From Thy Strong Word:
J-520
"It is a faithful saying that Christ has accomplished everything, has removed sin and overcome every enemy, so that through Him we are lords over all things. But the treasure lies yet in one pile; it is not yet distributed nor invested. Consequently, if we are to possess it, the Holy Spirit must come and teach our hearts to believe and say: I, too, am one of those who are to have this treasure. When we feel that God has thus helped us and given the treasure to us, everything goes well, and it cannot be otherwise than that man's heart rejoices in God and lifts itself up, saying: Dear Father, if it is Thy will to show toward me such great love and faithfulness, which I cannot fully fathom, then will I also love Thee with all my heart and be joyful, and cheerfully do what pleases Thee. Thus, the heart does not now look at God with evil eyes, does not imagine He will cast us into hell, as it did before the Holy Spirit came...."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 279. Pentecost Sunday. John 14:23-31.
J-528
"Faith is that my whole heart takes to itself this treasure. It is not my doing, not my presenting or giving, not my work or preparation, but that a heart comforts itself, and is perfectly confident with respect to this, namely, that God makes a present and gift to us, and not we to Him, that He sheds upon us every treasure of grace in Christ."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, IV. #48. Of Justification. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 135. Heiser, p. 36.
J-545
"These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. This faith is a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the Father, and are eternally saved."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #10. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 919. Tappert, p. 541. Heiser, p. 250.
J-590
"For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us. Therefore sanctifying is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive this good, to which we could not attain ourselves."
The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #38, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 689. Tappert, p. 415. Heiser, p. 194.
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - The antidote trusts the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Justification by Faith - The Treasure
Book of Concord
Quoting Ichabod Quoting Luther and Others
Mild Colonial Boy
L P Cruz said:
July 23, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I finally got in to comment on your blog.
I believe Dr. Ichabod has some wise things to say. Those who do not listen to their critics will one day be left alone in their own self delutions.
LPC
Meanwhile, On Bailing Water...
People are posting furiously, but anonymously, on Bailing Water.
Most of the posting about Lutheran doctrine on the Net is either done anonymously, through secret email lists, or on closed blogs.
No one wants to risk the wrath of the apostates, but they should be afraid of our wrath (more significantly, of God's wrath). As I recall, Robert Preus published in his own name. Jack Preus published in his own name. Marquart published in his own name. When WELS had problems with Missouri liberalism, they organized public forums, not secret meetings.
The timidity evident today comes from a lack of faith in God's Word, in His Promises. The timid trust in the mighty synod pension plan, but not in God's power. The timid love their beloved synod, but they scorn God's Word. The timid say they love God's Word, but in Jerusalem they whisper low the name of Lutheran Confessionalism - lest it be heard on the streets of Gath (2 Samuel 1:20; Schmauk).
God does provide. His Word never fails.
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25 KJV.
Defeating the Church Growth Movement
Seminex won, my friends.
The only way the Church Growth Movement will be defeated in the Lutheran Church is by opposing its doctrine. Sure the Lutheran CG leaders are unstable, their methods embarrassing, and their sneaker services tacky. But complaining about them is not going to accomplish anything more than it has - which is nothing so far. Thirty years of ineffective grousing should convince us that another route is better.
Here are the basic doctrinal errors of the Church Growth Movement:
1. They deny the efficacy of the Word, which is a foundational Biblical doctrine, essential to all aspects of the Christian faith.
2. They believe they can enlarge the Church by adulterating the Word. In fact, they advocate adulterating the Word.
3. Their favorite word - method - is used once in the New Testament, negatively. Pastors should get out their Greek lexica--or ponies--and look up method in the Greek NT. Hint - it is spelled the same way in Greek, only with Greek letters.
4. They confuse the visible church with the true, invisible Church.
5. Most are closet Universalists, which is fine with Lutheran UOJ fanatics, who are also Universalists. As the WELS CG campaign said, "I am saved, just like you."
6. They do not comprehend Law and Gospel, often confusing the two. They turn Moses into the Savior and the Savior into Moses, to quote Luther.
7. They speak about the Holy Spirit all the time, but they deny the exclusive work of the Holy Spirit through the invisible Word of teaching and preaching, the visible Word of the Sacrament. (This is directly related to the efficacy of the Word.)
8. They follow Calvin and Zwingli in mocking the Sacraments.
9. They claim the Word of God is dead without man's help.
10. Since worship reflects doctrine, they destroy worship in the name of recruiting people.
11. They despise the Confessions, especially the Lutheran Confessions, but also their own confessions, a half-way step on the road to Unitarianism.
12. They are ecumenical to a fault, as long as their fellowship includes only those people who agree with their Church Growth principles. Those who critique their nonsense are excommunicated with prejudice.
***
If nothing is done about this among the Lutherans, there will be no Lutheran doctrine taught in 20 more years, perhaps 10. The names will still be there. The Kool Aid drinkers will be getting in line, taking a number, talking about their "beloved synod." But Lutheran doctrine will be as scarce as a Triglotta at St. Mark's, De Pere.
The upcoming doctrinal study by WELS has already given an ominous hint of things to come. The sect is going to study the Means of Grace, but the official announcement was openly scornful about those who trusted in the Word alone, slandering faithful pastors with the implication that they did not work as hard as their CG counterparts.
I read the announcement as, "The fix is on," but Wayne Mueller took a call soon after. The offical wording definitely had his spirit. Now there is some hope, if some pastors can grow a spine. The District Popes will not help.
Kool-Aid Drinkers All
I was going to write a post about Kool-Aid drinkers when the following posts appeared on LutherQuest (sic):
Dianne Dexter (Searching)
Member
Username: Searching
Post Number: 158
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 2:25 pm:
-------------------------------
Jonathan,
Isn't that what the CLC (Church of the Lutheran Confession) did? The ones that formed the CLC had the will...and they organized out of the 3 above-mentioned synods. Politics and power are absent in the CLC...except the power of the Word of God.
