ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the National Council of Churches.
"Entry of Alexander into Babylon", a 1665 painting by Charles LeBrun, depicts Alexander the Great's uncontested entry into the city of Babylon, envisioned with pre-existing Hellenistic architecture.
That chapter should be read slowly to capture the future lying before us - not in the future but now.
The worst examples start with our treatment of the unborn, trafficking in babies and young children, abusing all the medical possibilities, public school tricks, and more to end the life of an innocent child.
The Biblical chapter is a reminder of what will arrive in the future. That entails enormous greed, the worst abuse of maintaining families, and devouring all the delights of the flesh.
RSV 18:1And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
[Great brilliance in comparison to the darkness coming.]
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
[This is a warning for all those over the earth.]
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no moreat all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The Rev. Hannah Kardon, left, is pulled from a group of demonstrators by Illinois State Police outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview, Illinois, Oct. 17, 2025. (Video screen grab)
Last Friday (Oct. 17), the Rev. Hannah Kardon, a United Methodist minister in the Chicago area, stood alongside other protesters demonstrating outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview, Illinois. As a line of Illinois State Police began marching toward her and other demonstrators, gripping wooden batons, footage shows the pastor with her hands raised in prayer.
Officers then pushed into the protesters, forcing them back. One officer shifted his stance, reared back and began shoving his baton like a battering ram — jamming it repeatedly, Kardon says, into her leg. A few seconds later, the pastor was pulled from the crowd and thrown to the ground.
All the while, Kardon says, she never stopped praying. When officers began to arrest her, they tied her arms behind her back and placed her along the curb.
"I said, 'God, please help these people to know that what they're doing is wrong, and help them to turn around,'" Kardon, who leads United Church of Rogers Park in Chicago, said in an interview. Her leg, she said, has developed visible bruises.
The incident, most of which was captured on film by a journalist with the independent outlet Unraveled, is the latest example in a growing list of Chicago-area clergy who have been met with violence after confronting state and federal agents to protest the actions of ICE. As President Donald Trump's ongoing immigration crackdown in Chicago continues, a diverse array of faith leaders from across the region are speaking out against the government's treatment of immigrants — with many voicing willingness to risk arrest and physical harm to protect migrants.
Kardon is among the more than 210 signers of a letter signed by mostly Chicago-area Christian clergy. Titled "Jesus is Being Tear Gassed at Broadview," the letter railed against ICE and agents "hunting and terrorizing of immigrant communities" in the city. The letter was made public the same day Kardon was arrested and has accrued more than 100 additional signatures since then.
"Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort, and we will not be silent when dignity is denied in the enforcement of the law, it is essential that we respect the dignity of every human being," said Cardinal Blase Cupich, Catholic archbishop of Chicago, in a Oct. 21 statement.
17:1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
[Angels are primarily announcers of events.]
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
[Fornication is far worse, because adultery involves marriage - fornication not.]
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
[Blasphemy is the opposite of divine proclamation.]
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
[The greatness of the Father-Son-Holy Spirit is the exact opposite of the Abominations.]
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
[This should make everyone stop to think - not written.]
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
[Great contrasts.]
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
I ordered the Fuhrman vitamins because I consider him the best in nutrition.
But it was my physician Dr. Bradley Reed who pointed out my need for Vitamin D and B12. The blood work revealed a lack of Vitamin D and B12. I felt the difference immediately after swallowing them.
To be brief, God promised Abraham a son, Genesis 15. If anything is noteworthy, it is a baby, especially a new-born son (as they always said in those days). The only problem for Abraham and Sarah, apart from age, was their incredulity.
Sarah laughed.
God displays great signs, like the stars in the sky and the sand along the sea. That was so permanent a miracle that the same great Promise was declared in Romans 4 and 5, and actually in many episodes in the New Testament.
People are content to honor almost anything today - except Justification by Faith. But that is not enough glory for the crafts and assaults of synodical professionals. They want such people to bask in themselves.
Christian - in Pilgrim's Progress - learned first to let go of his own righteousness and receive the Faith of Jesus, dying on the cross, faith grasping grace.
I ran into a pamphlet in my little library. One reminder was a set of books by Luther, edited by the prolific Lenker. But who published it? ABC!
