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.
Jordan Belfort posed for this gimmick - he was on his third (out of four) marriages, creating a marvelous movie extolling his virtues as a swindler.
Thrivent featured The Wolf of Wall Street - Belfort - at this meeting.
The backlit sign above the mega-screen: the cross plus the dollar sign plus something else. Why would Thrivent feature a known criminal when insurance companies are expected to be very careful about the use of clients' money?
The picture grows clearer by the month. The Episcopalian Presiding Bishop borrowed millions from church funds to kick conservatives out of her denomination. One part of this episode is here. Here is more from Virtue Online:
In a development that few Episcopalians of four or five years ago could have imagined, the Episcopal bishops of the most powerful and financially secure dioceses have begun to turn on their own once-strong but now severely weakened parishes. Having driven out all the dissenters at enormous expense to their coffers, these dioceses are increasingly trying to make up their losses by sacrificing valuable real estate -- even if it means turning out previously loyal congregations from their hard-won property. And -- who could have foreseen it? -- the parishes most harmed by the continuous litigation were precisely those with the most valuable properties.
Jefferts-Schori was the first female Episcopalian bishop. She began the spree of suing conservative parishes to take their church property away.
The United Methodist Church said to its conservative congregations, "We will let you leave Holy Mother Church on our terms, our way, or else."
ELCA did much of the same after their 2009 vote, raising suspicions that they were delighted to kick the slightly conservative ones out. ELCA got a double-blessing, getting rid of pastors and laity who actually read the Bible - and, added value - setting aside married men as bishops so the radicals could install their favorite women - and men who were undecided.
Pastor Jeff Johnson was recently elected as an openly gay bishop in Illinois. The current president of United Lutheran Seminary was the first gay male bishop, elected in San Francisco, followed by a transsexual who was kicked out of ELCA for a variety of charges.
Every synod clinging to Thrivent should wonder, "What happens when poor health drains our equity; normal people cannot benefit as much from long-term savings?" I am a Chartered Life Underwriter, so I know about these things.
The denominations have their hands on every congregation. Long ago, people thought of the congregation as theirs, since they paid the mortgage and the bills. But clergy and denominational powers slowly wrapped their arms around the property, the savings, and the future.
On Sunday, October 14 First United Lutheran Church of San Francisco hosted a Service of Healing & Reconciliation to mark their return to the ELCA. After calling openly gay pastor Jeff Johnson, First United was suspended in 1990, then expelled in 1995. Their actions, along with those of St. Francis Lutheran Church began the movement that became Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries, then the Extraordinary Candidacy Project and eventually to the formation of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries.
During the service this weekend Bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod, the Rev. Mark S. Holmerud, preached and the Reverend Jeff Johnson presided. Rev. Susan Strouse, pastor at First United, blogged about the service and process leading up to reconciliation:
Tomorrow, the congregation I serve will rejoin the denomination which expelled it years ago. To say that the wounds of that expulsion have disappeared or no longer have some spots that are still sore would be wrong. Wounds must be acknowledged and treated with tenderness. But we must also acknowledge and be open to the healing work that is happening within us.
Read Susan’s full blog post here. Susan was on the ELM Roster for a period of time when her call was in jeopardy because she was serving First United.
10. Christ here also addresses, more than others, persons who truly believe and experience that Christ died and afterwards rose again; and it is to them a little while, in a common, small and childish sense, and only a bodily sorrow. But the disciples had to keenly feel and experience what it is to lose Christ out of view, not only to have him taken away bodily, but also spiritually, leaving them in a twofold misery and sorrow. For they had had not only the joy of his bodily presence, in that he was so long with them, cared for them, ate and drank with them, and passed through loving, sweet customs and fellowship, but he had associated so affectionately with them and had borne their weaknesses, yea, companioned with them more intimately and lovingly than a father does with his children. He often gave them remarkable liberties and even animated them by innocent trivialities. Therefore, they were pained to lose such a companionable Lord,
11. But the chief cause of their sorrow lay in the fact that they had set their hearts on his becoming a mighty lord and king and founding a government by which he would make them, along with himself, lords. They thought he would never suffer them to die. Such was hitherto their hearts’ joy and confidence in this Savior.
12. Now, however, they lose both utterly and at one time, not only the friendly companionship of the Lord, but also this beautiful, glorious confidence, and they suddenly fall into the abyss of hell and eternal sorrow, Their Lord is most shamefully put to death, and they must now expect every moment, because of him, to be seized in like manner. They must now sing this song of mourning: Alas, how our confidence is now totally lost! We hoped to become great lords through this man and possess every joy we desired. Now he lies in the grave and we are fallen into the hands of Caiaphas and Judas, and there are no more miserable and unhappy people on the earth than we.
