Messages

1

Your Turn / Re: Some Advent / Christmas Music

« on: December 06, 2016, 10:01:22 AM »

I'm the music director in our congregation, and on occasion, I also write hymns.

Here is a hymn I wrote this past fall for Advent, "God, Immanuel".  If you desire to use it for any purpose, do so with my blessing. 

The tune is not "mellow", but an old revival tune from the 1800's.  If you are not familiar with the tune, here is a link where you can listen to it: http://www.smallchurchmusic2.com/Song_Display-New.php?Search=down%20at%20the%20cross

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Your Turn / Universities work to purge male students of their ‘toxic’ masculinity

« on: November 02, 2016, 10:04:33 AM »

This article reports on the efforts of universities taking steps to actively purge male students of what’s been labeled “toxic masculinity.”:

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/29757/

From the article:

"At a mandatory freshmen orientation training at Gettysburg College in August, male students had to watch a documentary which stated in part that the “three most destructive words” a boy can hear growing up is “be a man.” The freshmen also went through breakout sessions in which they were told mass shooting sprees are rooted in toxic masculinity."

It also references a hyperlink to that article: http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/29527/

While I am not surprised that the modern "Re-education Camps" (aka "Universities") are working their hardest to destroy Western Civilization, I am surprised to find a Lutheran College has totally ripped free of its moorings and joined the fray.

Is there any accountability by Gettysburg College to the tradition which established it, or is it no longer a Lutheran institution of higher learning?  Have any pastor's heard reports from their college-age parishioners of these shenanigans?

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Your Turn / Re: Lump of cells vs human being

« on: August 03, 2015, 04:54:33 PM »

Last year I taught an Adult Sunday School class using the church's first catechism, The Didache.  The class was amazed to find that from its earliest days, the church had a definitive teaching about abortion, and many expressed their dismay when realizing how far from this plain teaching many denominations have drifted.

We are taught that in "The Way of Life":  "You shalt not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt the young; you shall not have sexual relations outside of marriage; you shall not steal; you shall not practice magic; you shalt not practice sorcery; you shalt not kill a child by abortion, nor slay it when it is born. (Didache 2:2)

We are also taught about those who practice the "Way of Death": "They are lovers of the lie....., they are child murderers who abort what God has formed." (Didache 5:2)

And of course, we are also instructed "See to it that no one turns you away from this doctrine concerning the two paths, the one who causes you to stray from this teaching does so without God." (Didache 6:1)

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Your Turn / Re: Supreme Court extends same-sex marriage nationwide

« on: June 30, 2015, 12:30:50 PM »

I think global warming and overpopulation are genuine threats to society.
The majority of people that deny global warming are evangelical Americans, and or YEC believers. 
Be fruitful and multiply is still a commandment for many evangelicals, and a church growth by birth ideology was advocated at the sem and among the churches I have attended. 

As G.K. Chesterton prophesied over a hundred years ago: “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing — they believe in anything.” 

AGW & Overpopulation Alarmism stirs up more hysteria and irrational thinking which motivates their adherents to impose a more legalistic worldview than anything seen in the Christian world since the Middle Ages, and quite possibly, even before then.

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Your Turn / Re: Five Tips for Choosing Hymns for the Divine Service

« on: August 09, 2014, 04:19:21 PM »

I use a number of different sources:

1) We subscribe to the worship resources at Sola Publishing, and included in the weekly materials are suggested hymns:
http://worship.solapublishing.com/

2) One of my favorite online hymn references has, in addition to marvelous search capabilities, a lectionary suggestion list: http://www.hymnary.org/browse/lectionary/

3) An original composer/lyricist, also with fantastic search functions: http://www.lnwhymns.com/Default.aspx

4) Another original lyricist who writes especially for the lectionary: http://www.newhymn.com/index.htm
(I especially use his work when I can for the Scripture Hymn, which we sing during the lessons: one verse after the OT, Psalm, NT & Gospel.  It's another way of reinforcing the lessons of the day.)

6

Your Turn / Re: Summer Reading Anyone?