(Just my thoughts when I read your last sentence.)
^^^^
Rev. Stephen Kurtzahn (Hville79)
New member
Username: Hville79
Post Number: 13
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 3:44 pm:
----------------------------------
Dianne:
I'm a rather new poster on LutherQuest. I am a pastor who colloquized into the WELS in 2002 from the CLC, the Church of the Lutheran Confession. I was in the CLC for 27 years (after being raised mostly in the WELS and attending WELS synodical schools) and a pastor in the CLC for 23. I served on several boards and committees, including the Board of Doctrine. I also served as Conference Visitor (like a circuit pastor in the WELS but for a larger geographic area). I can tell you from personal experience and observation that politics and power are just as present in the CLC as it may be in the WELS, the ELS or the LC-MS. That's because these are all human organizations made up of sinful human beings.
Yes, as a WELS pastor I would have a problem with one of my members participating in the Lord's Supper at a non-WELS, non-ELS church.
Jonathan:
The basic premise is not flawed. Scripture teaches there should be complete unity in the teachings and practices of Scripture for there to be any expression of fellowship. 1 Cor. 1:10 comes to mind as just one of many passages. The WELS has defined this as the Unit Concept of Fellowship. In our imperfect world, the best way to express this unity and oneness is through our church and synod membership. To say "There is a stream of unity in doctrine and practice between the three synods that is ignored and marginalized in the name of politics and power" is simply an unwise statement to make. If there are people in the LCMS or the CLC that believe all the same things I do, that would be wonderful. Our unity is found in the Holy Christian Church! But as long as such people subscribe their names to a denomination that clearly teaches false doctrine or officially is legalistic, then I dare not give the impression there is unity when there is not. To express unity in such situations would be to trivialize error, whether the error be in a doctrinal formulation or in a legalistic practice or in an un-evangelical emphasis. I don't think any confessional Lutheran would want to trivialize error.
^^^^
Jonathan Townsend (Jtownsend)
Intermediate Member
Username: Jtownsend
Post Number: 299
Registered: 1-2005
Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 6:10 pm:
----------------------------------------------------
Pastor Kurtzahn:
Three years ago I moved. I left the most confessional LCMS Lutheran congregation I was ever a member of, Emmanuel Dearborn, for an equally confessional WELS congregation St. Peter's in Plymouth. There are two basic differences: I have a different pastor, and the synod is different. In doctrine and practice both are unabashedly UAC Lutheran. There is no trivialization here. There is either UAC Lutheran or not. That should be the standard for fellowship.
I think Luther and Chemnitz would be ashamed of us for the current division.
------------------------------------------------------
Feld Unbekannt
^^^^
Rev. Stephen Kurtzahn (Hville79)
New member
Username: Hville79
Post Number: 14
Registered: 6-2008
Posted on Saturday, August 02, 2008 - 7:29 pm:
--------------------------------------------------
Jonathan:
Not only wold (sic) Luther and Chemnitz be ashamed, but I know the Lord himself would be ashamed of us for many things. Praise God we are covered in Christ's righteousness!
That being said, if Emmanuel, Dearborn is unabashedly UAC Lutheran, why does it stay in a synod that has officially strayed from the Word in so many different areas in both its doctrine as well as its practice?
***
GJ - Wait until the cyber-minders of WELS find out Kurtzahn is posting on LQ (sic). I am sure that is a breech of fellowship. Too bad the LQ (sic) site does not have a spell checker or a doctrine checker. If those tools were installed, there would be precious few posts.
Recently Jack Cascione (former ELS colloquy reject) stated that the Gospel required the Voters' Assembly to be effective. Even the normally docile Rolf Preus opined that Jack needed a longer vacation. Coming from Preus, a man who thinks everyone in the world is already forgiven, without faith or the Means of Grace, that is pretty severe. Will Jack join the Rolf Synod? Will Rolf join the Cascione Synod?
Dianne Dexter, having finished a quart of CLC (sic) Kool Aid, is certain she has found a synod without politics, without a zephyr of false doctrine. Their missionary-force-of-one, David Koenig, praises Roman and Reformed doctrine while denouncing Lutheran doctrine. His buddy, Paul Tiefel, joins him in this farce. That nano-sect is consistently opposed to the Confessions, but they claim otherwise.
This is really funny--> When I claimed Valleskey went to Fuller, Koenig contacted Valleskey to see if it was true. Valleskey confessed, and did not deny, but confessed that he did go to Fuller. (Remember that Valleskey called me a liar six ways from Sunday for saying he did go there.) Next Koenig wrote me that Valleskey was angry with him for telling me the truth, which I publicized for the good of Valleskey's soul. So Koenig was angry with me for telling the truth and naming him as the source. Poor David was also in close contact with Larry Olson (DMin, Fuller). The Church Growth fellowship is far more true and loyal and united than any synodical ties. Meanwhile, buddy Paul Tiefel was working with his first cousin James Tiefel.
All these sects are really Pietistic movements with some hints of Lutheranism in them. That is why some of the apostate ministers end up as honest Baptists or Pentecostals, others as honest Romanists or EO priests.
The trouble is, the Lutheran sects in America no longer have any doctrinal leadership. They have Kool Aid drinkers who constantly apologize for all their doctrinal errors or silence everyone with "I am fat and dumb," (to quote a WELS circuit pastor.)
I post Episcopal news because they have leaders who are visibly and audibly fighting error in their own denomination. I have no interest in promoting their latitudinarianism. Lutherans today do not have enough fight to knock the skin off a pudding.
