artist/Band: Lutheran Warbler Begin your Lenten journey with this reverent collection of 14 beloved hymns, sung by the Lutheran Warbler. From "Go to Dark Gethsemane" to "O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken," this album is the perfect soundtrack for your Lenten reflections, as you contemplate the cross again this Lenten season. 1. Go to Dark Gethsemane 2. Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed 3. Christ the Life of All the Living 4. Jesus, Refuge of the Weary 5. We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died 6. Glory Be to Jesus 7. Savior, When in Dust to Thee 8. Not All the Blood of Beasts 9. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross 10. In the Cross of Christ I Glory 11. Come to Calvary's Holy Mountain 12. On My Heart Imprint Your Image 13. Lamb of God, Pure and Holy 14. O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken --- LutheranWarbler 11:52 AM     Thanks for helping spread the word about my CD! I really appreciate it. Lenten blessings!

Sassy Post Requested - Update on the Wonder Dog

Sassy enjoyed her former position to the right of the computer - at Silden Lane,
where she could grab my mouse to get attention.

She delighted in knocking the wireless mouse away
and getting some attention from her ploy.

Sassy has a slightly different position when she supervises my work on Letha Drive. She is on my left and often behind me. She uses her front paw to hook my sweater and pull me over. Naturally she grins at her success and snuffles at my ear.

Sassy's favorite part of the day is her walk. When she returns, Chris says, "Any new Sassy stories?" Sassy listens and grins while I talk about her latest exploits.

Our neighbor has a Chihuahua puppy we call Little White Mouse. The owner replaced his pit bulls with LWM. Sassy and I soon made friends with the tiny creature. This puppy runs to both of us, but plays with Sassy.

Children love Sassy because of her missing leg and welcoming personality. One problem I have is keeping her back from children playing. One time they all ran into the house screaming. Then one said, "I know Sassy." They came back out and began playing with her.

I posted earlier that she ate one girl's lunch, which was left on the ground. When the girl complained, Sassy smiled. Later Sassy really enjoyed hearing the story retold.

Sassy has a lot of sounds because of her German Shepherd/Cattle Dog genes. She talks over everything she does, usually making a point to hurry me along. If I talk too long with a neighbor, she bawls me out for being so slow. However, she is sure to collect petting from everyone she sees. She invites it by coming up to a person and extending her nose for the initial petting, wagging her tail.

If she wants a snack at night, I hear a high pitched whistle. Looking over, I see her licking her lips. I hide her extra snacks, but she knows that now. She looks up where they should be, waiting for the next one.

If she flaps her ears loudly, she usually wants to go outside.

If I miss what she wants to communicate, she switches her tail angrily and looks at me as one who has fallen from grace.

She loves attention, so it is fun to have her with us everywhere except certain errands. If she can go along on trips she is very happy, but loud when the trip takes her to a new place. Normally we go to Walmart and the post office. I can put the window down for her to communicate with people while I get things done. Her favorite position is at the wheel, which amuses everyone.

To initiate a walk, she leans into me and shows every kind of affection. Although we try to use code to talk around her, she listens for such terms as "w" for her walk, or "go" or "later." Then all peace is gone as she barks furiously about her supreme happiness.

Sassy supervises all food preparation. The same dog who is deaf to pleas about chasing a cat or squirrel will hear the rustle of a food package and investigate. If she can get an immediate tidbit, she hangs around. Otherwise she goes back to watch TV until food is served.

Bowdoin College Going Lavender - Bowdoin Sound Familiar? - Your UOJ Double-Justification Calvinist Led the School

Leonard Woods
4th President of Bowdoin College
Term	1839 – 1866
Predecessor	William Allen
Successor	Samuel Harris
Born	November 24, 1807 Newbury, Massachusetts
Died	December 24, 1878 (aged 71) Boston, Massachusetts
Alma mater	Union College

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Woods_(college_president)

...he made a translation of George Christian Knapp's Christian Theology, which became long used as a textbook in American theological seminaries. When he became president of Bowdoin in 1839, he was only 32 years old. He held his position until 1866. During his tenure, the College built Appleton Hall, the Chapel, and Adams Hall, which housed the Medical School of Maine and the undergraduate laboratories. A recipient of advanced degrees from Colby College, Harvard University, and Bowdoin, Woods died in 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts.

