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Puff Piece about Mark/Avoid Jeske
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More Eructations from Belcher. Luther Makes Them Furious, But They Are Fine with the Confessions - Because They Have Never Read the Book of Concord
Dennis Belcher, Kantor (Boettden) Senior Member Username: Belcher Post Number: 1693 Registered: 5-2004 |
Somebody mentioned "election" earlier before. This is where Jackson and his minions are off on election. We teach that
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. My church website About my family |
Poor Dennis has to make everything personal, because he cannot spell, cannot grasp the Small Catechism.
The issue is agreement with the Scriptures and Confessions. Therefore, I do not have minions - a big word for someone who cannot spell engendered correctly twice in the same post.
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Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 2013
The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 2013
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
The Hymn # 8 Father Who the Light 2:20
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 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
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 240 Father Most Holy 2:56
Parable of Judgment
The Communion Hymn #306 Lord Jesus Christ 2:50
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 # 227 Come Holy Ghost 2:72
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 # 227 Come Holy Ghost 2:72
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Oh No! FICL and White-Washing Walther Must Also Be in Trouble
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| The synodical mags promote a third-rate insurance company's monopoly, to subsidize cover-ups and propaganda from the overpaid execs. News? Ha! |
http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=11692
GJ - I leave the links out in the open now, because UOJ clergy are not very bright.
Editor:
More
Magazines face unclear future
Being relevant, sustainable key
These are challenging times for denominational magazines, as some fold and others face reorientation. That prompted an "Affirmation of Religious Journalism" statement by the organization that represents many church publications.
The Lutheran is a member of the Associated Church Press, the oldest interdenominational Christian press association in North America. In September the group's board approved a statement sought by members that it eventually sent to denominational leaders of member publications (www.theacp.org/acp-affirmation-of-religious-journalism).
"In recent years reorganization and strategic repositioning in many denominations in North America have led to the demise of a host of venerable denominational magazines, newspapers and news services," the statement said. Denominations affected included the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, and Reformed Church in America.
The Lutheran is a member of the Associated Church Press, the oldest interdenominational Christian press association in North America. In September the group's board approved a statement sought by members that it eventually sent to denominational leaders of member publications (www.theacp.org/acp-affirmation-of-religious-journalism).
"In recent years reorganization and strategic repositioning in many denominations in North America have led to the demise of a host of venerable denominational magazines, newspapers and news services," the statement said. Denominations affected included the United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, and Reformed Church in America.
 |
Further, "many other churches' print and electronic news sources have experienced severe financial and staffing cutbacks and/or pressure to redefine their missions in greater alignment with corporate communication models and development priorities in their denominations." It asked leadership to "stop this serious erosion of religious journalism" and discuss the issues withACP members and other journalists and communicators in their denominations.
The Lutheran did not attend the meeting. However, the magazine's prospects and the reasons why are clear and common to all church publications.
When The Lutheran opened with the ELCA in 1988, it was the only game in town. The Internet changed everything. Many sites and resources deliver the increasingly specific, unique information folks want — usually for free.
Denominational magazines are businesses. The Lutheran exists on subscription sales and advertising. It is economically viable for the near future. It serves as a mirror to ELCA members, congregations, synods, agencies and the churchwide organization about our life together as Lutherans, and does so with editorial independence (content decisions rest with the editor).
But we can't ignore what is happening to our society, church and members. Individualism, congregationalism and secularism all undercut denominations and their magazines, the goals of which are to promote commonality and collegiality in the work of sharing the good news and helping "the other."
That's why The Lutheran is engaged with others at the churchwide office in a professional review of our communications efforts: what we do well, where we overlap, what is being missed, and how we might better serve the church separately and together.
To paraphrase a line from a movie, the last buggy whip manufacturer was probably the best. It still went out of business. The challenge is to change and adapt — with integrity — or risk passing into history.
The Lutheran did not attend the meeting. However, the magazine's prospects and the reasons why are clear and common to all church publications.
When The Lutheran opened with the ELCA in 1988, it was the only game in town. The Internet changed everything. Many sites and resources deliver the increasingly specific, unique information folks want — usually for free.
Denominational magazines are businesses. The Lutheran exists on subscription sales and advertising. It is economically viable for the near future. It serves as a mirror to ELCA members, congregations, synods, agencies and the churchwide organization about our life together as Lutherans, and does so with editorial independence (content decisions rest with the editor).
But we can't ignore what is happening to our society, church and members. Individualism, congregationalism and secularism all undercut denominations and their magazines, the goals of which are to promote commonality and collegiality in the work of sharing the good news and helping "the other."
That's why The Lutheran is engaged with others at the churchwide office in a professional review of our communications efforts: what we do well, where we overlap, what is being missed, and how we might better serve the church separately and together.
To paraphrase a line from a movie, the last buggy whip manufacturer was probably the best. It still went out of business. The challenge is to change and adapt — with integrity — or risk passing into history.
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Page Views Are Quite High on Intrepid Lutherans Too
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| Remember how you voted for him to stop the madness, and re-elected him? He sure fooled you. He is behind the deal that keeps Ski on paid double secret probation. |
http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2013/11/changes-on-horizon.html
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013
Changes on the Horizon
Since "nobody reads Ichabod," it may come as a surprise for some of our readers to hear that there are some changes in the works for Intrepid Lutherans. Then again, it may not. Likewise, if everyone reads Ichabod, it may come as a surprise for some to learn that the changes being considered are not nearly so dramatic as is rumoured. Then again, it may not.
The past year or so has seen some significant changes for us, personally, professionally and as a group. It is no secret that Rev. Rydecki, after making independent study of the Doctrine of Justification and having publicly raised some simple questions of exegesis from the floor of a Pastors (sic) conference in his District, was eventually labeled by his Brothers a heretic and cast out from among them without the honest review of his concerns for which he pleaded at length. No longer WELS, he has since colloquized into the ELDoNA, which was concerned and objective enough to give him an honest hearing, and to carefully consider and deliberate his arguments before receiving him. But this is not the extent of the personal changes many of us at IL have faced. I, for one, have been in the midst of some fairly significant business changes over the past several months, that have altered my availability to write with the frequency to which many may have become accustomed. And I know that shifting responsibilities and personal circumstances have impacted the others, as well.
But there have been other changes – changes in attitude toward our initial "objectives." In our recent, and very popular post, What on Earth could the CoP possibly have meant by THIS?, we identified two "primary precipitating situations behind [the] formation" of Intrepid Lutherans in 2010:
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Regarding the first situation, it concluded most unsatisfactorily, while related issues either pre-existing or descending directly from it seem to continue unabated. Regarding the second situation... that liberalizing juggernaut continues – with an endless supply of independent funding and a multitude of voices both within Synod, especially among its leadership, and among the laity as well.
The result is no small level of disenfranchisement among a majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors, and a resulting shift in personal interest and priority. Of all the friends they thought they had, very few have stood with them publicly. With no significant public voice to oppose the abuses that brought us all together in 2010, such abuses are now normative in WELS. There is no stopping it, there is no changing it, indeed, there is no referring to it as somehow "wrong" anymore. That is because WELS has changed. If, three and a half years ago, we very naïvely thought such things could have been stopped, curtailed or at least turned toward reformation (and some of us did think such could happen), that naiveté has been sucked from us as the hot desert sun draws moisture from a naked body; publicly deserted by those who privately supported us, we, along with our remaining stalwart public supporters, have baked alone in the sun.
For these and a variety of other reasons, the majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors have found that their enthusiasm with respect to our purpose regarding these precipitating situations has left them, that current circumstances have driven them to focus on other priorities.
The only two who are willing to continue are myself and Rev. Rydecki – although going forward neither of us will have the time to publish as frequently as we have in the past, with Rev. Rydecki's involvement reducing to moderator and occasional blog posts.
This leaves us with a dilemma of sorts. Currently, Intrepid Lutherans is incorporated as a non-profit religious and educational institution, so that we can collect revenue in the form of donations and use it to host conferences. Believe it or not, we were in the midst of planning such a conference for next Spring, a conference that would have included not only the results of a systematic study of Church Growth trends in the WELS, but an in depth examination of translation ideology – of Dynamic Equivalence versus Formal Equivalence – of the "Critical Text" Greek apparatus that stands behind DE, and the "Historical Critical Method" that props it up. In addition, this conference would have provided an academic defense for the adoption of the "New King James Translation" of the Bible. There were other topics on the docket for exploration as well. If Intrepid Lutherans were to continue with such endeavors, it would need to remain incorporated. But it would also need qualified Board Members. Though Rev. Rydecki is willing to continue as an author, he simply does not have the time to devote to the duties of a corporate officer. And corporations require at least two officers.
Likewise, even if Intrepid Lutherans were to continue as just a Blog, we simply need more qualified writers. Between Rev. Rydecki and myself, maybe two or three entries a month are all that could be expected, which is not nearly enough to maintain a dedicated readership.
If we were to continue in either case, the purpose of Intrepid Lutherans would necessarily change. First and foremost, we would entirely cease to be a "WELS blog", or an organization that defines its existence or purpose with reference to ANY Lutheran synod or church body. We have very definitely entered a post-Synodical Era, and it will do the scattered remnant of genuine Lutherans little good for Intrepid Lutherans, or for any Lutheran group, to conduct itself with an imbalanced and unrealistic devotion to earthly organizations. In order to provide a balance of Lutheran perspectives, the hope would be to attract regular contributors and/or leadership candidates from additional sources in American Lutheranism.
Second, since it would not be defining itself relative to any Lutheran synod or church body, Intrepid Lutherans would end that aspect of its mission which continually addressed itself to the political issues of WELS, or those of any Lutheran synod or church body. That isn't to say that such issues won't be pointedly discussed from time to time, particularly as Intrepid Lutherans continues to warn of growing corruption in, and encroaching worldliness upon broad segments of American Lutheranism – a warning that is relevant to all Lutheran church bodies in America, even if they (think they) have separated themselves from the rest of Christianity, or even if they (think they) have sequestered themselves from the rest of the World. Third, rather than addressing ourselves to Lutheran clergy and laity, we would be focusing on primarily equipping and engaging Lutheran laity. We would do this not by insulting them with condescending "bubble-gum," but by providing what seems be disappearing from the main Lutheran publishing houses, the highest quality writing we can muster, sufficiently sourced so that the layman can continue to investigate as interest would lead him. The equipping we would hope to offer Lutheran laity would be a preparation, not to stand as confessional Lutherans before confessing brothers and family members who don't really want to live up to a label they apply to themselves, but to stand as confessing Christians in a Western Society that has swiftly grown shockingly and openly hostile to Christianity.
Fourth, there would be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice from a more broadly and historically orthodox perspective, rather than elevate peculiarities of recent American innovation that have supplanted those perspectives. To this end, and in the interest of equipping the laity, there would also be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice not only as current issues in American Christianity give rise to questions regarding, or a need to defend, historic and orthodox Christianity, but from the standpoint of balance from the four categories of preparation in the Christian religion: Exegetical & Historical Theology (the so-called "historic" disciplines), and Systematic & Practical Theology (the so-called "constructive" disciplines) – where we would also recognize that Systematic Theology is more than just dogmatics, but also includes apologetics and ethics. In other words, our goals would be set so that there could be no mistaking – on our part or anyone else's – that rather than set out to "achieve" any particular result (impossible, since these goals include no arrival point), we are merely proceeding in a direction that we are convinced it is proper to go, trusting that the Lord will make fitting use of our "going."
What would not be changing? Our "What we Believe" statement would not be changed. We would continue to be a forum in which friendly and productive discussion on the article of Justification may be engaged by genuinely interested and concerned Lutherans. We will continue to herald confessional Lutheran practice – historic, liturgical and catholic practice, that is – as the proper form of worship for confessing Lutherans, and we will continue to vigorously oppose all forms of sectarian worship which boasts of its separation from the Church catholic and heralds its union with worldliness, and which disparages the Holy Spirit who works exclusively through the Means of Grace and arrogantly augments or even supplants His work with the efforts of man. We will continue to oppose the encroachments of Truth-killing post-Modern thought upon our pre-Modern system of theology, we will continue to oppose post-Modernism as a foundation for contemporary translations of the Bible, and we will continue to reject the NIV as a viable translation for the serious Christian. All posts would remain as they are – without editing or removal. The efforts of editors and Board members would continue to be rendered gratis.
We have given ourselves until the end of the year. It's up to our readers, now. If there are those who would be interested in becoming a regular essayist, or in having more substantial involvement with IL, please make yourselves known to us (privately, if you desire). If we don't know you, we may ask you to submit a CV and provide references. If, by the end of the year, we have not made any progress toward increasing our number of active authors, or in acquiring additional qualified leadership candidates, we will de-incorporate and mothball the blog. In this event, all blog posts will remain as they are and continue to be available for public access into the foreseeable future, for as long as we are able to maintain our domain name.
The past year or so has seen some significant changes for us, personally, professionally and as a group. It is no secret that Rev. Rydecki, after making independent study of the Doctrine of Justification and having publicly raised some simple questions of exegesis from the floor of a Pastors (sic) conference in his District, was eventually labeled by his Brothers a heretic and cast out from among them without the honest review of his concerns for which he pleaded at length. No longer WELS, he has since colloquized into the ELDoNA, which was concerned and objective enough to give him an honest hearing, and to carefully consider and deliberate his arguments before receiving him. But this is not the extent of the personal changes many of us at IL have faced. I, for one, have been in the midst of some fairly significant business changes over the past several months, that have altered my availability to write with the frequency to which many may have become accustomed. And I know that shifting responsibilities and personal circumstances have impacted the others, as well.
But there have been other changes – changes in attitude toward our initial "objectives." In our recent, and very popular post, What on Earth could the CoP possibly have meant by THIS?, we identified two "primary precipitating situations behind [the] formation" of Intrepid Lutherans in 2010:
- (1) the appalling treatment of the layman, Mr. Rick Techlin, by his pastor and congregation, and the incomprehensible support publicly granted them by the praesidium of the Northern Wisconsin District; and
(2) the continuing existence of "Time of Grace Ministry" as a manifestly non-denominational and unionistic evangelism Ministry conducted by WELS and other Lutherans, and the continuing support of the praesidium of the Southeastern Wisconsin District enjoyed by "Time of Grace Ministry."
The result is no small level of disenfranchisement among a majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors, and a resulting shift in personal interest and priority. Of all the friends they thought they had, very few have stood with them publicly. With no significant public voice to oppose the abuses that brought us all together in 2010, such abuses are now normative in WELS. There is no stopping it, there is no changing it, indeed, there is no referring to it as somehow "wrong" anymore. That is because WELS has changed. If, three and a half years ago, we very naïvely thought such things could have been stopped, curtailed or at least turned toward reformation (and some of us did think such could happen), that naiveté has been sucked from us as the hot desert sun draws moisture from a naked body; publicly deserted by those who privately supported us, we, along with our remaining stalwart public supporters, have baked alone in the sun.
For these and a variety of other reasons, the majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors have found that their enthusiasm with respect to our purpose regarding these precipitating situations has left them, that current circumstances have driven them to focus on other priorities.
The only two who are willing to continue are myself and Rev. Rydecki – although going forward neither of us will have the time to publish as frequently as we have in the past, with Rev. Rydecki's involvement reducing to moderator and occasional blog posts.
