Commentary on WELS Shindig

 

 Nobody rocks DMin stripes and a stole like Larry Oh!

Quote:

Oddly enough, Larry was the only one of those speakers that... actually has a Bible passage in his description!

That should provide a bellwether for that group of hot air merchants: "Dr." Larry is considered conservative in comparison because he dared to have a Bible verse instead of lines and lines of self-aggrandizement like the rest!

Once in a LIfetime - Or More Often - With Creation Gardening

 

The afternoon began with Ranger Bob finding my book with flowers from our garden. It was requested by one member, Alicia.

He said, "Why didn't you tell me you published this book?" He walked by it several times, but spotted it today. I negotiated with him to take it home as a gift. He also has Creation Gardening and told his supervisor at work, "You have to read this."

We went out on the porch and Christina joined us. 

Next we had that HUMMINGBIRD MOMENT. Butterflies and hummingbirds were joyously flying around the garden and then - one hummingbird stopped in front of us and did a little square flight pattern two feet from each one of our faces, as if registering our faces in the safe directory. Perhaps it is named Curated Humans: Trustworthy and Calm.

We had three species of butterflies flitting around - the Monarch served as the star  attraction, followed by the Diana Fritillary, the Arkansas State Butterfly. The third one looked like a Monarch but was yellow rather than orange.

State Butterfly, Arkansas

People sometimes react as if I am starring in a movie about really quirky professors, but I keep saying, "The hummingbirds and butterflies will come out in late summer. Everything in the garden is aimed at that."

Eight-fool tall Joe Pye Weed, purple flower heads swaying in the breeze, may influence people to be wary. However, one neighbor said, "They are growing at the conservatory. Now I live in one." 

Joe Pye's vanilla fragrance is now very strong, mixed with Bee Balm mint - and Clethra. That little shrub is so ordinary until the blooms and leaves give off powerful spice and sweetness aromas. I grew it several years before I realized how special Clethra was.

 There is nothing like Clethra.

Bob thought long and hard about Monarchs traveling thousands of miles to California and Mexico. "How do they know how to navigate that trip?" I said, "God's Creation - they are engineered to do that."

 Creation Gardening: By Him Were All Things Made

Brief Warnings - Fresh and Exiciting WELS Missions - Parlow's Baptist Program with James Emery White

 

Pastor Keith Free announced some fresh and exciting goals for WELS missions, about the same ridiculous number as Hagedorn did many years ago - that did not happen. The Assemblies of God had an even bigger number - that did not happen. Mirthless Mark Schroeder looks steamed. WELS needs to become Unstuck, which can be done for hefty fees and expert, threadbare advice.

Parlow went to the Andy Stanley conference with Ski, Glende, Bishop Katie et al. 

Parlow's advice - "Want to go places in WELS? Abandon Lutheran doctrine and worship." The pastor at Round Rock, Texas (before Ski) got a drive-by DMin and also taught at the Asian Seminary. WELS is very strick on unionism - you must be a unionist to teach and host huge extravaganzas.

 James Emery White is the Southern Baptist who is featured at the Parlow Parley. 

From Rush Limbaugh's Father - Knowledge of Our Past Illuminates Our Future - "Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor"

RUSH INTRODUCTION: My father, Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr., delivered this oft-requested address locally a number of times, but it had never before appeared in print until it was published in The Limbaugh Letter. My dad was renowned for his oratory skills and for his original mind; this speech is, I think, a superb demonstration of both. I will always be grateful to him for instilling in me a passion for the ideas and lives of America's Founders, as well as a deep appreciation for the inspirational power of words, which you will see evidenced here:

"Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor"

It was a glorious morning. The sun was shining and the wind was from the Southeast. Up especially early, a tall bony, redheaded young Virginian found time to buy a new thermometer, for which he paid three pounds, fifteen shillings. He also bought gloves for Martha, his wife, who was ill at home.

Thomas Jefferson arrived early at the statehouse. The temperature was 72.5 degrees and the horseflies weren't nearly so bad at that hour. It was a lovely room, very large, with gleaming white walls. The chairs were comfortable. Facing the single door were two brass fireplaces, but they would not be used today.

The moment the door was shut, and it was always kept locked, the room became an oven. The tall windows were shut, so that loud quarreling voices could not be heard by passersby. Small openings atop the windows allowed a slight stir of air, and also a large number of horseflies. Jefferson records that "the horseflies were dexterous in finding necks, and the silk of stockings was nothing to them." All discussing was punctuated by the slap of hands on necks.

On the wall at the back, facing the president's desk, was a panoply -- consisting of a drum, swords, and banners seized from Fort Ticonderoga the previous year. Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured the place, shouting that they were taking it "in the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!"