"That verse is OJ - that verse is SJ."
These exegetical insights come from a Calvinist translating
Knapp - a rationalistic Pietist at Halle University.

---

CAMPUS SCENES

GOD AND SEXUALITY AT BOWDOIN

A wonderful Maine college loses its soul.

By Owen Strachan – 3.9.14

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To be at home in all lands and all ages;
To count Nature a familiar acquaintance,
And Art an intimate friend;
To gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work
And the criticism of your own;
To carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket,
And feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake

I remember hearing these words — “The Offer of the College” — in my earliest days as a Bowdoin College first-year. They came in a whirl of initial activity: a “pre-orientation” trip to a beautiful coastal locale filled with awkward conversation between pre-oriented students; kissing my parents goodbye after all the boxes were moved in; and, this being a Maine college, a lobster bake to formally kick the year off.

The Offer of the College was touted early and often at Bowdoin. Its late-Romantic tones, featuring a mildly divinized natural order (shout out to Emerson) and its exhortation to adopt a chastened noblesse oblige initially sounded odd to my eighteen-year-old ears. I know from my perusal of the back pages of the alumni magazine that it influenced my peers, however. Many a poor-paying urban teaching career, a long-term environmental research post, or a stint in a developing nation has been launched because of a small college in Maine animated by a humanist credo.

It is because Bowdoin has historically embodied this statement that recent developments at the school have taken me and many others aback. In a move that has reminded many onlookers of heavy-handed institutional actions at Vanderbilt University and Tufts University, the school’s administration presented Bowdoin Christian Fellowship (BCF) volunteer leaders Rob and Sim Gregory with a “non-discrimination” statement. This statement required, among other things, that the Gregorys open BCF leadership up to students of any sexual orientation.

As reported in the Bowdoin Orient, Dean of Students Tim Foster explained that “If someone’s participating in an organization and they are LGBTIQA and they are not allowed to participate in that organization because of their sexual orientation or they cannot lead that organization because of their sexual orientation, then that’s discrimination.” Foster sharpened the point: “And that is a violation of Maine law and therefore also a violation of College law.” But that was not all, per the Orient. The college needed to know more about the people who were influencing its students: “According to Foster, the initiative grew partially as a reaction to the Penn State scandal in 2011 in which assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was convicted of multiple counts of child molestation.”

I commend Foster’s interest in the welfare and protection of the students he serves. I remember him as a kind and gracious man, generous with his time for struggling undergrads. (Full disclosure: I know Foster, was hired by his office to be a peer mentor at Bowdoin in my student days, and am always greeted warmly by him when I return to my alma mater.) Foster’s implicit connection of BCF leader Rob Gregory to known pedophile Jerry Sandusky is shocking, however. Like many Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship volunteer leaders, Gregory has with his wife Sim mentored countless students, financially assisted them, and counseled them through difficult circumstances of the kind that college students frequently face. According to the Orient, Gregory took on the cause of Aijalon Gomes, a Bowdoin graduate who fell into disfavor in North Korea. Irrespective of creed, the connection of Gregory to a child predator is therefore deeply unfortunate, and seems to speak to a deeper, darker bias.