PS - Rev. Jim Jones was a Marxist bi-sexual minister of the Disciples of Christ, the same denomination as Donald McGavran. The Disciples had a discipline committee (ironic name) that did nothing about the well known abuses of Jones, long before the tragic massacre.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Typical Apostate Behavior - Anglican Style
LAMBETH: Bishops Tackle Homosexuality in Bid to Avert Schism
News Analysis
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
8/1/2008
Bishops of the Anglican Communion threw in the towel today finally admitting that they could not "avoid homosexual/lesbian relations" in their Indaba groups, and that there was no way forward on such a communion-breaking issue. They hoped against hope that their inability to find answers would not split the Anglican Communion.
Bishops here are pinning their hopes on a Covenant that protracted talks could take years to agree upon, and that may keep the communion glued together.
GAFCON leaders, already chaffing at the bit over the intransigence of homosexual acceptance in The Episcopal Church, will get no joy or relief from the indecision by these Lambeth bishops. Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone held out little hope that the Communion will now hold together. He foresees an eventual split.
Some Episcopal Church bishops today apologized to members of their Indaba groups saying they had no idea that their action in consecrating the homosexual Bishop of New Hampshire had caused such a negative impact in many parts of the communion, despite the fact that the consecration of Gene Robinson occurred more than five years ago.
It is disingenuous for liberal and revisionist bishops to suddenly say they did not know the harm they had caused by consecrating Robinson. The Internet weekly explodes with reports of the behavior of American liberal and revisionist bishops who have blessed same-sex unions, hired openly partnered same-sex priests, inhibited and deposed orthodox priests and much more.
The bishops said that while there is a desire to end the spiral of chaos around this issue, "there appears to be no desire to be so decisive at this stage." The bishops are looking for a "no win, no lose" scenario to hold the communion together. The bishops said there was a need to "develop further trust" if the Anglican Communion was going to survive.
That now appears unlikely.
The bishops said it was important not to make "judgments" because both sides have done careful Bible study. They said both sides need to repent of positions that have "damaged the dignity of homosexual/lesbian people" but did not call upon pansexualists to repent of their behavior.
They acknowledged that in some parts of the communion homosexual/lesbian relations are "taboo" in others it is a "justice" issue. The bishops cannot agree whether it is a first or second order issue.
The bishops also admitted that this is not a "single act", but is something that will happen again. They also admitted that any unilateral action by any province without consulting the Communion would "profoundly disrupt the church."
The bishops said the impact on the Anglican Communion has resulted in "lost and damaged partnerships", and that in some places the church is ridiculed as the "gay church" resulting in lost membership. In other places, it is seen as a betrayal of the teaching of missionaries who brought the faith and is viewed as a "new form of colonization".
The bishops further admitted that the whole issue of homosexuality diverts attention from the communion's "primary focus", lead to "sexual license", affected "ecumenical and interfaith relationships" and bishops cannot be a symbol of unity when the consecration of Robinson divided the church. "The unique focus of catholicity in the Communion is lost," they said. "In some regions the issue has become a test of orthodoxy and a basis for hostile actions."
Reviewing their options, the bishops said they "keep walking, keep talking", and let God be God and allow Him to transform the attitude and behavior of people, exercise more "listening", "patience", "reaffirm Lambeth 1:10 resolution" and accept that it was a mistake to ignore it, and, above all, cease cross provincial and diocesan borders to "create space for creative responses."
There can be little doubt that the Lambeth Conference is now fully polarized and could split into multiple networks. GAFCON bishops are committed to the Anglican Communion, but not in its present form or necessarily with Rowan Williams as its head. Archbishop Henry Orombi made that very clear in a recent letter from Uganda. Loyalty to Holy Scripture does not mean continued loyalty to the Queen as the Governor of the Church of England or to Rowan as the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Global South is committed to Holy Scripture as its primary authority. They have rejected the Instruments of Unity and might well enthrone Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola as the titular head of a new reinvigorated Anglican Communion with the Great Commission as its primary mission thrust and the 1662 Prayer Book as its primary book for worship.
GAFCON currently represents 75% of the Anglican Communion (40 out of 55 million church-going Anglicans) and after this week that figure could rise significantly. Moderate or "open" evangelicals like Fulcrum, Global South Associates, Anglican Communion Institute and bishops like Tom Wright, (Durham) John W. Howe (Central Florida) will be forced to make a decision. Fence sitting is finished. The 2009 Episcopal General Convention will be a triumph of pansexual behavior in The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church is incapable of reversing itself.
It is clear that the Lambeth Conference, one of the four Instruments of Unity, is in total disarray. Many of the bishops believe it is breaking up. A number believe it will be the last Lambeth. They may well be right.
Two ELS Pastors Leave the Little Sect on the Prairie
The Pope Speaks:
Rev. Karl Kuenzel is no longer on the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Karl has colloquized into the LCMS.
Rev. Michael Langlais is no longer on the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Michael has colloquized into the ELCA.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Team Yakov
We designed Team Yakov t-shirts for everyone when we went to see Yakov Smirnoff in Branson, Missouri. Mrs. Ichabod executed the plan. Once all the spelling was correct, we took the shirts on our trip.
Yakov thought we just wanted him to sign our shirts. He does that often. We said, "We came to give you your own and one for your mother." She was watching his show and working the gift shop, as she always does.
Yakov was startled and moved. He said, "In 15 years no one has ever given me a t-shirt. I am always signing them."
He signed ours while we talked about his show. I watched him gather his two shirts up when he left for the second half of the show. Afterwards he signed a book for one of the grandchildren.
The shirts feature a picture of the Statue of Liberty, the climax of his show.
No Jokes or Salacious Stories on Ichabod
The old Synodical Conference is funny enough and salacious enough on its own, so no outside jokes or stories are needed.
Church Growth Commentary
Lutheran Notes:
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Church Growth Model Married to WELS union lethal for congregations
Another pastor who doesn't do anything because he follows the CG model even though he only has 45 members to task: see this post that Ichabod's Dr. Jackson already linked to, and this comment on that post, and this comment on another post.