Now Congress got to work, promptly taking up an emergency measure about which there was discussion but no dissension. "Resolved: That an application be made to the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania for a supply of flints for the troops at New York."

Then Congress transformed itself into a committee of the whole. The Declaration of Independence was read aloud once more, and debate resumed. Though Jefferson was the best writer of all of them, he had been somewhat verbose. Congress hacked the excess away. They did a good job, as a side-by-side comparison of the rough draft and the final text shows. They cut the phrase "by a self-assumed power." "Climb" was replaced by "must read," then "must" was eliminated, then the whole sentence, and soon the whole paragraph was cut. Jefferson groaned as they continued what he later called "their depredations." "Inherent and inalienable rights" came out "certain unalienable rights," and to this day no one knows who suggested the elegant change.

A total of 86 alterations were made. Almost 500 words were eliminated, leaving 1,337. At last, after three days of wrangling, the document was put to a vote.

Here in this hall Patrick Henry had once thundered: "I am no longer a Virginian, sir, but an American." But today the loud, sometimes bitter argument stilled, and without fanfare the vote was taken from north to south by colonies, as was the custom. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

There were no trumpets blown. No one stood on his chair and cheered. The afternoon was waning and Congress had no thought of delaying the full calendar of routine business on its hands. For several hours they worked on many other problems before adjourning for the day.

Much To Lose

What kind of men were the 56 signers who adopted the Declaration of Independence and who, by their signing, committed an act of treason against the crown? To each of you, the names Franklin, Adams, Hancock and Jefferson are almost as familiar as household words. Most of us, however, know nothing of the other signers. Who were they? What happened to them?

I imagine that many of you are somewhat surprised at the names not there: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry. All were elsewhere.

Ben Franklin was the only really old man. Eighteen were under 40; three were in their 20s. Of the 56 almost half - 24 - were judges and lawyers. Eleven were merchants, nine were landowners and farmers, and the remaining 12 were doctors, ministers, and politicians.

With only a few exceptions, such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts, these were men of substantial property. All but two had families. The vast majority were men of education and standing in their communities. They had economic security as few men had in the 18th Century.

Each had more to lose from revolution than he had to gain by it. John Hancock, one of the richest men in America, already had a price of 500 pounds on his head. He signed in enormous letters so that his Majesty could now read his name without glasses and could now double the reward. Ben Franklin wryly noted: "Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately."

Fat Benjamin Harrison of Virginia told tiny Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts: "With me it will all be over in a minute, but you, you will be dancing on air an hour after I am gone."

These men knew what they risked. The penalty for treason was death by hanging. And remember, a great British fleet was already at anchor in New York Harbor.

They were sober men. There were no dreamy-eyed intellectuals or draft card burners here. They were far from hot-eyed fanatics yammering for an explosion. They simply asked for the status quo. It was change they resisted. It was equality with the mother country they desired. It was taxation with representation they sought. They were all conservatives, yet they rebelled.

It was principle, not property, that had brought these men to Philadelphia. Two of them became presidents of the United States. Seven of them became state governors. One died in office as vice president of the United States. Several would go on to be US Senators. One, the richest man in America, in 1828 founded the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. One, a delegate from Philadelphia, was the only real poet, musician and philosopher of the signers. (It was he, Francis Hopkinson not Betsy Ross who designed the United States flag.)

Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, had introduced the resolution to adopt the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776. He was prophetic in his concluding remarks: "Why then sir, why do we longer delay? Why still deliberate? Let this happy day give birth to an American Republic. Let her arise not to devastate and to conquer but to reestablish the reign of peace and law.

"The eyes of Europe are fixed upon us. She demands of us a living example of freedom that may exhibit a contrast in the felicity of the citizen to the ever-increasing tyranny which desolates her polluted shores. She invites us to prepare an asylum where the unhappy may find solace, and the persecuted repost.

"If we are not this day wanting in our duty, the names of the American Legislatures of 1776 will be placed by posterity at the side of all of those whose memory has been and ever will be dear to virtuous men and good citizens."

Though the resolution was formally adopted July 4, it was not until July 8 that two of the states authorized their delegates to sign, and it was not until August 2 that the signers met at Philadelphia to actually put their names to the Declaration.

William Ellery, delegate from Rhode Island, was curious to see the signers' faces as they committed this supreme act of personal courage. He saw some men sign quickly, "but in no face was he able to discern real fear." Stephan Hopkins, Ellery's colleague from Rhode Island, was a man past 60. As he signed with a shaking pen, he declared: "My hand trembles, but my heart does not."

"Most Glorious Service"

Even before the list was published, the British marked down every member of Congress suspected of having put his name to treason. All of them became the objects of vicious manhunts. Some were taken. Some, like Jefferson, had narrow escapes. All who had property or families near British strongholds suffered.