The larger issue, though, is this: is BCF really discriminating against others by selecting its own leaders, students who adhere to the historic Christian belief that homosexuality is sinful? The answer is plain: it most certainly is not. While Maine has passed anti-discrimination legislation on the basis of sexual orientation, no court — in Maine or anywhere else in the United States — has held that a campus religious organization is breaking any law by requiring leaders to agree to a common statement of belief on theological and ethical matters. The ability to select leaders is a crucial part of the freedom of association, an American constitutional right grounded in the First Amendment. In cases like Boy Scout of America v. Dale (2000), the Supreme Court has upheld the right of groups to structure their membership (and by extension their leadership) according to their particular point of view (even as Hastings Christian Fellowship v. Martinez(2009) went the opposite way).

BCF enjoys the freedom to select its leaders no less than any other campus organization. Per long-standing historical precedent, the Bowdoin College Democrats need not admit Republicans to leadership. The Bowdoin Queer Straight Alliance need not admit a person who believes homosexuality is immoral to leadership. The Middle Eastern Belly Dance Ensemble need not admit a non-belly dance enthusiast to leadership. If these points seem straightforward, it is because they are. Yet this logic is undergoing revision by the Bowdoin administration.

In depriving the Inter-Varsity group of its right to select leaders in keeping with its identity, Bowdoin is compromising the right of free speech on campus. Free speech, after all, is a dead letter without freedom of association, and freedom of association is a dead letter without the freedom to set standards for leadership. The fracas in Brunswick, Maine, should therefore be of interest to citizens from a wide range of backgrounds who share a common interest in basic personal liberty.

Bowdoin is acting not only against BCF, but its own core values. Three years ago, Craig McEwen, then the Dean of Academic Affairs, called for campus “solidarity” while also encouraging “teaching and learning about difference.” McEwen called this effort a “paradox” in his speech for the Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good. He noted that hearing stories from various constituencies of the community would “provoke our instinct for empathy” and “awaken in others an unrecognized kinship or solidarity that deepens understanding” and “may touch conscience,” among other effects. Barry Mills, the current president of the College, made the point still more strongly in his 2010 convocation address (which touched off its own diversity-related firestorm that led to a 300-page NASreport). I quote at length from one particularly salient passage by Mills:

Second, we must be willing to entertain diverse perspectives throughout our community. We have made real progress on this issue in our student body and on the Bowdoin staff. And we have made significant progress in the faculty over the past few years. But diversity of ideas at all levels of the College is crucial for our credibility and for our educational mission. Civility and respect are essential at Bowdoin, but we must guard against political correctness and a culture where everyone — students, faculty, and staff — is supposed to feel “comfortable.” We value, as one of our highest priorities, the Bowdoin sense of community and collegiality, and we should continue to do so. However, we should be willing to incorporate more vigorously a diversity of views into that sense of community. Creative tension is a positive force in a community committed to intellectual excellence and vitality.

Mills’s speech reflects Bowdoin’s long-standing desire to train students “To gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work/And the criticism of your own,” as William DeWitt Hyde once said. In this late hour, one must ask: how will students encounter the criticism they need — not merely classroom criticism, but holistic criticism aimed at genuine personal development — if they do not encounter different views on campus? Organizations like BCF are a small part of the larger fabric of the college, but they are a vital part. Unlike other educational models, they allow students to taste the exhilarating (and sometimes bewildering) experience of genuine intellectual exchange.

Bowdoin College finds itself in a transitional moment in 2014. Like many leading schools, it is a secular institution, owning no religious creed, ostensibly welcoming a diverse group of students and faculty. Yet the college faces an essential question: what exactly will diversity look like at Bowdoin? Is this a privileged diversity in which some groups are ideologically more equal than others, or is this a generous diversity, one that will tolerate difference of belief? In Mills’s own words, will “political correctness” rule on the campus, or genuine “diversity of views?”

This last question has ramifications far beyond Bowdoin. It is, in fact, the central question of our time. In a polarized, divided society, will tolerance in any meaningful form endure? Or will “non-discrimination” stand, in Orwellian terms, for silencing and marginalizing voices of many kinds that do not agree with the progressive sexual movement? Until recently, I was heartened to think that a collegiate and societal commitment to “diversity” might preserve the rights of different groups, however much in the minority, to stand for their own convictions. At Bowdoin, at least, this no longer applies.

