The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

By Norma Boeckler


The Twelfth Sunday after Trinity


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn #462 I Love Thy Kingdom 4:21
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #123 O God Our Help 4:3

Sufficiency from God

The Communion Hymn # 304 An Awful Mystery 4:6
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 # 376 Rock of Ages 4:47

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

KJV Mark 7:31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. 32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. 33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. 36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; 37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

Twelfth Sunday After Trinity
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast created all things: We thank Thee that Thou hast given us sound bodies, and hast graciously preserved our tongues and other members from the power of the adversary: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy grace, that we may rightly use our ears and tongues; help us to hear Thy word diligently and devoutly, and with our tongues so to praise and magnify Thy grace, that no one shall be offended by our words, but that all may be edified thereby, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Sufficiency from God

KJV 2 Corinthians 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Lenski:
“In Second Corinthians Paul bares his heart and his life as he does in none of his other letters. This lends a special value to the letter. Combined with this self-revelation is the wonderful way in which Paul reaches out to the Corinthians. He lets all the love of his heart speak, and its language is perfection. Paul’s psychological judgment of his readers never errs. His arms reach out. He touches the secret springs in his readers who certainly could not help but respond. Even the sterner tones in the last chapter voice this compelling love. These inward things that run through the entire letter deserve far more attention than they have received. Other apostles may have been like this, but none of them has left us a document which reveals this as does this one dictated by Paul. Second Corinthians is precious indeed.” Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. Paul's First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Minneapolis, MN. : Augsburg Publishing House, 1963, S. 804.


Second Corinthians is Paul’s defense of his ministry. Many people have concluded what was happening from Paul’s own comments. The religious opponents are illusive – we can only speculate. But clearly their attack was against Paul himself as not being adequate as an apostle. What remains is Paul’s response. From this we can see a deeply personal letter but also one which is universal and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Some might question how a man with many flaws could write a letter and have Christians called it Scripture, inspired by God, inerrant and authoritative. The difference between Paul’s letters and many similar letters from the age is this – Paul was elected by God to be an apostle. Christ miraculously appeared to Paul and converted him through the Word. God chose Paul to be an extraordinary missionary and author.

Sceptics like to claim that Paul created the Christianity that we know, that without him there would have been no Christian church. They fail to note the miraculous growth of the Word before Paul was converted, recorded in Acts 1ff.

All this is dependent upon the foundation which Paul described here so well – the Word of God.

The Creating Word
Although this is almost universally neglected, the Scriptures teach that God’s power comes to us exclusively through the Word.

The Son of God Himself is the Logos (Word). When God created the universe in Six Days, the Logos was that creating Word. What Genesis 1 implies, John 1 teaches clearly:

KJV John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

This verse, John 1:3 connects the Creation Hymn (a nickname for Genesis 1) with the Logos Hymn (a nickname for John 1:1-18):

John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

This clearly identifies Jesus, the Son of God, with the Creation of the entire universe. We cannot separate any feature or any detail—plant, mineral, star, animal, human—from the work of Jesus and the power of the Word.

What God declares, happens. There is no gulf between the will of God and the Word of God.

Sadly Lacking
What is sadly lacking today is a confidence in this power remaining in the Word of God. This has come about through neglect. Instead of teaching against this doctrine, the church leaders simply ignore it. That allows people to wander around in confusion.

The efficacy of the Word alone is taught throughout the Old Testament and is well known in Judaism. Among conservative Jews, the doctrine has inspired many stories, including the word of the rabbi.

Luther always taught the efficacy of the Word alone, but the other Protestants broke with him about this Biblical doctrine – Zwingli, Calvin, and the radicals who came to be associated with the Mennonites and Baptists.

And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward.

English changes. Today we would say – through Christ toward God, but I like the old structure, which reminds us of where toward came from.

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Paul saw that the attack was against him, but he was not representing his ministry as his own but the ministry of the Word. He had nothing to offer on his own, so that was not his argument at all.

Paul’s sufficiency came from God. This is not a vague term, but one which is very clear in the next verses.

The Bible means the Word when it speaks of the work of the Spirit, and it means the Spirit when it speaks of the Word. This is only possible because the two are never separate. Hoenecke (WELS) – “The Holy Spirit never without the Word. The Word never without the Spirit. That is sound doctrine.”

Any variation is called Enthusiasm by the Book of Concord, and Enthusiasm is roundly condemned.

6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

God chose Paul to be an able minister (servant) of the Spirit – a minister of the Word. Another variation on this is – stewards of the mysteries of God. What God reveals in the Scriptures is not subject to man’s judgment. The Trinity does not need to appeal to man’s logic – it is a mystery revealed by God. The Creation may be tough to imagine, but that does not mean God is incapable because of man’s limitations.

The Holy Spirit works through the Law to create Godly sorrow in the hearts of listeners.

Luther emphasized most of us that people failed to trust in God’s Word – the greatest sin of all. People imagine the gross, carnal sins, but they are symptoms of man’s rebellion against the Word.

Otten Uses Video To Promote Christian News

Perhaps Herman Otten's grandchildren talked him into using video to promote Christian News.

Here is the link.

Otten's sister Marie Meyer is a board member of the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, which has always promoted the liberal side of Missouri in a working relationship with ELCA (ALC and LCA before that). Marie Meyer was a college roommate of the future Grace Otten. Oddly, Grace was a CLC member attending liberal Valpo U. Grace was not allowed to attend Bethany in Mankato, but she went to Valpo.

Otten now has a Facebook page.

Paul McCain, MDiv, LCMS layman, worked secretly with Otten to get Barry elected the first time. McCain has 6,000 FB friends. I will let you know when he friends Otten.

Pietistic Abuse - Recognition Signs

Leave it to WLC to have a Roman homosexual archbishop give a public lecture, with some priests thrown in, and lie about it happening.
Oh wait. The ELS did the same thing with the Roman bishop.My bad.

All the Protestants like to cluck their tongues over the abuse done by Roman Catholic priests. The horror stories continue. They were in the national press in 1987 but blew up internationally much later, thanks to the persistent networks of clergy abuse victims. Currently the pope is in the spotlight, although John Paul II escaped the same scrutiny for being completely oblivious. Whether one was worse than the other is hard to prove.