• Francis Lewis, New York delegate saw his home plundered -- and his estates in what is now Harlem -- completely destroyed by British Soldiers. Mrs. Lewis was captured and treated with great brutality. Though she was later exchanged for two British prisoners through the efforts of Congress, she died from the effects of her abuse.

• William Floyd, another New York delegate, was able to escape with his wife and children across Long Island Sound to Connecticut, where they lived as refugees without income for seven years. When they came home they found a devastated ruin.

• Philips Livingstone had all his great holdings in New York confiscated and his family driven out of their home. Livingstone died in 1778 still working in Congress for the cause.

• Louis Morris, the fourth New York delegate, saw all his timber, crops, and livestock taken. For seven years he was barred from his home and family.

• John Hart of Trenton, New Jersey, risked his life to return home to see his dying wife. Hessian soldiers rode after him, and he escaped in the woods. While his wife lay on her deathbed, the soldiers ruined his farm and wrecked his homestead. Hart, 65, slept in caves and woods as he was hunted across the countryside. When at long last, emaciated by hardship, he was able to sneak home, he found his wife had already been buried, and his 13 children taken away. He never saw them again. He died a broken man in 1779, without ever finding his family.

• Dr. John Witherspoon, signer, was president of the College of New Jersey, later called Princeton. The British occupied the town of Princeton, and billeted troops in the college. They trampled and burned the finest college library in the country.

• Judge Richard Stockton, another New Jersey delegate signer, had rushed back to his estate in an effort to evacuate his wife and children. The family found refuge with friends, but a Tory sympathizer betrayed them. Judge Stockton was pulled from bed in the night and brutally beaten by the arresting soldiers. Thrown into a common jail, he was deliberately starved. Congress finally arranged for Stockton's parole, but his health was ruined. The judge was released as an invalid, when he could no longer harm the British cause.He returned home to find his estate looted and did not live to see the triumph of the Revolution. His family was forced to live off charity.

• Robert Morris, merchant prince of Philadelphia, delegate and signer, met Washington's appeals and pleas for money year after year. He made and raised arms and provisions which made it possible for Washington to cross the Delaware at Trenton. In the process he lost 150 ships at sea, bleeding his own fortune and credit almost dry.

• George Clymer, Pennsylvania signer, escaped with his family from their home, but their property was completely destroyed by the British in the Germantown and Brandywine campaigns.

• Dr. Benjamin Rush, also from Pennsylvania, was forced to flee to Maryland. As a heroic surgeon with the army, Rush had several narrow escapes.

• John Martin, a Tory in his views previous to the debate, lived in a strongly loyalist area of Pennsylvania. When he came out for independence, most of his neighbors and even some of his relatives ostracized him. He was a sensitive and troubled man, and many believed this action killed him. When he died in 1777, his last words to his tormentors were: "Tell them that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it [the signing] to have been the most glorious service that I have ever rendered to my country."

• William Ellery, Rhode Island delegate, saw his property and home burned to the ground.

• Thomas Lynch, Jr., South Carolina delegate, had his health broken from privation and exposures while serving as a company commander in the military. His doctors ordered him to seek a cure in the West Indies and on the voyage, he and his young bride were drowned at sea.

• Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward, Jr., the other three South Carolina signers, were taken by the British in the siege of Charleston. They were carried as prisoners of war to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were singled out for indignities. They were exchanged at the end of the war, the British in the meantime having completely devastated their large landholdings and estates.

• Thomas Nelson, signer of Virginia, was at the front in command of the Virginia military forces. With British General Charles Cornwallis in Yorktown, fire from 70 heavy American guns began to destroy Yorktown piece by piece. Lord Cornwallis and his staff moved their headquarters into Nelson's palatial home. While American cannonballs were making a shambles of the town, the house of Governor Nelson remained untouched. Nelson turned in rage to the American gunners and asked, "Why do you spare my home?"They replied, "Sir, out of respect to you." Nelson cried, "Give me the cannon!" and fired on his magnificent home himself, smashing it to bits. But Nelson's sacrifice was not quite over. He had raised $2 million for the Revolutionary cause by pledging his own estates. When the loans came due, a newer peacetime Congress refused to honor them, and Nelson's property was forfeited. He was never reimbursed. He died, impoverished, a few years later at the age of 50.

Lives, Fortunes, Honor

Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war. Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment. Several lost wives, sons or entire families. One lost his 13 children. Two wives were brutally treated. All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes. Twelve signers had their homes completely burned. Seventeen lost everything they owned. Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create is still intact.

And, finally, there is the New Jersey signer, Abraham Clark.