13. Notice, this is the true sorrow and heart agony, of which Christ here is really speaking, into which God does not lead everyone, nor anyone so readily; for here he offers comfort against it, as he shows in this Gospel.Other bodily suffering and need may be considered sorrow, as, when one suffers persecution, imprisonment and misery for Christ’s sake, and loses his property, honor and even his life. But the greatest of all sorrows is to lose Christ. Then all comfort is gone and all joy is at an end and neither heaven nor sun and moon, neither angel nor any other creature, can help you; nay not even God himself. For besides this Savior, Christ, there is none in heaven nor on earth. Now, when he has departed, all salvation and comfort are gone, and Satan has gained an opportunity to plague and terrify the troubled soul. This he desires to do in the name and person of God, as he can then play the part of a lord.
14. On the other hand, the highest of all joy is that which the heart has in Christ, our Savior. That is, indeed, also called joy, when one rejoices over the possession of great fortune, money and property, power, honor, etc.; but all this is but the joy of a child or of a maniac. There is also the infamous joy of Satan which even rejoices over the injury and misfortune of others, of which Christ here also says: The world will rejoice, and laugh in its sleeve over your crying and weeping when they put me to death and cause you every misfortune. There are also many like these in worldly affairs, who can never be happy unless theyhave brought misfortune to their neighbor or have seen him meet it. They are like the poisonous reptile, the Salamander, which (as the fable runs) is so cold that it can live in fire or can exist out of fire. So these people live and grow fat on the misfortunes of other people. The nice, envious person who is sad when another prospers, and would gladly have one eye less if thereby his neighbor had none, is the product of Satan.
15. But all this is still nothing compared with the joy the world, ruled by Satan, has in opposing Christ and his followers. It rejoices the most over the great misfortune of his followers in that Christ is crucified, all the apostles are banished, the church is completely destroyed, God’s Word is silenced and his name totally blotted out. This is spiritual joy just as truly as the severe sorrow is spiritual. However, it is not from the Holy Spirit, but from those who belong, body and soul, to Satan, and still are called the wisest, the most learned and the holiest persons upon the earth. They are like the high priests, Pharisees and scribes, who have no peace and know no joy so long as they hear the name of Christ mentioned and know that his Word is preached, or see one of his disciples still alive. As they say, in the Wisdom of Solomon 2:15: “He is grievous unto us even to hear or to behold,” and while Christ hangs on the cross, they blaspheme and revile in great joy thus: “If thou art the Son of God, and the King of Israel, come down from the cross; he trusteth on God, let him deliver him now,” etc. Matthew 27:40-43. See how their hearts leap with joy, what a paradise and kingdom of heaven they have in seeing the dear Lord reviled on the cross and put to death; and that they themselves did it, is to them nothing but sugar and sweet grapes.
As I told more than one person, I would not recommend Yale Divinity School even if the student was offered 100% tuition, room, and board. On Linn Tonstad - "Professor Tonstad is a constructive theologian working at the intersection of systematic theology with feminist and queer theory."
Peter Speckhard, nephew of Father Richard Neuhaus, has retired from the Ovatines, a respite for elderly Lutheran liberals and a few other denominations. I got interested when I saw he was quoting Robert Benne, who was a conservative in the LCA. Shocking? Yes, I read his articles and skipped the rest, long ago. Benne knew and discussed higher education with the former Notre Dame Provost James T. Burtchhaell. The provost died in 2015. Burtchhaell was removed - for cause - as provost and priest. He and Benne exchanged views about the growing secular attitudes of religious schools, including Roman Catholic and Lutheran.
The LCA colleges were examples, which became more secular as they grew richer and more Left-wing. My mother attended Augustana when chapel was required daily, and they had a Christianity department, later a Religion department. When Christina and I went there, we either had weekly chapel or a program once a week. I skipped a few programs and was punished by being forced to attend twice as often, a program plus chapel once a week. Christina said, "I have been watching the punch cards and I saw your name coming up twice a week." She was paid to police attendance with punch cards to feed the college.
It is easy to see how faculty in the Religion department were hired for their academic degrees (PhD or go home) and their apostasy - Bultmann and Barth. That attitude infiltrated the college and now - though named after the Augsburg Confession - aka Augustana - they had no interest in anything more than a growing school.