The guiding principle of the Roman hierarchy is this: the priest represents Christ and is beyond criticism, no matter what he has done. They enjoy the ultimate protection racket. Cardinal Law in Boston was promoted to the Vatican for his many felonies. The only priest disciplined by the Catholics was the one who said clergy abuse was wrong.

"If only the priests could marry." But the Protestants do marry and perpetrate the same crimes, although not quite on the global scale as their priestly competition.

The Lutherans and other Protestants are no better than the Romans. There three basic areas of abuse in all church bodies are:
A. Physical abuse - where children are threatened, beaten or undergo dangerous hazing rituals.
B. Sexual abuse - where vulnerable adults and children are used by church workers.
C. Emotional abuse - where shunning, lying, defamation, using the grapevine, and forcing people out of the charmed circle are used to intimidate and silence people.

Danger signs include:
1. Excusing physical abuse as: the way things always have been done, proving someone's manliness, "only the tough survive," or some other sick self-absolution; hazing and lying about hazing, as WELS does about GA right now.
2. Smirking at sexual abuse and pretending it never happened, meanwhile finding out who told the truth and punishing that person.
3. Not following the Scriptures because of the fear of retribution visited on them by synodical officials and their friends, who will turn their backs on a moment's notice.
4. Not admitting that church workers murdered their spouses, but covering up felonies, lying to the legal system when swearing to tell the truth. There is always a call for the good ol' boys, especially the criminals and false teachers.
5. Worrying loudly about a confessional group starting while overlooking an apostate lobby funded by offering money.
6. Not revealing how the money is spent or where the millions went.
7. Reacting with panic to honest inquiry, perhaps parrying the questions with flattery and friendliness, then moving in for the kill when someone is persistent.

Although anything is possible with the Word, I doubt whether the Lutherans care to apply the Word. Too many leaders have enjoyed luxuries, meetings with ELCA, training with Babtists, scandals hushed up, felonies denied to welcome any change.

This is how far WELS has traveled the road to perdition - when a number of their own pastors and members uncovered and addressed the plagiarism of false teachers at Bethany in Appleton, synod pastors rushed in to beat up those who...
a) plagiarized? No, you must be kidding.
b) ...wrote against plagiarism, following the guidelines of the Scriptures and Confessions. You win the door prize. You will have a bright future, enjoying the Left Foot of Fellowship.

Lulu Books

According to the Babtists, these little children have no faith.
WELS agrees with the Babtists, sending their gurus to Andy Stanley -
and other frauds like Rick Warren.
Discipline is for people who agree with the Book of Concord.
Art by Norma Boeckler.

I am finishing two religion classes for undergrads, called Christian World View. Not one has called me a name for constantly quoting Luther and posting Gerhard hymns. They love the emphasis on Biblical and doctrinal content, so I gave them free copies of Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, which can always be downloaded free as a PDF from Lulu.com at this location. <--Mequon grads, left click here.

My upcoming religion classes are world religion (two universities at once) and Christian ethics. I started creating PowerPoint slides with Norma Boeckler's art to illustrate the content of the courses. If someone has some good ideas about publishing them on FB or in other venues, let me know.

At the same time, some classmates from Moline asked about doctrine on Facebook. I thought the comment box a wee bit small to answer, so I posted the link for CLP. I have 1250 friends on FB, about 700 of them in the LCMS. Even so, I was impressed that several of them responded right away, thanking me for the information and mentioning they were already fans of CLP and Thy Strong Word. The new edition of TSW is coming out fairly soon.

The next new book title with be Luther versus the Pietists, Justification By Faith Alone. I have no definite time for that, but some significant research is being finished for that.

Pietistic Charmers

This advice only boosts circulation.

Our family has always been amused by the ongoing Committee To Silence Jackson. I was already warned in the LCA not to provoke anyone while my dissertation was being published. For a period of time I used pen-names in Christian News, such as Herman Ootics, Mentor, and Shirley Goodness.

The book was about an Augustana Synod professor, A. D. Mattson, who taught most of the Augustana ministerium in his lengthy career. A fund in Mattson's honor got the book into print. Did the LCA recognize a work about their own professor? No. Did the school where he labored for 35 years? Almost not. Their own historical society was printing the book as a stealth project. Oddly, Christian News promoted it more than Mattson's daughter, who was in the business and did a good job in that area.

ELS busy-body Kincaid Smith (DMin in Church Growth) told me not to publish in Christian News, when I joined WELS. He could write for CN, but others could not. DP Mueller and his entire gang of adulterous Shrinkers did the same thing. Later, the CLC (sic) said they could publish in CN, but I could not.

The more I quoted WELS promoting Fuller doctrine (compared to the Book of Concord), the harder they worked to silence me. Existing then, just as now, were two factions:

1. The controlling faction of adulterous Shrinkers fought hard to silence me.
   
2. The minority group circulated materials from me and kept asking for more.
   
3. Posers like Jay Webber, MDiv, and Paul McCain, MDiv, played both sides of the fence.

The Committee To Silence Jackson is now pan-synodical, thanks to my tireless efforts. Webber in the ELS and McCain, a layman in the LCMS, recently posted on the Australian blog (Extra Nos) to warn people about me. I agree with Biblical, Book of Concord view - justification by faith. Webber and McCain agree with Halle professor George Christian Knapp, that the entire universe was absolved. According to their theological mentor, J. P. Meyer, one must make a decision about whether to accept this absolution or not. And they want to warn others about me?

Some may remember Canadian Mark Walters (WELS Church and Change) who swore he would shut down Ichabod. I am glad for mouthy young guys, who give away the agenda. I published his oath and soon he reversed himself.

The Confessional Lutherans may be daily communicants on Ichabod, but the Shrinkers are hourly watchers. Appleton lights up routinely on the map. So does Milwaukee, Mankato, and St. Louis.

Some people use Google to notify them if they are mentioned. One report showed over 40 people listing a topic that would send them a message.