He gave two sons to the officer corps in the Revolutionary Army. They were captured and sent to that infamous British prison hulk afloat in New York Harbor known as the hell ship Jersey, where 11,000 American captives were to die. The younger Clarks were treated with a special brutality because of their father. One was put in solitary and given no food. With the end almost in sight, with the war almost won, no one could have blamed Abraham Clark for acceding to the British request when they offered him his sons' lives if he would recant and come out for the King and Parliament. The utter despair in this man's heart, the anguish in his very soul, must reach out to each one of us down through 200 years with his answer: "No."

The 56 signers of the Declaration Of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

RUSH EPILOGUE: My friends, I know you have a copy of the Declaration of Independence somewhere around the house - in an old history book (newer ones may well omit it), an encyclopedia, or one of those artificially aged "parchments" we all got in school years ago. I suggest that each of you take the time this month to read through the text of the Declaration, one of the most noble and beautiful political documents in human history.

There is no more profound sentence than this: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness..."

These are far more than mere poetic words. The underlying ideas that infuse every sentence of this treatise have sustained this nation for more than two centuries. They were forged in the crucible of great sacrifice. They are living words that spring from and satisfy the deepest cries for liberty in the human spirit.

"Sacred honor" isn't a phrase we use much these days, but every American life is touched by the bounty of this, the Founders' legacy. It is freedom, tested by blood, and watered with tears.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/pages/static/my_father_s_speech

LCMS-ELS-WELS-CLC: When You Look at ELCA, You Are Looking into a Mirror

 

 ELCA Ordination, 2020.

Inherit the stupid II: when a Martin Luther College 2009 homecoming video infected WELS with the gay

The reporting and reaction continue to Josh Moniz's story in the New Ulm Journal about the cancellation of a production of "Inherit the Wind." Dan Linehan supplies more details in Saturday's Mankato Free Press article, New Ulm theater cancels play after controversy, while free-thinking Christophobe and science professor P.Z. Myers takes it up in Martin Luther College looks like a total waste of time and money.

Not surprisingly, this isn't the first time that Martin Luther College  (MLC) students' self-expression ran into disapproval by the WELS faithful.

Party in the MLC

Rummaging through MLC closets, Bluestem has stumbled over an old social media tale that involves student self-censorship after a popular dorm homecoming video hit YouTube.  The September 18, 2009 MLC Update High School edition reported in Dorm Videos:

For Homecoming festivities, the four dorms put together a video to entertain the student body. (Well, not Augustana— they must have forgotten.) Concord, the frosh and sophomore men, starred NateWordell(West) in a series of misadventures to arrive at chapel on time. Centennial, the frosh and sophomore women, featured Claire Czaplewski (KML) and a team of students on a missionto conquer the Swine Flu Sprite. By far the crowd favorite was the Summit men’s video rendition(pictured)  of “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.

That sounds innocent enough in the pre-twerking days of 2009.

Here's the video preserved on the Facebook page Bring back the MLC version of party in the USA!!!!!! :

Why did the video--which received over 80,000 hits before its makers pulled it--need to come back?

The Martin Luther College  (MLC) parody of a Fire Island Pines (FIP) parody

The "Party in the MLC video was based on the Fire Island Pines (FIP) parody tribune video of the Miley Cyrus music video for "Party in the USA."   Fire Island Pines:

. . .has been a jewel in the gay community for over 60 years, and continues to be the premier vacation destination for residents and vacationers. Located just 50 miles east of New York City, The Pines is home to the most expensive real estate in Fire Island.

Here's the FIP version:

While both videos are silly rather than sexy, the fact that the MLC version was based on a gay-friendly video didn't escape notice long from either the LGBT community online nor from the WELS faithful.

Queerty posted about the video in WATCH: What Miley Cyrus Hath Wrought: Party In the … MLC?

To what cultural aspersions do we owe the phenomenon of remaking the remakes of music videos? The Fire Island Pines boys, who created the Miley Cyrus send-up “Party In The F.I.P,” receive their own homage with “Party In The MLC” from a bunch of dormmates at a “homecoming summit.” At, uh, Midland Lutheran College [sic]?

Keep watching, ’cause there’s a blooper reel.

Those commenting are divided about whether the video is homage to the FIP video, insulting to gay men because of the fem stereotypes that the schoolboys prance around, or totally inappropriate because the young Lutherans just aren't cute enough to be in front of a video camera.

A rather oddball Lutheran blogger posted about the video a few days later in October 2009  in Mary Lou College's Own Flock of Seagulls--or-- Girls Gone Wild:

A WELS member sent me the link to this video, which makes the previous one (the statue fight) look positively confessional in comparison.

Familiar names like Huebner and Krause star in this travesty, which includes prissy lip-synching and crotch grabbing. I thought Michael Jackson was sick when he felt compelled to do the same, but this is worse and comes from the WELS "College of Ministry."

Read the comments on the video and notice the great impression made on the audience.

