Sunday, July 2, 2017

Funny How the Copy-and-Paste Gang Is Also the Church and Change or Die Faction

Zank backed Ski for CRM and a new call.
The zombies of his district made Zank the DP when Doug's flinty heart wore out.
For lesser crimes than Ski's, a WELS principal is facing 20 years and a big fine.
What's worse, sexting a grizzled cop ( as the WELS principal did)
or sexting and showing graphic porn photo to a lady staffer (as Ski did)?
Remember - SP Mark Schroeder worked the deal to give Ski a new call.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015


Is there a WELS Sermon Clearinghouse?

Is there a WELS Sermon
Clearinghouse?
Is there a central clearinghouse within the WELS for pastors to share their sermons with one another? How would you feel if your pastor either used or shared his sermon series with another pastor? Can other pastors access the information, if they wanted to share sermons or use one, if so how do they do it?



** Update Notice that we received via email which answers these questions:

From Pastor Ben's Blog in Muskego
July 5, 2014
Sermon Series Planning – This upcoming week I’ll be getting away a couple days with the pastors from St Paul’s in Muskego to plan our next year’s worth of sermon series. It’s a blessing to work together with other creative pastors to develop series that are biblical, relevant, and helpful to you. Did you know that over thirty pastors across our synod receive the resources that we create and many of them regularly use them in their churches? Just this week I talked for an hour on the phone with a mission church pastor from South Carolina who had heard about our sermon series and who asked me to include him on our distribution list?

So if you have any ideas or suggestions for a sermon series, I gladly welcome your input. Books of the Bible, questions, topics, relevant life issues, various Bible teachings, issues raised by various books or people in our world...these are all possibilities. Any thoughts? Feel free to email or text me. I will have access to the internet while away as well.
http://pastorbensblog.blogspot.com/2014_07_01_archive.html

Second Update Notice:
For past discussion on this same topic, based on first-hand knowledge, see also:
http://ventosusveritas.blogspot.com/2012/02/contemporary-worship.html

*****

"Profile" Sermon Series
 - Spans more than one district; so it's not simply neighboring pastors sharing.
 - All were preached this last January; so they all had them at the same time.
 - Almost all had same description; so that was provided somehow
 - How do seven churches have the same sermon series at the same time otherwise?
St. Paul's Lutheran Church - Muskego, WI

Many of us today have online social networks where we create and work to maintain our profile. Our goal is to present an image of ourselves that we want other people to see. In Colossians, Paul presents a profile that has the power to change our lives completely. Paul presents Jesus, the uncreated Creator of all things, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn from the dead. The better we understand Jesus’ profile, the better we’ll understand who we really are in Christ. In this series we’re going to work through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. We’re going to see how Jesus truly is our all in all and explore how this truth impacts our lives.
http://www.stpaulmuskego.org/worship/sermon-series-detail/

*****
Victory of the Lamb - Franklin, WI

Many of us today have online social networks where we create and work to maintain our profile. Our goal is to present an image of ourselves that we want other people to see. In Colossians, Paul presents a profile that has the power to change our lives completely. Paul presents Jesus, the uncreated Creator of all things, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn from the dead. The better we understand Jesus’ profile, the better we’ll understand who we really are in Christ. In this series, as we work through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’re going to see how Jesus truly is our all in all and explore how this truth impacts our lives.
http://victoryofthelamb.com/sermon-series/profile/
http://pastorbensblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-new-year-of-gods-grace.html

*****
 Grace of God Lutheran Church - Dix Hills, NY

Many of us today have online social networks where we create and work to maintain our profile. Our goal is to present an image of ourselves that we want other people to see. In Colossians, Paul presents a profile that has the power to change our lives completely. Paul presents Jesus, the uncreated Creator of all things, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn from the dead. The better we understand Jesus’ profile, the better we’ll understand who we really are in Christ. In this series, as we work through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’re going to see how Jesus truly is our all in all and explore how this truth impacts our lives.
http://www.graceofgod.info/#/sermons/profile

*****
Sure Foundation Lutheran Church - New York City, NY

Many of us today have online social networks where we create and work to maintain our profile. Our goal is to present an image of ourselves that we want other people to see. In Colossians, Paul presents a profile that has the power to change our lives completely. Paul presents Jesus, the uncreated Creator of all things, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn from the dead. The better we understand Jesus’ profile, the better we’ll understand who we really are in Christ. In this series, as we work through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’re going to see how Jesus truly is our all in all and explore how this truth impacts our lives.
http://www.sure-foundation.org/#/sermons/profile
*****
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church - Las Vegas, NV