Never mentioned in the courses was the Swedish American move to emphasize the Confessions and Lutheran identity. The Augustana pastors did not want to stay with the loosey-goosey General Synod. The great William Passavant supported Augustana's conservative stance. He was the one who paid for land on Lake Michigan for a seminary, because the Chicago Luther pastors were too stingy to get a seminary going. That land was sold to build a seminary in Maywood, and Wrigley Stadium was built on Passavant's land. No wonder that baseball fans had a special feeling for the Cubs.
Once the doctrinal rot begins, it is difficult to stop. Although I am not a fan of papal infallibility, the graduate class at Notre Dame's seminary - mostly Roman Catholic - were definitely against infallibility. A parish priest in the class was furious - "How can you call yourselves Roman Catholic if you deny the infallibility of the pope?" The Roman Catholic Frank Fiorenza was unruffled and eventually moved to an endowed position at Harvard.
It may be easier to see, the old Roman Catholic Church becoming much more like Unitarians, the college faculties fanning the flames.
Likewise, the hip liberal denizens of the ALPB Online Discussion Group (the Ovaltines) are watching in horror as their liberal colleges are going under without much dismay. They thought the bad leaven was good to improve upon the old ways. It was only a little change each time.
For example, at Augustana, lots of kids expected to have a position as a Lutheran pastor (men only) and Lutheran staff (teaching, music). The college not only has its own DEI department, but also boasts that their new president was already a DEI specialist! Oh my. The Bored of Directors were ecstatic about their new president, the first ever female president.
Where does this go? When ELCA was formed in 1989, the new organization stressed they would hire non-Lutherans as much as possible. I was standing in line (post LCA-ELCA) at an ELCA convention when one man asked a staffer about which Lutheran church he attended. The man said, "I am not a Lutheran." Diversity!
When I talked about the ELCA merger disaster, the WELS DP got very nervous, because he was on the ELCA Board for Relief. Though WELS was always bragging about fellowship and pure doctrine and shunning people, they did not want to offend ELCA with all the money the big boys seemed to have. The DP felt overshadowed by the power, might, and education of ELCA leaders.
Higher education is bound to become more DEI because it is infectious and difficult to remove.
"Since 1936, the bell tower or klockstapeln, has stood at the base of Zion Hill, between Ascension Chapel and Old Main. The bell tower has been an iconic symbol and a focal point for college lore; many marriage proposals and wedding photos often take place beneath the tower." (Yes, I took Christina to the Plantation restaurant, Augies's Handel's Messiah, and the Bell Tower, where she got her ring.)
New Augustana president. Will this DEI fad fade away? Missouri and WELS have quotas for their kin, a quirky kind of diversity, where only DNA matters.
Luther, was born in 1483 and died in 1546. He favored the Small Catechism and the Galatians commentaries (shorter and longer).
1. He was well trained could have become a leading figure.
2. The storm threatened his life (sword cut) and he pleaded for mercy, became an Augustine monk and priest.
3. He was urged to earn a doctorate in Biblical studies, which slowly dissolved his Medieval training and Roman Catholic rituals.
4. He kept what was Biblical and discarded papal dogma over time.
5. The printing press started its own revolution, in all languages. Profitable - for others.
6. He argued from the Bible and emphasized the sermon as central to Christian growth.
Melanchthon was born in 1497 and died in 1560. He was the author/editor of the Augsburg Confession and the Apology. He also wrote the Treatise on the Pope.
1. Melanchthon was considered the greatest language scholar after Erasmus.
2. His character was just as irenic as Luther's was polemical.
3. The two worked closely together, which is clear with Melanchthon's work in the Book of Concord.
Chemnitz was born in 1522 and died in 1586. He was the senior editor of the Book of Concord, 1580.
1. He studied under Luther and Melanchthon.
2. Oddly, he cast horoscopes for a wealthy man, which gave him access to all the ancient Christian authors, invaluable for his battles with Rome and the sects.
3. After Melanchthon's death, Chemnitz began to pull the Lutherans (Evangelicals) together.
4. Chemnitz was widely ignored and probably still is, but his books are available in English.
5. He is most famous for the Book of Concord and the Examination of the Council of Trent.
II. THE COMFORT CHRIST MINISTERS TO HIS DISCIPLES IN THEIR SORROW, AND THE JOY OF THE WORLD.
A. THE SORROW OF THE DISCIPLES AND THE JOY OF THE WORLD.
7. We must learn here now what it is that the Lord says: “A little while, and ye behold me not; and again a little while and ye shall see me,” etc. This passage is fraught with as much meaning as that other: “Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice,” etc. “But your sorrow shall be turned into joy.” A rare saying: A little while not see and be sorrowful, and yet a little while again see and be joyful.
