Vast Squandering of Money on Seminaries - Continuing Today

 Maywood is a small town attached to Chicago.

I found an alumnus of my tiny seminary, Waterloo Lutheran in Ontario, Canada. We had a big class - 10 students, which including one Episcopalian and a pastor's daughter. I found him in California, but we could not figure out what his profile meant. He did have a DMin from McCormick Seminary in Chicago, so that led me into a study of the Chicago seminaries.

 Foreshadowing the genius of Tim Glende, the Presbyterians left their Lincoln Park campus for something they could not afford at LSTC.

McCormick Presbyterian had a beautiful campus in Lincoln Park, funded by the reaper fortune man himself. When they left their buildings to move to Hyde Park (U. of Chicago and LSTC), an association formed to preserve the homes and keep them single-family.

Likewise, the ULCA campus in Maywood, another suburb, was spacious and attractive. To form the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, the ever-so-progressive LCA combined:

1. Maywood
2. Augustana
3. Suomi
4. Grand View
5. Central
6. Seminex later
7. McCormick as an add-on.

McCormick does not like their situation, which initially meant being an annex to LSTC. My reaction was - looking back at 50 years of folly - they wasted millions of dollars 

• to get rid of attractive, appealing campuses; 
• to alienate  the residents by removing them for the glory of God;
• to concentrate the radicals and decimate the finances.

Some of the readers will say, "So what, they were liberals anyway. Let them dissolve away." Not so fast. I vicared with a man who served in WWII, built up the largest Lutheran church in Canada, and served his synod as well. 

The following generations betrayed what he and others did in that congregation, which had been independent for a long time. The new progressives had an Episcopalian bishop as an interim pastor and the congregation told the synod they would have gay marriages whether anyone approved or not.

When I was there, confirmation was taught from the Bible for three years, midweek, suppers provided. German services were provided every Sunday, and I helped with a few. Home and hospital visitation was constant. The sermons were Biblical. 

Some people today could not imagine how tradtional the mainline congregations were. Some mainlines were far ahead of the rest. The Congregationalists, who were strong in Moline and Canada, were catching up to the Unitarians and emptying their vast churches.

Mergers made everything worse. The radicals capture the property and endowments while losing some of the members. They celebrate the loss of traditional members because the radicals no longer have to pretend - and they get far worse.

The Internet stories about ELCA-Presbyterian-Episcopalian-UCC seminaries today are a combination of -

1. Big endowments, but financial crises
2. Tiny enrollments
3. Feeble interest in parish ministry
4. Lots of non-parish programs
5. Raw meat tossed to Social Justice Warriors
6. Pansexualism.

 Maybe the Lutherans should have kept a piece of this land,
which Passavant bought for them, and asked for free tickets to Cubs games.
This is now Wrigley Field.

Gideon - On the LCMS Dogma-tanic and the Huge Expensive Catechism

 What does this mean?
"Never criticize the false teachers or question the fruit of their labors. Grapes do grow on thorns, if the thorns were developed at Fuller. We moderns bow to the new Walthers,
Karl Barth and his mistress, the saints of Pasadena."

[Colors were added below - red for false doctrine, blue for sound doctrine. Purple means - from the Purple Palace of Prurient Dogma.]

Pastor,

Some thoughts on the UOJ post on 06/28...

I read the quotes from the Bible Study series on Justification.  When I was first exposed to this some 20  years ago, I more or less rolled with it.  Y'know, "You say poTAYto, I say poTOTo.; we're talking about the same thing.  We get to the same place."  And it may, seem that way, but it only seems that way.  It seems so reasonable after all.