The CG model creates the "too many chiefs and too few Indians scenario" in many WELS churches, which tend to be on the smallish side.
The WELS is a union--make no mistake about it--so when you marry a CG "Pastor as CEO" model to the WELS union, the pastors end up doing no evangelism--big time! The members refuse to do it all, and he refuses to implement any program at all unless the members commit to more than they are willing to do. So nothing gets done evangelism-wise.
Perhaps some independent churches can be successful with the CG model--despite it being bad theology--because their pastor is not a part of a union, and can more readily be forced to do evangelism and visitation whether the congregation does enough to meet the pastors expectations, or not.
When pastors do no evangelism because they can't implement the CG model, they sit around and blame the mega-community churches for stealing all their members and potential members, causing the church to shrink so it has to be merged with other shrinking WELS churches.
I'm not for CG, but I'm (at least) for doing what pastors and elders did in the past, which is visiting people and teaching them, encouraging them to come to church,
and maybe even leading neighborhood canvassing efforts where people are invited to church--like was done in the old days--since shoe gum and tracts were affordable even during the Depression-era.
related post:
By Rob, 1 July 2008
WELS is run by the pastors & teachers union. Most delegates to national and district conventions are members of the union. In my experience, even some lay delegates are former or retired teachers, therefore members of the union. (BTW, Synod Constitution prohibits this practice, yet it's done.) The COP is 100% union. The SC contains non-union members, and maybe this contributes to occasional friction between SC and COP. In our culture, unions expect two pay increases per year: longevity (step) increase, plus inflation cost of living adjustment. Under union rules, pay never goes down.
---
Bailing Water Commentary
twissted_sisster said...
Better get used to it. If the church and change gang have their way, our good old historical lutheran way of conducting worship services is a thing of the past. We traditional people are just not 'with it'. C'mon- you don't want to be one of those 'head-in-the-sand people', do ya?
Until people stand up and demand that these pastors do THEIR jobs, they'll continue to guilt you into doing it for them. Not everyone IS a minister. It's a gift that has been given to some. What about these pastors going out to visit the members that ARE on the books before you go knock on doors in an attempt to run up your numbers? C'mon laity, hold their feet to the fire. Many of the these pastors are getting paid a pretty penny to do their jobs and turn around and try to get you to do it for them.
July 31, 2008 12:11 AM
rlschultz said...
I am getting that funny feeling in the pit of my stomach that many of these pastors and lay leaders are attending the same CG seminars. We have a ministry plan at our WELS congregation as well. Our pastors don't talk about it directly too often. The plan seems to manifest itself in all of the new and allegedly great ideas to bring in more people and save more souls. Maybe you are fortunate that your ministry plan is all talk right now. The devil is in the details. When the plan is actually implemented, watch what they do more than what they say. You just might get the pastor parading around like a TV evangelist and lay lectors doing the readings.
July 31, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
In my experience, church growth methodology is almost always pushed by the laity, not the pastors. Most pastors fight it all the way, but get overruled by a council or by the voters.
It's always faster and easier for a pastor to do all of the work by himself. When you have to start to training and supervising people, that's when the huge investment of time comes into play.
So before people start blaming pastors for everything wrong in a congregation or synod, the members of that congregation or synod ought to look seriously at themselves first.
July 31, 2008 8:06 AM
***
Ten Basic Facts about Church Growth
GJ - Anonymous may have experienced laity pushing CG, but the CGM is the first fad ever forced from above on all the congregations by the leadership. Here are some facts:
1. Almost all the world mission executives (of all denominations) went to Fuller for CG training. That is why the Mission Vision Statement by the Assemblies of God is just like WELS' and Missouri's.
2. Fuller expanded their business model by applying their marketing and statistical ideas to American missions. They roped all those executives in as well.
3. ELCA, Missouri, WELS, and the ELS sent men to Fuller (later to Willow Creek too) and various other CG franchises.
4. The pan-Lutheran CG effort was enhanced by AAL-LB, now Thrivent money.
5. Because of executives being training at Fuller, any Lutheran pastor with a Fuller degree (Larry Olson, DMin, Fuller) was given preferential treatment, even though "all WELS pastors know Larry is a false teacher." Ergo, he is harmless?
6. Kent Hunter and Waldo Werning, both Fuller trained, have worked in all the synods to promote their false doctrine. Werning does his best to drive CG critics out of the ministry. Hunter has become a major pan-denominational CG guru, in spite of his ridiculous books. Hunter and Werning are both LCMS, both Who's Who in Church Growth.
7. Both LCMS seminaries teach CG as part of their curriculum. Robert Preus started the CG program and endorsed CG principles when he was president of Concordia, Ft. Wayne.
8. David Valleskey and Frosty Bivens built their careers by promoting CG, ending up as professors at the Sausage Factory. Both bragged about going to Fuller. Both denied going to Fuller. Every sausage is sauteed in CG before graduating.
9. WELS, probably led by Wayne Mueller, established Church and Change to push CG even more, to the extreme point of registering people for the C and C conference from the official WELS website. This registration was going on while WELS pastors were being told that C and C was utterly destroyed by Gurgel (Honest Abe Gurgel, now in a secure, undisclosed location). Adam Mueller (son of Wayne) is a leader in C and C.
10. American mission leaders in all the synods, from the lavender ELCA to the dysfunctional CLC (sic) are united by CG doctrine.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
WELS Worship a Joke
From Bailing Water:
I have been sitting back reading the comments about everyone's a minister. I just thought I would share another recent visit to a WELS worship service. This service actually used hymns from CW and followed parts of the liturgy. What is interesting is that the only part the pastor partook in was the sermon and communion. Meanwhile, the staff (or is it staph) minister led the service and lay men did the Bible readings. Maybe the sermon is all the young minister can handle since he was parading around the altar and up and down the aisles during the 35 minute sermon. This is a church of about 400-500 members. I just found it odd that the called pastor did not lead the service.