This leaves us with a dilemma of sorts. Currently, Intrepid Lutherans is incorporated as a non-profit religious and educational institution, so that we can collect revenue in the form of donations and use it to host conferences. Believe it or not, we were in the midst of planning such a conference for next Spring, a conference that would have included not only the results of a systematic study of Church Growth trends in the WELS, but an in depth examination of translation ideology – of Dynamic Equivalence versus Formal Equivalence – of the "Critical Text" Greek apparatus that stands behind DE, and the "Historical Critical Method" that props it up. In addition, this conference would have provided an academic defense for the adoption of the "New King James Translation" of the Bible. There were other topics on the docket for exploration as well. If Intrepid Lutherans were to continue with such endeavors, it would need to remain incorporated. But it would also need qualified Board Members. Though Rev. Rydecki is willing to continue as an author, he simply does not have the time to devote to the duties of a corporate officer. And corporations require at least two officers.
Likewise, even if Intrepid Lutherans were to continue as just a Blog, we simply need more qualified writers. Between Rev. Rydecki and myself, maybe two or three entries a month are all that could be expected, which is not nearly enough to maintain a dedicated readership.
If we were to continue in either case, the purpose of Intrepid Lutherans would necessarily change. First and foremost, we would entirely cease to be a "WELS blog", or an organization that defines its existence or purpose with reference to ANY Lutheran synod or church body. We have very definitely entered a post-Synodical Era, and it will do the scattered remnant of genuine Lutherans little good for Intrepid Lutherans, or for any Lutheran group, to conduct itself with an imbalanced and unrealistic devotion to earthly organizations. In order to provide a balance of Lutheran perspectives, the hope would be to attract regular contributors and/or leadership candidates from additional sources in American Lutheranism.
Second, since it would not be defining itself relative to any Lutheran synod or church body, Intrepid Lutherans would end that aspect of its mission which continually addressed itself to the political issues of WELS, or those of any Lutheran synod or church body. That isn't to say that such issues won't be pointedly discussed from time to time, particularly as Intrepid Lutherans continues to warn of growing corruption in, and encroaching worldliness upon broad segments of American Lutheranism – a warning that is relevant to all Lutheran church bodies in America, even if they (think they) have separated themselves from the rest of Christianity, or even if they (think they) have sequestered themselves from the rest of the World. Third, rather than addressing ourselves to Lutheran clergy and laity, we would be focusing on primarily equipping and engaging Lutheran laity. We would do this not by insulting them with condescending "bubble-gum," but by providing what seems be disappearing from the main Lutheran publishing houses, the highest quality writing we can muster, sufficiently sourced so that the layman can continue to investigate as interest would lead him. The equipping we would hope to offer Lutheran laity would be a preparation, not to stand as confessional Lutherans before confessing brothers and family members who don't really want to live up to a label they apply to themselves, but to stand as confessing Christians in a Western Society that has swiftly grown shockingly and openly hostile to Christianity.
Fourth, there would be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice from a more broadly and historically orthodox perspective, rather than elevate peculiarities of recent American innovation that have supplanted those perspectives. To this end, and in the interest of equipping the laity, there would also be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice not only as current issues in American Christianity give rise to questions regarding, or a need to defend, historic and orthodox Christianity, but from the standpoint of balance from the four categories of preparation in the Christian religion: Exegetical & Historical Theology (the so-called "historic" disciplines), and Systematic & Practical Theology (the so-called "constructive" disciplines) – where we would also recognize that Systematic Theology is more than just dogmatics, but also includes apologetics and ethics. In other words, our goals would be set so that there could be no mistaking – on our part or anyone else's – that rather than set out to "achieve" any particular result (impossible, since these goals include no arrival point), we are merely proceeding in a direction that we are convinced it is proper to go, trusting that the Lord will make fitting use of our "going."
What would not be changing? Our "What we Believe" statement would not be changed. We would continue to be a forum in which friendly and productive discussion on the article of Justification may be engaged by genuinely interested and concerned Lutherans. We will continue to herald confessional Lutheran practice – historic, liturgical and catholic practice, that is – as the proper form of worship for confessing Lutherans, and we will continue to vigorously oppose all forms of sectarian worship which boasts of its separation from the Church catholic and heralds its union with worldliness, and which disparages the Holy Spirit who works exclusively through the Means of Grace and arrogantly augments or even supplants His work with the efforts of man. We will continue to oppose the encroachments of Truth-killing post-Modern thought upon our pre-Modern system of theology, we will continue to oppose post-Modernism as a foundation for contemporary translations of the Bible, and we will continue to reject the NIV as a viable translation for the serious Christian. All posts would remain as they are – without editing or removal. The efforts of editors and Board members would continue to be rendered gratis.
We have given ourselves until the end of the year. It's up to our readers, now. If there are those who would be interested in becoming a regular essayist, or in having more substantial involvement with IL, please make yourselves known to us (privately, if you desire). If we don't know you, we may ask you to submit a CV and provide references. If, by the end of the year, we have not made any progress toward increasing our number of active authors, or in acquiring additional qualified leadership candidates, we will de-incorporate and mothball the blog. In this event, all blog posts will remain as they are and continue to be available for public access into the foreseeable future, for as long as we are able to maintain our domain name.
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| The WELS Coven of Predators worships money. |
***
GJ - I am not arguing with Mr. Lindee. I know how WELS works - the Jeske gang will bust a gut getting all the posts erased. Save them now.
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This Just In - From Dr. Lito Cruz
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| "Bless you, Lito." |
I went to a Facebook forum called Filipino Pastor's Forum.
This forum has several denominations in it and may be 30 % come from Reformed background.
The debate on election, regeneration has been going on in this forum for quite a number of weeks now, with the Calvinist camp stressing sovereignty of God and election.
The forum administrator asked therefore this question as a thread...
WHEN DOES SALVATION TAKE PLACE BEFORE YOU WERE BORN OR UPON FAITH IN CHRIST AND ACCORDING TO THIS VERSE ARE WE SAVED ALREADY BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD WITHOUT HEARING THE GOSPEL, CHRIST DYING AND OUR FAITH IN HIM? 2Tim 1:8
I hope it is evident how Calvinism is so the same as UOJ. Walther and the others borrowed so many diabolical claims.
Like I said, Calvinism's idea of faith is an after thought, notice the question and how this question jives with the thesis of UOJ - that everybody has been justified/saved before they were born and before they can have faith.
The same is true for Calvinism the only difference is that the elect was already saved before they were born or before Jesus could die for them.
In Calvinism faith is not an instrument of Justification but God's solemn decree.
Man is Justified through solemn decree, not through faith.
LPC
***
GJ - Some basic data that goes so well with Lito's post -
The double-justification formula--OJ and SJ--came from the Calvinist Leonard Woods, although he was not necessarily the first to use those words.
Woods' formula in English, explaining the Halle theologian Knapp, traveled to Germany and was accepted there. Walther approved of that formula and it began to be used in the LCMS. Pieper, whose election was rigged by Walther, used OJ/SJ.
The Easter absolution language was prevalent in Halle (see Rambach) and was used by Walther.
The so-called Evangelical Church in German territories was a union church, with Reformed doctrine dominant and Lutherans told to hush up.
Walther's training was only at the university level, a bachelor's degree in rationalism. He was never trained in Lutheran doctrine. Certainly he studied Luther and hid behind Luther, but like Zwinli and Calvin, only when it suited him.
Walther's style came from Bishop Martin Stephan, the poorly trained Pietist cell group and female groupie leader. Walther copied the dictatorial style of Stephan after serving as his enforcer for years.
Walther did not know about Stephan's adultery, when Stephan left his dying wife and sick children behind, taking his main mistress and his groupies?
No one knew Stephan went to spas with his mistress and sent his wife walking home?
No one knew Stephan's painful rashes came from syphilis?
---
More from Dr. Cruz:
Again from the Filipino Pastor's Forum found in FaceBook.
Watch the similarities with UOJ, man is justified already/saved already without hearing the Gospel or before they heard it. Note how in Calvinism, man is not saved by faith or through faith. In UOJ you believe you are already saved so faith does nothing.
This is from the list owner...Larry Dela Cruz
===============
Larry Dela Cruz created the doc: "Most Damnable Heresy"
I have read Primitive Baptists book by Tom Hagler.
It is disturbing. I literally threw the book.
The elect are saved before the world began.
1. Therefore no need of the gospel to be saved.
2. Through faith in Christ we are not saved.
3. We are not regenerated through the gospel.
4. The elect are regenerated without faith faith in Christ and the gospel.
5. The elect since already saved from the world began can reject Christ, the gospel and sin they are still saved eternally.
6. The elect from all religions are saved even without the gospel and Christ.
It is disturbing. I literally threw the book.
The elect are saved before the world began.
1. Therefore no need of the gospel to be saved.
2. Through faith in Christ we are not saved.
3. We are not regenerated through the gospel.
4. The elect are regenerated without faith faith in Christ and the gospel.
5. The elect since already saved from the world began can reject Christ, the gospel and sin they are still saved eternally.
6. The elect from all religions are saved even without the gospel and Christ.
↧
WELS Style - And You Thought the Gay Video Was Bad
At the anniversary luncheon, a program of entertainment was presented. Part of the entertainment was a video made by the New Life church council. Brent Anderson shot the footage for the video and Jerry Bauer edited the footage into the form of a video.
The video is a parody of a wildly popular Korean dance video known as Psy Gangnam.
Recently, the kids at the Naval Academy put together their own version.
The New Life Church Council’s version of the video shows the everlasting devotion the council members have for Katherine Von Bora, better known as Katherine Luther. You can watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56ZfdWMixt8.
***
GJ - This reminds me of DP Jon Buchholz, WELS, referred to the Reformer as "Uncle Marty" and grinning - at a council or congregational meeting called to discuss justification by faith.
Leads to this:
http://www.exposingtheelca.com/1/post/2013/11/what-comes-out-of-an-elca-leaders-mouth.html
| Exposing the ELCA |
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God tells us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). He also tells us, “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matthew 15:11). With that in mind, listen to the disturbing and defiling things ELCA leaders are saying. Note: I have edited the foul language with asterisks (*). The ELCA leaders did not edit their words. “Job took his precious handful of seeds to God and God – there’s no delicate way to say this – God s**ts on him,”spoken by Rev. Wil Gafney during her sermon given at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia's chapel service (ELCA) where she teaches. The seminary website and Rev. Gafney's website later posted the sermon. (seehere and here) Rev. Gafney's sermon also included this crude remark in reference to Job, “Then when he loses every thing he has including the skin he is in, it is because God gambles with his life and the lives of his children, consigning them to death to prove a point and win a bet with a character who is a satan but not the devil, (yet). And Job has the – I have to say it because the text calls for it – Job has the balls to sue God over what he knows was an injustice done to him . . . ” ELCA Pastor Ericc Clapp writes in his blog - “If you are constantly negative or acting like an a*s, you will be banned.” (see here) And, “We need to call bulls**t...” (see here) And, “I won’t lie, the only words that ran through my head when I put this book down after finishing it were, 'Holy s**t.'” (seehere) ELCA New England Synod bishop Jim Hazelwood recommended in his blog that people should “Form a WTHIGOAU group. This stands for What the H*ll is Going On Around Us.”(see here) The queen of foul language, the popular ELCA pastor, Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, has so many examples to choose from, here are just a few - Breaking the second commandment, Bolz-Weber says, “Oh my god, are you people whiny.” (see here) Here are some snippets from Rev. Bolz-Weber's new book. “'S**t,' I thought to myself,” and “It's a f**king fairy tale,” and “What the h*ll am I'm doing?” and “Jesus gathered with some real f**k-ups, held up bread and said take and eat . . .” (see Bolz-Weber's book Pastrix, in the section “Fall 2005”here) These are ELCA leaders proudly, with intent, saying these things. This kind of talk is not Christ-like. Granted, these people serve in a denomination with a track record which shows little regard for what the Bible says. Scripture is arbitrary to them. But one would think this kind of talk would be something of which these “Christian” leaders would be embarrassed and try to refrain. That is not the case; these ELCA leaders are proud of the foul words they use. ELCA pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber defends her foul language, “I swear like a truck driver . . . I refuse to pretend I’m somebody I’m not . . . I speak like other people.” And “I have not said the ‘F-word’ in a sermon. When I swear it’s really for emphasis or humor, not to be mean or to be foul toward someone. Just colorful and funny speech that is effective.” (read here) Additionally she comments, “Some people think pastors shouldn't swear. I think pastors shouldn't pretend to be people they're not.” (see here) ELCA leadership, this is what God tells us in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” In James 3:10, God says, "Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be." I see prideful church leaders who have no interest in conforming their speech to be more like Christ. It is no surprise. It is clear that it is not only speech that is affected by stubborn unwillingness to conform to God's ways, leadership and teaching. This translates to encouragement toward other blatantly sinful choices and ways of living. Leaders lead . . . one question is, to where are they leading those who will follow? |
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Thanksgiving Eve Service - Wednesday, 4 PM Central
The Thanksgiving Eve service will be broadcast on Wednesday at 4 PM Central Standard Time.
Almost any time would create conflicts, so this way it can be viewed later, whenever it works out for individuals.
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WELS College Student Has No Problem with Ski's Reformation Sermon. Not What They Meant about Theme and Parts
Please keep all scrotums and sweaty oozey Jesus' away please.
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Classic Ichabod - Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 22, 2007
History Channel - The First Thanksgiving
First Thanksgiving
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.
Food preparation
Historians have also recorded other ceremonies of thanks among European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Berkeley Plantation, Virginia. At this site near the Charles River in December of 1619, a group of British settlers led by Captain John Woodlief knelt in prayer and pledged "Thanksgiving" to God for their healthy arrival after a long voyage across the Atlantic. This event has been acknowledged by some scholars and writers as the official first Thanksgiving among European settlers on record. Whether at Plymouth, Berkeley Plantation, or throughout the Americas, celebrations of thanks have held great meaning and importance over time. The legacy of thanks, and particularly of the feast, have survived the centuries as people throughout the United States gather family, friends, and enormous amounts of food for their yearly Thanksgiving meal.
What Was Actually on the Menu?
What foods topped the table at the first harvest feast? Historians aren't completely certain about the full bounty, but it's safe to say the pilgrims weren't gobbling up pumpkin pie or playing with their mashed potatoes. Following is a list of the foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast. However, the only two items that historians know for sure were on the menu are venison and wild fowl, which are mentioned in primary sources. The most detailed description of the "First Thanksgiving" comes from Edward Winslow from A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, in 1621:
"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakersof our plenty.
Did you know that lobster, seal and swans were on the Pilgrims' menu? Learn more...
Seventeenth Century Table Manners:
The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food. Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper, however, was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.
In the seventeenth century, a person's social standing determined what he or she ate. The best food was placed next to the most important people. People didn't tend to sample everything that was on the table (as we do today), they just ate what was closest to them.
Serving in the seventeenth century was very different from serving today. People weren't served their meals individually. Foods were served onto the table and then people took the food from the table and ate it. All the servers had to do was move the food from the place where it was cooked onto the table.
Pilgrims didn't eat in courses as we do today. All of the different types of foods were placed on the table at the same time and people ate in any order they chose. Sometimes there were two courses, but each of them would contain both meat dishes, puddings, and sweets.