 

ELCA Bishops - WELS' own Brug endorsed women's ordination many years ago, and the leadership keeps promoting it by thought, word, and deed. 

Large portions of the traditional text of the New Testament were removed by two unbelievers, Westcott and Hort.

The KJV was born as the people's Bible. They petitioned King James to unify English worship and practice. They also petitioned for one, unified Bible.

The KJV was kicked under the bus by - 

Tischendorf, who wanted glory for finding an old codex, not necessarily the oldest or best, but promoted by him as such.

Westcott and Hort loathed the Traditional Text, so they made up their own and offered to support for all their changes.

Three men, for their egos, began the replacement of the people's Bible with something they could eventually make into their own wax nose.

Nestle, Aland, and Nida finished the process. 

In the meantime, all the Lutheran groups have made a fortune by trying to replace the KJV with the unbelievers' Bible, their own concoction. The "conservative" (Calvinist) Lutherans are just as bad as the far Left.

David W. Preus Funeral Will Be at Central Lutheran Church, Where a Tornado Was Less Than Affirming about The Vote

 

 Read the ELCA News Report

David W. Preus' Celebration of Life will be held at 

Central Lutheran Church.

"The first buildings on the downtown side of I-94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two...and then lifts." 

The Tornado, the Lutherans, and The Vote.

 WELS was not far behind ELCA, its Thrivent partner in ministry, celebrating the Fire Island video by plagiarizing it, frame by frame, with a little extra touch.

Reactions - Mine and Theirs - To David W. Preus

 

ALC President David W. Preus in his later years.

The ALPBers are explicating the Preus saga for everyone. One issue is - "Would David Preus have been better than Herb Chilstrom as the first ELCA bishop."

For them, everything is a matter of management, politics, and where someone was born. No one there wants to say that two national synods (plus Seminex) merged into one crippled, radical cage of birds.

The answers are really theological. Business mergers do not ask about church affiliation, so church mergers should not be obsessed with business theories. The LCA was modeled after General Motors.

The three candidates for ELCA Bishop were ALC Bishop Preus, LCA Bishop Crumley, and Minnesota Bishop Herb Chilstrom, who won in 1987.

• I met Preus at a convention and heard him speak, 
• had dinner at Ad Fontes with Crumley, where he asked me about WELS, and 
• had dinner with Chilstrom at a Michigan pastors' event. He asked about my dissertation, since A. D. Mattson was his Augustana Seminary professor. "With Lowell O. Erdahl, he is the author of Sexual Fulfillment: For Single and Married, Straight and Gay, Young and Old." Wiki.

Chilstrom died last year, about age 90. Crumley died in 2015, also at the age of 90.

I wrote to David Preus about his enthusiasm for Reformed-Lutheran communion. He was all for it and mocked the Real Presence (which Calvinists deny) in his letter back to me. He quoted the previous ALC President, which he must have imagined authoritative.

Preus' ALC was also the church body that endorsed Lutherans Concerned. Irony alert - the other Lutheran in the Yale Biblical program (STM, PhD) was Stan Olson, who became a professor at Luther Seminary (ALC), got gendered out of the seminary to pastor in New Ulm, then became bishop of the SW Minnesota Synod, then onto NYC to hold one of the top positions at headquarters, then short interim stays at Cap Seminary (Trinity, Columbus) and Luther Seminary, Decorah. Obviously the grand merger of ELCA was falling apart - largely due to the ELCA leaders flaunting and repudiating Biblical norms.

The ELCA merger was a strengthening of union with the Calvinists (LCMS-WELS, too, via Thrivent), Roman Catholics, and dying sects like the United Church of Christ, which really had no doctrine except to work with everyone. Various leaders of the ALC and LCA figured that success meant following the pressure groups with the biggest clout and the most to gain.

Faithless people are not going to enjoy the fruits of the Spirit, and church bodies led by those who hate Biblical doctrine will never prosper.

 ELCA published both photos, so I was happy to show how Olson looked when he was called up to do his political duties at an ELCA convention. Mark Hanson was the ELCA Bishop at that time.

Garden of Borage and Buckwheat

 

 Borage - or bee bread - seeds itself.

Soon after the old berry patch was removed and covered with mulch, the strands of grassy weeds began appearing through the mulch. We did not have enough cardboard to cover all the ground, so the living plants below the layer felt the warmth, call, and opportunities of sunshine.

Note - everyone has enough cardboard until an area needs to be covered.

I did not want to add anything to that area until the fall, so I decided to use two cover crops - borage and buckwheat. Both germinate and grow quickly. Both drop seed and start a new crop when given the time.