My Harvard and Yale College
Herman Melville said the ship was his Harvard and Yale College. Mine was Columbus, Ohio, where the cancer of Church Growth was funded and promoted by WELS.
District VP Paul Kuske set up a way to let Floyd Luther Stolzenburg pretend he was a WELS pastor, even though Floyd was recently forced out of the LCMS ministry--for cause--and divorced by his wife. Kuske tried to set him up as the resident Church Growth expert, but the board refused Floyd for being so obnoxious. More money was thrown on the table, and Roger Zehms, another divorced pastor, was imported from St. Louis, to give Lutheran Parish Resources two experts in CG.
Even though Floyd was scornful of WELS and never joined WELS, VP Paul Kuske and DP Robert Mueller were eager to treat him as a WELS pastor and make it official. The Columbus pastors sat around Floyd like puppies and listened to all his attacks on the Gospel, joining in where they could. Money made them wag their tails, sit up and beg.
That was how I learned so much about the Book of Concord. I read it before, studied it from time to time. Hardly any pastors would say anything about CG. If they did, they backed down. Like the war elephants of ancient times, they were more dangerous in retreating than they were in attacking. So I turned to Luther, Chemnitz, and the Book of Concord. Everything about the CGM was there.
I quoted Luther, the Book of Concord, Walther, Pieper, Lenski - and the WELS leaders were furious. They constantly meddled with the parish, joined by the Columbus pastors and the divorced CG experts. The CG critics trembled in their warrens, afraid someone might find out they had Lutheran tendencies.
The District Mission Board was robotic-Church Growth - Adrian and Oelhaven.
So how did all this work out for Columbus?
1. VP Kuske endorsed Floyd as the pastor Emanuel Lutheran, Columbus, but Kuske denied it, of course. Floyd is still operating there.
2. Zehms suddenly left Columbus for LFL, then left there for Texas. His first wife can sing, "All my exes live in Texas."
3. M. Schroeder was kicked out of WELS, so his congregation went with him. WELS still takes money from him. Can you see the tails wagging? Look up Salem Foundation at the Sausage Factory.
4. Schroeder's assistant pastor left WELS for Missouri and left Missouri for the Baptists.
5. Roger Kovaciny headed to the Ukraine with David Jay Webber. Kovo resigned from the ELS ministerium. Webber came back from the Ukraine to work in Scottsdale.
6. Schuman, who was Floyd's CG buddy, was forced to resign from St. Paul's. He became a Thrivent salesman but is not listed with them now.
7. Fred Adrian, DMB chair, was furious (like Oelhaven and Kovo) that I dared to criticize CG in my conference paper. Adrian supervised Vicar Zerbe, who went to the state hoosegow for having an affair with a minor girl. Fred later resigned from the ministry. He never did his DMB work. I heard he was too busy...
8. Pilgrim Community Church, started by Zehms, Floyd, and Kuske, folded. They did not want any WELS visitors or transfers to their little CG experiment. In that regard they were successful beyond their wildest dreams.
9. Likewise, the Brazilian video tape ministry fiasco ended with Richard Starr coming home with a lot less fanfare than when he left.
By the way, when I say that WELS leaders were angry about my criticisms of CG, I mean incoherent with rage. Oelhaven, Adrian, and Kovo went bonkers in front of the conference. Later, I saw Paul Iiefel (CLC sic) uncorked the same way. Readers need to know how invested the ELS-WELS-LCMS clergy are in false doctrine.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wolves Are Howling
The wolves line up to howl when one of their cohorts is exposed for being a high profile apostate. Anyone who has read the history of Seminex will find the same type of drama queens screeching that one of their own has been offended. And they want reparations, too.
I have noticed that almost nothing happens until people read about it on Ichabod or Bailing Water.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Wolves Are Howling":
that's because they don't print this kind of stuff in the Foward in Christ. Ichabod and BW are the best sources for keeping up with the WELS shenanigans.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Wolves Are Howling":
How do you know no one objected? Did you see the letters that were sent to WLC about it? This only proves to me you're a yellow journalist and always have been.
***
GJ - Someone who engages in anonymous name-calling should not bring up the color yellow. The term might reflect on the character of the WELS-ELS reject.
I remember when Archbishop Weakland was the featured speaker at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Someone gave me the handout bragging about his talk. Some of his priests also spoke in that series. WLC immediately began deceiving people about the event. They tried to make it a private lunch for only a few people, as if that mattered.
Much more was said in WELS about Martin Marty, who is at least a Lutheran. A district went on record to object to the Marty lecture, but WLC thumbed its nose at the district. Or, as one pastor said, "They just gave us the finger."
Several things were wrong with the Weakland and fellow priest series:
1. The Church of Rome has nothing to contribute to Lutheran education, and that includes Bethany Lutheran College, another school that genuflected to Rome.
2. Weakland was so bad as a church leader that he was forced out of office, whether for his immorality, his coverup attempts, or his misuse of church funds to pay off his boyfriend.
3. Weakland defended pedophile priests by saying children were looking for sex.
Every time the spineless WELS/ELS pastors let the apostates get away with this stuff, the leaders are encouraged to try even more.
Anonymous.2 - Do you remember the Book of Concord from last Sunday's adult class? Luther said we should chase non-studious pastors out of town and pelt them with dog manure. Those comments are the confession of all orthodox Lutherans because they are entombed in the Book of Concord, Large Catechism. I say entombed because the lazy pastors no longer teach the Confessions or read them.
If we should pelt lazy Lutheran pastors with dog manure while chasing them out of town, what should we do with apostates who invite disciples of the Antichrist to teach, lecture, and march in a religious procession (Bethany Seminary Faculty)?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Ipsissima Verba - Rev. Tim
Thanks to Bruce Church (a real minister) we have the actual website from Rev. Tim:
Rev. Tim and Rev. Karen
What a relief, to find that Rev. Tim is Lutheran back to Luther. Who else is qualified to make fun of Luther's doctrine? Only a certified Holy Mother WELS Pietist is qualified to heap scorn on Luther's doctrine.