Before the last WELS convention I heard the complaint that any topic looked up on Google, concerning WELS, got Ichabod as the first result. That was apparently a complaint heard all over the sect. After the convention I heard that everyone there was on Ichabod to follow the commentary.

Looking back, one of the funniest moments in all this was the phone call from ELS pastors Kincaid Smith and Paul Schneider (brother-in-law of Shrinker Bivens). They were yelling at me for publishing against Church Growth in Christian News. Smith sneered, "You have no credibility anymore." I asked, "If I have no credibility, why are two ELS pastors phoning long-distance to yell at me?"

The same hysterical reaction is still found on the anonymous blogs set up by Tim Glende and his pals in Appleton, Wisconsin. They gave themselves away on Feedjit, confirming what regular readers suspected. Every time I posted about Appleton or Columbus, a vile comment would come through. Church members were disgusted by these comments, but I published them to show what Shrinkers are really like.

WELS/ELS members - if you want to recall what the Church and Change gang of thugs is like, remember how the Appleton group showed a cat eating from a toilet, with names pasted on that cat.

That is Church Growth. That is Church and Change.

That is the legacy of Mequon President Valleskey, Mequon Professor Bivens, Chaplain Paul Calvin Kelm, MLC Professor Olson, VP Huebner, Fuller Missions head Hagedorn, Parlow, Gunn, and their enabling spineless DPs.

---

California wrote:

Anyone who has ever taken public issue with establishment of any kind including religious establishment can know they are being heard (read) when the slings and arrows come. The reaction is always swift and designed to discredit or silence any criticism of establishment which doesn't conform to the efforts of those who have staked out an agenda to "transform" the institution whether the members at large or the body politic want it or not. When the "transformers" rage in response to revelations re: their activities, one can be assured their agenda has been pierced.

Thoughts of Faith

Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "Thoughts of Faith":

I have encouraged Pastor Shep to write a book about his experiences.

Norman Teigen
Lutheran Layman

***

GJ - The cover is already designed. I think Roger Kovaciny and Floyd Luther Stolzenburg should be co-authors, with Jay Webber as editor.

---

Someone donated a cheese factory to the ELS/WELS Thoughts of Faith.

Marvin Schwan donated $500,000 to move the factory to the Ukraine, to turn the converts into cheeseheads.

The Commie ingrates stole essential equipment when it landed, rendering the factory remains useless.

ELS Pastor John Shep was in charge of this project. He is now an ELCA pastor.

Pietism Means Shunning, Just as Hinduism Means Yoga

Be sure to read the excellent article on Pietism, published by the Intrepids.

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Church Mouse Trumps Anonymouse - This Is Why":

Mr. Meyer,
In a world that wants to be relevant, I can relate to your experiences that you have had with your close relatives. In fact, I used to be that way also. However, the scales have fallen from my eyes through the work of the Holy Spirit and the Word. It is almost as if WELS laity are spellbound. I have tried to explain what is going on in the WELS with some of the laity at my former congregation. I hand picked them because I thought that they may understand. They could best be described as conservative in thought and active for many years in the congregation. My explanations either went over their head or they were so frightened by what I said that they simply would not touch it. At first, I was discouraged by their response, or lack thereof. I finally realized how devastating false doctrine can be. But, our gracious Lord has promised that he will always provide for his flock. Those who are blinded believe that the Lord's provision can only be channeled through an instrument like a synod. They are sadly mistaken.

***

GJ - Pietism shows its ugly head by changing the agenda, deliberately and cleverly. Faithfulness to God's Word is not even considered. In fact, when Pietism asserts itself, the mere mention of such language creates anger name-calling.

The last stage of Pietism illustrates this well. Either one accepts homosexual ordination and marriage or that person is a narrow-minded bigot, filled with hatred. The word of doom is - homophobic.

People see yoga classes promoted all over, and no one seems to object. Hinduism is yoga, and yoga is Hinduism.

Shunning is Pietism, and it is definitely not Lutheran. Martin Luther said it was good that we have family members who do not share the same faith - the conflict caused will keep us sharp about doctrine. If doctrine is not sharpened on the whetstone of conflict, our capacity to discern good from evil is diminished until it disappears.

Jehovah's Witnesses
JWs are told to minimize all contact with family members outside of their own homes. That should sound familiar to WELS, ELCA, Missouri, and ELS members. (Double down on the micro-minis.) Their Pietistic cell groups have taught them the same thing.

Re-Education
One JW bragged to me about how they re-educate members from time to time, when they change their teaching. That should also sound familiar to all Lutherans. Martin Marty was the embodiment of evil (WELS) - but now Marty is the invited speaker they defend (WELS again). "We will never ordain homosexuals" (LCA) changed to "We have been doing that for years" (LCA). That devolved into "You will not get a call if you oppose homosexual ordination" (ELCA).

Shunning for Holy Mother Synod
The key reason for shunning is not doctrine but questioning Holy Mother Synod. Closed communion may be taught, but pointing out glaring instances of open communion will get the messenger shunned. There are correct ways for dealing with such problems, and they involve Talmudic rules of such complexity that the person who dares start will only get himself blamed and shunned for violating subsection 4a of Unwritten Rule 17 under the heading Obscure Rulings For Dummies.

Shunning Works Wonders
Shunning makes people afraid to question anything. Eventually they become dull and inert about any and all questions. The masters of the game use this until they can get people defending and covering up the grossest evils imaginable. ELCA lost a $40 million lawsuit because they deliberately ordained a man known for molesting boys. WELS and Missouri have had similar costly scandals, although ELCA set a record.

This shunning cancer spreads so fast that people take over the behavior without thinking much about it. They react emotionally to anyone questioning doctrine and practice.

Members and pastors fear being cut out of the ovine flock. There is a reason God compares us to sheep, an animal that will follow his brothers into the corner of a pen and remain stuck for hours instead of asking, "Why am I wedged into this corner?" I have seen that behavior demonstrated on a sheep farm and in various synods.