Augustana Book Concern (Rock Island) was the place where we bought textbooks and extra books for reading. Those 13 volumes are much clearer than the ones we see here and there, copies of copies, lower quality. These are pristine.
In the wide expanse of that shelf was tucked Getting Published: A Manual for Religious Writers. In 1976 I had about 55 published articles, some for free, many for modest sums and new ideas. My booklet was typed on an electric typewriter! Someone duplicated the booklet, and it survived 51 years.
John Baker was born in Davenport, Iowa and attended Moline High School from 1963 to 1966. At only 5 1 he was a gymnast before joining the army. His wife thought
that gave him the strength and stamina to carry his buddies to safety. He became a tunnel rat in Vietnam, a soldier who entered Viet Cong tunnels searching out the enemy and destroying their caches of war material. Baker made the military his career, retiring in 1989. He then began working as a computer analyst at a Veterans Hospital in South Carolina. In addition to serving as the Vice-President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, he serves as a member on the Nation s Monuments and Cemeteries Committee.
John Baker was born in Davenport, Iowa and attended Moline High School from 1963 to 1966. At only 5 1 he was a gymnast before joining the army. His wife thought that gave him the strength and stamina to carry his buddies to safety. He became a tunnel rat in Vietnam, a soldier who entered Viet Cong tunnels searching out the enemy and destroying their caches of war material. Baker made the military his career, retiring in 1989. He then began working as a computer analyst at a Veterans Hospital in South Carolina. In addition to serving as the Vice-President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, he serves as a member on the Nation s Monuments and Cemeteries Committee.
Readers emphasize Chapter 12 of Revelation, as I wrote earlier. That is the central section, about the Mother and the Son, Mary and the Newborn. That scenario marks the center of all history, before the Incarnation - after the birth of Christ.
So much is involved in Revelation 1-12 that readers can feel the tossing of the sea on a dark, death-threatening night.
Anyone can feel lost in Revelation's narrative, not from so many chapters but from the overwhelming descriptions of all the events, which are grotesque, beautiful, and inspiring.
Ending Chapters of Revelation 19-22
The final section is triumphant in the glory of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
I had roses on the altar today and peeked out to see if any popped up overnight. The view from the door was not of huge roses but small intensely perfumed ones. All of them David Austen roses.
Diane got the big flashy Enchanted Peace and also the tiny, delicate Queen of Sweeden - on the altar today.
A group of kids were next door and some playing on the other side. Charlie Sue and I went out to enjoy the commotion. One dad was supervising and we talked. Charlie did wild circles in the PARK! to wear down the girls. It was a lot of fun.
A mother took the flowers in - and they were intense. Two of them were enough to fill a room and make someone say, "Where did that come from!?"
Say unto my soul, I am thy Salvation: The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth.
He delivereth them out of their troubles: He is their God forever and ever.
Psalm. Give ear, O My people, to My Law:
incline your ears to the words of My mouth.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
O almighty and most merciful God, of Thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech Thee, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready, both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that Thou wouldst have done; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Gradual
Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense:
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Oh, sing unto the Lord a new song: for He hath done marvelous things. Hallelujah!
God's blessings - Brett and Amy Meyer - 36th Anniversary.
Michael Oak and Amanda Meyer were married five years ago on October 16th. Blessed by baby June. Congratulations and God's continued blessings.
Lori Howell is being treated in Houston.
Ongoing medical - Alicia Meyer; Kermit Way; Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris; Doc Lito's wife is doing better.
Glen Kotten lost his father.
Bethany members are getting email connections together via gmail.
Nineteenth Sunday After Trinity
O mighty and everlasting God, who by Thy Son Jesus Christ didst mercifully help the palsied man both in body and soul: We beseech Thee, for the sake of Thy great mercy: Be gracious also unto us; forgive us all our sins, and so govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not ourselves be the cause of sickness and other afflictions; keep us in Thy fear, and strengthen us by Thy grace that we may escape temporal and eternal wrath and punishment, through Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
KJV Matthew 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
From the Prison in Rome - Paul's Teaching
KJV Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
We do not usually think so much about how Biblical passages are written. This is a special one, which seems to be written in Ephesus, but was written in the Rome prison. Paul was a long distance away from Ephesus and wanted to strengthen that city's faith and the province around it, because Paul's work had spread so much in the past. This was a farewell address filled with wisdom and carefully written.