8. According to the letter and history, it is indeed easy to understand what these words mean, especially in our day. In the confession of our faith even the children say: “I believe in Jesus Christ,” etc; “was crucified, dead and buried; the third (lay he rose again from the dead.” These are the two “little whiles,” of which Christ here speaks. But since there is deception where we also seek, and taste it, and we should try to bring it into life or experience, the words have a wonderful depth of meaning — that we should lose Christ, whom we believe to be God’s Son, who died and rose for us, etc; that he should die in us, as the apostles experienced until the third day. A terrible crucifixion and death begin when Christ dies in us and we also in him. As he here says: Ye shall not see me, for I am to depart from you. That is, I die, hence ye also will die, in that ye will not see me; and thus I will be dead to you and you will be dead to me. This is a special, deep and severe sorrow.
9. As there are many kinds of joy, so there are many kinds of sorrow. As, for example, when one is robbed of his money and property, or is reviled and disgraced when innocent, or loses father and mother, child and dear friends, etc; likewise, when Satan afflicts and martyrs one’s soul with sad thoughts, as Satan so easily can, though one knows not why or whence.
But the really great sorrow above all sorrow is for the heart to lose Christ, so that he is no longer in view and there is no hope of further comfort from him.There are few who are so sorely tried. Surely not all even of his disciples experienced this. Perhaps not St. Thomas, St. Andrew, St. Bartholomew, and others, who were such good, common and plain people.
But the other tender hearts, St. Peter, St. John, St. Philip and others, to whom these words applied, as they all had heard that they would lose Christ and never see him again.
***
PS - Someone wrote anonymously to this blog - "Everyone will be so happy when you finally die."
JOHN 16:16-23. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 17 Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? 18 They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. 19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? 20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 21A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. 22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. 23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
I. CHRIST’S PASSION AND RESURRECTION.
1. This Gospel contains, and likewise pictures before us, the high and excellent work God accomplished when Christ, his only Son, died and rose again from the dead for us. Much has been said on this theme and there is much more to say. As for myself, I find that the more I study it, the less I master it. But since it is God’s will that we think of him, praise his work and grace, and thank him for the same, it is proper that we speak and hear all we can about them.
2. The Lord addresses his disciples here in dark and veiled words, which they do not understand; chiefly, no doubt, because he wishes thus to admonish them and thoroughly impress these words, so seldom heard, upon them, that they may not forget. A deeper impression is made upon one by words that are seldom used than by the forms of speech in general use.
3. The result was that the disciples even repeated the words twice and asked one another what they must mean. Christ likewise repeated them, and no less than four times. Still they remained dark and unintelligible words to them until later he revealed their meaning, when he rose from the dead and bestowed upon the disciples the Holy Spirit. Then they clearly understood his words. So we now understand them, to the extent that we hear and read them; but that they should be understood to their depth, that will not be in this life. But as I said, the longer and the more one learns from them, the less one can, and the more one must, learn.
4. For the Word of God is d different government, and the Holy Scriptures a different book, from the discourses and writings of man. St. Gregory spoke truly when he uttered the fine proverb: The Scriptures are a river in which a large elephant must swim and across, which a little lamb can wade on foot. For the Scriptures speak clearly and plainly enough to the common people, but to the wise and very learned they are unattainable. As St. Paul confesses concerning himself in Philippians 3:15.
5. And St. Peter says in 1 Peter 1:12 that such things were announced and written in the Scriptures that even the angels have their satisfaction and enough to occupy them, in the great work that Christ, God’s Son, became man, suffered death on the cross, but rose again and sits now at the right hand of the Father, Lord over all, even according to his human nature, and governs and preserves his church against Satan’s wrath and all the power of the world. We have, it is true, the words treating of this, but the angels see and understand it and therein have their eternal joy. And as they in eternity cannot behold it enough, much less can we understand it, for it is a work that is eternal, inexpressible, unmeasurable and inexhaustible.
1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
The Confession of Sins The Absolution The Introit p. 16
Introit
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord: by the word of the Lord were the heavens made. Psalm. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
The Gloria Patri The Kyrie p. 17 The Gloria in Excelsis The Salutation and Collect p. 19
Collect
God, who by the humiliation of Thy Son didst raise up the fallen world, grant unto Thy faithful ones perpetual gladness, and those whom Thou hast delivered from the danger of everlasting death do Thou make partakers of eternal joys; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.