Wolves Prowl, Rip, and Tear
The false teachers love shunning, because their sheep meekly conform to false doctrine and shun dissenters. To paraphrase Luther - the wolves like their sheep fat and well fed. They do not like to hear the guard dog growl at them. Therefore, the false teachers will gladly tolerate the Gospel itself but they despise antithetical statements, which identify false teaching and false prophets.

Abusive Behavior and Shunning
WELS and the Little Sect engage in abusive behavior to enhance the effect of shunning. The WELSian hazing methods make it clear that sect conformity overrules anything involving the Ten Commandments. Years later, the same mindset allows them to promote adulterous pastors, defend the grossest false doctrine, and attack anyone who says otherwise.

A lot of abusive behavior is purely emotional. People simply stop talking to someone, or they wrinkle their noses and make it clear and that the individual is suddenly unclean. The Glare is often used. I went over to talk to a professor who was known for being affable and non-threatening. He shot me The Glare.

Lutheran families are manipulated into shunning their own relatives, not for doctrinal reasons, but for questioning Holy Mother Synod.
"How can you join a synod with closed communion?"
"If you leave the synod, I am writing you out of my will."

ELCA Pietism
ELCA is in the last stage of Pietism, in which utter hatred of the Word of God is spread with the excellent and effective methods of Spener's religion. There is virtually no difference between the extreme Left in politics and ELCA.

Already ELCA pastors are complaining about their history of opposing homosexual ordination being used against them - no future calls. Other ELCA pastors are defending that by saying, "You cannot describe ELCA as apostate. You deserve shunning."

---
John has left a new comment on your post "Pietism Means Shunning, Just as Hinduism Means Yog...":

"Members and pastors fear being cut out of the ovine flock. There is a reason God compares us to sheep, an animal that will follow his brothers into the corner of a pen and remain stuck for hours instead of asking, "Why am I wedged into this corner?" I have seen that behavior demonstrated on a sheep farm and in various synods."

Aren't the sheep and lambs of the flock dependant upon its called shepherd to feed them, guide them and lovingly protect them and move them along when they get wedged into a corner?

Of course, that would call for the shepherd to be thinking first of the flock, wouldn't it?

Church Mouse Trumps Anonymouse - This Is Why

Church and Changers love this practical book,
because they think church is a business.
Of course, it is for them, and quite profitable.

Church Mouse is not affiliated with the Lutherans. That is why I found his long article on the Rick Warren gang especially important. These changes are happening in all denominations because there has been a long-term, focused, marketing effort to replace all Confessions (Reformed, Lutheran, Catholic, Babtist, Salvation Army, Pentecostal) with Fuller New Age thought.

The best way for Lutherans to realize this is to read articles and blogs from other denominations. If turtles are on fence-posts in many denominations at once, the action was deliberate and not the result of ecclesiastical evolution.

The wine-bibbers at the fake blog think all I write about is their noisome circuit. They imagine such a narrow focus because their are so fascinated with themselves. However, I have written about the Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, Babtists, Pentecostals, and other denominations. Alone in the world--with 1200 Facebook friends--I stay in touch with all groups. Teaching college means I am also directly involved with people around the world who take my online courses. That gives me an unusual perspective since I have perhaps 1,000 students per year, undergrad and graduate.

I have seen an alarming trend toward New Agism in business and the church. Some pioneers were Napoleon Hill, Norman Vincent Peale (who plagiarized his best-seller), Robert Schuller, and Paul Y. Cho.

I believe Brett Meyer found the link to Church Mouse because of his interest in the topic.

Anyone can broaden his perspective by pursuing this topics, especially when done in relation to the Confessions. I suggest picking one topic at a time in the Formula of Concord and becoming familiar with the statements, Scripture examples, exegesis, and antithetical statements. The Confessions do reject false doctrine, something found even with a casual reading of the Scriptures.

Wiccans Happy About ELCA Service, Goddess Worship

Here is the Wiccan link, which links to its sources.

I was leaving the LCA when they denied all this was developing, even though it was.

WELS/LCMS/ELS will deny this is also around the corner, given their lovey-dovey stance with ELCA via Thrivent, and their covert/overt projects together.

Cutting Edge versus the Lazy, Lying Copycats

I once saw a book or tape on the Cutting Edge of Church Growth. That would be the circumcision party of the Christian Church. A generation of synodical employees--from Kieschnick, Moldstad, Gurgle on up--have made careers out of shrinking their churches in the name of growth, while their craven co-workers announced how everyone in the synod was conservative, confessional, Biblical, etc.

The WELS Shrinkers have shown themselves to be lazy, lying copycats. They defend themselves by copying the name and style of this blog, revealing even more about themselves. They are too lazy to blog more than once a month. The liars hide their identity while quashing comments. They spend their time proving how stupid Mequon graduates are. The Sausage Factory should shut down the fake blog just to protect what is left of the school's shredded reputation.

Meanwhile, Church and Change is chasing yesterday's dream.

In contrast, the cutting edge is before your eyes.

A. Youth want traditional liturgical services, not badly performed whoopee worship. Many alienated Lutherans would love to have a Christ-centered Means of Grace service.

B. The Church and Money Changers are limited to taking over congregations where they are stuck with old buildings or enormous leases. Their triumph is mitigated by the need to pay the bills. They are too lazy to do pastoral work, so they spend an inordinate amount of time skimming synod funds, begging for Thrivent loot, or applying to foundations.

In contrast, Bethany Lutheran has almost no overhead. Similar to online education, there are no limits to outreach world-wide - except for bandwidth and computers.

C. The Shrinkers are secretly ashamed of their plagiarism. At least they are worried about being caught at it. They do not post their stolen sermons or save their purloined homilies. When caught at violating the law, they hide the evidence.

However, Bethany's digital files are saved, and thousands have viewed them. The sermons are posted twice each week. Readers report how they are printed and shared, emailed to others. Those who are quoted are cited.

D. The Shrinkers love to brag about their outreach, but channeling Groeschel, Stanley, Driscoll, Warren, and Sweet to bored Lutherans is not evangelism. The Shrinkers avoid video. They are too lazy to blog. Their websites are an embarrassment to all Lutherans, offering no content except links to false teachers and imitations of their style, such as asking for soft-core porn confessions online. They want to be hip, but they are stuck in the 19th century, with bricks and mortar limiting them as much as their doctrinal torpor does.