More Meat, Less Vegetables
Our modern Thanksgiving repast is centered around the turkey, but that certainly wasn't the case at the pilgrims's feasts. Their meals included many different meats. Vegetable dishes, one of the main components of our modern celebration, didn't really play a large part in the feast mentality of the seventeenth century. Depending on the time of year, many vegetables weren't available to the colonists.
The pilgrims probably didn't have pies or anything sweet at the harvest feast. They had brought some sugar with them on the Mayflower but by the time of the feast, the supply had dwindled. Also, they didn't have an oven so pies and cakes and breads were not possible at all. The food that was eaten at the harvest feast would have seemed fatty by 1990's standards, but it was probably more healthy for the pilgrims than it would be for people today. The colonists were more active and needed more protein. Heart attack was the least of their worries. They were more concerned about the plague and pox.
Surprisingly Spicy Cooking
People tend to think of English food at bland, but, in fact, the pilgrims used many spices, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and dried fruit, in sauces for meats. In the seventeenth century, cooks did not use proportions or talk about teaspoons and tablespoons. Instead, they just improvised. The best way to cook things in the seventeenth century was to roast them. Among the pilgrims, someone was assigned to sit for hours at a time and turn the spit to make sure the meat was evenly done.
Since the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians had no refrigeration in the seventeenth century, they tended to dry a lot of their foods to preserve them. They dried Indian corn, hams, fish, and herbs.
Dinner for Breakfast: Pilgrim Meals:
The biggest meal of the day for the colonists was eaten at noon and it was called noonmeat or dinner. The housewives would spend part of their morning cooking that meal. Supper was a smaller meal that they had at the end of the day. Breakfast tended to be leftovers from the previous day's noonmeat.
In a pilgrim household, the adults sat down to eat and the children and servants waited on them. The foods that the colonists and Wampanoag Indians ate were very similar, but their eating patterns were different. While the colonists had set eating patterns--breakfast, dinner, and supper--the Wampanoags tended to eat when they were hungry and to have pots cooking throughout the day.
Source: Kathleen Curtin, Food Historian at Plimoth Plantation
All Photos Courtesy of Plimouth Plantation, Inc., Plymouth, Mass. USA.ca.
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Thanksgiving Service - 4 PM - Thanksgiving Eve. 2013
Thanksgiving, 2013
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 4 PM Central Standard Time
The Hymn # 558 All Praise to Thee 4.44
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Hymn # 558 All Praise to Thee 4.44
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody Psalm 100 p. 144
The First Lection 1 Timothy 2:1-8
The Second Lection Luke 17:11-19
The Sermon Hymn # 574 Come Ye Thankful 4.9
The First Lection 1 Timothy 2:1-8
The Second Lection Luke 17:11-19
The Sermon Hymn # 574 Come Ye Thankful 4.9
Thanksgiving Comes from Faith
The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer p. 44
The Collect for Peace p. 45
The Benediction p. 45
The Hymn #361 O Jesus King 4.1
KJV 1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. 8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
KJV Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
Thanksgiving Comes from Faith in God
Sermon Text
Luke 17: 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
This is a familiar passage, since it is also used during the church year. But the miraculous healing sticks in our minds because of two points. One point is that 10 lepers were healed. The other is – the stranger or Samaritan, the outcast among outcasts – returned to give thanks. Jesus commended his faith – Your faith has healed you.
Thanksgiving means, for our nation today, being thankful in general. That translates into being thankful for good things, for material blessings. But this text makes us think of a more important kind of thankfulness – thanking God for everything.
Like all Scriptural lessons, this one makes us think of the bad guys as being really ridiculous in their attitude. After all, they had a life-threatening and loathsome disorder, one that separated them from family and friends. They were unclean according to Jewish law and condemned to live apart. They were miraculously healed after asking for healing, but nine did not return to give thanks.
Luther said that he would have turned them into lepers again.
But here we see that we are far more like the nine than we are like the Samaritan. We have so much from God, but others shame us for being far more grateful for the little they have materially. Or even worse for us, they are far more grateful for the Gospel as the true treasure of God, distributed by the Word and Sacraments.
It is well known that Christians in the Third World face constant persecution and death. And they are thankful for the Gospel, not resentful about the cross they must bear.
One of my students has been helping out in China, where restrictions and problems abound. She has been working in one of the poorest areas of Beijing. According to their traditions, certain people get all the benefits while the others do not, based on where they are from. She is helping among the poorest outside of Beijing proper. It is very difficult for everyone, and yet they persist.
Others have noted how the handicapped will show so much thanks toward God even though they seem to be denied what we call a normal life. Those with Down Syndrome are a good example. We taught a group of three students so they could be confirmed. Each one had a learning disability. The young man with Downs already looked older from his physical problems. All three memorized the Creed (no complaining). The young man with Downs knelt at the altar and prayed after the service. It was very touching. I have seen a lot of confirmations, but that was the only time that happened. It was quite a lesson for everyone. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The handicapped are lepers among us, and yet he was not healed. Instead he was given an adult role in his congregation, after wishing for that for many years. He was no longer regarded as a little child. He received Holy Communion.
Of course the parents were joyful too, because they cared that much more that their special child was able to have a different standing in the congregation.
This all relates to an emphasis in Luther and Chytraeus. Thankfulness comes from trusting in God’s goodness and wisdom, no matter what may develop at the moment.
Faith in God is not limited to believing in God. That seems to be the stopping point for the Old Adam. I believe in God but I will figure out the future for myself. That has led to many kinds of compromises with false doctrine and bad practice, simply because the prospect of bearing the cross is too burdensome.
Chytraeus put it this way – It is a sin to doubt the goodness of God. The often-overlooked Book of Concord editor was eloquent in expressing himself this way. Anyone can go through the motions of faith in God and being thankful, but bad times make us doubt the goodness of God, and bearing the cross tempts us to ask if God is showing thankfulness toward us for believing in Him.
Prayer is the fruit of faith, just as thankfulness is. To pray to God as a loving, gracious forgiving Father means trust in His goodness. It also means trusting in His infinite power. God can change a situation in an instant or over time, depending on His wisdom. When we look back upon certain events we can how great the gap is between our expectations and God’s actions.
Experience told me the solution to the teaching problem – reduced work. I had a solution but the person who became a friend was a gadfly in that very area of work – the community college. He directed me toward what he knew, which was different, fun, challenging, and beneficial to young Christian students. I almost expected to hear a tinkling bell (“It’s a Wonderful Life) when he got his angel wings and disappeared.
Luther said he often prayed away calamities, because he trusted in God's great power to avert them. Gerhardt wrote a beautiful hymn (only found in German) about how God blesses us in so many ways, each and every day:
Lobet den Herren. That hymn reminds people about God providing daily blessings we do not often count because they represent the absence of evil.
I often write a prayer on FB for people facing difficult situations, especially when they are suffering from the illnesses of their spouses.
If anyone doubts the power of God in watching over the faithful, look at those without faith and note the calamities they face constantly, without knowing how to avoid them. Lack of faith means blindness toward God-pleasing actions and attitudes. Church leaders often have the least faith in God among all His subjects.
Trust in God is the real meaning of giving God all the glory. Trust in His Word means that it will bring about the best possible results in God’s eyes rather than in ours. What He can accomplish is often instant and yet just as often takes decades or centuries.
The epistle lesson also notes that we should pray for our leaders and give thanks for what God has ordained in our particular world. The decadent Roman Empire of the apostles served as a royal road for the Gospel across the world. The long-lasting Byzantine Empire (the Eastern part of the Roman Empire) survived for another 14 centuries after Christ to preserve the Greek heritage and keep Islam from Europe.
So God's will is accomplished through His Word – and we are thankful for it.
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Just Think - Ski and Glende Went to Mark Driscoll To Study Plagiarism And To Learn How To Shock Congregations with Graphic Language
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/11/29/flunking-mark-driscoll-for-plagiarism/
Friday, November 29, 2013, 9:31 AM
Mega-church pastor Mark Driscoll just can’t seem to avoid controversy. He’s crass and brash, and he says outrageous things. He’s always making some Christian somewhere uncomfortable. This time, however, it’s not about the words that he’s said. It’s that he’s claimed the words that other people have said.
On November 21, Janet Mefferd, a radio host, accused Driscoll of plagiarism. She pointed out that passages from his new book, A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future?, reproduce ideas from a book by Peter Jones published in 1999, Gospel Truth/Pagan Lies: Can You Tell the Difference? Driscoll blew off her assertion. Mefferd has uploaded a comparison of the similar passages, along with some other suspect passages, here.
If I had come across the Call to Resurgence passage, I’d have been concerned about the lack of citation, but I might have just shrugged it off as ineptitude.
Some of the other evidence that Mefferd found is more damning. In a book on First and Second Peter published by Mars Hill Church, Driscoll lifts whole paragraphs almost word-for-word from the entry on First Peter in the New Bible Commentary, published by IVP in 1994. These passages are at the end of the previous link, and Mefferd provides additional passages here.
I’m a university professor. I have no tolerance for this kind of nonsense. I’ve failed students for less flagrant plagiarism. So, it’s my duty, as a member of my professing profession, to give Driscoll an “F.”
Mark Driscoll, you have failed.
I’ve dealt with a number of plagiarists, and it seems to me that plagiarism stems from two issues. I’ll let you decide which problem Driscoll suffers from, because there obviously is a problem.
1. Laziness. Writing is hard work, so some writers don’t want to do it right. Laziness also leads to procrastination. Getting behind schedule causes writers to cut corners and plagiarize.
2. Ignorance. I don’t mean ignorance of the conventions of proper citation. Everyone knows not to steal other people’s words. I mean ignorance of the topic. Sometimes people plagiarize because they are incompetent. They don’t know enough about their topic to ask interesting questions and provide interesting answers. Thus they must regurgitate what someone else has done. Becoming competent would take too much work (see reason one), and admitting incompetence would be embarrassing.
Unfortunately, this kind of thing is pretty common in Christian publishing. I remember when I was in seminary I came across a couple of paragraphs in a new commentary that had been lifted word-for-word from a very old commentary. I told my professor about it, and he shook his head sadly. He said, “I know that author. I can’t believe he did that.” We didn’t have blogs back then. It was much more difficult to “out” the plagiarists.
Of course, perhaps Driscoll isn’t a plagiarist. Maybe he employed a ghostwriter who is a plagiarist. It’d be convenient to have a scapegoat right now. But even if it was his ghostwriter, I’ll still fail him because we university professors don’t actually approve of ghostwriting. I know it’s typical in Christian publishing, but it’s still lying. Ghostwriting is lying, and plagiarism is stealing, and there seems to be a lot of it going around.
I’m sorry, Pastor Mark, but I don’t give extra credit. You’ll be stuck with the grade you’ve earned on this one.
(And because it’s always important to cite your sources, I give Jonathan Merritt the HT for this one.)
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http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/11/27/mark-driscoll-silent-amid-mounting-allegations-of-plagiarism/
On November 21, Janet Mefferd, a radio host, accused Driscoll of plagiarism. She pointed out that passages from his new book, A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future?, reproduce ideas from a book by Peter Jones published in 1999, Gospel Truth/Pagan Lies: Can You Tell the Difference? Driscoll blew off her assertion. Mefferd has uploaded a comparison of the similar passages, along with some other suspect passages, here.
If I had come across the Call to Resurgence passage, I’d have been concerned about the lack of citation, but I might have just shrugged it off as ineptitude.
Some of the other evidence that Mefferd found is more damning. In a book on First and Second Peter published by Mars Hill Church, Driscoll lifts whole paragraphs almost word-for-word from the entry on First Peter in the New Bible Commentary, published by IVP in 1994. These passages are at the end of the previous link, and Mefferd provides additional passages here.
I’m a university professor. I have no tolerance for this kind of nonsense. I’ve failed students for less flagrant plagiarism. So, it’s my duty, as a member of my professing profession, to give Driscoll an “F.”
Mark Driscoll, you have failed.
I’ve dealt with a number of plagiarists, and it seems to me that plagiarism stems from two issues. I’ll let you decide which problem Driscoll suffers from, because there obviously is a problem.
1. Laziness. Writing is hard work, so some writers don’t want to do it right. Laziness also leads to procrastination. Getting behind schedule causes writers to cut corners and plagiarize.
2. Ignorance. I don’t mean ignorance of the conventions of proper citation. Everyone knows not to steal other people’s words. I mean ignorance of the topic. Sometimes people plagiarize because they are incompetent. They don’t know enough about their topic to ask interesting questions and provide interesting answers. Thus they must regurgitate what someone else has done. Becoming competent would take too much work (see reason one), and admitting incompetence would be embarrassing.
Unfortunately, this kind of thing is pretty common in Christian publishing. I remember when I was in seminary I came across a couple of paragraphs in a new commentary that had been lifted word-for-word from a very old commentary. I told my professor about it, and he shook his head sadly. He said, “I know that author. I can’t believe he did that.” We didn’t have blogs back then. It was much more difficult to “out” the plagiarists.
Of course, perhaps Driscoll isn’t a plagiarist. Maybe he employed a ghostwriter who is a plagiarist. It’d be convenient to have a scapegoat right now. But even if it was his ghostwriter, I’ll still fail him because we university professors don’t actually approve of ghostwriting. I know it’s typical in Christian publishing, but it’s still lying. Ghostwriting is lying, and plagiarism is stealing, and there seems to be a lot of it going around.
I’m sorry, Pastor Mark, but I don’t give extra credit. You’ll be stuck with the grade you’ve earned on this one.
(And because it’s always important to cite your sources, I give Jonathan Merritt the HT for this one.)
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http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/11/27/mark-driscoll-silent-amid-mounting-allegations-of-plagiarism/
More allegations of plagiarism surface against Mark Driscoll
Syndicated radio host Janet Mefferd sent shockwaves throughout social media when she accused megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll of plagiarism in a heated on-air exchange last week. In the last two days, however, Mefferd has turned up the heat with additional allegations. On Tuesday, she posted photocopied evidence that Driscoll borrowed material — this time, word for word — in another of his books, “Trial: 8 Witnesses From 1&2 Peter“. As Mefferd’s evidence demonstrates, Driscoll published several sections from D.A. Carson’s “New Bible Commentary” without proper citation.
Mefferd struck again on Wednesday, providing two additional allegations of plagiarism— both taken word-for-word from Carson’s “New Bible Commentary“ and published in Driscoll’s book on 1&2 Peter. Carson has said that preachers who plagiarize are “stealing” and “deceiving.” Requests for a comment sent to the office of D.A. Carson were not immediately returned.
Last week, Mefferd claimed Driscoll plagiarized Dr. Peter Jones for at least 14 pages in his book, “A Call to Resurgence“. She has since released documentation in an effort to support these claims.
I contacted Jones’ ministry, TruthXchange, for a public statement. Joshua Gielow, Jones’s assistant, has offered the following response:
Dr. Jones wants to express his appreciation for the balanced article on this matter published at Religion News Service. At this time, Dr. Jones and TruthXchange will not be making public statements, but we do pray for reconciliation among all parties involved.
Regarding “A Call to Resurgence,” the book’s publisher, Tyndale House, released a statement last week defending Driscoll, expressing dissatisfaction with Mefferd’s “belligerent tone”, and vowing to investigate the matter. Today, they sent the following statement to RNS:
Tyndale House takes any accusation of plagiarism seriously and has therefore conducted a thorough in-house review of the original material and sources provided by the author. After this review we feel confident that the content in question has been properly cited in the printed book and conforms to market standards.