I scattered white borage first, and sprinkled berry patch afterwards. I was skeptical about the 50% rain for Saturday night. Buckwheat arrived in the mail, so I scattered those seeds over the same mulch. This borage grows fat leaves and buckwheat grows up, so they should get most of the sun and deprive the greedy grass weeds of energy. The ultimate plant is to have bully plants there exclusively, so grassy weeds will be thwarted without a lot of effort:

The front row is already well planted with Joe Pye. 

The next row could be clethra, which will be Pye high in later years.

Back rows could be hosta, which can be eaten easily by rabbits but also very good at producing big leaves and tall flower spikes loved by hummingbirds.

 Bees love buckwheat.

Former ALC President David W. Preus, Age 99, Died August 1. Minneapolis Star Tribune Obituary

 

 David W. Preus, 1922-2021

Minneapolis Star Tribune obituary

Review of Pastor and President, a book written by David Preus.

Preus family history - a small sample.

Preus, David Walter David Walter Preus, loving husband and father, Lutheran bishop and pastor, civic leader and World War II veteran, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 23, 2021, due to complications from heart failure. Three of David's major themes in life were "Jesus, Justice and Joy." He came from a long family line of church leaders. 

He was born May 28, 1922, in Madison, Wisconsin. He spent most of his boyhood in Decorah, Iowa, where his father was a pastor and president of Luther College, and his mother was an accomplished musician and created a joyful and welcoming home. He studied and played basketball at Luther College where his Coach Hamlet (Pete) Peterson called him his "bread and butter man." 

David graduated from Luther College in 1943. He and his four brothers enlisted in the U.S. armed services. He served in the U.S. Army Signal Intelligence until 1946 where he learned the Japanese language with overseas duty in the Philippines and Japan. 

Following World War II, he went to a year of Law School at the University of Minnesota and completed Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul; he was ordained in 1950. David took post-graduate studies at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) in 1951-52. 

As a pastor and President/Presiding Bishop of the American Lutheran Church (ALC), servant leadership infused his life's work. He served as a parish pastor for 23 years in Brookings, SD, Vermilion, SD and Minneapolis, MN. During his 15 years as Presiding Bishop of the ALC he also served as Vice President of the Lutheran World Federation and as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. 

In 1988, he was appointed Distinguished Visiting Professor at Luther Seminary and Director of its Global Mission Institute. During his later retirement he continued to engage in preaching, writing, and other forms of service. Long an advocate of participation by church members in civic and community affairs, David was a member and chair of the Minneapolis School Board, the Minneapolis City Planning Commission, and other civic organizations in the Twin Cities. He actively supported equal opportunities in housing, civil rights and civil rights legislation at city, state and national levels. 

One of his special attributes was his ability to actively seek out people from all faiths and backgrounds to work together toward a common good. He was at home speaking with and working with local leaders, church leaders from all faiths, four presidents of the United States of America, and leaders from other countries. For example, he met with John Paul II about ecumenical opportunities, worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. to address social justice topics at a Lutheran youth event, and joined Vice President Mondale on work trips abroad. 

The Minneapolis Star Tribune named him one of the 100 most influential Minnesotans of the 20th century. Over the years David received recognition from a wide variety of sources, including many honorary doctorate degrees, the Commander's Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, the Torch of Liberty award from the Anti-Defamation League, the St. Thomas Aquinas award from the College of St. Thomas, and the Pax Christi award from St. John's University. Friends established an annual David W. Preus Servant Leadership Award. Friends and neighbors remember his love of nature, stewardship and joyful spirit. 

With a cabin in northern Minnesota, David enjoyed tending to the land. Every summer one heard his chainsaw humming and saw his newly planted pine seedlings growing. At his home in Minneapolis he planted colorful tulips each fall, with hope for beauty in the spring. He literally whistled and sang while working outdoors. He loved a good game of golf. 

David cherished time with his family. He enjoyed playing various outdoor and indoor games, doing crosswords, and making blueberry pancakes for his grandchildren. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ann Margaret Overgaard Madsen Preus, whom he met and married 70 years ago in Brookings, SD, and five children, Martha, David A. (Carmenza), Stephen (Martha), Louise, and Laura (Michael), nine grandchildren, Natalie (David John), Christian (Robekkah), Katharine, Andrew, Daniel, Brita, Johan, Nathan, and Annabel, two great-grandchildren, Raegan, Ryder, and many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. 

A service and inurnment will be held at 2:00 pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Laporte, MN, on Sunday, August 1. A Celebration of Life service will be held at Central Lutheran Church at 333 S. 12th Street, Minneapolis, 2:00 pm, on Thursday, August 5. There will be a visitation at 1 pm, and fellowship and refreshments after the service. Livestreaming of the 2:00 pm service on August 5 will be available at: centralmpls.org Memorial Donations may be made to Luther College or donor's preferred designation. Washburn-McReavy.com Hillside Chapel 612-781-1999

Published on August 1, 2021

ALPB Online Forum - Suspicions Confirmed. ALC President David W. Preus Died at Age 99

 David Preus, on the far right, died August 1, 2021, at the age of 99.
Cousin Jack Preus is on the far left.