For instance:

"Those who reject this sacrifice of Christ as it is proclaimed to them as the forgiveness of all their sins will get what they want. They do not want to be forgiven, and so God will regard their sin as they want it to be regarded — as not covered by Christ’s sacrifice. He who rejects God’s absolution will be treated as one who has rejected God’s absolution and will be judged according to the Law. "

...and it's true that God gets all the credit, and man can make a choice for damnation (the only choice unregenerate man can make).  But, if indeed man is unregenerate, then is he really justified at all?  It's like that junk mail, "You won ONE MILLION DOLLARS!" ....but not really.*

And, while one can just guffaw it, and say "Meh, this is just semantics."  after all, what's the difference?  Subjective Justification seals the deal anyway.  But, there's a consequence for not keep the details straight (short selling the Gospel, doing God a favor, etc.)

"GJ - Modern Missouri is doubly damned because they want to suggest their Subjective Justification is Justification by Faith, so people mistakenly believe Objective Justification is the Atonement. But both parts are utterly wrong."

 How strange that we cannot read this or even a hint of this in St. Paul, Augustine, Luther, or the Book of Concord.

 See Halle theologian Rambach below for the same nonsense.

They may be triple damned because by confusing these terms, by starting people from here:

"God has declared the whole world to be righteous for Christ’s sake and that righteousness has thus been procured for all people. It is objective because this was God’s unilateral act prior to and in no way dependent upon man’s response to it, and universal because all human beings are embraced by this verdict."

Basically says, "Yay!  We're all good!  Just don't mess it up by rejecting your justification."  What's damming about this is it really does cheapen the Gospel because one doesn't start at the foot of the Cross.  We don't see our sins, and there's no law (except don't reject this) because "Yay!  We're all good because (ripping the phrase out of context) 'God has declared the whole world to be righteous'  Yay!!!!"

And herein lies, in my opinion, the biggest problem with with UOJ.  The mortal wound to sound theology.  UOJ takes a shortcut to Easter.  Without as so much as acknowledging the law, the Gospel is diminished and cheapened.  The effect is twofold:  1)  Shallow Theology - low information Lutherans who take their kids to soccer games on Sunday morning wondering why their kids don't go to church years later after confirmation, and the 2) Ineffective Gospel in evangelism.  "What do we need your dumb Gospel for?" say the man on the street.  This is most damning, and the Low Information Lutheran has no clue how to evangel because he took the shortcut and has no way to convict the sinner.  Eventually the church is full of people who want a good show and useful programs....but don't know the 6th commandment.

UOJ doesn't start at the foot of the Cross, but Christ's Atonement coupled with the Means of Grace and real Justification by Faith does. The Christian knows the value of the Gospel and treasures it.  He wants to love God and his neighbor because he knows what is good and right and God pleasing.  And, he wants to please God because of His precious gifts.

SDG,

Gideon

* This really blows up the analogy from a few days about about the man sitting in the jail cell with the door open.  I submit, that if indeed the jail cell has an open door, the man is actually dead and cannot rise to walk out of the cell....he's incapable of making that choice (those who can't see this, should pick up a copy of Luther's "On the enslaved will"  ....better know as "The bondage of the will."

***

GJ - This is a fine, clear analysis. I would like readers to notice that UOJ salesmen write and speak in tortured English, opaque and foggy, never in Biblical terms. Why? Because they draw their truths from modern philosophy and theology, which are essentially atheistic. If that sounds too harsh, think of modern theology as creative writing. Start with a theme and have fun with it.

In contrast, those who think and act in Biblical terms are clear and concise. Gideon and many laity who write are excellent in communicating the Gospel and pointing out problems with false doctrine. Also, the Book of Concord is a clear, concise witness to the truth of Scripture - with no attempts to evade issues or fog up the landscape with meaningless words. Much of this comes first from Zwingli and Calvin, who wanted to supplant Luther's Biblical doctrine.

Later, Karl Barth and his Commie mistress Charlotte Kirschbaum repeated the Zwingli/Calvin method in promoting a philosophy for Marxist revolution: faith without belief in God.

 Wut?

"Charlotte, your lips say Nein but your feet say Ja Wohl!"