Many of us today have online social networks where we create and work to maintain our profile. Our goal is to present an image of ourselves that we want other people to see. In Colossians, Paul presents a profile that has the power to change our lives completely. Paul presents Jesus, the uncreated Creator of all things, the image of the invisible God, the firstborn from the dead. The better we understand Jesus’ profile, the better we’ll understand who we really are in Christ. In this series, as we work through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’re going to see how Jesus truly is our all in all and explore how this truth impacts our lives.
http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=4de9aac1f8ce605a4ac5f3623&id=06f001ca33
http://www.beautifulsaviorlv.com/site/default.asp?sec_id=180006278&nofl=-1

*****
 St Paul Lutheran Church - Calgary, Canada
Many of us today have online social networks where we create and work to maintain our profile. Our goal is to present an image of ourselves that we want other people to see. In the book of Colossians, Paul presents an astounding profile of Jesus. The baby born in a manger is also the image of the invisible God.  The better we understand Jesus’ profile, the better we’ll understand who we really are in Christ.




http://www.saintpaullutheran.ca/saint-paul-what-we-believe/

*****
Peace Lutheran - Aiken, SC

In this series, as we work through Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we’re going to see how Jesus truly is our all in all and explore how this truth impacts our lives.  Today we're looking at what Jesus accomplishes through means.



*****
"Parables that Go Against the Flow" Sermon Series

St Paul's Lutheran - Muskego, WI 
October 8-10:
Parables That Go Against the Flow: "The Parable of the Two Sons"
Sermon Text:  Matthew 21:28-32
It’s hard to swallow Jesus’ teaching that many who have been in the church all their lives are spiritually lost and they don’t even know it. Even more difficult to accept is that many whom those in the church would look down on because of their lifestyle are really God’s true children.
http://www.stpaulmuskego.org/2011/10/series-for-october-2011-parables-that-go-against-the-flow/

Emanuel Lutheran - New London, WI
October 11-13:
Parables That Go Against the Flow: "The Parable of the Two Sons"
Sermon Text: Matthew 21:28-32
It’s hard to swallow Jesus’ teaching that many who have been in the church all their lives are spiritually lost and they don’t even know it. Even more difficult to accept is that many whom those in the church would look down on because of their lifestyle are really God’s true children.
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/503a5057e4b04953d0f22309/t/5437e6fae4b0864743fc126a/1412949754427/2014-10-12-website.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/Emanuelnl?fref=ts&filter=1
http://vimeo.com/108743115

*****
St Paul's Lutheran - Muskego, WI 
October 22-24
Parables That Go Against the Flow: "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard"
Sermon Text:  Matthew 20:1-16
In God’s kingdom “the reward” is the same for all, whether you come early or late, work all your life or just sneak in at the end. The perplexing question is why we struggle so much when it comes to the incredible generosity of God’s grace.
http://www.stpaulmuskego.org/2011/10/series-for-october-2011-parables-that-go-against-the-flow/

Emanuel Lutheran - New London, WI
October 18 - 20 

Parables That Go Against the Flow: "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard"
Sermon Text:  Matthew 20:1-16
In God’s kingdom “the reward” is the same for all, whether you come early or late, work all your life or just sneak in at the end. The perplexing question is why we struggle so much when it comes to the incredible generosity of God’s grace.
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/503a5057e4b04953d0f22309/t/544133aee4b06e6dec8eea74/1413559214358/2014-10-19-website.pdf
God’s Love—Unstoppable! Sermon Series

St Paul's Lutheran - Muskego, WI
We have great respect for people who have a dogged determination, who set their minds to accomplish something great and won’t allow anyone or anything get in their way. Yet, even the most unwavering grit and fortitude we see depicted in the heroes on the movie screen pales in comparison to the resolve God has to love us and rescue us from our sin. We see this resolve in the manger on Christmas Eve, as the Creator of heaven and earth, determined to free this world from its slavery to sin, takes on human flesh and blood and enters the world he created. Yet, Satan was also determined—to counter God’s plan in any and every way possible. And it’s in this all out battle of the wills that we clearly see who truly is the greatest. In the end, absolutely nothing is going to be able to stop God’s love. (from 2010)
December 18-20: A Miraculous Sign for the Unbelieving Heart
December 26-27: A Miraculous Escape Ensuring Our Release
January 2-3: A Miraculous Choice Made Before the Dawn of Time
http://www.stpaulmuskego.org/2010/12/series-for-christmas-2010-gods-love-unstoppable/