The only task of pastors is to sow the seed carelessly, without anxiety, without judging the results. Ironically, in farming and gardening, this is called broadcasting, just as it is in radio, TV, and the Internet. As a result, Bethany reaches people all over the world, as the Feedjit map shows. People alienated from the Lutheran Church have written and joined in the services, which were designed for the original calling group. Can any WELS/ELS church claim 20,000 people interested? Our unique readers number 20,000. The normal daily page reads are between 1500 and 2000 pages each day, seven days a week. The readers search the site, so they do not limit themselves to the daily posts. They have at their disposal:

1. Quotations from Luther, Chemnitz, Chytraeus, Schmauk, Jacobs, Walther, Hoenecke, J. P. Meyer. The citations are always given.
2. Quotations from the Shrinkers and their gurus - Valleskey, Kelm, Hunter, Olson, Huebner, Patterson, Sweet, Driscoll, Stanley, Groeschel, Wagner, and many more. Citations or links - of course.
3. Verbatim proof of synodical apostasy. The pages are often copied from the Net before they are erased by the Shrinkers. The original links are supplied, even if they are broken later.
4. Weekly sermons, plus services for Lent, Advent, and special days in the church calendar.
5. Doctrinal discussions - such as the origin of Pietism.
6. Hilarious graphics from three different sources.
7. Links to interesting blogs, Lutheran documents, and classic hymns.
8. Almost 5,000 posts so far, since 2007.

The Shrinkers are full-time employees, many enjoying an assistant female pastor as a perk. How do they manage to do so little in a week? Their ambition is limited to anonymous attacks on anonymous blogs, with support from their beer-soaked friends, who post anonymous comments when not suffering from DTs.

WELS Refugee Backs Up Recent Post

The Church and Change--Copy and Paste--Hydra must be fed fresh victims
and tons of money. Yes, money is their only means of grace.
The Hydra has many heads but no brains.
Cut off one head and another two or three grow in its place.


bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Pietism Has a Different Agenda":

I re-read this post and compared it to my experience with the WELS, and after reflection I'd say the post is 100% right on target, and actually makes sense of what goes on better than the current wisdom about why the WELS and even LCMS are the way they are. For example:

1) conventional wisdom says that the reason the WELS and LCMS can invite heretics to speak, e.g., Catholics and Sem-Ex, but not people who are nearly the same in doctrine and heritage, is that the presence of those who differ in one or two points leads to divisions and argumentation, but everyone can accept and tolerate and learn from those who are waaay different. But in reality, the Ockham's Razor explanation is that it's all about shunning, except that word shunning can't be mentioned because Lutherans don't do that.

2) I commented a few times on how I bought all the books and booklets that NPH and CPH had to offer on certain doctrines, but they didn't answer my questions or refute the heretics very well, so I had to look up Books in Print and write apologetics ministries for other resources. Not long ago I admitted to using the internet to study certain doctrines--to see what other authors of different persuasions were saying about certain doctrines. The WELS and LCMS people with whom I was shared this were appalled that I would, heaven forbid, look on the internet to find doctrinal resources!

3) That quip at the Mequon sem about only needing a Triglotta, Lenski and boxer shorts is meant to be taken more seriously than it sounds, meaning they want you to keep your nose in certain books and out of others.

Anyway, I'm confident that soon the true history of the synodical conference will appear (maybe on the internet), and then we'll know where all these doctrines and practices and shunning came from that separate the synodical conference Lutherans from other Lutherans, and I'm sure that the WELS, ELS and LCMS won't like it one bit.

***
GJ - They will shun you, Bruce. Oh, they already do.

Channeling Groeschel Is a Fox Valley WELS Tradition

Glende's face on Groeschel's material - that is the genius of WELS Fox Valley.
See his hilarious blog for unionism comments.

Here is the Groeschel-Ski sermon series on Religion Bytes. See the Tweet below:

http://open.lifechurch.tv/series/16

Week 1 Religion Never Works

Week 2 Avoiding People Problems

Week 3 Seems Right

Week 4 Slave or Son

Ski also copied Groeschel's online confession idea.

I could link Groeschel's online confession site, but the Omaha hoodwinker crosses the line into publishing porno.

If you hear the Groeschel motto on the graphic, you can be sure the speaker was babtized into Groeschel-worship.

From Ski:


From @GoToCore (Twitter)

Tonight we begin a new series "Religion Bytes - Religion Never Works". Intrigued? Join us at 5:30! #fb 3:01 PM Jun 6th via API.

More Tweets:

Join us for Week 3 of Religion Bytes "Seems Right" tonight at 5:30! Due to bike race u may need an alternate route - http://dld.bz/hCZG #fb 1:02 PM Jun 20th via API

Join us tonight at 5:30 as we wrap up our "Religion Bytes" series with Slave or Son. Hope to see you there! #fb 1:53 PM Jun 27th via API

WELS members and pastors - You are paying huge salaries to SP Schroeder and Deputy Doug. They continue to allow gross plagiarism of the worst false teacher around - except for the other false teachers these Church and Change yokels are copying.

You WELSians are paying to convert your synod into complete New Age Enthusiasm. You are paying the church officials, the pastors, the worthless CPs, the Fuller-trained professors.

Groeschel is their real leader, and Ski-Glende do not listen to him, either. Groeschel tells his robotic and missing-brain followers - "Use my stuff but tell where you got it." Do Glende and Ski tell where they got their material? Does Bethany in Appleton? Parlow?

Every service from these clowns is a lie, but so is everything else coming from the synods tolerating this garbage.

Bad grammar too - not that a WELS pastor would notice: "whom no one else is reaching."
Whom is the direct object of the verb reaching.
This Photoshop is so fakey, it reminds me of the Mission Impossible masks.

Church Mouse Wrote

No, this is his cousin, who read too many Emerging Church books and tried to get relevant.


Hello, Pr Jackson

Thank you SO much for today's post and very special mention -- wow!! That turned a routine afternoon into a most delightful one -- what a pleasant surprise!! Love the graphic -- brilliant!!