« on: June 10, 2013, 06:34:23 PM »

For those of you who have read (or are reading) "Reading Revelation Responsibly" by Michael Gorman, what do you think? I am currently teaching a class on Revelation and would love to find a good resource. I enjoyed reading Gorman's "Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross." I imagine his take on Revelation would be very good.

BTW Peter... "Wow. If there was ever a forum of nerds..." pot and kettle, my friend...

I would also recommend "The Paschal Liturgy and the Apocalypse" by Massey Shepherd.  I'm using it for a class I'm teaching on Revelation and its been well received.  Although old, (first published in 1960), it is still available on Amazon.

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Your Turn / Re: ELCA Elects First (Out) Homosexual Bishop, meanings and consequences.

« on: June 10, 2013, 09:07:09 AM »

...It is not what position someone takes or where their conscience is bound. It is in how they present their views and themselves ...

I guess that sums up the whole problem, doesn't it.  In the ELCA, it really doesn't matter what position anyone holds; politeness and decorum are the rules that govern "this church."  If someone is racing towards the edge of the cliff, by all means, don't yell out "STOP, you idiot, you're going to kill yourself and everyone with you!!!" 

8

Your Turn / Re: Estranged members sue ELCA-LCMC congregation

« on: March 19, 2013, 02:57:10 PM »

Out here, one congregation is being sued in similar fashion.  Yet within 40 miles are 3 other congregations that left under identical circumstances.  They were not sued.  They were released to go happily on their way.   The difference?  The congregation in question has a multimillion dollar endowment.

I believe that there was also the difference that the Grace Lutheran Council unilaterally declared a group of people (all supporters of the ELCA?) to no longer be members of the congregation. Thus, they were not eligible to vote.

they were legally removed after the constitutionally required time due to inactivity.    Which raises the point again that ELCA will follow constitutional requirements when it suits them, and ignore the requirements when it does not.

That is correct.  They had already left, and formed Grace Lutheran ELCA, which is a party to the lawsuit.  Which begs the question, if they left and formed another worshiping body, why should they be allowed to sue the original congregation.  Didn't their action in forming another body mean they left one behind?  Or, are they saying it is permissible for THEM to be a member of two bodies, but it is not permissible for OTHERS to be a member of two bodies?

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Your Turn / Re: Extend the Common Bond--Thrivent

« on: January 22, 2013, 01:21:22 PM »

Can I take my business elsewhere?  I have a life insurance policy with them (my parents took it out when I was born and I converted it to a different policy 20 some years ago).  Is it possible to switch to another company without losing 51 years worth of premiums?  I have my retirement investments with them, and have for almost 20 years.  Can I take that money out without penalty?

It all depends.  I worked for AAL for 10 years, but left at the time of the merger since it was already obvious to those with any understanding that this current change was being planned even back then.  However, I stayed in the industry and was able to offer many former members superior products without them losing anything.  All it takes is a knowledgeable financial advisor that understands the complexity of the products to determine if you can do the above or not.

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Your Turn / Re: Abortion and Politics

« on: August 28, 2012, 08:44:55 PM »

On the current topic, here is a video released today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwFIEprF_9Y&list=UUweaynfcfOijvB8icPqU3sQ&index=2&feature=plcp

Here is the description:

On August 28, 2012 the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) announced the launch of a $150,000 television ad campaign across Missouri highlighting President Obama's extreme record on abortion and featuring abortion survivor Melissa Ohden. Missouri has recently been at the center of the conversation on abortion.

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Your Turn / Re: Excommunication ever???

« on: August 27, 2012, 08:33:56 AM »

If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Dr. George Tiller (the baby killer) ex-communicated from his LCMS parish?  Wasn't that appropriate for a non-repentant murderer whose continuing actions were a scandal to the church? 

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Your Turn / Re: RCL daily lectionary - exclusions

« on: July 04, 2012, 09:42:59 PM »

If you are referring to the daily lectionary reading for Year Two, Wednesday of Pentecost 5, which is Romans 1:28-2:11; the passage does not "skip" anything, it just begins with verse 28.