According to Brad Greenberg, Intellectual Property Fellow at Columbia Law School, the first allegation is far less serious than the newer ones insofar as the law is concerned. Copyright laws protect expression — the exact ordering of words — not the idea, Greenberg told me.
“The passages that Mefferd has identified appear to be copied almost verbatim from the Carson New Bible Commentary. Merely changing a few words, such as ‘unschooled’ to ‘uneducated’, is likely not enough to skirt liability for copyright infringement,” Greenberg said. “The only relevant defense that I could see Driscoll having is independent creation–that is, he wrote this passage completely independent of the Carson text, and the striking similarity is mere coincidence. That, of course, is exceptionally unlikely because the Carson text was far from obscure and, in fact, was later cited by Driscoll.”
Mefferd told me it is disconcerting to her regardless of the legal implications: “I think word-for-word plagiarism is always very serious. Mark Driscoll plagiarized a man word-for-word providing more evidence that he hasn’t followed his own sermons and admonitions to not steal.”
Driscoll has been outspoken on the issue of stealing intellectual property. The FAQ section on the Mars Hill Church website warns against stealing Driscoll’s intellectual property, and he penned a November 23 article on lying that stated, “pastors are notorious for ‘borrowing’ material. All of us are guilty of deception to some degree. Its prevalence, however, does not change the fact that deception is a demonic, satanic issue.” In his book, “Vintage Church,” Driscoll argued that pastors who plagiarize should quit their jobs.
Mefferd says this has sweeping implications for Driscoll’s ministry because the Bible is “very clear that a pastor should be above reproach.” When asked if she believes Driscoll is now no longer above reproach and therefore unfit for the role of pastor, Mefferd replied, “That would be my opinion.”
Mars Hill Church Communications Manager Justin Dean, did not respond to emails, phone calls, and text messages. Driscoll has not acknowledged the matter on either his blog or social media accounts.
As to whether she has more allegations to make and more evidence to present in the coming days, Mefferd told me, “I think it is entirely likely that more will come to light.”
**RELATED: See my original column on this story for full context: “Mark Driscoll accused of plagiarism by radio host”**
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Plagiarism Promoted and Defended in WELS-ELS-LCMS
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| Ego absolvo me, et Districtus Popus Broken-Angelus. |
See the post below on Mark Driscoll's plagiarism.
I just took a required course on how to deal with plagiarism. One form of plagiarism - changing a few words here and there, or changing the order of the material, as if that makes it original work.
Paul McCain, a Concordia Publishing House editor, plagiarizes on his blog and publishes posts thanking him for his "work" on the blog, which the item itself is 100% from another source and not cited.
His boss, who boasts a drive-by doctorate, supports this plagiarism by doing nothing about it, claiming that a blog promoting CPH books by a CPH employee has nothing to do with CPH or his maladroit stewardship of the business.
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Paul Crouch, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Died at Age 79
http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/tbn-founder-paul-crouch-dead-at-79/
Born in St. Joseph, Mo., on March 30, 1934, to Assemblies of God missionaries, Paul Crouch would later co-found TBN, which today has become America’s most watched faith network and the seventh largest group owner of broadcast TV stations in the U.S.
Crouch began his career in broadcasting by helping to build an educational AM station on campus while a student at Central Bible Institute and Seminary in Springfield, Mo. In 1957 he became a radio announcer in Rapid City, S.D. and eventually became program director. Shortly thereafter he was promoted to manager of KRSD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rapid City. His career also included work with KREL-AM in Corona, Calif., KHOF-FM and KHOF-TV, San Bernardino, Calif., and an appointment by the General Council of the Assemblies of God to organize and operate their Department of Television and Film Production in Burbank, Calif.
He will best be known, however, for his efforts in 1973 – along with his wife, Jan, and Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker – to found TBN, then known as Trinity Broadcasting Systems.
In 1974, TBN purchased its first TV station, KLXA-TV (now KTBN-TV 40) in Southern California. Since then, TBN has grown to reach every major continent via 84 satellite channels and over 18,000 television and cable affiliates around the world.
Along with his wife, Jan, Crouch anchored TBN’s flagship program, “Praise the Lord,” a nightly two-hour talk show featuring guests, Scripture and entertainment.
Crouch and TBN have been the recipients of numerous awards and citations of appreciation, including the Golden Angel award from the Excellence in Media organization and the Parents Television Council Entertainment Seal of Approval.
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/tbn-founder-paul-crouch-dead-at-79/#SC7BlFA1bYTb5UJs.99
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Raymond Klatt's Wife Died on Thanksgiving Morning
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| Marie Klatt |
Obituary for Marie M Klatt
Marie M. Klatt, of Jackson, formerly of Saline, passed away peacefully Thursday, November 28, 2013 at Allegiance Hospice Home in Jackson. She was 76 years old. She was born November 1, 1937 to Laurie and Olga (Saari) Holso. Marie was retired from the University of Michigan. She enjoyed craft work and gardening, but most of all family. She was a member of the Faith Lutheran Church in Dexter.Marie is survived by her husband Raymond, daughters Linda Klatt and Deanna Vollano as well as two granddaughters Heather and Christina Vollano. She was also survived by one niece and several great nieces and nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Laurie Holso Jr., a sister Eleanor Holso and one nephew Duane Holso.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, December 1, 2013 at 6:00 pm at the Nie Family Funeral Home- Liberty Road Chapel, 3767 W. Liberty Rd., Ann Arbor, MI. There will be visitation on Sunday from 2:00pm until time of service. In memory of Marie memorial contributions may be made to the Allegiance Hospice Home in Jackson.
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GJ - We have been praying for Marie for some time. She needed nursing care and developed a clot after sustaining a hip injury. God has taken her from our midst.
Her husband Raymond has been a faithful member via the Internet and also a great helper in terms of improving the broadcast.
The flowers on the altar on Sunday are in memory of Marie.
The purpose of the Gospel is to plant faith in Jesus in our hearts and sustain it through the Word and Sacraments.
Blessed are those who die in Lord from henceforth.
"I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live."
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Luther's Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent. Romans 13:11-14
Luther's Sermon for the FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. Romans 13:11-14
EPISTLE TEXT:
ROMANS 13:11-14. 11 And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
AN EXHORTATION TO GOOD WORKS.
1. This epistle lesson treats not of faith, but of its fruits, or works. It teaches how a Christian should conduct himself outwardly in his relations to other men upon earth. But how we should walk in the spirit before God, comes under the head of faith. Of faith Paul treats comprehensively and in apostolic manner in the chapters preceding this text. A close consideration of our passage shows it to be not didactic; rather it is meant to incite, to exhort, urge and arouse souls already aware of their duty. Paul in Romans 12:7-8 devotes the office of the ministry to two things, doctrine and exhortation. The doctrinal part consists in preaching truths not generally known; in instructing and enlightening the people.
Exhortation is inciting and urging to duties already well understood.
Necessarily both obligations claim the attention of the minister, and hence Paul takes up both.
2. For the sake of effect and emphasis the apostle in his admonition employs pleasing figures and makes an eloquent appeal. He introduces certain words ¾ “Armor,” “work,” “sleep,” “awake,” “darkness,” “light,” “day,” “night” ¾ which are purely figurative, intended to convey other than a literal and native meaning. He has no reference here to the things they ordinarily stand for. The words are employed as similes, to help us grasp the spiritual thought. The meaning is: Since for sake of temporal gain men rise from sleep, put aside the things of darkness and take up the day’s work when night has given place to morning, how much greater the necessity for us to awake from our spiritual sleep, to cast off the things of darkness and enter upon the works of light, since our night has passed and our day breaks.
3. “Sleep” here stands for the works of wickedness and unbelief. For sleep is properly incident to the night time; and then, too, the explanation is given in the added words: “Let us cast off the works of darkness.”
Similarly in the thought of awakening and rising are suggested the works of faith and piety. Rising from sleep is naturally an event of the morning.
Relative to the same conception are Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-10: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness... ye are all sons of light, and sons of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that are drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, since we are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
4. Paul, of course, is here not enjoining against physical sleep. His contrasting figures of sleep and wakefulness are used as illustrations of spiritual lethargy and activity ¾ the godly and the ungodly life. In short, his conception here of rising out of sleep is the same as that expressed in his declaration ( Titus 2:11-13): “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” That which in the passage just quoted is called “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,” is here in our text described as a rising from sleep; and the “sober, righteous, godly life” is the waking and the putting on the armor of light; while the appearing of grace is the day and the light, as we shall hear.
5. Now, note the analogy between natural and spiritual sleep. The sleeper sees nothing about him; he is not sensitive to any of earth’s realities. In the midst of them he lies as one dead, useless; as without power or purpose.
Though having life in himself he is practically dead to all outside.
Moreover, his mind is occupied, not with realities, but with dreams, wherein he beholds mere images; vain forms, of the real; and he is foolish enough to think them true. But when he wakes, these illusions or dreams vanish. Then he begins to occupy himself with realities; phantoms are discarded.
6. So it is in the spiritual life. The ungodly individual sleeps. He is in a sense dead in the sight of God. He does not recognize ¾ is not sensitive to ¾ the real spiritual blessings extended him through the Gospel; he regards them as valueless. For these blessings are only to be recognized by the believing heart; they are concealed from the natural man. The ungodly individual is occupied with temporal, transitory things, such as luxury and honor, which are to eternal life and joy as dream images are to flesh-andblood creatures.
When the unbeliever awakes to faith, the transitory things of earth will pass from his contemplation, and their futility will appear. In relation to this subject Psalm 76:5, reads: “The stouthearted are made a spoil, they have slept their sleep; and none of the men of might have found their hands.” And Psalm 73:20: “As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou wilt despise their image.” Also Isaiah 29:8: “And it shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.”
But is it not showing altogether too much contempt for worldly power, wealth, pleasure and honor to compare them to dreams ¾ to dream images? Who has courage to declare kings and princes, wealth, pleasure and power but creations of a dream, in the face of the mad rage of earth after such things? The reason for such conduct is failure to rise from sleep and by faith behold the light. “For now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.”
7. What do these words imply? Did we believe before, or have we now ceased to believe? Right here we must know that, as Paul in Romans 1:2-3 says, God through his prophets promised in the holy Scriptures the Gospel of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom all the world was to be saved. The word to Abraham reads: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 22:18. The blessing here promised to the patriarch, in his seed, is simply that grace and salvation in Christ which the Gospel presents to the whole world, as Paul declares in the fourth chapter of Romans and the fourth of Galatians. For Christ is the seed of Abraham, his own flesh and blood, and in Christ all believing inquirers will be blessed.
8. This promise to the patriarch was later more minutely set forth and more widely circulated by the prophets. All of them wrote of the advent of Christ, and his grace and Gospel, as Peter in Acts 3:18-24 says: The divine promise was believed by the saints prior to the birth of Christ; thus, through the coming Messiah they were preserved and saved by faith. Christ himself ( Luke 16:22) pictures the promise under the figure of Abraham’s bosom, into which all saints from the time of Abraham to Christ’s time, were gathered. Thus is explained Paul’s declaration, “Now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed.” He means practically: “The promise of God to Abraham is not a thing for future fulfillment; it is already fulfilled. Christ is come. The Gospel has been revealed and the blessing distributed throughout the world. All that we waited for in the promise, believing, is here.” The sentence has reference to the spiritual day Paul later speaks of ¾ the rising light of the Gospel; as we shall hear.
9. But faith is not abolished in the fulfillment of the promise; rather it is established. As they of former time believed in the future fulfillment, we believe now in the completed fulfillment. Faith, in the two instances, is essentially the same, but one belief succeeds the other as fulfillment succeeds promise. For in both cases faith is based on the seed of Abraham; that is, on Christ. In one instance it precedes his advent and in the other follows. He who would now, like the Jews, believe in a Christ yet to come, as if the promise were still unfulfilled, would be condemned. For he would make God a liar in holding that his word is unredeemed, contrary to fact.
Were the promise not fulfilled, our salvation would still be far off; we would have to wait its future accomplishment.
10. Having in mind faith under these two conditions, Paul asserts in Romans 1:17: “In the Gospel is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith.” What is meant by the phrase “from faith unto faith”?
Simply that we must now believe not only in the promise but in its past fulfillment. For though the faith of the fathers is one with our faith, they trusting in a Christ to come and we in a Christ revealed, yet the Gospel leads from the former faith to the latter. It is now necessary to believe not only the promise, but also its fulfillment. Abraham and the ancients were not called upon to believe in accomplished fulfillment, though they had the same Christ with us. There is one faith, one spirit, one Christ, one community of saints; but they preceded, while we come after, Christ.
11. Thus we ¾ the fathers and ourselves ¾ have had and still have a common faith in the one Christ, but under different conditions. Because of this common faith in the Messiah, we speak of their act of faith as our own, notwithstanding we were not alive in their day. And similarly, when they make mention of hearing, seeing and believing Christ, the reference is to ourselves, in whose day they live not. David says ( Psalm 8:3): “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,” that is, the apostles. Yet David did not live to see their day. And ( Psalm 9:2): “I will be glad and exult in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O Thou Most High.” And there are many similar passages where one individual speaks in the person of another in consequence of a common faith whereby believers unite in Christ as one body.
12. Paul’s statement “Now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed” cannot be understood to refer to nearness of possession. For the fathers had the same faith and the same Christ with us, and Christ was equally near to them. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yea and for ever.” That is, Christ exists from the beginning of the world to all time, and through him and in him all are preserved. To him of strongest faith Christ is nearest; and from him who least believes, is salvation farthest, so far as personal possession of it goes.
Paul’s reference here is to nearness of the revelation of salvation. When Christ came the promise was fulfilled. The Gospel was revealed to the world. Through Christ’s coming it was publicly preached to all men. In recognition of these things, the apostle says: “Salvation is nearer to us” than when unrevealed and unfulfilled in the promise. In Titus 2:11, it is said: “For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation.” In other words, God’s grace is revealed and publicly proclaimed; though the saints who lived prior to its manifestation nevertheless possessed it.
13. So the Scriptures teach the coming of Christ, notwithstanding he was already present to the fathers. However, he was not publicly proclaimed to mankind until after his resurrection from the dead. It is of this coming in the Gospel the Scriptures for the most part teach. Incident to this revelation he came in human form. The taking upon himself of humanity would have profited no one had it not meant the proclamation of the Gospel. The Gospel was to present him to the whole world, revealing the fact that he became man for the sake of imparting the blessing to all who, accepting the Gospel, should believe in him. Paul tells us ( Romans 1:2) the Gospel was promised of God; from which we may infer God placed more emphasis upon the Gospel, the public revelation of Christ through the Word, than upon his physical birth, his advent in human form. God’s purpose was concerning the Gospel and our faith, and he permitted his Son to assume humanity for the sake of making possible the preaching of the Gospel of Christ; that through the revealed Word salvation in Christ might be brought near ¾ might come ¾ to all the world.
14. Some have presented four different forms of Christ’s advent, adapted to the four Sundays in Advent. But the most vital form of his coming, that upon which all efficacy depends, the coming to which Paul here refers, they have failed to recognize. They know not what constitutes the Gospel, nor for what purpose it was given. Despite their much talk about the advent of Christ, they thrust him from us farther than heaven is from earth. How can Christ profit us unless he be embraced by faith? But how can he be embraced by faith where the Gospel is not preached?