Preus craved attention. He came to an LCA district conference, before the merger, and spoke to a lot of the pastors informally. When he was left stranded with no one to talk to, he looked lost. Note the lopsided, ambiguous smile.

The ALPB Online Forum features a curious collection of grumpy old men, who get even pricklier when described. 

They confirmed their nettlesome nature when someone started a discussion on "Lutheran Levity," which turned into a hissy fight with no theme or substance. Picture this - the entire directory was filled with "Lutheran Levity," but the contributions showed no levity at all.

Apparently someone realized they sounded like a bad day at the bingo parlor, so they switched to "Lutheran Creationists."

One frequent contributor is Floyd Luther Stolzenburg's co-pastor in Columbus.

 Herb Chilstrom became the first ELCA Bishop in 1987, and the Left took complete control of the leadership and assets. David Preus would have been just as bad.

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 2021. The Bad, To Emphathize the Good

The Ninth Sunday after Trinity, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Daylight Time

Leupold Genesis Commentary - free

Trinity 9 2021 worship service link

The melodies are linked in the hymn title. 

The lyrics are linked in the hymn number.

• The TLH melody site is linked here.
• TLH lyrics are linked at the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog.

The Hymn #334             Let Be Thine Forever         

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Behold, God is mine Helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in Thy truth, O Lord.

Psalm. Save me, O God, by Thy name: and judge me by Thy strength.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth: 

who hast set Thy glory above the heavens. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: 

that delighteth greatly in His commandments. Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn #297         The Gospel Shows the Father's Grace

        

The Bad, To Emphasize the Good

The Communion Hymn #312        Lord Jesus Christ Thou Living Bread               

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 #657                 Beautiful Savior

Prayers and Announcements

• In therapy - after successful treatment - Randy Anderson.
• Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris Shrader; Kermit and Marie Way; Christina Jackson. Anita Engleman, Zach's mother.
• The Church of Rome invented the three-year lectionary and began counting Sundays after Pentecost (not Trinity Sunday). They also promoted such liturgical colors as pink, sky blue, etc. The Lutherans and mainlines fell into place some years ago. Luther used the historic Scripture readings, and we use them too. Therefore it is convenient to quote Luther for the Sunday sermon.

            

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

Ninth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, who hast bountifully given us Thy blessing and our daily bread: We beseech Thee, preserve us from covetousness, and so quicken our hearts that we willingly share Thy blessed gifts with our needy brethren; that we may be found faithful stewards of Thy gifts, and abide in Thy grace when we shall be removed from our stewardship, and shall come before Thy judgment, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Bad, To Emphasize the Good

Background for Luke 16:1ff - The Unrighteous Steward

This parable may be the most debated and misunderstood of them all. It helps to consider the nature of Jesus' parables. They are almost always stories for believers, and they often make a point that is very difficult at first but after plenty of study, stick with us as the Gospel comes out of its disguise in the story.

A good example of misunderstanding is the New Testament professor who denied the resurrection of Christ. He did not understand the Christian Faith, which was hidden from him due to his obstinate blindness, so he said about the parables - "No one understands them." That really meant that he did not. They are almost always for believers, so the seminary professor gave away the plot, even though he wrote a book on the Parables of Jesus.

Those who find fault with God's revealed Word will also find everything but the truth in its passages. They see without seeing and hear without understanding.

KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

This parable can be quite confusing, both in reading it, telling it, and understanding it. Luther said "This is truly a Gospel for priests and monks, and will bring them money, unless we prevent it." (Sermon 1)

Most of the parable is about the unrighteous steward cheating his way out of trouble. As Lenski noted, having a dishonest manager is nothing new - it happens all the time. (Luke commentary) Apparently the good old days were not as rosy as our parents or grandparents claimed.

This manager (steward) was already found out by those who accused him of dishonesty. I had a church member who put together "talking books." He got a public domain book, reworked it, produced it in color, and had professionals speak the story and sing songs with it. One day he said, "I just found out the manager was driving a truckload of my books to sell on his own." The man was fired. The owner was furious.

So this manager in the parable was already found out. He became his own job counselor.

3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

People wonder - how is this Scripture? Gospel? I could say the same thing about the Canaanite woman, who was ignored and apparently insulted by Jesus, thus making that passage one of the "hard passages of Scripture." Once understood, it is exactly the opposite of first impressions (or the perspectives of atheists books and TV shows).

