Benke - "It's OK to pray at a pan-religious service at Yankee Stadium." - Mourning Losses with Father Weedon

 

"It's OK to pray at a pan-religious service at Yankee Stadium."
Benke was put back in office - Wallace Schulz was fired for doing the right thing.

ALPB Online Ovaltines

Quote from: Weedon on Yesterday at 08:16:08 PMI had heard that Slubs had died. I was very blessed to spend a day with him a couple years ago. He was at the seminary for a class anniversary and so I picked him up and gave him a tour of the IC and we enjoyed a lovely lunch. He was one of my favorite professors. Give my greetings to Greg (best man at my wedding!) and to Doc and Dorothy.

Will do.  One of the side effects of a college closing is the effect on the town/gown congregation connected to the college.  In Bronxville's case, the church across the street is Village Lutheran.  Their new neighbor is Iona College, which purchased the Concordia property.  They seem to have survived, with their well-regarded day school continuing its outreach and mission function.  Some of the Concordia professors shepherded small congregations in the surrounding communities.  Tom Sluberski had charge of St. Matthew, Hasting-on-Hudson, for many years.  St. Matthew closed several years ago, and will soon become the office headquarters of the Atlantic District.

Since I spent about a third of my life on the Concordia campus where the District office was located, I literally have not returned to Bronxville since the college closed - too painful a reminder of loss.  Maybe the re-purposed offices at Hasting-on-Hudson will provide relief and hope.

Dave Benke

It's OK to Pray

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Dave Benke

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Yesterday at 07:49:27 PM

1) Closing the Music major is a big blow.  At Concordia Bronxville the music program offered through Concordia continues as an independent center in (I think) Stein Hall.  So there can be music after the music major.  Maybe they'll continue the summer program on campus.  Or

2) Go to St. Olaf:  https://wp.stolaf.edu/music/academics-in-music/.  I've heard them at Carnegie Hall - they're superb!  Maybe the summer institute could migrate to Northfield.

3) For Bronxville folks, a venerable professor passed away yesterday - Thomas Sluberski.  Funeral service Saturday at Village Lutheran.  Preaching will be Rev. Dr. Greg Walton.  I would imagine Ralph and Dorothy Schulz as well as Viji and Janet George will be there, past Concordia Presidents.

4) As harsh as these changes are at Valpo, and Jim presents well the challenges, the recent situation at CUWAA is best described as a debacle, poorly conceived, poorly delivered, and walked back with a stout version of the Missouri Synod there in Michigan openly talking about de-coupling from the attempted overreach.

5) Charles' point is well taken.  If and as there are vibrant campus ministries for Christian young people at secular college campuses, the various programs in the arts are most likely going to lead to better vocational choices at those colleges/universities and not at the expense of Christian growth.  Queens College, right down the block from me and in the City of New York University system, has a really fine music program, and is - yes - affordable. 

Dave Benke

It's OK to Pray

Wallace Schulz LCMS Essay

Schulz was a speaker for The Lutheran Hour and a synodical VP for the LCMS when he took over the Benke issue, which was earlier and adroitly avoided by Barry-McCain. Schulz was fired from The Lutheran Hour for disciplining Benke, then voted out of office.

His essay on the LCMS is here.

To Fumigate the Devil

Besides, it is an exceedingly effectual help against the devil, the world, and the flesh and all evil thoughts to be occupied with the Word of God, and to speak of it, and meditate upon it, so that the First Psalm declares those blessed who meditate upon the Law of God day and night. Undoubtedly, you will not start a stronger incense or other fumigation against the devil than by being engaged upon God's commandments and words, and speaking, singing, or thinking of them. For this is indeed the true holy water and holy sign from which he flees, and by which he may be driven away. (Introduction, The Large Catechism, #10, Book of Concord)

Wallace Schulz pointed out in his article that LCMS pastor's libraries, donated to the Concordia Historical Institute, are now comprised of non-Lutheran books, for the most part. I used to look for library sales at Trinity Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, because the retiring ALC pastors left such valuable books to be grabbed. I often took home boxes of old classics to be given away. The Gentiles gathered during their apostate chapel service, lined up first, and grabbed the Luther, Walther, and General Council books. We were banned from being first in line. The students (male, female, and in transition) wanted to gather some old classics to be used as lucky charms and coasters for their future offices.

We are what we consume. If we do not dwell on the few excellent Lutheran books available along with the text of the Scriptures, we will become theologians of the sects we admire so much. WELS and Missouri pastors want to call themselves Lutheran, but they walk and talk like third-rate marketing consultants for moderate Reformed sects.

My good friend Dan warned WELS leaders they were dealing with "powers and principalities." They did not want to hear that, so they pushed him out of the ministry, a calling he loved. A fellow pastor, in the same city with the same qualms about Church Growth, also found himself pushed out. Pimps for the Church Growth Movement retire in peace, but those who read the Confessions are hounded out of the Preaching Office of the Church. "The glory has departed from Israel."

Warming Trends in LCMS Election Race Heats Up Slightly

I believe Kieschnick will be re-elected with an overwhelming vote this summer. His slate will probably win, too. LCMS will meet July 14th.

People should read about the issues.

This link is a paper about Yankee Stadium by Pastor Wallace Schulz:

Yankee Stadium.

The Schulz essay about how Missouri got so mixed up is here:

It is written.

Statistics

I saw some interesting statistics for Missouri. They have 1,000 more pastors than they did 20 years ago, but far more pastoral vacancies. I wondered how that could be. Then I saw that the number of pastors serving in non-parish positions had tripled, from around 250 to 750.

Just like WELS - pastors want to flee the Predigtamt (Preaching Office) for a real office, a big salary, perks, no catechism class, selective preaching (bonus cash) giving the same sermon a zillion times.

The denominations immune to any suggestions are the ones with the most bureaucrats per member.