All this is rather tragic. The modern humanist experiment worked well for a good long while. It certainly did for me, anyway. More than a decade after my graduation from a small college in Maine, I can easily say I am the better for the climate of genuine intellectual exchange and mutual critique Bowdoin fostered. This environment changed me, sharpened me, and humbled me. For me and countless other alumni, the college has cultivated in its students “generous enthusiasms” and has trained us to “cooperate with others for common ends,” per the words of the Offer.

It appears that this great project, the fruitage of a now-benighted modernity, may have run its course in Brunswick. It remains to be seen how, in the words of Hyde, one can be “at home in all lands and all ages,” after all, if one cannot be at home on one’s campus.

Joel Hochmuth Is Still the Director of Communications for WELS? - Today's LinkedIn News

Will a Death Stop WELS Secret Rituals? - National Fraternity Ends Pledging.WELS Denies GA, Which Remains a Secret Ritual

Deadliest U.S. Fraternity Abolishes Pledging for New Members

By John Hechinger and David Glovin  Mar 7, 2014 11:01 PM CT 

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Photographer: David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/MCT via Getty Images

The library at Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Kansas, in Lawrence, on April 10, 2013.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the largest U.S. fraternities and the deadliest, said it would ban pledging, citing the toll that hazing has taken on its recruits and its reputation.

SAE announced yesterday what it called a “historic decision” to eliminate pledging, typically a months-long induction period featuring secret rituals. During pledging, recruits have been subject to forced drinking, paddling and other abuse. At least 10 deaths since 2006 have been linked to hazing, alcohol or drugs at SAE events, more than at any other fraternity, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

SAE becomes one of only a handful of about 75 national fraternities -- and perhaps the most prominent -- to eliminate pledging. The ban, which takes effect tomorrow, may spur broader change among Greek organizations, fraternity and college officials said. There have been more than 60fraternity-related deaths since 2005. Many victims were freshman pledges, considered the most vulnerable because many are away from home for the first time.

The First Sunday in Lent, 2014. Matthew 4:1-11

Invocavit Sunday, The First Sunday in Lent, 2014

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn #148   Lord Jesus Christ               3:61

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 # 146               Lamb of God                        3:62

Jesus Was Tempted

The Hymn # 153                 Stricken Smitten                  3:63

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 # 154     Alas and Did My Savior             3:14

KJV 2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

KJV Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

First Sunday In Lent

Lord God, heavenly Father, inasmuch as the adversary doth continually afflict us, and as a roaring lion doth walk about, seeking to devour us: We beseech Thee for the sake of the suffering and death of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and to strengthen our hearts by Thy word, that our enemy may not prevail over us, but that we may evermore abide in Thy grace, and be preserved unto everlasting life; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Jesus Was Tempted

KJV Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Jesus' human nature is emphasized in this lesson, which is a lesson for all of us. The Gospel teaches us that Jesus could be tempted and yet He did not sin. The story also shows us why He understands our temptations and weakness. As Hebrews says, He was tempted in every way we are, and yet He did not sin.

This passage is an important beginning for the Lenten Sundays, because the modern attitude is to have Christianity remove trials and temptations, giving everyone a smooth and carefree life. If anything, the Christian faith adds to our problems short-term, because faith incites hatred and opposition in unbelievers, especially among the clergy who are apostates.

The Biblical statement is - He spared not His Son. And yet, the modern entertainers teach that faith means removing the cross, not bearing the cross.

God led His Son into the wilderness to be tempted. Luther grew up on saint stories, which are retold in new versions today. Instead of men and women who have no struggles, they are businessmen and celebrities whose fortunes are blessed by God because of their self-esteem or purpose-driven life.

So it is rather startling to hear in Luther's sermons that the sufferings of the saints (the historic figures) are there to teach us that no one is spared. This sounds like a bad recruiting method, but the moderns are ones driving everyone away.