Yet Another Layman Reviewed Missouri's Huge Expensive Catechism!

Not teaching Biblical doctrine
but printing money for the LCMS

Hello Pastor Jackson

I read your June 27 post about the LCMS new "Small Catechism".

I was appalled last year when I heard about Concordia Publishing House's new Small Catechism (448 pages), released as part of their Reformation 500 efforts. I realized then that the LCMS was not serious about promoting the doctrines of Martin Luther. Luther wrote the Small Catechism to provide a brief summary of the essentials of the Christian faith that any young person or busy adult could read every day and perhaps memorize.

How anyone in the LCMS heirarchy could seriously believe that in this day and age when people have little free time and when their attention spans are delimited by 140 character Twitter messages that potential Lutheran converts would wade through 448 pages in order to glean the 'essentials' of the Christian faith ? I recall college textbooks with fewer pages. 

 "But look at all the money we are making for ourselves, neither one of us is a real doctor. Hahahahahah! And we prop up Paul McCain, who is just like us but acts like the Pope of Lutherdom."

 

Endorsed by the Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry

  Three blind guides, three blind guides,
See how they grin. See how they grin.
They all ran after the Fuller growth
For UOJ they all take oaths
Did you ever see such useless blokes
As three blind guides?

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2018/06/lcms-has-been-hatching-denial-of.html

Hi Greg,

 

The information included in the post http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2018/06/lcms-has-been-hatching-denial-of.html is the clearest I remember reading in regard to present day LCMS official teaching in regard to UOJ.

 

It certainly makes the LCMS look less appealing as a place to recommend for people looking for a church.

 

When considered in conjunction with the "ban" on public discussion of theological topics by non-ministers (is this still a valid thing - I had a hard time finding backup for this via a quick search), would you consider the LCMS to be "holding steady", "continuing to slip", "falling quickly", or something else?

 

Alec

***

GJ - The LCMS convention ban on discussing doctrine - outside of having an official title - that scared people into silence, but the discoussion boards had already banned Justification by Faith and anything less than abject brown-nosing of synod leaders. This new weapon just made it easier to kick any pastor out who dared to think on his own, a deliciously ironic way to celebrate the Reformation's 500th.

WELS is the worst synod because of its concentration of abusive pastors, teachers, and leaders, all driven by their fulminating infection of false doctrine. But there are faithful pastors out there. If I mentioned names, the axe would fall on them. The CLC cult and the ELS are almost gone and good riddance.

The LCMS's strength is its lack of uniformity, which ranges from ELCA-love to formally declaring CFW Walter a saint and a Doctor of the Church, the only one who can explain the Bible to us mortals. Somewhere in that mix are pastors who teach the Means of Grace and Justification by Faith.

I believe the LCMS congregations will have to struggle to remain Means of Grace Lutherans as the older generation of pastors move into retirement. A total reallignment of remaining Lutherans may be necessary.

The ELDONUTs ignored UOJ for years while palling around with the Rolf Preus Sect, even though Heiser was supposedly against UOJ, after reading what UOJ really meant. Check out his conversion in 2000 versus their sudden reversal years later and the exodus of the final Rolfians. Now the ELDONUTs act as if they discovered Justification by Faith. And - as a treat - they boast of the vast superiority of Concordia, Ft. Wayne, where they were taught UOJ. And, of course, they have a boss who went out seeking pastors who would call him Right Reverend Bishop. Hint - the word in the New Testament means supervisor - not "one who wears a fish-hat, carries a $400 stick, covets the Eastern Orthodox, and expects abject obedience."

 They were incensed that I posted this photo, which they took. Note the EO beard.

UOJ Should Stop Pretending It Is the Real Thing - A Suggestion from a Reader

From A. Reader - Let the Guessing Begin!

Your use of the analogy of advertisements  for Margarine never mentioning Butter, the product it was supposed to replace brought back memories when margarine was new in the marketplace.

