http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2014/01/going-but-not-forgetting.html#comment-form
As l read these comments and reflect on their rationale l am dismayed at the excuses. The fact is the WELS no longer follows God's Word. There is no rationale that can excuse following false doctrine!
I joined a WELSchurch almost 20 years ago after careful search and study of different denominational doctrines. The WELS was as close as l could find to what scripture taught. As a father of young preschool age children l was elated to bring my family to worship and raise them as WELS christians because there they would grow in God's Word.
lt is for the same reason that l will shortly be talking to my pastor, also my friend, to tell him l am leaving his church and will shortly join ELDoNA. All my friends are WELS. My wife and two of my sons will remain WELS. My heart is broken. At times l cry out to our Triune God asking why he let this happen to my family. Once united in faith, now divided.
So, people can keep their rationalizations about family and friend contacts. The truth is unless God, and that includes His Truth, come first you worship an idol. I speak from experience. My family has been my idol and only recently have l realized and placed them second to God. This has left me psychologically bruised and scared. Yet, God must come first or we worship the Golden Calf all over again.
I joined a WELSchurch almost 20 years ago after careful search and study of different denominational doctrines. The WELS was as close as l could find to what scripture taught. As a father of young preschool age children l was elated to bring my family to worship and raise them as WELS christians because there they would grow in God's Word.
lt is for the same reason that l will shortly be talking to my pastor, also my friend, to tell him l am leaving his church and will shortly join ELDoNA. All my friends are WELS. My wife and two of my sons will remain WELS. My heart is broken. At times l cry out to our Triune God asking why he let this happen to my family. Once united in faith, now divided.
So, people can keep their rationalizations about family and friend contacts. The truth is unless God, and that includes His Truth, come first you worship an idol. I speak from experience. My family has been my idol and only recently have l realized and placed them second to God. This has left me psychologically bruised and scared. Yet, God must come first or we worship the Golden Calf all over again.
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GJ - Intrepid Emeritus Steven Spencer observed that WELS is incredibly stupid about most things, except for controlling people. They accomplish that superbly - through unity by hazing, abuse, and clan behavior. Like a school of fish, a WELS clan will swim in one direction together and change directions and move another direction, according to some unseen and unheard signal.
Mequon classmates always defend one another, unless the signal has gone out that someone is now a leper. He will not know he is a leper until some time has passed.
New lepers beg to be let back into the Mequon clan. One way they do this is by gushing in public about the great conference they just attended - how wonderful, Lutheran, confessional, and spiritual it was.
One FB friend from WELS just got a promotion out of the parish. He left a message on my wall - "Stop slandering WELS!" Why did he do this, since we have no personal contact throughout the year? Answer - As a FB friend he is immediately suspect as a potential leaker or secret Ichabod supporter.
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| I am old school. When I was young, The Bridge was a bridge. |