So he is saying to that large province, "Do not return to the ways of paganism, as if the Faith no longer mattered and the behavior of the past took over again." Americans know from experience that the improvements of the Christian life can be overwhelmed and demolished by laxity and falling away from the worst conduct and conversations. Can we sing real Christmas carols to grade school students, with their parents watching and singing along? No, but the crudest things are paraded as something new, different, and disgusting.
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
We can guess that much of Christianity was pushed away when areas of the Faith were attacked, imprisoned, and lost. But the Gospel came back, often from persecution and spreading the texts in many languages. Paul knew that they had great forces against them in paganism and yet also in the power of the Word.
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
This is the power of God's Word, which is always at work in us. People may resist and oppose the Scriptures but the revelation of God remains the same. That is no less than the teaching of Jesus the Son of God, which takes away our sins and gives us new life.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
The genuine believer is not based on outward gestures and claims, but honesty and truthfulness. There can be misunderstanding for many different reasons. Dishonesty increases problems. Paul says - "putting away lying." Anyone can say, "Lying and lying back will only increase hardship and bad will." But in contrast, "Saying I am sorry decreases friction and long-lasting ill will."
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Anger is often promoted as getting even, which seldom benefits both sides at the same time. The other person is clearly the major fault, as we think to ourselves or we say out loud. But the Holy Spirit responds through Paul - "and sin not." And an even greater and beneficial answer comes from "let not the sun go down on your wrath." Yes, it is easy to seeth vividly all night, or for weeks, or for years.
Giving neighbors roses and flowers can do a lot to soften attitudes and brighten smiles. One man said about a glass with a flower, "What's that for?" I said, "Mother's Day." He said, "I'm not a mother." I said, "I am pretty certain you had one. This is to honor her," Other responses are very grateful and some are neutral in appearance. We finally had a long, hard rain on the roses yesterday. Today they are the Queen of Sweden and Enchanted Peace.
27 Neither give place to the devil.
We are much more inclined to give place to the devil - another way to avoid the problems coming from our excuses. We may think our response is justified by gettin- even, but justification by gettin-even throws flames on the fire.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Ending of Ephesians 4
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Here are some pictures taken yesterday during my brother's visit. All of my cows have names. 'Puppy Calf' is my prize pure bred South Poll heifer due to calve next April. Here are the names of all my cows. I thought your readers might have fun guessing the name of each cow pictured below. Six of the 10 are pictured.
Our site went down again during the big storm, much like the last one. The newest systems seem to be more fragile.
Our helper came over and fixed the two computers and spruced up the Gmail email set-up at the same time. Several Bethany set up its use and we can have good responses.
The Sunday service will be posted early and kept open so people know it is there. If I wait for all of it to be done, it makes people think it is absent rather than just editing. We have some early watchers!
I went to my annual medical exam with an unusual response. The doctor is one of the best. We enjoyed the previous one, where I noted how he observed my high blood sugar and my lower cholesterol. Yes, I put lots of walnut halves on my vanilla ice cream.
The shock came from him handing me an envelope with three checks in it. Those checks had been left for him after my previous exam - one year before. I give books away. I was sure he would like How Not To Die, by Michael Gregor M.D.. He read it completely - "That is the best medical book anywhere!" Because he was away from the front desk when I left the book, he did not allow anyone to name the three people.
The exam was filled with laughter about the checks and the latest results. I started a sensible diet over three years - from 215 pounds of ice cream and pizza to 160 pounds of leafy greens, spinach especially, all kinds of vegetables, fresh or frozen fruit, nuts and spices.
I did not have all the latest results, but I will soon get the print-out, predictable but enjoyable facts to observe. God's Creation gives us the power to use what He gives us, who would gladly make His handywork our nutrition.
that gave him the strength and stamina to carry his buddies to safety. He became a tunnel rat in Vietnam, a soldier who entered Viet Cong tunnels searching out the enemy and destroying their caches of war material. Baker made the military his career, retiring in 1989. He then began working as a computer analyst at a Veterans Hospital in South Carolina. In addition to serving as the Vice-President of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, he serves as a member on the Nation s Monuments and Cemeteries Committee.
