No one should be surprised that Lutherans leave Holy Mother Synod for Catholicism. Edward Preuss, still honored for his confused Objective Justification essay - The Justification of the Sinner - was the first to signal his alarm at the emptiness, the sterility, and dead rationalism of his sect. He left Missouri for Rome. More importantly, he left the Concordia St. Louis faculty for Rome.
One effort made by Matt the Fatt in his initial run for synod president, LCMS, was to keep Father Weedon on the plantation by making him the Court Preacher for the Purple Palace. All was well for the Romanists in the LCMS. Paul the Plagiarist did everything short of moving Bishop Sheen's beatification forward in his copycat (now dead) blog. The LCMS papalists must have grinned with every McCain post taken directly from The Catholic Encyclopedia - TCE is free for those dumb enough to want or need it - and linked for LutherQueasies to read.
The key factor emerged in an essay about Jack Kerouac. The beat in Beat Generation is short for beatitude, because he always thought in terms of Jesus, devotion, and Roman Catholic prayer. Everything was a quest for holiness, no matter how tortured his life became.
Lutherans in WELS-ELS-LCMS-CLC (sic) have some of the outward tokens of Catholicism but none of transcendent experiences they imagine from over the fence.
- Is it a wonder that David Scaer, the purest in OJ, is more papal than the pope?
- The services at Ft. Wayne blanketed by incense?
Their Grand March down the Werning chapel aisle features that special pose priests have to strike - for, during, and after the Mass (source - priest, Notre Dame PhD, professor of worship, member of an order devoted to Mary).
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| This graphic is from ELDONA. Did pure OJ dogma or Justification by Faith doctrine terrorize Missouri? |
Roman Catholicism is a vast collection of manipulated emotions, while the OJ Lutherans are the perfect definition of Calvinism - a sermon surrounded by four white walls. No wonder ELDONA was formed to be a little papal state, where the office is exalted above the Word, where their plagiarized ceremonies are supposed to instill fear in other Lutherans.
Traditional Roman Catholics snicker at converts for imitating them clumsily, like pony riders at a dude ranch. It takes more than clothing and a spittoon to make a cowboy.
Apology Tour
Lutherans anxiously wait for the overdue Apology Tour, where Matt the Fatt, Pope John the Malefactor, and Mirthless Mark travel around their sectarian shambles to apologize for destroying their own synods. (We would like to thank Thrivent for facilitating the madness they created.)Calvinism has taken over completely, and there is only one direction for that dogma to go - from rationalistic dogma to rationalism to Unitarianism. More than a few know where Unitarianism leads - just look at all the radical trends in our society today, imposed (often by law, always by selective diversity) upon us all.
The Lutheran Librarian has documentary proof - in the 19th century books published - that Means of Grace, Justification by Faith, liturgical and credal Lutheran doctrine was taught and practiced. Synods grew on dimes rather than collapsing on millions. Congregations were established and revived. Spiritual wisdom was shared as treasures to be enjoyed.
I am so alarmed at the loss of good hymns that we sing all the verses of long hymns, usually broken up into to segments. Luther and Gerhardt are so simple and profound that they deserve that attention, and we gain from their hymns. That is our rosary, our incense, our chasuble, mitre, crosier, and cope.
No wonder the Lutherans sects need new Biblical
"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546
1. "From heaven above to earth I come
To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing:
2. "To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild;
This little child, of lowly birth,
Shall be the joy of all the earth.
3. "This is the Christ, our God and Lord,
Who in all need shall aid afford;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free.
4. "He will on you the gifts bestow
Prepared by God for all below,
That in His kingdom, bright and fair,
You may with us His glory share.
5. "These are the tokens ye shall mark:
The swaddling-clothes and manger dark;
There ye shall find the Infant laid
By whom the heavens and earth were made."
6. Now let us all with gladsome cheer
Go with the shepherds and draw near
To see the precious gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.
7. Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes!
What is it in yon manger lies?
Who is this child, so young and fair?
The blessed Christ-child lieth there.
8. Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com'st to share my misery;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?
9. Ah, Lord, who hast created all,
How weak art Thou, how poor and small,
That Thou dost choose Thine infant bed
Where humble cattle lately fed!
10. Were earth a thousand times as fair,
Beset with gold and jewels rare,
It yet were far too poor to be
A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee.
11. For velvets soft and silken stuff
Thou hast but hay and straw so rough,
Whereon Thou, King, so rich and great,
As 'twere Thy heaven, art throned in state.
12. And thus, dear Lord, it pleaseth Thee
To make this truth quite plain to me,
That all the world's wealth, honor, might,
Are naught and worthless in Thy sight.
13. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.
14. My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep;
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle-song:
15. Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto us His Son hath given!
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth.
The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #85
Text: Luke 2: 1-18
Author: Martin Luther, 1535
Tune: Vom Himmel hoch, da komm' ich her
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1855, alt.
1st published in: "Geistliche Lieder" Leipzig, 1539
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| Children learning the Gospel at the Bethany Lutheran Mission in the Philippines. |