The Epistle and Gradual
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
V. Then was the Lord Jesus known of the disciples: in the breaking of bread. Hallelujah!
V. I am the Good Shepherd: and know My sheep and am known of Mine. Hallelujah!
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 #50Lord Dismiss Us
Prayers and Announcements
Medical Care - Randy Anderson, Pastor James Shrader and his wife Chris, Kermit Way, Sarah Buck.
Greek New Testament lessons will start soon.
Second Sunday After Easter
Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The Unique Shepherd
KJV John 10:11 I AM the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
This section of John 10 begins with the theme of the message, then repeats the same words to explain the meaning of Good Shepherd. Repetition is often used for emphasis. Simple words and phrases reveal two things at once - the Good Shepherd title and what that title means. First of all, I AM is the name of God, a word so powerful that Jesus used it when being arrested and again during the trial.
Mark 14:61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I AM: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Just as there are many miracles, to show the power and compassion of Jesus, so there are many titles describing what this means. In this age of watering down everything while repeating the same things again and again, people use the name of God and the titles of Christ as expletives. These titles and descriptions are repeated endlessly as blasphemy, but no one seems to mind. That shows not only a lack of faith but also a lack of intelligence.
The description of Good Shepherd teaches us how miraculous Jesus is. A normal shepherd guards the door and deals with thieves and wolves, but does not give up His life for His flock. The wolves and thieves shatter and kill the sheep - the ongoing persecution of the Christian Church - the Christ has given up His life for those individuals.
The Gospel of John is simple in words and yet profound in meaning. The descriptions and actions of Christ are so clear that we can easily grasp His message, or we might say - His sermon. That is a reason for teaching and learning the Greek of the New Testament. Maybe no one will want to learn a language new to them, but everyone who does will strengthen the Gospel and encourage a new generation. Like Zoom technology, what seems impossible at first is much easier with repetition.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
Shepherd Sunday, a nickname going back to the Reformation, is especially clear in these last days. Money pastors are not shepherds. (Pastor is Latin for shepherd.) Money pastors only go through the motions to have a deluxe home, a new car, and thousands of dollars in costumes liturgical garments. They have stacks of books behind them in their videos but seem to be entirely unaware of their value, except as props. A better term today might be "actors" because they know how to impress, such as wearing a pink sweater in a worship service - that sells for $2,000. That describes the Elevation Church, so maybe the pastor is an Elevator. Seriously, the list of mega-churches with mega-pastors eventually turn into mega-collapses. I have listed them - so many and I forget their names. The Internet has a long memory, so an Elevator today is likely going to be linked with a scandal from the past. Or maybe it happened and everyone denies it, like the very corrupt Milwaukee Roman Catholic archbishop, who spoke at a Lutheran college.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
The wolf scatters the sheep because the hired hand has run away. Today many people will say they have given up on church and worship - the Christian Faith - because of the lies and spiritual abuse. Denominations tend to worship themselves and the "right people," but that is contrary to the Scriptures. The empty and abandoned churches have a lot more to do with being contrary to the Faith.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
I spoke with the neighbor at the grocery store. She had her newborn in the cart, and the baby was cooing, smiling, and paying attention. A bit later the grandparents were at my door, holding the baby, who was smiling and making happy noises. She knew I was talking about her. There is a tug between parent and child: the baby of the family is loved by everyone and everyone loves the child.
Jesus Christ is saying that there is a constant connection between Him and His sheep. Each one knows the other. It is important to trust in this verse and dwell upon it. Our emotions and attitudes vary all the time. We can be faced with dread, sorrow, anger, and many other oppressive thoughts and feelings. We can always count on the Savior to be in touch with us and to help us in every need. We access faith when we believe in Him, and that is priceless.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
These are interlocking circles, so just as Christ is with us and we are with Him, so the Father is attached to us and we are attached to Him. That is taught by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Atonement of Jesus is the primary focus of the Easter resurrection.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
This reveals, as we should know, that the Gospel will spread over all the lands, starting with Jewish believers converted, reaching out across the Western Roman Empire (Rome - Europe) and the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium, now Instanbul). There remains one true Christian Church which is made up of those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Good Shepherd.
.jpg)
On Sunday, October 14 First United Lutheran Church of San Francisco hosted a Service of Healing & Reconciliation to mark their return to the ELCA. After calling openly gay pastor Jeff Johnson, First United was suspended in 1990, then expelled in 1995. Their actions, along with those of St. Francis Lutheran Church began the movement that became Lutheran Lesbian & Gay Ministries, then the Extraordinary Candidacy Project and eventually to the formation of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries.