Is that your quote in your email signature about studying for an extra hour a day? That's a beauty.

NW Arkansas is quite a change from Phoenix. Hope all is going well.

I plan to make time very soon to watch one of the Bethany Lutheran Worship videos. I haven't been to a Lutheran church in 40 years, so I'm looking forward to a traditional service. (I went to an ALC church with a friend of mine once -- so, we're talking pre-ELCA days.)

Kindest regards
Churchmouse

***

GJ - I do not know the source for the quotation, but this is the saying: "Study one hour extra per day for five years and the world will beat a path to your door."

I added Church Mouse to the list linked on the left. There is a new post about Rick Warren there. I am truly shocked that WELS congregations partner with him, too.

Timid was kicked off the list because I was tired of his spineless, unionistic messages.

Terminated

----------------------- C A L L T E R M I N A T E D ----------------------

Piepenbrink, Rev Leon E - Asian Ministry Coor - Saint Paul MN 08/13/2010

---

No More MisterNiceGuy has left a new comment on your post "Terminated":

Wow .... One Eponymous Archon's comment ... there is nothing in that comment that would suggest a life motivated by Christ. How easily you can put others down. If you reread your own comments true Christian faith must compel you to repent for the vile things that you have said against a pastor who preaches the gospel of Christ. If this is the sort of thing Gregory Jackson is hoping for people to write he has succeeded. Unfortunately it cannot be said of him "well done!" Church and Change and how things are done in the Wisconsin Synod are certainly worthy of discussion, but to do so by mocking other is a flagrant disregard for the 8th commandment. In renders mute any criticism people might have of church and change. I'm asking that you not put me down for my comments, but that you change how you respond to comments posted here and how you post future topics for discussion.

***

GJ - I love how the Pietists rise above the occasion with a torrent of anonymous abuse.

I had some reservations about posting the comment from One Eponymous Archon, but I figured it represented what some thought. Piepenbrink was fired, terminated. Linger on those words. There must have been a reason.

I recently heard about Prof Tiefel apologizing to the praesidium. No one told me why. I asked several times. Miracle do happen, even in this Brave New Age.

No More Mister Nice Guy - blogging is free. You can show us all how to do it, but put your name on the blog when you do.

ELDONA and Jeske Stranded?

maahes (http://maahes.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "ELDONA and Jeske Stranded?":

I love the wacky Skimobile picture worth a thousand words.

***

GJ -

James Heiser and a few pastors started a new Lutheran sect called ELDONA, to oppose Kieschnick. They took their sweet time. The breaking point was promoted as Kieschnick allowing Benke to go unionistic at the 911 all-religion-group-grope. However, no one protested Barry-McCain being just as lax when Benke did the same previously.

Now that Kieschnick is gone, what is the burning mission of ELDONA?

Similarly, Jeske and Kieschnick were engaged in an ecclesiastic mating dance that held all of us captivated. Their mutual disdain for Lutheran doctrine and love of money made a future match almost certain. I even suspected their morganatic marriage would be announced as an accomplished fact.

The people who rejected Kieschnick and promoted Harrison are not likely to want Jeske representing the LCMS. I predict that Jeske will eventually leave all that behind and assume a Community Church posture, just as WELS theologian Swindoll did when he landed in Texas.

Thai One On - Regardless

Moral has left a new comment on your post "Thai Another One On":

Fait Accompli: I never fully understood this term in my political science class until now!

Phase one: kick out the WELS missionaries even though one missionary is still working in Thailand without synod funding.(complete)

Phase two: lay low (complete)

Phase three: annoint, er, appoint new committee and have said committee select/elect/call a new missionary from their own ranks, a real company-man (complete)

Phase four: gloat in a fait accompli (complete)

Phase five: dust off the 8 & 18 switch and let 'er rip (pending)

http://www.wels.net/news-events/celebrating-in-thailand

Pietism Has a Different Agenda

Recent WELS alumni meeting.
No wonder Prairie became a prison.
It reminds them of home.


People think they are arguing about different brands of Lutheranism when they compare synods. That is why "WELS and Other Lutherans" is the most popular post on this blog.

The various Lutheran groups are forms of Pietism. ELCA is radical Pietism - the legalism of Antinomianism. Anyone who opposes gay marriage and gay ordination should be kicked out. ELCA has already publicly branded them as unworthy of the name.

The key agenda item for Pietism is shunning, not doctrine. Shunning comes from the Mennonites, whose discipline means that a shunned person becomes invisible and cannot do anything with the elect. Nor will they even do business with him. Better to be a non-Mennonite than a shunned Mennonite.

Lutherans in America do not give a hoot about sound doctrine. If they did, their seminary faculties would be laughed off the stage at graduation. US Lutherans are devoted to the cult of shunning.

All the so-called fellowship rules among the conservatives are guidance for shunning. One family had questions about the dreadful Tiefel Christian Worship book. They were excommunicated for thought-crimes against the proposed hymnal. That is shunning at its best.

WELS and Missouri are just about the same in Pietistic doctrine, just as devoted to straying. Both must shun the other. Notice that WELS allowed the Leonard Sweet conference, Martin Marty lectures, and Archbishop Weakland gay lectures, but they banned the LCMS Hunter-Werning conference hosted by WELS Shrinkers. One could argue that Sweet is many times worse than Hunter or Werning, who are both copycats from Fuller, but marginal Lutherans. Even more could be said about publicly sponsoring the archfiend Weakland, who represented the worst in Romanism. But that is not the point. Missouri raises hackles that the others cannot.

The ELS and WELS shun each other, in spite of their pious statements otherwise.

Shunning--like voodoo--only works when someone takes it seriously. For instance, one WELS seminary professor made a big point of looking through me and avoiding eye contact. At my next opportunity, I went to him, shook his hand, and greeted him by name. He responded like a Hasidic rabbi touched by a Muslim (unclean! unclean!).

Here is a doctrinal debate in the synods:
Innocent - "This is false doctrine."
Synod Drone - "You are a bad person."
Innocent's Friend - "Innocent has some questions."
Synod Drone - "You are a bad person for listening to him."