How ironic, to be at Victory of the Lamb, when the wolves are winning.
Rev Tim Cries Foul
Rev. Tim complained about his marriage ministry being misconstrued. He provided the link to his WELS article, which included the link to the website.
The Church Growth wolves cry "Foul!" whenever they can, helping them avoid the main issue.
A software guy from NML is not a minister.
I did a satire about the Wa-wa-tosites inventing or copying all kinds of false doctrine - in the name of the Gospel creates its own forms. I posed our Shetland Sheepdog as a newly ordained minister to dogs, with her own feminist-canine Dogmatics book. She enjoyed the attention.
Marriage Ministry
Rev. Tim has been dominating Bailing Water with his unintended exposure of Church Growth false doctrine. Yes, let him blab. The more he writes, the more people will know about the crafts and assaults of Fuller/Willow Creek.
I call him Rev. Tim because he claims to be running a "marriage ministry" with his wife. He referred to an article he wrote when they were members of St. Paul, Muskego.
The alleged marriage ministry is a website designed to make money from marriage or the hopes of getting married.
InsuranceCredit CardsEducation OnlineHotel ReservationDating OnlineDebt Consolidation
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Vacation Deals – Great vacation deals online
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The site reminded me of Rev. Mark Freier, who is also cashing in on marriage, co-pastoring with his wife.
I have contended before that Church Growth leads to complete apostasy. What greater proof does one need? Rev. Tim will sell anything (except his own company's insurance) in the name of marriage and call it a "ministry." Rev. Mark will marry anyone of any faith or no faith.
Both ministries represent where WELS is heading.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sorry - No New Service
I am sorry. I tried to get a new service recorded but I did not have enought time to do so before our trip. We will have our next live Sunday service (and adult study) on August 3rd.
Recorded files are at the link for Bethany Lutheran Worship.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Self-Perpetuating Synod Worship
L P Cruz has left a new comment on your post "Not Dead Orthodoxy, but Synod-Worship To Blame":
Pr. GJ.
Thank you and spot on for saying the most obvious which no one in Lutheran blog is saying..
Unfortunately, Walther instigated the biggest problem of all - worship of the synod
Absolutely correct, I come to this observation too by reading some blogs and how they quote their dead teachers - my point is that they do not argue or quote by what Scripture says or by what the BOC witnesses, instead they argue/quote by what Walther said.
They have no more capacity to be self-critical. That is when fanaticism I am afraid comes in.
LPC
***
GJ - Each Lutheran sect perpetuates its own worship. Walther began it. He gloried in the success of the Missouri Synod, which another group began. The Loehe missionaries were written out of LCMS history.
Amercan sect self-adoration must seem odd to Lutherans in other countries. As Jack Preus observed in his Chemnitz biography, European countries accept the Book of Concord while American Lutherans have an issue with the Lutheran Confessions. So each sect is the judge of its own worthiness.
There are certain unspoken rules about discussions in each sect. The main one is the defense of Holy Mother Sect. Holy Mother is spotless, incapable of error, always moving forward in a glorious way, even when gross errors and criminal activity take place. Roman Catholics call it the indefectibility of the Church. Lutherans call it synod history.
QED - the message is always a comparison between sects. "What does your synod teach?" It might be better to say, "What does your sect teach today?" The supposedly non-fellowshiping Missouri, Little Norwegian, and Shrinking Wisconsin sects are jubilantly working with ELCA at all levels, from the congregation (via Thrivent) to the national (via Thrivent). True, national is a silly term when dealing with 1-4 state sects.
Changing the rules of discussion will always create cries of pain. The apostate leaders do not want to discuss the ruling norm of Scripture. They are allergic to and ignorant of the ruled norm of the Confessions. Simply raising those issues is an act of theological suicide.
Knowing they must press themselves close to the bosom of Holy Mother Sect, many clergy are establishing little conventicles where they can obsess over insignifant matters. Watch these turn into fractures and little groups sinuflecting to Rome.
The power of Rome's evil is chiefly derived from its attraction to so many different types.
Some of you are saying, "Now, wait. How can these little lobbyists for this and that turn to Rome when they are obsessing about matters Lutherans and dead leaders known only to Lutherans having the same DNA strands?"
Aha. The answer is simple. Their devotion has been turned to a veneration of Holy Mother Sect. All they need is a Richard J. Neuhaus figure to say, "We love our dear Mother Church too, but the real Church behind these little groups is Infernal Rome, I mean, Eternal Rome. Return to your True Mother." And they will go to Rome because they started the final stage of the great Apostasy when they made the synod their idol.
Here is another LCMS pastor who went to Rome.
Richard J. Neuhaus was invited to give this Come Back to Rome talk at Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne (aka The Fort) where about half the clergy in the room nodded in agreement. There was no uproar. People still defend The Fort as a great place for Lutheran studies.
A Good Reason To Blog
The quotations are getting around. Here they are posted in The Boy's Own Journal.
Monday, July 21, 2008
News from the Church of England's Big Love (Not) Fest
Your bad."
Virtue Online:
Bishops and their spouses (we don't call them wives) are unable to sleep together. The rooms are too small at the University of Kent, so it is separate bedrooms for the next 20 days. This might be the longest running story about enforced celibacy in modern ecclesiastical history. Who knows, it might be just enough pressure to help them come to a decision about sodomy.
*****
Officials of the Lambeth Conference recently disclosed that 230 of the 880 bishops in the worldwide Communion were staying away from the Lambeth Conference. The entire Anglican provinces of Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria and at least four bishops from the Church of England are boycotting the event. There is a token Kenyan, which the Lambeth conference is trumpeting as a victory for their side. But it's nonsense of course. One bishop out of 34 means only that the Kenyans want a first-hand account of what is happening here, and not the spin from the left. Makes sense to me.