At first, it was white and included capsules of yellow dye which the consumer mixed with the white margarine to make it look like butter.  Dairy farmers prevailed on state legislators to forbid margarine manufacturers to color margarine the same color as butter.  Our family had some dairy cattle and my father was a member of the Michigan Milk Producers Association which lobbied the state legislators to prevent the sale of "yellow" margarine.    

One of the cliché's related to the issue came from the dairy farm industry:  "If they, (margarine makers) want to produce and market a competitive spread to butter, why don't they dye it pink?"  

Eventually the prohibition of yellow margarine went by the wayside in most states, but in Wisconsin as late as mid 1950's, sale of yellow margarine was still not allowed.  During the brief year of

living there, I recall when someone went to Chicago or over the border to Illinois, friends and neighbors would request  a supply of yellow margarine be purchased for them in Illinois and brought back to Milwaukee for their pantries .  That  "bootlegging" of yellow margarine was a common occurrence.

Perhaps a parallel can be drawn using your visual and mental imagery re: current methodology being used by synods "selling" Objective/Subjective Justification  to members.   If they want the members to "buy" OJ/SJ why don't they admit that OJ/SJ is different from what Luther's Reformation Theology proclaimed.  Color OJ/SJ  "pink" instead of  misrepresenting it as something which has always existed in Lutheranism?

Roses at the Doctor's Office

 Two Mr. Lincoln roses were enough to drop-kick some fragrance into the room, but I included a secret weapon - posted below.

We visited a doctor today. He grows a lot of KnockOut roses, which are a prolific shrub rose, almost disease free. KnockOuts are also fragrance free, so he smelled the roses as soon as he walked into the room.

The secret weapon added to the potency of the perfume - Fragrant Cloud.

Fragrant Cloud is another rose that will perfume a bouquet.
Most of our roses are fragrant, but when they are not, I include Fragrant Cloud or Mr. Lincoln.

I filled in with Shasta Daisies again. This is my first planting from last year, which has multiplied into 12 clumps by dividing them (very easy to do). Cutting the flowers will generate even more, just like roses and Crepe Myrtle.

Two Boosts for Roses in a Hot Summer
Roses need plenty of water, and mulch will help keep that moisture in the soil longer. A drought means two waterings per week.

For roses or any plant needing intensive care, I use several gallons of rainwater. They sell all kinds of additives to help plants, to protect against shock, for example. God already invented rainwater for that - a combination of newly formed water and usable nitrogen - and it is free.

Sassy's Laotian friends came across the street to see her and look through the garden. Most have fenced off gardens, but I have mulched walk-through gardening. Another new surprise is always popping up to show what fertile soil can do. For example, the Trumpet Vines decided to flower this year, providing a second favorite flower - with Hostas - for hummingbirds

A second boost is constant pruning. My pruning shears and the shovel are both near the front door. If I am making a bouquet for someone, I also look for dead wood to trim away, completed roses to trim away from the stems.

 Ichneumon Wasps: every gardener sees them,
but how many notice and value them?

Creation Software Experiment
I try to imagine what makes an individual plant or animal distinctive. Variety seems almost endless. Witness the Ichneumon Wasp, a tiny beneficial insect, which is helping you in your garden, unless you suppress it with toxic insecticides. There are 100,000 species - and last I read - possibly more ichneumon species to be discovered.

The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology (Ecco, $30), by biologist Bernd Heinrich.

 Ichneumon Wasp: beautiful, delicate, tiny - but a deadly tracker of pests.

Finding and cataloging them was quite a chore by itself - I would stop at 50,000! I can imagine Little Ichabod saying, "Dad! Enough with the wasps!" But even better than their variety is the engineering and management of these delicate insects. How do they know how to flourish while attacking insect pests? They do not really "know" but they do accomplish specific tasks with remarkable determination. They follow roses into the vase when I am gathering flowers for neighbors, friends, and doctors.