Here Is a Church Mouse With a Message

Many thanks, Pr Jackson, for clarifying the source in your post and for the compliment!! I appreciate both greatly.

As to Rick Warren's church, ugh. Glad that you went and glad that you and your wife left shortly thereafter.

I think a lot of mainstream Protestants are as taken in by Rick Warren as Lutherans are. Seems to be a decline in attendance coupled with the promise of growth. Many say, 'What's wrong with Rick Warren? He has sensible ideas'.

I enjoyed reading your blog posts. If I lived near Phoenix, I would attend a service at your church.

Thank you again for your prompt response to my email.

May God continue to bless you in your ministry.

Yours sincerely
Churchmouse

***

GJ - Here is my post, kelming his post.

This is his blog.

The latest WELS PR release thanks God and praises Him for decades of Hagedorn promoting the Church Growth Movement and its odious falsehoods. During that time--SP Schroeder forgot to mention--WELS declined rapidly. That must mean WELS thanks God for the Shrinkers shrinking the doctrine and the church. "Hagedorn also notes that the part-time nature of this call will allow him to complete some responsibilities for Home Missions and work with other outreach opportunities." So Hagedorn will still have his Fuller-stained fingers in the pie.

Church Mouse has already said more about Lutheran apostasy that WELS or the Little Sect or Missouri will ever admit.

New Hissy on Fake Blog Points To Glende As the Author

Glende and Ski were apparently not suffering from the crabs.


One thing is very clear - the Appleton fake blogger is extremely Glende/Ski sensitive. Anything that touches upon their joint travesty in Fox Valley or Glende's non-WELS upbringing in Columbus is countered with a new rant.

I enjoy provoking the fake blogger because his response is so obvious. Apparently the Skimobile, one of my best Photoshops, provoked this latest frenzy.

I have republished Bishop Katie's portrait of two hedonists enjoying their vast subsidies, free trips, and a feast of false doctrine.

Here is a question for WELS - why are the best critiques of Church Growth and Emerging Church coming from the Evangelicals? (And from me, of course.) Why do people go through an entire Lutheran educational system to learn how to "spoil the Egyptians" at Fuller Seminary? How many more millions will be spent before people say "HALT!"

---

WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "New Hissy on Fake Blog Points To Glende As the Aut...":

The Skimobile is so far down the slippery side of the slope. DP Englebrecht is not about to get out of his warm chair to pull some apostates out of the frigid snow. Notice how these older C&Cers wouldn't be caught dead in a pair of jeans!(yes, jeans are fine outside of official church business) Ski, Glende, Doebler, and pals are being used by their cunning superiors. Mark and avoid the old guys. These younger pastors need our prayers and our help. Let us take a look at what Ski is learning from Mark Driscoll.

Driscoll is teaching "Unlimited-Limited Atonement." (5ptsalt.com/.../mark-driscoll-his-unlimited-limited-atonement-doctrine/) Listen to this video. It's enough to give Brett Meyer and LP Cruz a nervous breakdown. One of the comments discusses Driscoll's endorsement of Mystic guru Richard Foster. You may recall that the Acts 29 churches are an extention of Mars Hill.(Groeschel/Driscoll) I recently discovered that Acts 29's roots trace back to the Leadership Network. Leadership Network promotes something called Murue(spelling?) Mystic Meditation. Leadnet is not centered in theology and is focused on structured organization, such as a business model. Our friend Ed Stetzer is part of Leadership Network and he implemented training schools during the start of the Acts 29 expansion.

I refer you to www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com and check out the May 5th 2010 posts. One interesting hit in my research brought me to Bailingwater blog. In October 2008, Bailingwater touched on the Leadership Network. Rogue Lutheran has alerted people to Leadnet and refered to the group as a cartel. Last, but not least, WELS Church And Change provides a link to Leadnet.(leadnet.org)

My apologies to Pastor GJ for getting off the subject of the Skimobile.

In Christ,
from WELS church lady

Widespread Plagiarism and Promotion of False Teachers in WELS

I hear from all over, so this is an amalgamation of reports.

Plagiarism of false teachers is widespread in WELS, more than most people imagine or hope.

If Kelm and Valleskey had their way, Lutherans would wave the white flag of surrender, join the new Evangelical Alliance, and apologize to the Reformed for mentioning the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. Jeske, the dungeon-master, would join their prayer that the terms of reconciliation be merciful.

Even now WELS pastors are plotting to turn their congregations from the liturgy to whoopee-worship. The old adiaphora arguments are dusted off to renew efforts to fool the laity. Read the Formula of Concord, sheep. This is a time when the adiaphora (non-essentials) cannot be surrendered, the very moment when people should walk into a church and say - "This is a Lutheran service."

The system still rewards the false teachers. Look over the Church and Money Changer mugshots and you will find the guys who get the assistants, the grants, the vicars. They use their power to promote their favorite authors - Groeschel, Hybels, Warren, Sweet, Stetzer, Yancy, and Valleskey. Not one on their list is a Lutheran.

Qualified To Be the Next Sausage Factory Prez?

Latest News

• Home
• News
• Latest News

Seminary Makes Historic Appointment for Dean

October 30, 2008

The Rev. Dr. Virginia Barfield has been appointed to serve as the next Dean and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary by its Board of Trustees. Barfield's appointment is historic, as she becomes the first female and the first non-Lutheran to serve as dean at the seminary. She is an ordained minister and member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Her term as Dean will begin with the 2009-2010 academic year.


Barfield currently serves as the Associate Dean and Associate Professor of New Testament and Baptist Studies. She will succeed Dr. Michael Root who will step down as Dean at the end of the academic year after serving since 2003. Root will continue to serve on the seminary's faculty as Professor of Systematic Theology.
The unanimous appointment of Barfield by the Board of Trustees came with full recommendation by the academic affairs committee and executive committee, as well as the seminary administration, faculty, and students.

***
GJ - She's Babtist. She empowers women.

Michael Root Can Now Teach at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Or March in Procession with the Bethany Seminary Faculty

Welcome, Michael. You have doubled your teaching opportunities.