THE DAY OF GRACE.
“The night is far spent, and the day is at hand.”
15. This is equivalent to saying “salvation is near to us.” By the word “day” Paul means the Gospel; the Gospel is like day in that it enlightens the heart or soul. Now, day having broken, salvation is near to us. In other words, Christ and his grace, promised to Abraham, are now revealed; they are preached in all the world, enlightening mankind, awakening us from sleep and making manifest the true, eternal blessings, that we may occupy ourselves with the Gospel of Christ and walk honorably in the day. By the word “night” we are to understand all doctrines apart from the Gospel. For there is no other saving doctrine; all else is night and darkness.
16. Notice carefully Paul’s words. He designates the most beautiful and vivifying time of the day ¾ the delightful, joyous dawn, the hour of sunrise. Then the night has passed and the day broken. In response to the morning dawn, birds sing, beasts arouse themselves and all humanity arises.
At daybreak, when the sky is red in the east, the world is apparently new and all things reanimated. In many places in the Scriptures, the comforting, vivifying preaching of the Gospel is compared to the morning dawn, to the rising of the sun; sometimes the figure is implied and sometimes plainly expressed, as here where Paul styles the Gospel the breaking day. Again, <19B003> Psalm 110:3: “Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy power, in holy array: out of the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth.” Here the Gospel is plainly denominated the womb of the morning, the day of Christ’s power, wherein, as the dew is born of the morning, we are conceived and born children of Christ; and by no work of man, but from heaven and through the Holy Spirit’s grace.
17. This Gospel day is produced by the glorious Sun Jesus Christ. Hence Malachi calls him the Sun of Righteousness, saying, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in its wings.” Malachi 4:2. All believers in Christ receive the light of his grace, and righteousness, and shall rejoice in the shelter of his wings. Again in <19B824> Psalm 118:24, we read: “This is the day which Jehovah hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” The meaning is: The natural sun makes the natural day, but the Lord himself is the author of the spiritual day.
Christ is the Sun, the source of the Gospel day. From him the Gospel brightness shines throughout the world. John 9:5 reads: “I am the light of the world.”
18. Psalm 19:1 beautifully describes Christ the Sun, and the Gospel day: “The heavens declare the glory of God.” As the natural heavens bring the sun and the day, and the sun is in the heavens, so the apostles in their preaching possess and bring to us the real Sun, Christ. The Psalm continues: “In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course. His going forth is from the end of the heavens, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”
It all refers to the beautiful daybreak of the Gospel. Scripture sublimely exalts the Gospel day, for it is the source of life, joy, pleasure and energy, and brings all good. Hence the name “Gospel” ¾ joyful news.
19. Who can enumerate the things revealed to us by this day ¾ by the Gospel? It teaches us everything ¾ the nature of God, of ourselves, and what has been and is to be in regard to heaven, hell and earth, to angels and devils. It enables us to know how to conduct ourselves in relation to these ¾ whence we are and whither we go. But, being deceived by the devil, we forsake the light of day and seek to find truth among philosophers and heathen totally ignorant of such matters. In permitting ourselves to be blinded by human doctrines, we return to the night. Whatsoever is not the Gospel day surely cannot be light. Otherwise Paul, and in fact all Scripture, would not urge that day upon us and pronounce everything else night.
20. Our disposition to run counter to the perfectly plain teachings of Scripture and seek inferior light, when the Lord declares himself the Light and Sun of the world, must result from our having incurred the displeasure of Providence. Had we no other evidence that the high schools of the Pope are the devil’s abominable fostering-places of harlots and knaves, the fact is amply plain in the way they shamelessly introduce and extol Aristotle, the inferior light, exercising themselves in him more than in Christ; rather they exercise themselves wholly in Aristotle and not at all in Christ. “Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
21. As Christ is the Sun and the Gospel is the day, so faith is the light, or the seeing and watching on that day. We are not profited by the shining of the sun, and the day it produces, if our eyes fail to perceive its light.
Similarly, though the Gospel is revealed, and proclaims Christ to the world, it enlightens none but those who receive it, who have risen from sleep through the agency of the light of faith. They who sleep are not affected by the sun and the day; they receive no light therefrom, and see as little as if there were neither sun nor day. It is to our day Paul refers when he says: “Dear brethren, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep, etc.” Though the hour is one of spiritual opportunity, it has been revealed in secular time, and is daily being revealed. In the light of our spiritual knowledge we are to rise from sleep and lay aside the works of darkness. Thus it is plain Paul is not addressing unbelievers. As before said, he is not here teaching the doctrine of faith, but its works and fruits.
He tells the Romans they know the time is at hand, that the night is past and the day has broken.
22. Do you ask, Why this passage to believers? As already stated, preaching is twofold in character: it may teach or it may incite and exhort.
No one ever gets to the point of knowledge where it is not necessary to admonish him ¾ continually to urge him ¾ to new reflections upon what he already knows; for there is danger of his untiring enemies ¾ the devil, the world and the flesh ¾ wearying him and causing him to become negligent, and ultimately lulling him to sleep. Peter says ( 1 Peter 5:8): “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” In consequence of this fact, he says: “Be sober, be watchful.” Similarly Paul’s thought here is that since the devil, the world and the flesh cease not to assail us, there should be continuous exhorting and impelling to vigilance and activity. Hence the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete, the Comforter or Helper, who incites and urges to good.
23. Hence Paul’s appropriate choice of words. Not the works of darkness but the works of light he terms “armor.” And why “armor” rather than “works”? Doubtless to teach that only at the cost of conflicts, pain, labor and danger will the truly watchful and godly life be maintained; for these three powerful enemies, the devil, the world and the flesh, unceasingly oppose us day and night. Hence Job ( Job 7:1) regards the life of man on earth as a life of trial and warfare.
Now, it is no easy thing to stand always in battle array during the whole of life. Good trumpets and bugles are necessary preaching and exhortation of the sort to enable us valiantly to maintain our position in battle. Good works are armor: evil works are not; unless, indeed, we submit and give them control over us. Then they likewise become armor. Paul says, “Neither present your members unto sin as instruments of unrighteousness” ( Romans 6:13), meaning: Let not the works of darkness get such control of you as to render your members weapons of unrighteousness.
24. Now, as already made plain, the word “light” here carries the thought of “faith.” The light of faith, in the Gospel day, shines from Christ the Sun into our hearts. The armor of light, then, is simply the works of faith. On the other hand, “darkness” is unbelief; it reigns in the absence of the Gospel and of Christ, through the instrumentality of the doctrines of men ¾ of human reason ¾ instigated by the devil. The “works of darkness” are, therefore, the “works of unbelief.” As Christ is Lord and Ruler in the realm of that illuminating faith, so, as Paul says ( Ephesians 6:12), the devil is ruler of this darkness; that is, over unbelievers. For he says again ( 2 Corinthians 4:3-4): “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world [that is, the devil] hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ... should not dawn upon them.” The character of the two kinds of works, however, will be discussed later. “Let us walk, becomingly (honestly), as in the day.”
25. Works of darkness are not wrought in the day. Fear of being shamed before men makes one conduct himself honorably. The proverbial expression “shameless night” is a true one. Works we are ashamed to perform in the day are wrought in the night. The day, being shamefaced, constrains us to walk honorably. A Christian should so live that he need never be ashamed of the character of his works, though they be revealed to all the world. He whose life and conduct are such as to make him unwilling his deeds should be manifest to everyone, certainly does not live in a Christian manner. In this connection Christ says: “For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved. But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.” John 3:20-21.
26. So you see the urgent necessity for inciting and exhorting to be vigilant and to put on the armor of light. How many Christians now could endure the revelation of all their works to the light of day? What kind of Christian life do we hypocrites lead if we cannot endure the exposure of our conduct before men, when it is now exposed to God, his angels and creatures, and on the last day shall be revealed to all? A Christian ought to live as he would be found in the last day before all men. “Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” Ephesians 5:9. “Take thought for things honorable,” not only in the sight of God, but also “in the sight of all men.” Romans 12:17. “For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom... we behaved ourselves in the world.” 2 Corinthians 1:12.
27. But such a life certainly cannot be maintained in the absence of faith, when faith itself ¾ vigilant, active, valiant faith ¾ has enough to do to remain constant, sleepless and unwearied. Essential as it is that doctrine be preached to the illiterate, it is just as essential to exhort the learned not to fall from their incipient right living, under the assaults of raging flesh, subtle world and treacherous devil. “Not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy.”
28. Here Paul enumerates certain works of darkness. In the beginning of the discourse he alludes to one as “sleep.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:6, it is written: “Let us not sleep, as do the rest, but let us watch and be sober.”
Not that the apostle warns against physical sleep; he means spiritual sleep ¾ unbelief, productive of the works of darkness. Yet physical sleep may likewise be an evil work when indulged in from lust and reveling, through indolence and excessive inebriety, to the obstruction of light and the weakening of the armor of light. These six works of darkness include all others, such as are enumerated in Galatians 5:19-21, and Colossians 3:5 and 8. We will divide them into two general classes, the right hand class and the left hand class. Upon the right are arrayed these four ¾ reveling, drunkenness, chambering and wantonness; on the left, strife and jealousy. For scripturally, the left side signifies adversity and its attendant evils ¾ wrath, jealousy, and so on. The right side stands for prosperity and its results ¾ rioting, drunkenness, lust, indolence, and the like.
29. Plainly, then, Paul means to include under the two mentioned works of darkness ¾ strife and jealousy ¾ all of similar character. For instance, the things enumerated in Ephesians 4:31, which says: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice”; and again in Galatians 5:19-21, reading: “Now the works of the flesh are... enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings and such like.” In short, “strife and jealousy” here stand for innumerable evils resulting from wrath, be it in word or deed.
30. Likewise under the four vices ¾ reveling, drunkenness, indolence and lewdness ¾ the apostle includes all the vices of unchastity in word or deed, things none would wish to enumerate. The six works mentioned suffice to teach that he who lives in the darkness of unbelief does not keep himself pure in his neighbor’s sight, but is immoderate in all his conduct, toward himself and toward his fellow-man. Further comment on these words is unnecessary. Everyone knows the meaning of “reveling and drunkenness” ¾ excessive eating and drinking, more for the gratification of appetite than for nourishment of the body. Again, it is not hard to understand the reference to idleness in bed-chambers, to lewdness and unchastity. The apostle’s words stand for the indulgence of the lusts and appetites of the flesh: excessive sleeping and indolence; every form of unchastity and sensuality practiced by the satiated, indolent and stupid, in daytime or nighttime, in retirement or elsewhere, privately or publicly ¾ vices that seek material darkness and secret places. These vices Paul terms “chambering and wantonness.” And the meaning of “strife” and of “jealousy” is generally understood.
PUT ON CHRIST, THE ARMOR OF LIGHT.
“But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
31. In this admonition to put on Christ, Paul briefly prescribes all the armor of light. Christ is “put on” in two ways. First, we may clothe ourselves with his virtues. This is effected through the faith that relies on the fact of Christ having in his death accomplished all for us. For not our righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ, reconciled us to God and redeemed us from sin. This manner of putting on Christ is treated of in the doctrine concerning faith; it gives Christ to us as a gift and a pledge. Relative to this topic more will be said in the epistle for New Year’s day, Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.”
32. Secondly, Christ being our example and pattern, whom we are to follow and copy, clothing ourselves in the virtuous garment of his walk, Paul fittingly says we should “put on” Christ. As expressed in Corinthians 15:49: “As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” And again ( Ephesians 4:22-24): “That ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.”
33. Now, in Christ we behold only the true armor of light. No gormandizing or drunkenness is here; nothing but fasting, moderation, and restraint of the flesh, incident to labor, exertion, preaching, praying and doing good to mankind. No indolence, apathy or unchastity exists, but true discipline, purity, vigilance, early rising. The fields are couch for him who has neither house, chamber nor bed. With him is no wrath, strife or envying; rather utter goodness, love, mercy, patience. Paul presents Christ the example in a few words where he says ( Colossians 3:12-15): “Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any, even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also ye were called in one body; and be ye thankful.”
Again, in Philippians 2:5-8, after commanding his flock to love and serve one another, he presents as an example the same Christ who became servant unto us. He says: “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man.”
34. Now, the armor of light is, briefly, the good works opposed to gluttony, drunkenness, licentiousness; to indolence, strife and envying: such as fasting, watchfulness, prayer, labor, chastity, modesty, temperance, goodness, endurance of hunger and thirst, of cold and heat. Not to employ my own words, let us hear Paul’s enumeration of good works in Galatians 5:22-23: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control.”
But he makes a still more comprehensive count in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10: “We entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain (for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, and in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation) [in other words, For now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed, and now is the time to awake out of sleep]: giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed; but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” What a rich stream of eloquence flows from Paul’s lips! He makes plain enough in what consists the armor of light on the left hand and on the right. To practice these good works is truly putting on Jesus Christ.
35. It is a very beautiful feature in this passage that it presents the very highest example, the Lord himself, when it says, “Put ye on the Lord.”
Here is a strong incentive. For the individual who can see his master fasting, laboring, watching, enduring hunger and fatigue, while he himself feasts, idles, sleeps, and lives in luxury, must be a scoundrel. What master could tolerate such conduct in a servant? Or what servant would dare attempt such things? We can but blush with shame when we behold our unlikeness to Christ.
36. Who can influence to action him who refuses to be warmed and aroused by the example of Christ himself? What is to be accomplished by the rustling of leaves and the sound of words when the thunder-clap of Christ’s example fails to move us? Paul was particular to add the word “Lord,” saying, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.” As if to say: “Ye servants, think not yourselves great and exalted. Look upon your Lord, who, though under no obligation, denied himself.” “And make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
37. Paul here briefly notices two different provisions for the flesh. One is supplying its natural wants ¾ furnishing the body with food and raiment necessary to sustain life and vigor; guarding against enfeebling it and unfitting it for labor by too much restraint.
38. The other provision is a sinful one, the gratification of the lusts and inordinate appetites. This Paul here forbids. It is conducive to works of darkness. The flesh must be restrained and made subservient to the spirit. It must not dismount its master, but carry him if necessary. Sirach (chapter 33:24) says: “Fodder, a wand, and burdens are for the ass; and bread, correction, and work for a servant.” He does not say the animal is to be mistreated or maimed; nor does he say the servant is to be abused or imprisoned. Thus to the body pertains subjection, labor and whatever is essential to its proper welfare. Paul says of himself: “I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage [subjection].” 1 Corinthians 9:27. He does not say he brings his body to illness or death, but makes it serve in submission to the spirit.
39. Paul adds this last admonition for the sake of two classes of people.
One class is represented by them who make natural necessity an excuse to indulge their lusts and gratify their desires. Because of humanity’s proneness to such error, many saints, deploring the sin, have often in the attempt to resist it, unduly restrained their bodies. So subtle and deceptive is nature in the matter of its demands and its lusts, no man can wholly handle it; he must live this life in insecurity and concern.