*****
Sure Foundation Lutheran Church - New York City, NY
We have great respect for people who have a dogged determination, who set their minds to accomplish something great and won’t allow anyone or anything get in their way. Yet, even the most unwavering grit and fortitude we see depicted in the heroes on the movie screen pales in comparison to the resolve God has to love us and rescue us from our sin. We see this resolve in the manger on Christmas Eve, as the Creator of heaven and earth, determined to free this world from its slavery to sin, takes on human flesh and blood and enters the world he created. Yet, Satan was also determined—to counter God’s plan in any and every way possible. And it’s in this all out battle of the wills that we clearly see who truly is the greatest. In the end, absolutely nothing is going to be able to stop God’s love. (from 2010)
December 19: A Miraculous Sign for the Unbelieving Heart
December 26: A Miraculous Escape Ensuring Our Release
January 2: A Miraculous Choice Made Before the Dawn of Time
http://nyclutheranchurch.blogspot.com/2010/12/this-christmas-gods-love-unstoppable.html
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7 comments:

  1. The late Tim Niedfeldt outlined the sharing between St. Paul Muskego & Victory of the Lamb and a few others in the comment section of this post on his blog http://ventosusveritas.blogspot.com/2012/02/contemporary-worship.html
    Reply

    Replies



    1. Thank you for that information! We just received some more information also via email that I'm going to get updated on the original post also.
      -WD1

  2. I have mixed feelings about sermon sharing. I am grateful that more are developed in house rather than notes taken from LifeChurch or other source that in not in fellowship, if that is the case. What is exactly written and developed and shared- graphics, powerpoint, semon notes and bulletpoints? What is the original source for the idea? Are they getting inspiration from sermoncentral or LifeChurch and swapping out a few things so that it is hard to find the "plagiarism"?

    It is my understanding that common practice and what had been taught in the seminary was to read the sermon text and study it in the original language then develop the sermon. Sure a pastor might get inspiration from another WELS pastor, a commentary or Luther's sermons on the same text but since the lectionary is repeated every so often a pastor often highlights a different point in the text being preached on. So what is the sermon writing process taught at the seminary?

    Now a pastor can receive a canned sermon (or notes)... make a few adjustments and there you go? That doesn't seem like a good practice either. Are all the pastors upfront with the congregation that the sermon series was created elsewhere? How word for word are the sermons? Most congregants would assume their pastor was creating and writing their own sermons and that's what he went to the seminary to learn how to do. I know an older couple that was so impressed by the pastor's creativity with the sermon series topics but little did they know that most were from an online source or someone that the church had paid to write them. Are pastor's being deceitful to their own members?
    Reply
  3. Is this a significant issue as long as the Word of God is being proclaimed and the Law and Gospel properly divided?
    Reply
  4. Just some free flowing thoughts on the subject.

    I don't believe it would be acceptable to use a sermon or sermon series if it came from a Non-Confessional Lutheran source.

    Ethically if you are using the Muskego Sermon Series should you disclose your source? I would think yes that is the proper thing to do, even if you made numerous modifications to the sermon, if you lifted the base from somewhere else then credit should be given.

    I also question the wisdom of a Sermon Series. How do you fit a series into the traditional church year lectionary? It seems as if we are copying from the Evangelicals who always seem to have this or that sermon series going on.

    When I think of a number of congregation's using the same series my mind wanders to the Jehovah's Witnesses where the same message is read at every hall on meeting night.

    As an additional question regarding how things work. We have Stewardship Sundays for example. Four Sundays set aside throughout the year stressing Stewardship with an overarching theme that the four sermons tie to. Is the theme and the individual Sunday themes set by Synod? If so do they provide the sermon then as well? How does that work typically?

    Eine arme Schaf

Posted by Ichabod the Glory Has Departed at 2:39 PM
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