You write:
It seems a very obviously ideological exclusion, in my perspective.  Anyone have any real insight into this?
I comment:
Consider this. The LBW and Revised Common Lectionary were done in the mid-1970s, and the Revised Common Lectionary is an ecumenical endeavor. I was involved for some of that time with the approval of the LBW. To tell you the truth, the "ideology" to which I think you refer was hardly even on the radar screens in those years, and would have had almost nothing to do with the Revised Common Lectionary.
As noted above; the reading doesn't "skip" anything; it just starts following the verses which seem to concern you.

The only problem with your argument is that the previous days reading is Romans 1:16-25.  If the reading is considered to be sequential, then 2 verses are indeed missing from the sequence.  Whether they were omitted from the previous days reading, or the day in question, they are in fact missing. 

I also don't by the argument that these verses were not on anyone's radar in the 70's.  Even back then, especially on liberal Lutheran college campuses, it was considered appropriate to just skip over verses which might be uncomfortable for the reader/hearer.  We used to joke and make fun of our professors when they did this, and asked what version of scripture they were using, the Loose-Leaf Edition?  (Of course, that was before the days of word processors, so we were not familiar with the "cut/paste" idiom back then.)

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Your Turn / Re: The thread for info on churches voting to leave the ELCA & all follow-up.

« on: May 27, 2012, 02:17:02 PM »

More from the trenches in Iowa: http://thegazette.com/2012/05/25/largest-u-s-lutheran-group-removes-marion-church-from-roster/

The oddest paragraph in the article was this one:

Without the ELCA affiliation, St. Mark’s loses the resources and benefits associated with belonging to the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, including world outreach, youth programs and international ministries and missions. The ELCA has just about 10,500 congregations in the U.S., while the LCMC has just 500.

Who provided that misinformation (lie) and why didn't the reporter fact check it?  LCMC & NALC congregations have access to world outreach, youth programs and international ministries and missions.  If it was Bishop Burke who said this, shame on him.

I think we have to note that, in the article, that info is clearly not attributed to Bishop Burk.   However, a quotation from him is reported: “There is not one congregation in the ELCA that dual rosters with the goal of staying in the ELCA.”   He also is reported as openly commenting that this action was not an easy decision.  -  In spite of our deep concerns, we should keep the emotional level within the bounds of the realities.

John Ericksen

That is why I referred to it as such an odd paragraph.  While the information in that paragraph is not clearly attributed to him, it does sound like an ELCA press release, and no other ELCA source is cited in the article.

However, the Bishop did make one misstatement. 

“There is not one congregation in the ELCA that dual rosters with the goal of staying in the ELCA.”

St. Mark's, Marion is at least one congregation that did do such a thing.

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Your Turn / Re: The thread for info on churches voting to leave the ELCA & all follow-up.

« on: May 27, 2012, 07:17:45 AM »

More from the trenches in Iowa: http://thegazette.com/2012/05/25/largest-u-s-lutheran-group-removes-marion-church-from-roster/

The oddest paragraph in the article was this one:

Without the ELCA affiliation, St. Mark’s loses the resources and benefits associated with belonging to the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, including world outreach, youth programs and international ministries and missions. The ELCA has just about 10,500 congregations in the U.S., while the LCMC has just 500.

Who provided that misinformation (lie) and why didn't the reporter fact check it?  LCMC & NALC congregations have access to world outreach, youth programs and international ministries and missions.  If it was Bishop Burke who said this, shame on him. 

15

Your Turn / Re: Estranged members sue ELCA-LCMC congregation

« on: March 06, 2012, 10:25:24 AM »

I comment:
...And Mr. Harris rightly notes that congregation "may" - repeat "may" - have been given permission to keep some provisions of their earlier constitutions; but that when amended, the constitutions were to have been brought in line with the key provisions of the ELCA documents.
    Again, all that was 20+ years ago, and the world moves on. Constitutions are subject to interpretation by trial and error, judicial rulings, and amendment.

It was that dual edged sword of being forced to adopt changes a congregation may not want to that kept many from making any changes whatsoever to their constitutions.

The further the ELCA traveled down the road to its current circumstances, congregations that were skeptical of that direction decided against making any changes because their original constitutions had escape clauses that were less stringent or prone to manipulation than that imposed by the ELCA.