The other class is represented by the blind saints who imagine the kingdom of God and his righteousness are dependent upon the particular meat and drink, clothing and couch, of their own choice. They look no farther than at their individual work in this respect, and fancy that in fasting until the brain is disordered, the stomach deranged or the body emaciated, they have done well. Upon this subject Paul says ( 1 Corinthians 8:8): “Food will not commend us to God; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.” Again ( Colossians 2:18-23): “Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels... which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
40. Gerson commended the Carthusians for not eating meat, even though debility made meat a necessity. He would deny it even at the cost of life.
Thus was the great man deceived by this superstitious, angelic spirituality.
What if God judges its votaries as murderers of themselves? Indeed, no orders, statutes or vows contrary to the command of God can rightfully be made; and if made they would profit no more than would a vow to break one’s marriage contract. Certainly God has here in the words of Paul forbidden such destruction of our own bodies. It is our duty to allow the body all necessary food, whether wine, meat, eggs or anything else; whether the time be Friday, Sunday, in Lent or after the feast of Easter; regardless of all orders, traditions and vows, and of the Pope. No prohibition contrary to God’s command can avail, though made by the angels even.
41. This wretched folly of vows has its rise in darkness and blindness; the looking upon mere works and trusting to be saved by the number and magnitude of them. Paul would make of works “armor of light,” and employ them to overcome the works of darkness. Thus far, then, and no farther, should fasting, vigilance and exertion be practiced. Before God it matters not at all whether you eat fish or meat, drink water or wine, wear red or green, do this or that. All foods are good creations of God and to be used. Only take heed to be temperate in appropriating them and to abstain when it is necessary to the conquest of the works of darkness. It is impossible to lay down a common rule of abstinence, for all bodies are not constituted alike. One needs more, another less. Everyone must judge for himself, and must care for his body according to the advice of Paul: “Make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Had there been any other rule for us, Paul would not have omitted it here.
42. Hence, you see, the ecclesiastical traditions that flatly forbid the eating of meat are contrary to the Gospel. Paul predicts their appearance in <540401> Timothy 4:1-3, where he says: “But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving.” That these words have reference to ecclesiastical orders and those of the entire Papacy, no one can deny. They are plain.
Hence the nature of papistical works is manifest.
43. Also you will note here Paul does not sanction the fanatical devotion of certain effeminate saints who set apart to themselves particular days for fasting, as a special service to God, one for this saint, another for that.
These are all blind paths, leading us to base our blessings on works.
Without distinction of days and meats, our lives should be temperate and sober throughout. If good works are to be our armor of light, and if the entire life is to be pure and chaste, we must never lay off the arms of defense, but always be found sober, temperate, vigilant, energetic. These fanatical saints, however, fast one day on bread and water and then eat and drink to excess every day for one-fourth of the year. Again, some fast from food in the evening but drink immoderately. And who can mention all the folly and works of darkness originating from regarding works for the sake of the efforts themselves and not for the purpose they serve. Men convert the armor of good works into a mirror, fasting without knowing the reason for abstinence. They are like those who bear a sword merely to look at, and when assailed do not use it. This is enough on today’s epistle lesson.
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First Sunday in Advent
The First Sunday in Advent, 2013
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time
Mid-Week Worship Will Be Wednesdays, 7 PM Central time
The Hymn # 245 God Loved the World 4:6
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 # 290 We Have A Sure 4:89
The Hymn # 245 God Loved the World 4:6
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 # 290 We Have A Sure 4:89
Armor of Light and Truth
The Hymn # 305 Soul Adorn Thyself 4.23
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 # 463 For All the Saints 4:31
KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [immorality] and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
First Sunday in Advent - The Collects of Veit Dietrich
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, we bless and praise Thee forever, that Thou didst send Thy Son to rule over us poor sinners, who for our transgressions did justly deserve to remain in the bondage of sin and Satan, and didst give us in Him a meek and righteous King, who by His death became our Savior from sin and eternal death: We beseech Thee so to enlighten, govern and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may ever remain faithful to this righteous King and Savior, and not, after the manner of the world, be offended with His humble form and despised word, but, firmly believing in Him, obtain eternal salvation; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
The Hymn # 305 Soul Adorn Thyself 4.23
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 # 463 For All the Saints 4:31
KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [immorality] and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
First Sunday in Advent - The Collects of Veit Dietrich
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee, we bless and praise Thee forever, that Thou didst send Thy Son to rule over us poor sinners, who for our transgressions did justly deserve to remain in the bondage of sin and Satan, and didst give us in Him a meek and righteous King, who by His death became our Savior from sin and eternal death: We beseech Thee so to enlighten, govern and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may ever remain faithful to this righteous King and Savior, and not, after the manner of the world, be offended with His humble form and despised word, but, firmly believing in Him, obtain eternal salvation; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Armor of Light
The revelation of God, which is received only through faith, means that there is only one truth. In some areas of thought, people realize this. If there is a crime, there can only be one accurate depiction of it. The crime did not have three different ways or two ways, but only one way.
With more complicated issues, people find many explanations, such as why Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo. When I listed four explanations, a student offered a fifth one. That is what makes history interesting – there are no lasting answers.
In contrast, the revelation of the truth is fixed and unchanging. The truth does not depend upon man’s understanding or acceptance. It does not have to be reasonable or appealing to mankind, because the truth belongs to God alone.
KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
We do not know when the end of time will take place, but Paul reveals it is getting closer ever day – all the more reason to awake out of sleep. This is a way of contrasting weariness with the need to be alert.
Everyone gets tired of the battle. About 2400 years ago one Athenian leader warned that a democracy will always get tired of a battle and want to give up. There are many current examples of that in dealing with sound doctrine, and everyone feels it besides.
In the ancient world and in modern times, sleep and exhaustion are times when bad things happen. In fact, it has been shown that sleep deprivation is more dangerous than alcohol intoxication.
Salvation is closer at hand, not receding away. That is motivation to stay awake, to wake up, and be watchful. Gregory is taken from the Greek word for watchman, since the watchman has to remain alert.
When Jesus said, “Watch and pray,” it could also be translated as “Stay awake and pray, for you know not the hour…”
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
If we look at the history of our young planet, the time before the full revelation of Christ was 4000 years. The advent of the Gospel, fully revealed, was just beginning in Paul’s time and ready to sweep the entire Roman Empire, turning a pagan world power into a Christian one (more or less). It is significant that even as the Western Roman Empire faded, the Eastern part thrived and continued until the Renaissance. Christianity is the largest world religion, if we can believe the numbers. While people are letting go of the Gospel in the First World, they are spreading it in the Third World.
The Second Coming is a poor time to give up on the truth and participate in the works of darkness, which are numbered below. In ancient times, night was exceptionally black, inside and out. Illumination was sparse, so temptation was that much greater. Even in a royal palace, lighting at night was not the rule, as shown by stories from the past.
That is why children will have trouble with Judas identifying Jesus, when we can see so well at night in most locations.
Darkness, temptation, and evil are associated together, just as truth and light are.
God created “light” before the lights – the sun and the stars. Truth is God’s creation, not so much man’s discovery (as the rationalists imagine).
So truth is the armor of light. When people despair, they are living in darkness and misunderstanding because all who believe in the Only-Begotten Son of God are forgiven and saved. Through faith we have access to God’s grace and favor, God’s forgiveness and salvation.
Knowing there is truth – God’s truth – keeps us from temptation and error, especially the soul-destroying error of false doctrine. The Wauwatosa theologians bragged they could dabble in false doctrine, starting over without the Confessions, as if they were spiritually wiser than Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz combined. Those same theologians would be appalled at the bitter and toxic fruit that has grown from those seeds of rebellion and falsehood.
So, for instance, common denials of the truth can easily be dismissed by someone well trained in the truth. That used to be so – but less so lately. For instance, one popular movie about Jesus showed Him as only a man. One member, at another church, wanted to see The Last Temptation of Christ. I sent a movie review and asked, “Is this what you want to see?” I never saw the movie but I knew from the review it was obscene. She chose not to go because it featured a false picture of Christ.
A false view of Christ, which is typical of 2/3rds of all attacks on the Faith, will give a false view of forgiveness and salvation.
A false view of God’s goodness will make someone worried and anxious about the future. I asked one man how God could create the world and send His Son to die for his sins, yet neglect to feed and shelter his family.
The revealed Word of God is that armor that keeps falsehood away and deflects the arrows of Satan from piercing our hearts.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering [immorality] and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Many people mislead themselves with a false view of the truth. They believe the Gospel is an excuse to do whatever they want so they can plead forgiveness and grace while they continue without repentance.
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| The blind leading the blind. |
That very deception leads to despising the Word, because the truth bears down on falsehood and makes forms of unbelief painful, until people dull their hearts and harden them against the truth. Then they become blind to the truth of God’s Word and purveyors of falsehood. The obvious examples are all around us, but the more subtle ones are more dangerous:
- Hedonism in the name of Gospel freedom.
- Worshiping the organization instead of Christ.
- Man’s honor upheld while scorning the Word.
Putting on Christ is a reference to the baptismal robe which is worn. The robe makes us all one in Christ, because we put on His righteousness to cover up our mortality, our failings, our sin.
This is the righteousness of faith. All believers in Christ can call themselves righteous, forgiven and saved, rejoicing in His righteousness rather than their own.
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Bruce Church on WELS Missions
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| "Missions." |
Two WELS churches in the WI-IL border area are seriously considering closing, all thanks to WELS missions placing mission starts nearby. Those churches are Good Shepherd in Beloit, 3.5 miles north of the border, and Hope in Belividere, 17 miles south of the border. The pastors of those congregations complained to WELS missions that their vicinity could only support a sole congregation, and now after a decade or more of decline, their assertions are being proved right.
WELS churches in small cities draw their congregation from the city and the whole surrounding rural area. Thus, when WELS missions plants a mission start five miles away, usually on the main highway corridor where the news housing developments and new jobs are, it siphons off a good share of the WELS members in the area, and most of the new would-be WELS members coming into the area. The established church was viable with the members it had, but quickly becomes inviable when its membership is halved or better within a decade, and the loyal members age and become homebound or die off . (Not so many WELS members retire to Florida or Arizona anymore like they used to, BTW) A church that's mostly empty during services hurt morale and church spirit--or dare I say, enthusiasm.
Most cities will only support one WELS church, and as soon as two WELS churches are within ten miles of each other, one starts to go down hill, if not both of them. Since WELS members will travel up to forty miles to wherever the church is, it is not important that it be on the interstate or on an arterial highway. However, WELS missions seems to think that if they plant a church on the interstate, it will grow by bringing in new members rather than just dividing up the existing WELS members. This assumption is debunked by the fact that the WELS has had around 300,000 members since the 1950s, yet it now has maybe three times as many churches thanks to missions. Hence, the average church has three times fewer members than it did in the 1950s. The churches in the 1950s were strong and vital, but now many WELS churches are barely viable.
Any established WELS church in a city proper is vulnerable to being undercut by WELS missions, since some WELS members will band together and convince WELS missions that a church is needed near the main highway or interstate, often not more than five miles away from the established church. Missions ought to just ask them why they won't drive five miles to the nearest church rather than shower them with money.
Once a mission plant goes in, the duel with the established church begins. Both churches know in their heart of hearts that their town or city is not big enough for the two of them. On one side the mission plant has their decade-long synod subsidy to count on, enthusiasm that comes with being a new church with a new building, and WELS will send Kingdom Workers (mostly WELS students) to canvass the neighborhoods. They also mail out lots of fliers. The old church's main advantage is its having its mortgage being paid off long ago.
Often enough, synod missions can somehow cajole the mission pastor into evangelizing, but the established church in town finds that their pastor will always major in the minors, and find other things to occupy his time. When the board finally puts the pressure on him to evangelize, the established church finds that their pastor is worse than a hireling in that he's also a free agent (a la baseball), and takes a call elsewhere. He'll repeatedly use the free agent option until retirement. But while they wait around for that next call, which sometimes tarries, some WELS pastors under pressure to evangelize find the task of evangelism so unpleasant, their whole disposition sours, and they may turn to drink, or more drink, as the case may be.
When the South Beloit mission did arive in the late 1990s, then current pastor at Beloit, Rev. James Adomeit, wrote a letter to synod missions saying that the mission start should have been a few miles further south, in Rockton or Roscoe, since Good Shepherd was only 3 miles removed from S Beloit, and Roscoe and Rockton are still a dozen miles from Peace in Loves Park, IL. The area is definitely not WELS-dom, and not even LCMS-dom. Why doesn't WELS missions plague, say, Janesville or some other city, with a mission start?
WELS churches in small cities draw their congregation from the city and the whole surrounding rural area. Thus, when WELS missions plants a mission start five miles away, usually on the main highway corridor where the news housing developments and new jobs are, it siphons off a good share of the WELS members in the area, and most of the new would-be WELS members coming into the area. The established church was viable with the members it had, but quickly becomes inviable when its membership is halved or better within a decade, and the loyal members age and become homebound or die off . (Not so many WELS members retire to Florida or Arizona anymore like they used to, BTW) A church that's mostly empty during services hurt morale and church spirit--or dare I say, enthusiasm.
Most cities will only support one WELS church, and as soon as two WELS churches are within ten miles of each other, one starts to go down hill, if not both of them. Since WELS members will travel up to forty miles to wherever the church is, it is not important that it be on the interstate or on an arterial highway. However, WELS missions seems to think that if they plant a church on the interstate, it will grow by bringing in new members rather than just dividing up the existing WELS members. This assumption is debunked by the fact that the WELS has had around 300,000 members since the 1950s, yet it now has maybe three times as many churches thanks to missions. Hence, the average church has three times fewer members than it did in the 1950s. The churches in the 1950s were strong and vital, but now many WELS churches are barely viable.
Any established WELS church in a city proper is vulnerable to being undercut by WELS missions, since some WELS members will band together and convince WELS missions that a church is needed near the main highway or interstate, often not more than five miles away from the established church. Missions ought to just ask them why they won't drive five miles to the nearest church rather than shower them with money.
Once a mission plant goes in, the duel with the established church begins. Both churches know in their heart of hearts that their town or city is not big enough for the two of them. On one side the mission plant has their decade-long synod subsidy to count on, enthusiasm that comes with being a new church with a new building, and WELS will send Kingdom Workers (mostly WELS students) to canvass the neighborhoods. They also mail out lots of fliers. The old church's main advantage is its having its mortgage being paid off long ago.
Often enough, synod missions can somehow cajole the mission pastor into evangelizing, but the established church in town finds that their pastor will always major in the minors, and find other things to occupy his time. When the board finally puts the pressure on him to evangelize, the established church finds that their pastor is worse than a hireling in that he's also a free agent (a la baseball), and takes a call elsewhere. He'll repeatedly use the free agent option until retirement. But while they wait around for that next call, which sometimes tarries, some WELS pastors under pressure to evangelize find the task of evangelism so unpleasant, their whole disposition sours, and they may turn to drink, or more drink, as the case may be.
When the South Beloit mission did arive in the late 1990s, then current pastor at Beloit, Rev. James Adomeit, wrote a letter to synod missions saying that the mission start should have been a few miles further south, in Rockton or Roscoe, since Good Shepherd was only 3 miles removed from S Beloit, and Roscoe and Rockton are still a dozen miles from Peace in Loves Park, IL. The area is definitely not WELS-dom, and not even LCMS-dom. Why doesn't WELS missions plague, say, Janesville or some other city, with a mission start?