By teaching the Christian faith without the cross. they are preparing people to break for the exists as soon as trouble comes along - especially when it is connected to the Word of God.

True saints suffer for the Gospel and thereby spread the Gospel. The victims of entertainment-worship never really hear the Gospel, quickly tired of the entertainment, and leave at the first sign of trouble from the Word of God.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

First of all, Jesus was tempted by the lack of normal human needs. He was hungry, but not thirsty, which means He was near fresh water. Deserts are not all sand and heat, but also include places known for their water supply. The book The Sand Arabs tells about the area of Saudi where there is so little water than the population is almost zero. And yet people traveled across the wilderness and had places where some water could be found. If it was dried up in that spot, there was no relief to be found.

However, having water and no food is not pleasant. Every drink of water lands in the empty stomach as a reminder of no food. Weakness is bound to follow, since staying cool demands calories to burn.

This remains one of our chief temptations. What if we do not have enough to take care of our basic needs? The fear can promote a lot of actions that are not in harmony with the faith, especially when people (clergy and lay leaders) see that being unfaithful is rewarded generously with material blessings.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

The first temptation is one concerning faith in God. We see it from the perspective of Christ, but it can be cast in other words just as easily. "If you really are a believer, then God will take care of your needs immediately."

That is a great temptation, because it is easier to dwell on these matters in our minds than to suffer them in real life. Therefore, the contrary assumption is made - God does not really care about me, so faith in Him must be fruitless. He does not care about these so-called small matters, but they seem to be taken care of for the ones who go along, who say nothing, who actively and knowingly work against the Word.

On a national scale it is even more shocking. With selective vision one can see the enormous wealth of the worst criminals in America, men without worries about human justice. Divine justice is another matter.

The answer is that we live by the Word of God, not by bread alone. If we start with bread, we end with bread and there is no concern for the Word of God. If we start with the Word of God, there will be bread and other blessings, enough to have and to share.

We had a little episode after the thunder-sleet. Once again the driveways and walks were horrible. Kids were playing in the snow, which was fun. Our infirm neighbors did not even go out to get the mail. I brought it to them and started on their driveway and walks. The sleet made removal tough. I was hoping older kids would help, because early removal makes the rest melt away in the sun. A bit later a group of kids were working on the driveway and the sleet covered cars. It was fun to see the couple out in the car doing the errands they had to do.

That was just a matter of sharing time rather than money. It made for mutual happiness, in giving and receiving, which is God's intention. Likewise our high school  class pitched in to help a Viet Nam vet and a couple going through massive cancer surgery and therapy. In both cases there was great, shocked joy from the recipients and equal happiness from those who gave.

When one man, now passed away, was blocked from giving to others, he said, "Don't take away my blessing. It is more blessed to give than to receive."

A direct result of faith is giving to others, giving our time, our labor, and our money when needed. As one layman said long ago, "Giving draws people together, on both sides." That is God's intention, which is clearly recorded in the Scriptures.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

This defines temptation even more sharply, directly challenging God to be God. There are so many examples today of people tempting God, demanding that He prove His power and compassion - both at once - although they are revealed in His Word.

Firewalking was a fad that promised to make people more confident. It certainly tempted God, especially when people burned their feet badly and became more timid. 

Tempting God is the same as expressing lack of faith in God. You may be powerful but you do not love me - Or - You may love me but you are not powerful enough to help me.

To have faith in God means to be patient and not make demands. God answers in His way and not in ours. I tell my education classes, full of teachers, that I got no bites on being an educator at our new museum, which seemed exciting. But that cleared the way for what I really enjoy doing. And this is also true - we end up with more than we can imagine. It is not only very good in terms of satisfaction, but it is the fun and worthwhile part of each day, working with younger Christian college kids.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

History shows that worship of Satan means having it all, because he is the temporary Prince of this World. Hitler had whatever he wanted, as Musolini did. Stalin was so hated that his own hencemen rejoiced when he collapsed. 