Instead of What Color Is Your Parachute? (over 25 million books sold), the steward made up his own What Color Is Your Shovel? job counseling guide. It did not look good for him. He was not fit for day-long digging opportunities, and he was too proud to beg for a living. His idea was to cut a deal with those who owed his lord money for goods previously sold - a relief package, counterfeiting the bills for each one who owed money to his boss. They were just like him, ready to make money by being dishonest. At this point, it is difficult to find something edifying in this story.

His motivational idea is this - "I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. ."

The description of the books being cooked, the partners in business delighting in this, and the owner of the estate being impressed - they are pretty appalling. Lenski makes a good point - this is just simply accurate description of the world around us. Those who want to find evil, always do. So those who do not know the Gospel or believe its plain words will always get mixed up by this passage.

Luther:

4. The foundation must be maintained without wavering, that faith without any works, without any merit, reconciles man to God and makes him good, as Paul says to the Romans 3:21-22: “But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe.” Paul at another place, Romans 4:9, says: “To Abraham, his faith was reckoned for righteousness;” so also with us.

Again, 5: “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, 10:10: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” These, and many more similar passages, we must firmly hold and trust in them immovably, so that to faith alone without any assistance of works, is attributed the forgiveness of sins and our justification.

It would be impossible for Jesus Christ to teach two different doctrines, so the mix-ups are from the clergy most of all, since the foundational doctrine is rejected (ELCA, WELS, ELS, CLC, LCMS) or distorted in various ways.  

8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

The owner has a keen eye of a savvy business manager, and we might suspect that he is not so different from the dishonest manager, when it comes to cutting the best deal. When my father had a bakery and food was rationed, he could have demanded extra money for the raw ingredients he accumulated. Instead he sold them to his competitors at cost. He also outlasted 200 bakeries - the owners imagined it was an easy way to make money - make bakery goods for a few pennies, sell them for dollars, and they are addicting. (That is a maxim in the tobacco business but it fits bakeries too).

That reminds me. When Marvin Schwan's foundation was a big deal, the pastor/manager of the fund gave himself $400,000 a year plus benefits. (Herman Otten shouted over the phone that couldn't be true, but the figures were published.) Marvin no doubt admired the pastor for taking care of himself so well, as happened wherever the clergy got close to those leaky buckets of Schwan money (the stories I could tell). But that is a parallel to the action of this parable, not a lesson to be learned, except to avoid it.

KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples... 

Jesus addressed this parable to His disciples, so it should be understood in this context. One way of explaining this parable is to say - non-believers work out solutions for themselves in this age. They are shrewder than the believers. 

One pastor said that broadcasting worship over the Net would cost money, with the equipment, Net charges, and broadcast charges. That is definitely true, but it also means world-wide reach for a small sum of money, as I pointed out. Every church could do that.

Rather than talk about smart money decisions, we should make the purest comparison, from Jesus to the disciples to us. (From Lenski) Just as the steward, lord, and business partners were earnest in doing their work in a world (mammon) way - so should we be earnest in the righteousness of faith.

The disciples had no money or property to hold out as appealing - only the Gospel. Compare that to the steward's swap. "You have a debt of sin? That sin has been paid for by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Trust in the risen Savior, because faith gives access to grace, forgiveness, and peace."

I translate Jesus' final words as - "Use what you have in this world to spread the Gospel, and the converted will welcome you into eternal life."

God alone is the cause for salvation, so the ending of the parable has a wonderful future prediction - the proclamation of the Gospel will mean that the people who became believers will welcome you for your labors.

That is true for all who participate in sharing the Gospel. Decades ago, free from synodical traditions and snares, the first members of Bethany said, "You are going to use the King James, aren't you?" And we did.  Now I realize what a large group is out there, all denominations, reading, hearing, and remembering the entire Bible, not the one edited down by apostates, atheists, and Roman Catholic leaders. In two days, we had 7,500 views on Ichabod, mostly about the Bible.

Many faithful people are out there, around the world. hoping to have the basics taught and clarified. That costs very little in mammon but has a big impact, because tapes and books last.

I see every address as a distribution site, even if only a few books are given away. The direct contact is most important. 

I also view books sent to opponents (for no cost) to be the most significant, because Jesus said, "Go to the village against you," which Luther interpreted spiritually as - "Go to the opposition, not to the easy areas." Gospel and the cross always go together.

The ones who never say thankyou - they are prime targets for conversion.

I cannot predict anyone's conversion except to say, any guesses about the past were wrong so any predictions about the future would be wrong too, often wrong in a delightful way.

But this is true - If nothing is said, sent, taught, or published, then nothing will come of nothing.

Like Paul, I wish I could visit everyone regularly, but that is not possible. Locally, I have walked with Sassy and given away dozens of books, often to the most unlikely recipients, all around the neighborhood. One woman began with Creation Gardening and asked for two more. Ranger Bob said to PFC, "You have to read that book!"

Norma A. Boeckler