Bruce Church
8 hours ago - Shared publicly↧
Intrepid Lutherans - The Hamlets of the Blogging World
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| The Intrepids were started to support SP Mark Schroeder, who has never supported them. Instead, he supports the Mark/Avoid Jeske gang. |
http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2013/11/changes-on-horizon.html#comment-form
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013
Changes on the Horizon
Since "nobody reads Ichabod," it may come as a surprise for some of our readers to hear that there are some changes in the works for Intrepid Lutherans. Then again, it may not. Likewise, if everyone reads Ichabod, it may come as a surprise for some to learn that the changes being considered are not nearly so dramatic as is rumoured. Then again, it may not.
The past year or so has seen some significant changes for us, personally, professionally and as a group. It is no secret that Rev. Rydecki, after making independent study of the Doctrine of Justification and having publicly raised some simple questions of exegesis from the floor of a Pastors conference in his District, was eventually labeled by his Brothers a heretic and cast out from among them without the honest review of his concerns for which he pleaded at length. No longer WELS, he has since colloquized into the ELDoNA, which was concerned and objective enough to give him an honest hearing, and to carefully consider and deliberate his arguments before receiving him. But this is not the extent of the personal changes many of us at IL have faced. I, for one, have been in the midst of some fairly significant business changes over the past several months, that have altered my availability to write with the frequency to which many may have become accustomed. And I know that shifting responsibilities and personal circumstances have impacted the others, as well.
But there have been other changes – changes in attitude toward our initial "objectives." In our recent, and very popular post, What on Earth could the CoP possibly have meant by THIS?, we identified two "primary precipitating situations behind [the] formation" of Intrepid Lutherans in 2010:
The result is no small level of disenfranchisement among a majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors, and a resulting shift in personal interest and priority. Of all the friends they thought they had, very few have stood with them publicly. With no significant public voice to oppose the abuses that brought us all together in 2010, such abuses are now normative in WELS. There is no stopping it, there is no changing it, indeed, there is no referring to it as somehow "wrong" anymore. That is because WELS has changed. If, three and a half years ago, we very naïvely thought such things could have been stopped, curtailed or at least turned toward reformation (and some of us did think such could happen), that naiveté has been sucked from us as the hot desert sun draws moisture from a naked body; publicly deserted by those who privately supported us, we, along with our remaining stalwart public supporters, have baked alone in the sun.
For these and a variety of other reasons, the majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors have found that their enthusiasm with respect to our purpose regarding these precipitating situations has left them, that current circumstances have driven them to focus on other priorities.
The only two who are willing to continue are myself and Rev. Rydecki – although going forward neither of us will have the time to publish as frequently as we have in the past, with Rev. Rydecki's involvement reducing to moderator and occasional blog posts.
This leaves us with a dilemma of sorts. Currently, Intrepid Lutherans is incorporated as a non-profit religious and educational institution, so that we can collect revenue in the form of donations and use it to host conferences. Believe it or not, we were in the midst of planning such a conference for next Spring, a conference that would have included not only the results of a systematic study of Church Growth trends in the WELS, but an in depth examination of translation ideology – of Dynamic Equivalence versus Formal Equivalence – of the "Critical Text" Greek apparatus that stands behind DE, and the "Historical Critical Method" that props it up. In addition, this conference would have provided an academic defense for the adoption of the "New King James Translation" of the Bible. There were other topics on the docket for exploration as well. If Intrepid Lutherans were to continue with such endeavors, it would need to remain incorporated. But it would also need qualified Board Members. Though Rev. Rydecki is willing to continue as an author, he simply does not have the time to devote to the duties of a corporate officer. And corporations require at least two officers.
Likewise, even if Intrepid Lutherans were to continue as just a Blog, we simply need more qualified writers. Between Rev. Rydecki and myself, maybe two or three entries a month are all that could be expected, which is not nearly enough to maintain a dedicated readership.
If we were to continue in either case, the purpose of Intrepid Lutherans would necessarily change. First and foremost, we would entirely cease to be a "WELS blog", or an organization that defines its existence or purpose with reference to ANY Lutheran synod or church body. We have very definitely entered a post-Synodical Era, and it will do the scattered remnant of genuine Lutherans little good for Intrepid Lutherans, or for any Lutheran group, to conduct itself with an imbalanced and unrealistic devotion to earthly organizations. In order to provide a balance of Lutheran perspectives, the hope would be to attract regular contributors and/or leadership candidates from additional sources in American Lutheranism.
Second, since it would not be defining itself relative to any Lutheran synod or church body, Intrepid Lutherans would end that aspect of its mission which continually addressed itself to the political issues of WELS, or those of any Lutheran synod or church body. That isn't to say that such issues won't be pointedly discussed from time to time, particularly as Intrepid Lutherans continues to warn of growing corruption in, and encroaching worldliness upon broad segments of American Lutheranism – a warning that is relevant to all Lutheran church bodies in America, even if they (think they) have separated themselves from the rest of Christianity, or even if they (think they) have sequestered themselves from the rest of the World.
Third, rather than addressing ourselves to Lutheran clergy and laity, we would be focusing on primarily equipping and engaging Lutheran laity. We would do this not by insulting them with condescending "bubble-gum," but by providing what seems be disappearing from the main Lutheran publishing houses: the highest quality writing we can muster, sufficiently sourced so that the layman can continue to investigate as interest would lead him, and have confidence in what he passes on to others. The equipping we would hope to offer Lutheran laity would be a preparation, not to stand as confessional Lutherans before similarly confessing "brothers" and family members who don't really want to live up to the label they apply to themselves, but to stand as confessing Christians in a Western Society that has swiftly grown shockingly and openlyhostile to Christianity.
Fourth, there would be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice from a more broadly and historically orthodox perspective, rather than elevate peculiarities of recent American innovation that have supplanted those perspectives. To this end, and in the interest of equipping the laity, there would also be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice not only as current issues in American Christianity give rise to questions regarding, or a need to defend, historic and orthodox Christianity, but from the standpoint of balance from the four categories of preparation in the Christian religion: Exegetical & Historical Theology (the so-called "historic" disciplines), and Systematic & Practical Theology (the so-called "constructive" disciplines) – where we would also recognize that Systematic Theology is more than just dogmatics, but also includes apologetics and ethics. In other words, our goals would be set so that there could be no mistaking – on our part or anyone else's – that rather than set out to "achieve" any particular result (impossible, since these goals include no arrival point), we are merely proceeding in a direction that we are convinced it is proper to go, trusting that the Lord will make fitting use of our "going."
What would not be changing? Our "What we Believe" statement would not be changed. We would continue to be a forum in which friendly and productive discussion on the article of Justification may be engaged by genuinely interested and concerned Lutherans. We will continue to herald confessional Lutheran practice – historic, liturgical and catholic practice, that is – as the proper form of worship for confessing Lutherans, and we will continue to vigorously oppose all forms of sectarian worship which boasts of its separation from the Church catholic and heralds its union with worldliness, and which disparages the Holy Spirit who works exclusively through the Means of Grace and arrogantly augments or even supplants His work with the efforts of man. We will continue to oppose the encroachments of Truth-killing post-Modern thought upon our pre-Modern system of theology, we will continue to oppose post-Modernism as a foundation for contemporary translations of the Bible, and we will continue to reject the NIV as a viable translation for the serious Christian. All posts would remain as they are – without editing or removal. The efforts of editors and Board members would continue to be rendered gratis.
We have given ourselves until the end of the year. It's up to our readers, now. If there are those who would be interested in becoming a regular essayist, or in having more substantial involvement with IL, please make yourselves known to us (privately, if you desire). If we don't know you, we may ask you to submit a CV and provide references. If, by the end of the year, we have not made any progress toward increasing our number of active authors, or in acquiring additional qualified leadership candidates, we will de-incorporate and mothball the blog. In this event, all blog posts will remain as they are and continue to be available for public access into the foreseeable future, for as long as we are able to maintain our domain name.
The past year or so has seen some significant changes for us, personally, professionally and as a group. It is no secret that Rev. Rydecki, after making independent study of the Doctrine of Justification and having publicly raised some simple questions of exegesis from the floor of a Pastors conference in his District, was eventually labeled by his Brothers a heretic and cast out from among them without the honest review of his concerns for which he pleaded at length. No longer WELS, he has since colloquized into the ELDoNA, which was concerned and objective enough to give him an honest hearing, and to carefully consider and deliberate his arguments before receiving him. But this is not the extent of the personal changes many of us at IL have faced. I, for one, have been in the midst of some fairly significant business changes over the past several months, that have altered my availability to write with the frequency to which many may have become accustomed. And I know that shifting responsibilities and personal circumstances have impacted the others, as well.
But there have been other changes – changes in attitude toward our initial "objectives." In our recent, and very popular post, What on Earth could the CoP possibly have meant by THIS?, we identified two "primary precipitating situations behind [the] formation" of Intrepid Lutherans in 2010:
- (1) the appalling treatment of the layman, Mr. Rick Techlin, by his pastor and congregation, and the incomprehensible support publicly granted them by the praesidium of the Northern Wisconsin District; and
(2) the continuing existence of "Time of Grace Ministry" as a manifestly non-denominational and unionistic evangelism Ministry conducted by WELS and other Lutherans, and the continuing support of the praesidium of the Southeastern Wisconsin District enjoyed by "Time of Grace Ministry."
The result is no small level of disenfranchisement among a majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors, and a resulting shift in personal interest and priority. Of all the friends they thought they had, very few have stood with them publicly. With no significant public voice to oppose the abuses that brought us all together in 2010, such abuses are now normative in WELS. There is no stopping it, there is no changing it, indeed, there is no referring to it as somehow "wrong" anymore. That is because WELS has changed. If, three and a half years ago, we very naïvely thought such things could have been stopped, curtailed or at least turned toward reformation (and some of us did think such could happen), that naiveté has been sucked from us as the hot desert sun draws moisture from a naked body; publicly deserted by those who privately supported us, we, along with our remaining stalwart public supporters, have baked alone in the sun.
For these and a variety of other reasons, the majority of Intrepid Lutheran editors have found that their enthusiasm with respect to our purpose regarding these precipitating situations has left them, that current circumstances have driven them to focus on other priorities.
The only two who are willing to continue are myself and Rev. Rydecki – although going forward neither of us will have the time to publish as frequently as we have in the past, with Rev. Rydecki's involvement reducing to moderator and occasional blog posts.
This leaves us with a dilemma of sorts. Currently, Intrepid Lutherans is incorporated as a non-profit religious and educational institution, so that we can collect revenue in the form of donations and use it to host conferences. Believe it or not, we were in the midst of planning such a conference for next Spring, a conference that would have included not only the results of a systematic study of Church Growth trends in the WELS, but an in depth examination of translation ideology – of Dynamic Equivalence versus Formal Equivalence – of the "Critical Text" Greek apparatus that stands behind DE, and the "Historical Critical Method" that props it up. In addition, this conference would have provided an academic defense for the adoption of the "New King James Translation" of the Bible. There were other topics on the docket for exploration as well. If Intrepid Lutherans were to continue with such endeavors, it would need to remain incorporated. But it would also need qualified Board Members. Though Rev. Rydecki is willing to continue as an author, he simply does not have the time to devote to the duties of a corporate officer. And corporations require at least two officers.
Likewise, even if Intrepid Lutherans were to continue as just a Blog, we simply need more qualified writers. Between Rev. Rydecki and myself, maybe two or three entries a month are all that could be expected, which is not nearly enough to maintain a dedicated readership.
If we were to continue in either case, the purpose of Intrepid Lutherans would necessarily change. First and foremost, we would entirely cease to be a "WELS blog", or an organization that defines its existence or purpose with reference to ANY Lutheran synod or church body. We have very definitely entered a post-Synodical Era, and it will do the scattered remnant of genuine Lutherans little good for Intrepid Lutherans, or for any Lutheran group, to conduct itself with an imbalanced and unrealistic devotion to earthly organizations. In order to provide a balance of Lutheran perspectives, the hope would be to attract regular contributors and/or leadership candidates from additional sources in American Lutheranism.
Second, since it would not be defining itself relative to any Lutheran synod or church body, Intrepid Lutherans would end that aspect of its mission which continually addressed itself to the political issues of WELS, or those of any Lutheran synod or church body. That isn't to say that such issues won't be pointedly discussed from time to time, particularly as Intrepid Lutherans continues to warn of growing corruption in, and encroaching worldliness upon broad segments of American Lutheranism – a warning that is relevant to all Lutheran church bodies in America, even if they (think they) have separated themselves from the rest of Christianity, or even if they (think they) have sequestered themselves from the rest of the World.
Third, rather than addressing ourselves to Lutheran clergy and laity, we would be focusing on primarily equipping and engaging Lutheran laity. We would do this not by insulting them with condescending "bubble-gum," but by providing what seems be disappearing from the main Lutheran publishing houses: the highest quality writing we can muster, sufficiently sourced so that the layman can continue to investigate as interest would lead him, and have confidence in what he passes on to others. The equipping we would hope to offer Lutheran laity would be a preparation, not to stand as confessional Lutherans before similarly confessing "brothers" and family members who don't really want to live up to the label they apply to themselves, but to stand as confessing Christians in a Western Society that has swiftly grown shockingly and openlyhostile to Christianity.
Fourth, there would be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice from a more broadly and historically orthodox perspective, rather than elevate peculiarities of recent American innovation that have supplanted those perspectives. To this end, and in the interest of equipping the laity, there would also be a more deliberate effort to cover Lutheran teaching and practice not only as current issues in American Christianity give rise to questions regarding, or a need to defend, historic and orthodox Christianity, but from the standpoint of balance from the four categories of preparation in the Christian religion: Exegetical & Historical Theology (the so-called "historic" disciplines), and Systematic & Practical Theology (the so-called "constructive" disciplines) – where we would also recognize that Systematic Theology is more than just dogmatics, but also includes apologetics and ethics. In other words, our goals would be set so that there could be no mistaking – on our part or anyone else's – that rather than set out to "achieve" any particular result (impossible, since these goals include no arrival point), we are merely proceeding in a direction that we are convinced it is proper to go, trusting that the Lord will make fitting use of our "going."
What would not be changing? Our "What we Believe" statement would not be changed. We would continue to be a forum in which friendly and productive discussion on the article of Justification may be engaged by genuinely interested and concerned Lutherans. We will continue to herald confessional Lutheran practice – historic, liturgical and catholic practice, that is – as the proper form of worship for confessing Lutherans, and we will continue to vigorously oppose all forms of sectarian worship which boasts of its separation from the Church catholic and heralds its union with worldliness, and which disparages the Holy Spirit who works exclusively through the Means of Grace and arrogantly augments or even supplants His work with the efforts of man. We will continue to oppose the encroachments of Truth-killing post-Modern thought upon our pre-Modern system of theology, we will continue to oppose post-Modernism as a foundation for contemporary translations of the Bible, and we will continue to reject the NIV as a viable translation for the serious Christian. All posts would remain as they are – without editing or removal. The efforts of editors and Board members would continue to be rendered gratis.
We have given ourselves until the end of the year. It's up to our readers, now. If there are those who would be interested in becoming a regular essayist, or in having more substantial involvement with IL, please make yourselves known to us (privately, if you desire). If we don't know you, we may ask you to submit a CV and provide references. If, by the end of the year, we have not made any progress toward increasing our number of active authors, or in acquiring additional qualified leadership candidates, we will de-incorporate and mothball the blog. In this event, all blog posts will remain as they are and continue to be available for public access into the foreseeable future, for as long as we are able to maintain our domain name.