In the cafeteria Friday I talked about one of the richest men in the world. He died of smoke inhalation in Monte Carlo while his wife stayed in the next-door apartment. His army of guardians was strangely absent. 

Another one was tossed out into the Atlantic from his personal jet - like yesterday's garbage - clearly by someone close to him.

God continues to show us how Satan's grip and rewards only lasts a short time. Serving God means enjoying His presence now and forever.

LCMS - ELCA - United Nations - Thrivent - Planned Parenthood - Malaria Campaign

LCMS keeps denouncing Beetlejuice,
but he keeps popping up again.

ELCA Malaria Campaign

A child dies from malaria every 60 seconds. 
We are in a special moment to help turn this around. Since the start of the ELCA Malaria Campaign, ELCA members and our companions overseas have already seen a reduction in the number of deaths from this preventable, treatable disease. We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world — together. Working though Lutheran partners in Africa, the ELCA Malaria Campaign is uniquely positioned to help provide mosquito nets, education, testing, medication and more to help eliminate deaths from this disease — for good. - See more at: http://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Relief-and-Development/ELCA-Malaria-Campaign#sthash.AhUkyC4K.dpuf

Lutheran Malaria Initiative

LCMS

Every 66.5 seconds, a child in Africa dies from malaria.  Through the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI), LCMS Lutherans can help fight this disease.

Nearly 700,000 people die each year from the malaria, and most of them are children and pregnant woman.  But it doesn’t have to be this way.  Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease.  As Lutherans, we have a historic and confessional opportunity to make a difference, to turn the tide on malaria deaths. 

This is our call. The preventable deaths of thousands of people in Africa cry out for a compassionate response.  Through LMI, we can work together to restore health and inspire hope to people and families in Africa who are suffering from or vulnerable to the ravages of malaria.

“Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
—Matt. 25:40

Summer 2012 | Volume 110 | Number 664

Getting Together

Nothing But Nets

Thrivent members do their part to end deaths from malaria – one net at a time.
By Sarah Asp Olson

1,440. That's how many children under the age of 5 die from malaria every day. But it doesn't have to be that way. A $10 treated mosquito net can save the life of a child sleeping under it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI) has a goal of getting nets – along with medical care and educational resources – into places where malaria hits hardest, including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Mali.

To support this mission, LMI has called upon Lutherans to take action through prayer, donations and fundraisers. LMI is a partnership between Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and is supported by the United Nations Foundation.

Many Thrivent members around the country have responded by hosting creative fundraising events. Here's a look at three.

Thrivent HAS funded Planned Parenthood

February 12, 2014 By Gene Veith 78 Comments

We’ve blogged about the controversy surrounding Thrivent, the Lutheran financial company, which offered matching funds for contributions to charities, including Planned Parenthood.  At response to the uproar from pro-life Lutherans, company officials said that they would no longer match contributions to the abortion provider OR to pro-life ministries.  The spokesman also said that no money had actually gone to Planned Parenthood.  Now we know that was wrong.

Thrivent matched $8,484 for a $16,968 gift to Planned Parenthood.  And cuts to crisis pregnancy centers and other pro-life organizations have come to $878,569.

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http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2014/02/thrivent-has-funded-planned-parenthood/

From Lutheran group Thrivent Financial caught funding Planned Parenthood, yanks pro-life funds in response:

A controversy is stirring in Lutheran circles over the revelation that Thrivent Financial Services, the largest fraternal benefit society in the United States, and one ostensibly centered on Lutheran faith and values, has been quietly sending thousands to Planned Parenthood through its gift-matching program.

Thrivent Financial is a Fortune 500 non-profit organization with the goal and vision of assisting its members with financial planning and services. This entails a gift-matching program by the corporation wherein an employee’s charitable contribution will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, from a Thrivent funding pool the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. While the company sets limits and guidelines as to how much of a contribution will be matched, they set very few limits on what type of organization can receive the funds. It has become clear over the last several weeks that Planned Parenthood makes the cut.