*****
A VOL reader went to Salisbury Cathedral to hear the Primate of TEC, Katharine Jefferts Schori field a forum on the issue of ordaining homosexual bishops. To justify their practicing sodomy, she used the passed-its-sell-by date mantra of "science has shown that homosexuality is as genetic as left handedness and red headedness." And she claims to be a marine biologist! Even Peter Tatchell rejects this pretext.
"The session commenced with Jefferts Schori talking with her usually heavy and seductive drawl, about the word "conversation" and its Latin root (to give gravity to what we were about to listen). She then guided us to the conversations that took place in the Garden of Eden and between Christ and his father at the time of his baptism: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." She then asked us all to close our eyes and meditate on how God "is well pleased with us." Following this getting in touch with our inner selves, she then went round the assembled devotees asking them how they felt. By this time my frustration had become unbearable. I raised my hand and asked permission to ask a question, which seemed momentarily to break the spell.
"Talking of conversations I reminded her of the promises she had made in Dar el Salaam not to confiscate the church properties of those ECUSA congregations who realigned with African bishops and how she had reneged on this promise. For example, in the case of the Falls Church, Virginia (George Washington was on its building committee, decades before the diocese existed) who had made an agreement with their bishop, Peter Lee, in exchange for a substantial sum of money, to realign to the Province of Nigeria, she acting beyond her authority, had overturned this protocol, suing the congregation for trespassing on their own property. Was this the kind of conversation she was going advocate in Britain for those congregations wanting to take refuge with GAFCON?
"She gave a rational explanation as to why those churches and their assets should be repossessed (and I suppose left empty, to be sold as Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets and carpet warehouses). This explanation was warmly received by the assembled grey, silver-haired and bald worshippers and I briefly wondered how the bishops and medieval knights lying in their tombs, just a few feet away, would view Salisbury Cathedral being turned into a Mosque?
"There was one other person, a clergyman who challenged her on her assertion that there are many routes to God, in spite of clearly biblical passages to the contrary. Again, we had the extraordinary flim flam, with references to the Christ like Dalai Lama and again with the enthusiastic applause from the damned."
Claims to a Pedigree Most Have Never Noticed
rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Amusing, Snide Comments from a Constant Reader":
Those in the WELS who have a pedigree chart or are WELS-connected often get worked up into a dander when one criticizes holy mother synod. One of my former co-workers was of this ilk. He often spoke of his long rap sheet as if it were something to be proud of -
"I know Huebner", "I know Kruschel", "I know Jeske the elder", "my daughter belongs to Jeske the lesser's congregation", "three of my daughters are married to pastors".
He always reminded me that his wife was a teacher and that got him in to the WELS inner circle where he ran with the big dogs. On the flip side, he would complain about the foreign missionaries who "went over to the dark side" and became pentecostal. He bragged about his connections, but he could never make the right connection. Unable to look past the end of his nose, he just couldn't figure out that the WELS pastors who had defected were just taking their training from the sausage factory to its logical conclusion.
I have witnessed what happens to laity who swallow the Church Growth bird, feathers and all. The first thing that they start doing is grumbling about empty pews, lack of zeal among members, and of course, not having enough money in the coffers. Then, they look to Geneva or the pentecostal circus tent down the road and begin to make comparisons. Their solution is some sort of law motivation to raise the level of involvement. Without knowing it, they diminish the importance of sound doctrine and trust only what they see at the end of their nose.
Various Comments
LCMS Pastor:I bought your book Thy Strong Word, and found some of your internet stuff.
In short, thanks and keep it up. I'm the pastor at St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church in __________. LCMS. Your part-time student and Ichabod lurker.
A Laywoman, about the Book of Concord series, Internet broadcast:
Excellent Lutheran church history lesson!
From A. Nony Mouse:
If this isn't proof you're off your rocker, I don't know what is! Keep it up, Greg. I know several who like to view your blog to get their daily laughs!(GJ - I wonder if those several belong to the same Twelve-step Program.)
76 Paul Kelms
(apologies to Meredith Wilson and his classic 76 Trombones)
Seventy-six Paul Kelms led the big parade,
With a hundred and ten Parlows close at hand,
They were followed by rows and rows of the Fuller gloriosos,
The stars of every Luthrun band.
Seventy-six Pietists signed at Willow Creek,
With a hundred and ten Wernings right behind,
There were more than a thousand cells springing up like Hell,
There were horns of every demon kind.
There were silver-plated false prophets in limousines,
Making goals, marketing, all along the way,
Doubled-chinned, fat phonies, in their leisure suits,
Leisure suits woven in neutral gray.
There were fifty mounted leaders in WELS Church and Change,
Feminists, womenists, louder than before.
Martinets of every size and capons who'd improvise
A full octave higher than the score.
Seventy six Ron Roths hit the counter point,
While a hundred and ten Olsons played the air,
To the rhythm of 'Sell this plan!'
All the sheep began to lamb
And they're still reproducing right today.
Not Dead Orthodoxy, but Synod-Worship To Blame
The critics of Luther's doctrine, like the Minister of Audio-Video at Victory of the Lamb, like to blame dead orthodoxy.
C. F. W. Walther preferred the term orthodoxism, since orthodoxy is not dead.
Unfortunately, Walther instigated the biggest problem of all - worship of the synod. The Missouri Synod has been in love with itself from the beginning, and that has spawned a number of weak sisters (ELS, WELS, and the nano-sects) who also adore their own institutions and their recently dead teachers. Some are not even dead yet but are revered nevertheless as Equal to the Apostles (Constantine's favorite term for himself).
As Westcoast, a WELS pastor, said, "We went too far with this UOJ business. Now we are too proud to admit it."