Dr. Michael Root

Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. He served as Dean from 2003-2009, after having earlier served on the faculty from 1980 to 1988. He is also Visiting Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Ecumenical Research in Strasbourg, France, where he served as Research Professor and sometimes Director from 1988 to 1998.

He also has taught at Davidson College in Davidson, NC and Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. Since January 2006, he has been Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.

Root is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. After attending public schools in Chesapeake, Virginia, he studied at Dartmouth College (B.A., summa cum laude), and Yale University (Ph.D. in theology). He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH) in 2002 in recognition of his contribution to the unity of the church.

Root is a member of the US and international Lutheran-Catholic dialogues and has served on the US Lutheran-United Methodist dialogue, the Anglican-Lutheran International Working Group, and the Anglican-Lutheran International Commission. He was the Faith and Order Commission Observer for the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. He served as coopted staff at the 1990, 1997, and 2003 Assemblies of the Lutheran World Federation and the 1993 World Conference on Faith and Order and was a consultant at the 1998 Lambeth Conference.

He served on the drafting teams that produced the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification and Called to Common Mission, which established full communion between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church. He is the author (with Gabriel Fackre) of Affirmations and Admonitions (Eerdmans 1998) and editor of Justification by Faith (with Karl Lehmann and William Rusch, Continuum 1997), Baptism and the Unity of the Church (with Risto Saarinen, Eerdmans 1998), and Sharper than a Two-Edged Sword: Preaching, Teaching, and Living the Bible (with James Buckley, Eerdmans, 2008).

Southern Lutheran Seminary They have a Methodist and a Babtist program of studies. True.

Thomist Loyalty Can Only Go So Far - Father Jack Waves Goodbye To Father Michael

Jack KilcreaseAdjunct Professor of Theology

B.A. History and Religion, Luther College. 2001. ELCA.
M.A. Doctrine and Theology, Luther Seminary. 2003. ELCA.
Ph.D, Systematic Theology, Marquette University. 2009. Jesuit.

Father Jack Kilcrease recently unburdened himself about Father Michael Root, formerly ELCA, leaving for Rome on his blog:

"it's rather unfortunate that he went around saying that he was a loyal Lutheran and running a Lutheran seminary when he really believed in Thomism."

An honest Romanist is better than a dishonest Lutheran. How can someone teach theology at a Roman Catholic college while posing as a Lutheran? After all, the Church of Rome has seven sacraments and not one of them works. No matter how pious one might be, within their odious system of works, he will still spend thousands of years in Purgatory paying for the sins which the seven sacraments failed to obliterate - not to mention the prayers and endowed masses offered after his death.

For the uninitiated - a Thomist is a follower of Thomas Aquinas, so one can only marvel at Father Jack's droll sense of humor, as he blogs from a Thomist college. Kilcrease publicly attacked Michael Root for being honest about his Thomism.

Here are some fellow professors at Aquinas:


Visiting Dominican Professors
Sr. Diane Zerfas, OP
2009 for Special Topics: St. Dominic and Dominican Spirtiuality
 
Sr. Suzanne Noffke, OP, Ph.D.
2008 for Special Topics: Catherine of Siena
 
Rev. Thomas O’Meara, OP, Ph.D.
2007 for Special Topics: Thomas Aquinas and Grace




---

Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican. I added the Wikipedia link in case Father Jack did not know that.

I wonder if he shows up at Aquinas College lectures and shouts "Dominican - Thomist!" at the visiting dignitaries.

Even more droll is the way Paul McCain and Father Jack take turns crawling into each other's laps. McCain loves to play the Roman card whenever it suits him.

How Delicious It Must Be - For a Lutheran To Denounce Thomism from a Thomist College

From Father Jack Kilcrease - Theologia Crucis

MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2010

Breaking News: Michael Root Became Roman Catholic

Completely shocking news: Michael Root has become Catholic as of this weekend:

http://tonymetze.blogspot.com/2010/08/dr-michael-root-man-of-great-faith.html

I know, I know- it's way shocking.

When some one goes around saying things like "the law is a way to actualize our relationship with God" or "the theology of the cross isn't really central to Luther's theology" or "there's no difference between Luther and Aquinas on justification" or "Wow, things are bad in the ELCA- you know what would fix it? Having the Pope arbitrate everything"- it's incredibly hard to see why they would become Roman Catholic.

I'm actually quite pleased about the news. Not because I want Dr. Root to start believing in false doctrine (he's already believed in false doctrine for years and this doesn't really change that)-but rather Root has been Roman Catholic in his theology for some time and it's rather unfortunate that he went around saying that he was a loyal Lutheran and running a Lutheran seminary when he really believed in Thomism. It's also unfortunate that he was one of the architects of them getting involved with JDDJ and with the CCM (their ill-thought out adventure with pulpit fellowship with the Episcopalians). In any case, they'd probably have done all that stuff without him.

I might also add, that perhaps some fellow Missourian (who will go unnamed) who thought that he and his colleague David Yeago, were a sign of some progress in the ELCA just because they said positive things about the law, might want to rethink their positions. In fact, as I have pointed out on a number of occasions, these gentlemen do not merely think that the law has a positive place in the Christian life, (as I and every other red-blooded confessional Lutheran also believes) but that it actually is the basis of the divine-human relationship. The gospel is good for them essentially because it makes the law work as a way of relating to God. The gospel for them is not the last word (as it must be!).

We can see the end results. If the center of the Christian faith is the law, who has the most and best defined law? Bingo. I need say no

From -

The Bible is God's Word - Lutheran Style

Reflections of a Classical Orthodox Pastor

----

Dr. Michael Root - A Man of Great Faith!

Dr. Michael Root taught me theology during my seminary years from 1981 to 1985. For the last two years I have been privileged to be his pastor. It was a most humbling experience to have my theological mentor sitting in the pews. But it was even more gratifying to get to know this man of deep faith. Last week a mass was held for his conversion at St. Peter's Catholic Church. It was bitter sweet to be there. I felt a whole whirlwind of emotions from joy at seeing this historic event unfold to sadness that the ELCA has lost yet another great theologian.