Thank you Heidi, Daniel, Lee, Joseph, Joel, Tim, Vernon, Jami, and other laymen who have offered kind words of support, both for our efforts over the past three-and-a-half years, and for the slightly different direction we may be taking in the future. When I was first invited to contact Rev. Spencer in early 2010, regarding the formation of a group to address various issues surrounding CGM, it was the plight of an abused layman which had already brought he and Rev.'s Lidtke and Rydecki together. For me, that concern for my lay brethren continues. In his case, the abuse was not only in the immediate circumstances he faced – of false doctrine and practice (including not only sectarian practice, but rank and unapologetic plagiarism of sectarian sources), of an overbearing and vindictive pastor hardened against criticism and correction, and a heartless congregation which, despite their life-long relationship with that layman, nevertheless conspired with their pastor against him, adamantly refusing to consider his concerns and refusing his repeated requests to be corrected where he may be in error, and finally, meeting together as a congregation, specifically without his knowledge, to cast him and his family out of their congregation – it emanated from a long standing, generation-spanning pattern of catechetical failure. It's not that he and others had failed to memorize the catechism. They had memorized it and lived it as they had been taught. More significantly, his broad catechesis had failed to pass bona fide Lutheranism on to him and his generation. After he discovered Lutheranism for himself in the Book of Concord, he couldn't help but speak and warn of error, when he plainly heard and observed teaching and practice in his "Lutheran" congregation that deviated significantly from the Lutheran confession.
I knew what that is like. I was raised in "Lutheran" congregations (AELC and then AFLC). But I was never really a Lutheran. Thankfully, though, my parents (LCMS/ALC) were fastidious in their regard for Holy Scripture, for its teaching and its authority, so they carefully sought those congregations which overtly relied upon, taught, demonstrated and otherwise reinforced its Divine Inspiration, Inerrancy, Perspicuity and Authority in its every jot and tittle. Whatever else they may have done wrong, the congregations I was raised in got that right. And that's the most important thing, in my opinion. So, when, as an adult, I finally investigated confessional Lutheranism for myself, it was the plain meaning of Scripture – being the ultimate authority – that measured it, validated it, and ultimately confirmed it as my own Confession. Today, I'm very happy and thankful to be a Lutheran. As a result, I cannot help but speak and warn of error, when I plainly hear and observe teaching and practice within Lutheranism that deviates significantly from its confession. But for the laity, as it was for me, it is more than "today's problem" that can be fixed as simply as "correcting" the doctrine and practice. It is a catechetical problem that is over a generation in the making.
Continued in next comment...
I knew what that is like. I was raised in "Lutheran" congregations (AELC and then AFLC). But I was never really a Lutheran. Thankfully, though, my parents (LCMS/ALC) were fastidious in their regard for Holy Scripture, for its teaching and its authority, so they carefully sought those congregations which overtly relied upon, taught, demonstrated and otherwise reinforced its Divine Inspiration, Inerrancy, Perspicuity and Authority in its every jot and tittle. Whatever else they may have done wrong, the congregations I was raised in got that right. And that's the most important thing, in my opinion. So, when, as an adult, I finally investigated confessional Lutheranism for myself, it was the plain meaning of Scripture – being the ultimate authority – that measured it, validated it, and ultimately confirmed it as my own Confession. Today, I'm very happy and thankful to be a Lutheran. As a result, I cannot help but speak and warn of error, when I plainly hear and observe teaching and practice within Lutheranism that deviates significantly from its confession. But for the laity, as it was for me, it is more than "today's problem" that can be fixed as simply as "correcting" the doctrine and practice. It is a catechetical problem that is over a generation in the making.
Continued in next comment...
...Continued from previous comment.
"Catechism class" is thought to satisfy the need for Christian catechesis, but catechism class succeeds at nothing more than indoctrinating children in the naked teachings of Scripture, as Lutherans confess them. It is not full catechesis. Rather catechesis comes from every source of consistent speaking and doing in the congregation, and forms the Christian's thinking and believing. Thought, language and behaviour are all very closely related: but the kingpin is language, for its form determines the way individuals think and the way those within a culture of common language interact with one another. Indeed, it is said that if you want to understand a culture better than any history book can teach you, learn it's language – and this is especially true of ancient and dead languages and cultures. Equally true is the correlation of cultural change with change in its language and change in its fundamental ideas. The same applies to the church, as well. It is interesting to note, then, that, at least in recent times, dramatic change in the Western church, in the American Church, an in American Lutheranism, can be traced to the period of time following WWII, to a period of cultural upheaval in the West and the coinciding disappearance of Classical Learning, emergence of post-Modern philosophy and associated ideologies like Dynamic Equivalence (DE), development Church Growth theories and infatuation with pop-Entertainment forms and its icons of cultural rebellion, the confluence of which resulted in the adoption of the NIV, the wholesale re-writing of catechisms, liturgies and hymnals, the near-complete disappearance of entire categories of language within the church (like long-used and important ecclesiastical terms), and the dramatic rise of leadership that earned fame for themselves by pushing this junk.
The fact is, with reference to the catechesis of Lutheran laity, leaders of the previous generation completely turned their back on the past, other than to pay brief homage to the quaint and passé, and proceeded to march face forward into the future. This is most un-Lutheran. As I explained in the paper I delivered at our 2012 Conference of Intrepid Lutherans (Why is this Happening to Us? How the culture wars become religious wars among us), ours is not a marching face first into the future with our back to the past, but "a backing into the future, with our minds firmly fixed on what we can know with certainty – the foundations of the past – as a basis for living out the present." This, our post-Modern leaders do not do. The resulting fact is that many Lutherans are simply left with a dire need to (re)discover their own Religion, by becoming (re)acquainted with its historic forms, with its former way of speaking and manner of doing. That realization is why I signed on with Intrepid Lutherans in 2010. I think that need continues now, more than ever, and is why I am willing to continue.
Continued in next comment...
"Catechism class" is thought to satisfy the need for Christian catechesis, but catechism class succeeds at nothing more than indoctrinating children in the naked teachings of Scripture, as Lutherans confess them. It is not full catechesis. Rather catechesis comes from every source of consistent speaking and doing in the congregation, and forms the Christian's thinking and believing. Thought, language and behaviour are all very closely related: but the kingpin is language, for its form determines the way individuals think and the way those within a culture of common language interact with one another. Indeed, it is said that if you want to understand a culture better than any history book can teach you, learn it's language – and this is especially true of ancient and dead languages and cultures. Equally true is the correlation of cultural change with change in its language and change in its fundamental ideas. The same applies to the church, as well. It is interesting to note, then, that, at least in recent times, dramatic change in the Western church, in the American Church, an in American Lutheranism, can be traced to the period of time following WWII, to a period of cultural upheaval in the West and the coinciding disappearance of Classical Learning, emergence of post-Modern philosophy and associated ideologies like Dynamic Equivalence (DE), development Church Growth theories and infatuation with pop-Entertainment forms and its icons of cultural rebellion, the confluence of which resulted in the adoption of the NIV, the wholesale re-writing of catechisms, liturgies and hymnals, the near-complete disappearance of entire categories of language within the church (like long-used and important ecclesiastical terms), and the dramatic rise of leadership that earned fame for themselves by pushing this junk.
The fact is, with reference to the catechesis of Lutheran laity, leaders of the previous generation completely turned their back on the past, other than to pay brief homage to the quaint and passé, and proceeded to march face forward into the future. This is most un-Lutheran. As I explained in the paper I delivered at our 2012 Conference of Intrepid Lutherans (Why is this Happening to Us? How the culture wars become religious wars among us), ours is not a marching face first into the future with our back to the past, but "a backing into the future, with our minds firmly fixed on what we can know with certainty – the foundations of the past – as a basis for living out the present." This, our post-Modern leaders do not do. The resulting fact is that many Lutherans are simply left with a dire need to (re)discover their own Religion, by becoming (re)acquainted with its historic forms, with its former way of speaking and manner of doing. That realization is why I signed on with Intrepid Lutherans in 2010. I think that need continues now, more than ever, and is why I am willing to continue.
Continued in next comment...
...Continued from previous comment.
But for Intrepid Lutherans to continue, we will need authors. They can be lay or clergy, but we simply will need to have a consistent flow of quality content. Some, above, have lamented of themselves, "I am not sure if I am up to the task of writing with a level of quality that fits the standards of IL." Well, that should be explained a little. The three standards that I work with are simply stated: (1) write everything as if it is going to be submitted to a journal;(2) write everything as if it will be the basis on which my progeny will judge me; and (3) be as "asocial" as possible. That last point is a requirement made necessary by this forum. Technically, the blog format is "social media"– but, even though quite a bit of "relating to others occurs" on IL, we not trying to engage in or build relationships here. Yes, I know, it happens anyway, but that is because people are involved and that's what people do. And that's fine. But it is not part of our objective or purpose. We absolutely do not want persons or personalities to dominate or become central, but struggle to keep the issues central (and much of our blog moderation serves this necessary goal, as well). Outside of that, a variety of individual writing style is something we've always tried to promote among us. For better or worse, however, over the past three-and-a-half years, Rev. Rydecki and I have been the most frequent authors, and our styles (which are similar, but certainly not identical) have kind-of set the tone, offset most often by Rev. Spencer, who writes with a much different style. And that's just fine, as well. In fact, more variety of this sort on IL would be nice – as long as the standard remains "high," as I've described.
In addition, for Intrepid Lutherans to continue, we will need to have "pastoral" oversight of some sort. That is, it cannot purely be a lay-effort. Such efforts reminds me of the Brethren movements of the late-19th and early-20th Century, where open disdain for the clergy resulted in equalization: i.e., everyone is a minister. One significant difference, of course, is that IL is neither Church nor is it Ministry, so we don't claim to be Ministers of any sort, nor do we claim Ministerial Privilege or Authority in connection with IL. But where the doctrine and practice of the Church is concerned, we still ought to have some accountability – a sounding board, if you will – with recognized credentials of some sort. He could be a Professor, a Pastor or a Theologian, either openly associated with IL or not. More than one such person would be even better. Regardless, the laymen officially involved with IL, especially as authors, will need this kind of resource alongside them.
My Thoughts,
Douglas Lindee
But for Intrepid Lutherans to continue, we will need authors. They can be lay or clergy, but we simply will need to have a consistent flow of quality content. Some, above, have lamented of themselves, "I am not sure if I am up to the task of writing with a level of quality that fits the standards of IL." Well, that should be explained a little. The three standards that I work with are simply stated: (1) write everything as if it is going to be submitted to a journal;(2) write everything as if it will be the basis on which my progeny will judge me; and (3) be as "asocial" as possible. That last point is a requirement made necessary by this forum. Technically, the blog format is "social media"– but, even though quite a bit of "relating to others occurs" on IL, we not trying to engage in or build relationships here. Yes, I know, it happens anyway, but that is because people are involved and that's what people do. And that's fine. But it is not part of our objective or purpose. We absolutely do not want persons or personalities to dominate or become central, but struggle to keep the issues central (and much of our blog moderation serves this necessary goal, as well). Outside of that, a variety of individual writing style is something we've always tried to promote among us. For better or worse, however, over the past three-and-a-half years, Rev. Rydecki and I have been the most frequent authors, and our styles (which are similar, but certainly not identical) have kind-of set the tone, offset most often by Rev. Spencer, who writes with a much different style. And that's just fine, as well. In fact, more variety of this sort on IL would be nice – as long as the standard remains "high," as I've described.
In addition, for Intrepid Lutherans to continue, we will need to have "pastoral" oversight of some sort. That is, it cannot purely be a lay-effort. Such efforts reminds me of the Brethren movements of the late-19th and early-20th Century, where open disdain for the clergy resulted in equalization: i.e., everyone is a minister. One significant difference, of course, is that IL is neither Church nor is it Ministry, so we don't claim to be Ministers of any sort, nor do we claim Ministerial Privilege or Authority in connection with IL. But where the doctrine and practice of the Church is concerned, we still ought to have some accountability – a sounding board, if you will – with recognized credentials of some sort. He could be a Professor, a Pastor or a Theologian, either openly associated with IL or not. More than one such person would be even better. Regardless, the laymen officially involved with IL, especially as authors, will need this kind of resource alongside them.
My Thoughts,
Douglas Lindee
↧
Is Blogging Too Much a Burden?The Real Issue Is Teaching the Truth
The trouble with political blogging among the Lutherans is their self-imposed limits on freedom of speech. Knowing the boundaries, genuflecting to the unwritten rules, they tiptoe through the tulips of
blogging.
No one ever spoke out against the Ski/Glende debacle in the Anything Goes district meetings of WELS. One couple took vacation time to watch the Intrepids at work at the district meeting. And they witnessed - seeing and hearing nothing amiss. Needless to say, they had trepidations about the self-named Intrepids, who supposedly formed over the issue of plagiarism, double-secret excommunication, and the endless protection of the Ski/Glende tag team.
Once the group gained traction with the NNIV issue and justification by faith, both closely related, the Coven of Predators formed hit squads to eliminate all the Intrepid signers.
Everyone should ponder the comedy of the WELS COP doing nothing about Mark/Avoid Jeske for years while stampeding to get rid of the Intrepid Lutherans' one blog and one conference.
Steve Spencer wanted the name Intrepid, but he was among the first to bail out. Blood is thicker than doctrine in WELS. Classmates - they are blood-brothers for some reason. Spencer imagined that Mark Schroeder and Jon-Boy Buchholz would improve things in WELS. They did - they made Mark Jeske invulnerable and multiplied the TOG disciples and ankle-biters. But Schroeder and Spencer are classmates, so the wand of infallibility has been placed on the predestinated head and shoulders of the SP.
I must have misunderstood the meaning of Intrepid. The secondary meaning must be - "somewhat undaunted for a couple of years, then poof."
I know blogging is a lot of work. I have around 11,500 posts. Even a copy and paste involves some labor. I do not want to imitate the plagiarists like Paul McCain, who post someone else's material verbatim and publish comments thanking the plagiarists for their great work. Instead, I take pains to show people where the material originated, for the sake of honesty and the other publisher's page-views.
Aristotle is quoted as saying, "Courage and endurance are so closely related that one must be the daughter or the mother of the other."
Luther said it better - "Faith makes us bold."
When a pastor's wife asked about dealing with crazies, I suggested, "Be the crazy. Let them deal with you."
I posted for the last time about Church Growth and UOJ - at least 200 times ago. The problems persist. Since the heirs of Bishop Martin Stephan, STD, keep recycling their timeless tosh and shopworn insults, there is no reason to stop publishing.
Someone who opposes clergy alcoholic abuse of women and children must be crazy. Murder and other felonies are public relation problems for a synod, not sins on the conscience of the SP. Once erased and forgotten, it never happened.
The root of this is unbelief. The only explanation for the treatment of Techlin, Rydecki, and many others is unbelief. The WELS leaders, like the LCMS and ELS leaders, are unbelievers. They hate the Gospel and despise Luther. Nothing else explains the widespread abuse, lying, greed and deception.
The "conservative" synods walk hand-in-hoof with ELCA, grabbing for the money while they go down the drain with the more obvious apostates.
To quote Luther again - it is good to be disillusioned by church leaders. It teaches us to trust only in the Word of God.
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