The Lutheran Infallibility doctrine holds that no dead professor can be wrong about anything. He is infallible ex cathedra, or perhaps ex crypta. The professors with a smattering of Latin can die happily, saying with the Roman emperor, "Puto ut deus fio. (I think I am becoming a god.)" The greater the error, the more it is honored.
That does not mean the synod escapes criticism. No, not at all. The expert graduates of Fuller Seminary are allowed to criticize the synod whenever it is right, Luther whenever he is right, all past teachers whenever they are right. But woe, thrice-woe on anyone who points out the obvious - that the Lutheran sects have embraced the Spirit of This Age and rejected the Means of Grace.
Amusing, Snide Comments from a Constant Reader
Fresh from his refresher course at Hazelton, one reader has sent a series of anonymous messages, some unprintable, trying to deal with his inner rage and loss of self-esteem.
I would be more inclined to publish his monologues, which may be therapeutic for him, but the lack of a name inhibits me. I have so many signed rants to copy and paste into Ichabod. Why bother with someone so mousy, so chicken, that he cannot add his name to his fulminations?
One characteristic of Reformed Pietists--especially the nominal Lutherans--is the need to claim good works and question the good works of others. For instance, the chattering NML agent quoted below brags he is descended from a synodical treasurer. An electric thrill ran up and down my leg and I considered his true-blue Welsian blood. Unfortunately, most Lutherans do not know what the Wisconsin sect is.
Many who do know the Wisconsin sect are unimpressed. David Jay Webber, who may be known to the anonymous source, called WELS - "Our Weak Evangelical Lutheran Sibling" and taught his son to chant about breaking fellowship with WELS. Such are the precious bonds of fellowship between WELS and the Little Sect on the Prairie.
The Church Growth fanatics, whether sober or juiced up, want all their victims to list a series of evangelism good works. Since the CG drones have no trust in the Gospel, they conduct audits on everyone else. They are not concerned that they have turned Moses into the Savior. The CG Enthusiasts prattle on and make people feel guilty about what they have not done.
They are like Catholic priests: "Have you done enough to deserve salvation? No, you have not! Purgatory is a blessing for the likes of you."
They are like Pietistic preachers: "Look at what God has done for you. What have you done for Him? Nothing! Grovel, you swine."
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Church Growth Apostates Scorn the Means of Grace
I think it is ironic that in these blogs and such it would appear that the WELS is just repleat (sic) with all this liberalism in CG and all you need to do is talk to someone who is involved in it whole heartedly (sic) and I can tell you. The WELS is 99% full of nothing but crusty old traditionalist boogers who sit on their hands, can't handle change, and won't evangelize...like the many here who only believe in the Holy Confessions that were verbally inspired by Martin Luther...the true Lutheran god.
Tim Niedfeldt, Northwestern Mutual Life
Victory of the Lamb Lutheran Church (WELS)
Web/AV ministry
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Prescription Price Shocker at Sam's Club
I went to the doctor's for a routine exam. The physician's assistant suggested I try Sam's Club for the prescription. I have no group insurance and individual coverage went beyond the stratosphere some years ago.
I said, "I tried Wal-Mart already. They are no better than Walgreen's."
She said, "My $100 prescription is $20 there. Try them."
So I did.
Norvasc is about $90 a month, name brand.
The generic is $50 a month at Walgreen's and Wal-Mart.
The generic is $5 (five bucks, yes 90% cheaper) at Sam's Club.
My retail advisor says that WM and Sam's are run as separate units, with some happy results at times. So give Sam's a try if prescriptions are beating you down.
For those who qualify for Medicare, the Medicare Advantage program may work out, depending on the carrier. Mrs. Ichabod is saving tons of money and getting great care with Cigna.
Thank You For the Mail -
Church Shrinkage Movement Continues
I appreciate the mail you have been sending. I would be happy if a few people read the blog. Instead, people all over the globe read it. Some people say they read it every day.
Two years ago, I worked at getting more teaching opportunities. Nothing seemed to happen. In 2008, two schools expanded rapidly at once, while I added a new set of classes in a third entity, and enrolled in a journalism program. A scheduler in my education (MA) class said, "We start 400 intro to college classes each Monday, and we put 24 students in each class." At least 4 will drop out of each class, perhaps more. But that still means 8,000 new students each week. I do not teach the starter class but the next one, about critical thinking. I am an expert in dealing with logical fallacies, after being in the Wisconsin sect and the CLC (sic). I am listed as "over-used," which means the manager has to override the scheduler to give me more classes. Many more have the same status because of expansion in adult education.
I am mentioning these universities because I continue to wonder at the future of many Lutheran colleges. They have expensive operations and tiny enrollments. Tuition (or rather, school loans) pay for salaries, so costs are way out of line for tiny schools. Bethany, MLC, and WLC could be combined and still be one small college. They are all within 8 hours of each other, a short distance today.
Money Makes the Sect Go Around, The Sect Go Around...
Speaking of money, the Wisconsin sect seems to be getting more frantic about their loot every day. The Love Shack will have a giant sale on indulgences to pay off the money fraudulently drawn from designated accounts. When a congregation attempts to build it so they will come, the leaders find themselves with cost overruns, irritated members, and mortar evangelism. They should read their Schuller more carefully. His Garden Grove Community Church grew only during a population expansion. Once Orange County stablilized, so did his membership.
The various Lutheran synods (ELCA too) imagine that the key to growth is being generic Protestant. They have driven a few clergy to Rome and Constantinople, but they have not achieved their dreams of membership expansion.
The spineless Lutheran pastors chose to do nothing about the Church Growth Movement. The marketing fad has taken over the Lutheran Church. The result is an emphasis on money (but a lack), members (shrinking), love (in the form of self-centeredness). Many faux-Lutherans, who took the CGM seriously, have departed from their nominal membership. Others continue to be lauded and lionized within their synods by the blind and hardened apostates.