The questionable donations were highlighted by Lutheran Pastor Steven Cholak, and brought to the attention of another Lutheran pastor, Rev. Michael Schuermann, who operates a blog entitled The Daring Lutheran. Schuermann questioned Thrivent on the apparent donations via a Twitter exchange, and was initially told that while certain Planned Parenthood organizations did appear on a list of approved “charities” that could receive matching funds, “[f]or what it’s worth, to date, no funds have ever been directed to that organization.” A subsequent review of Thrivent’s tax documents, however, revealed a very different story.

According to Thrivent’s IRS 990 forms (linked at the bottom of Scheurmann’s blog), the organization has sent at least $8,484 to Planned Parenthood, for a total matched gift of $16,968, just in the years 2006-2012. As Schuermann points out, given the average cost of a surgical abortion, Thrivent has given Planned Parenthood enough money to perform approximately 34 abortions, or an unknown, much higher number of chemical abortions.

It also appears that Planned Parenthood has been on the list of approved recipients for quite some time, with new additional Planned Parenthood offices and affiliates being added in recent years. Schuermann reports that a Thrivent source with in-depth knowledge of the gift-matching program revealed that approved organizations are given their approval code in chronological order as each organization is added to the list. This means that certain Planned Parenthood organizations with codes that are “earlier” numerically have been on the list for a substantial period of time, leaving the real amount of money flowing from Thrivent to Planned Parenthood affiliates largely unknown.

Equally disturbing is that Thrivent has made not even the slightest effort to direct in what manner these funds may be used. When the Susan G. Komen foundation was caught funneling massive sums of money to Planned Parenthood, the organization was quick to respond that the gifts were designated only for use in breast cancer screening and could not be used to fund any other service offered by Planned Parenthood. While the economic reality is, of course, far different when it comes to how Planned Parenthood supports itself, Thrivent cannot claim even this much, as the corporation appears to have made no effort at all to at least direct the manner in which the funds are used. In short, dollars from the ostensibly faith-based organization can be used for anything, including supporting Planned Parenthood’s deviant version of “sex education” and outright abortions.

Following the outcry that naturally came from the Missouri Synod members when this funding was discovered, and the official statement issued shortly thereafter, Thrivent responded by pulling not only Planned Parenthood from its list of approved organizations, but also all pro-life organizations that had previously received matching grants as well. Ostensibly, this was marketed as a “temporary” suspension until the organization had time to review its policies, and it was accompanied by quickly removing the public’s ability to search Thrivent’s list of approved organizations, after refusing to provide a list themselves.

On February 6, Thrivent released its most recent statement and new guidelines for its gift-matching program. Planned Parenthood, reportedly, will no longer receive funds. But neither will any pro-life organization as well – a move that robs crisis pregnancy centers and other pro-life groups of $878,569 annual average in matching funds, or nearly a million dollars per year. Thrivent’s justification for the move is that such a controversy may “distract … from the common purpose of Thrivent and its membership.”

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Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that kills more than a million people a year, the majority of them children. As Christians we must not stand by and let this happen. That’s why LWR is working to make sure people have the knowledge and tools they need to prevent malaria.

LWR is also a partner in the Lutheran Malaria Initiative (LMI), which mobilizes U.S. Lutherans in the global effort to eliminate malaria deaths in Africa by 2015. LMI is a partnership of Lutheran World Relief and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and is made possible through support from the United Nations Foundation.

Malaria kills one child every 60 seconds and upwards of 1 million people a year, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Malaria is preventable and treatable. Together, we can make a life-saving difference. Half of the world’s population is at risk for malaria. It takes just one mosquito to destroy livelihoods, health and hope of entire families and communities. By helping to provide treatment and resources for education and prevention, Lutherans can make a monumental difference in the global fight against malaria. Find out more at lutheranmalaria.org

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