Etymology

Ichneumon (ἰχνεύμων) means "tracker" in Greek. Cockatrice, a name for another mythical beast, derives from calcatrix, a Latin translation of this. The Ichneumon was one of the few who can look at a cockatrice without turning to stone.

Cultural significance

In the eighteenth century Ichneumon was regarded as an instance of the God-given balance in nature; in the nineteenth the possibility of using it as a form of biocontrol was briefly entertained. It was used as the symbol of the reformed Entomological Society of London in 1833.^[1]

Put Down Your iPhone and Read Slowly and Carefully about Some of These Remarkable Little Wasps - Wiki

• Chemical Warfare
• Underground Warfare
• Tracking a parasite, killing, evading with "pot vapors"

Many species use polydnaviruses to suppress the immune systems of their host insects. Due to the wide variety in hosts and lifestyles, see subfamily pages for more detail.

The female ichneumonoid finds a host and lays an egg on, near, or inside the host's body.^[8] The ovipositor of ichneumonoids generally cannot deliver a sting as many wasps or bees do. It can be used to bore wood and lay eggs on hosts deep inside, or reach hosts hidden inside leaf shelters. Upon hatching, the larva feeds either externally or internally, killing the host when it is ready to pupate.

Various ichneumonoids are used as biological control agents in controlling horticultural or forest pests.

An interesting example is the relationship between the species Ichneumon eumerus and its host butterfly Phengaris rebeli.^[9] The butterfly larva is a parasite within Myrmica ant nests. The adult Ichneumon eumerus searches for ant nests and only enters when they contain P. rebeli caterpillars.^[9] Once inside, they oviposit their eggs within the caterpillars and escape the nest by releasing a chemical which causes the worker ants to fight each other rather than the intruding wasp.^[9] The wasp eggs then hatch inside the caterpillar and eventually consume and kill the host.

Ichneumon wasps FAMILY Ichneumonidae NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES 3300 While many species of ichneumon wasps are extremely tiny, others are very large (up to 1.5 inches or 40 mm!). All are slender with long antennae. Many females have a highly noticeable ovipositor; it is sometimes longer than the insect’s body. Ichneumon wasps can be yellow to black or have patterns of various colors. They use caterpillars, the wood-boring grubs of various beetles, and other insects as hosts.

Walliser, Jessica. Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control (Kindle Locations 1139-1144). Timber Press. Kindle Edition. 

 Dill - teeny, tiny beneficials need teeny, tiny flowers
for the adults to enjoy. Fresh raw meat is normally for the hatchlings.

--

Tiny parasitoids, like the minuscule parasitic wasps on this dill, require exposed nectaries and shallow flowers to access nectar. Open nectaries, such as those present in members of the carrot family (Apiaceae), are among the most user friendly to the largest diversity of beneficial insects.

Walliser, Jessica. Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control (Kindle Locations 1519-1521). Timber Press. Kindle Edition. 

Know your carrot family - here is a cousin of dill.
Queen Ann's Lace evolved a bug painting to fool bugs into landing on it. Sure it did ↘😀- but how did QAL know how to form that little bit of make-up and pass it on to all royal heirs? Ask the faculty at Concordia, St. Louis. They know everything. No, they really do.

That Is Why

I do whatever I can to keep the beneficial insects happy and protected. As I wrote before, Jessica Walliser expanded my knowledge of beneficial insects by connecting specific beneficials to their favorite plants.

 Giant Hogweed and Poison Hemlock are also carrot family hosts of a zillion insects. Both are large and impressive, but horribly toxic. Thus the Lutherans with their ordinary size Means of Grace congregations were drawn to the giant, toxic Church Growth blobs and converted into Enthusiasts of the worst kind: third-rate generic Protestants, fourth-rate faux-Lutherans. Ask WELS/ELS and LCMS how they did this while denying/praising it at the same time.