Messages

1

Your Turn / Re: Changing Lifestyles Of American Adults

« on: November 29, 2021, 02:14:52 PM »

So, what does one do about this?

As Carl Trueman noted in his recent book, we are experiencing the end result of a 200 year long attack on our understanding of the nature of mankind and our relationship with one another and with God.  Resolving this problem is not the work of one life time but of a consistent and focused effort to educate young people in the meaning and responsibilities associated with Western Christian civilization.

So how can we do this if we continue to send our young folks to be educated by advocates of this "I, Me and Mine" philosophy?  Better home life--sure.  Better church life--sure.  Classical education--can't hurt.  But as to resolving the problem of what we could call the "island life"--probably our Lord's return in glory.

Isn't the "I, Me and Mine" philosophy form the background of those who insist on their own choice regarding the vaccine or gun ownership or abortion rights? It's not really a philosophy as the original sin that we are born with.

There are indeed many variations of this worldview self focused worldview

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Your Turn / Re: Changing Lifestyles Of American Adults

« on: November 29, 2021, 02:13:00 PM »

Is it possible that the relatively low percentage of people living together without formal marriage reflects something else--the narcissism that seems so common among younger people who have grown up with the isolating force of modern tech?  Even cohabitation without marriage requires a higher commitment to another person than simply "hooking up". If America is bowling alone, maybe it's also living alone.

One son has usually lived with others (who were not his "partners"). For a while, he shared a townhouse with two women. When one had to leave, she was replaced with a guy. When our son moved to the other coast, he first shared a house with five others; then a smaller place with one other guy, whose girl-friend/fiancée/wife moved in with them. Our son offered to move out, but they wanted him to stay. (Partly because he helped pay the rent - and they liked him.) When he moved again, he shared a townhouse and now a 4-bedroom house with a friend from jr. high. He has "lived together" with a number of people, but not shared a bedroom with them. Where does that fit on the chart?

This has nothing to do with the topic at hand

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Your Turn / Re: Coronavirus news

« on: November 29, 2021, 09:26:40 AM »

Dr. Fauci lived most of his life known and respected by a relatively small number of people.  Then he became a celebrity and it seems to have taken over his whole being.  It was said of Georgie Jessel that he was famous for being famous.  I suspect Dr. Fauci is experiencing some of the same type of fame as the aforesaid Mr. Jessel--most people aren't real sure of who he is, but he seems to be in the public eye all the time so he must be someone important.  I do think his 15 minutes of fame is about up, though.

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Your Turn / Re: Changing Lifestyles Of American Adults

« on: November 29, 2021, 09:22:42 AM »

So, what does one do about this?

As Carl Trueman noted in his recent book, we are experiencing the end result of a 200 year long attack on our understanding of the nature of mankind and our relationship with one another and with God.  Resolving this problem is not the work of one life time but of a consistent and focused effort to educate young people in the meaning and responsibilities associated with Western Christian civilization.

So how can we do this if we continue to send our young folks to be educated by advocates of this "I, Me and Mine" philosophy?  Better home life--sure.  Better church life--sure.  Classical education--can't hurt.  But as to resolving the problem of what we could call the "island life"--probably our Lord's return in glory.

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Your Turn / Re: Changing Lifestyles Of American Adults

« on: November 29, 2021, 06:30:44 AM »

Is it possible that the relatively low percentage of people living together without formal marriage reflects something else--the narcissism that seems so common among younger people who have grown up with the isolating force of modern tech?  Even cohabitation without marriage requires a higher commitment to another person than simply "hooking up". If America is bowling alone, maybe it's also living alone.

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Your Turn / Re: Christian response to Rittenhouse trial

« on: November 26, 2021, 05:44:09 AM »

Alright, let's try to get this straight.  Point 1--Kyle Rittenhouse was not a white bigot out to support the suppression of minorities.  Point 2--Kyle Rittenhouse had no business being there in the first place, he was not providing effective protection for a community not his own.  Point 3--Kyle Rittenhouse was under attack when he used his weapon and I doubt any of us would have behaved differently had we been in the same situation.  Point 4--Kyle Rittenhouse is neither a hero nor a villain.  Point 5--Kyle Rittenhouse is a 17 year old boy and what he did was caused by the lack of impulse control and the desire to be seen as a man common among 17 year old boys.  Point 6--Kyle Rittenhouse probably does not understand that his so-called supporters don't care diddly about him, but are abusing him while they use him for their own political purposes.

BTW--point 6 also applies to Greta Thunberg.

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Your Turn / Re: Christian response to Rittenhouse trial

« on: November 19, 2021, 09:28:03 AM »

In 1960 there were easily enough shenanigans in Illinois and Texas that the election of John Kennedy could have been overturned had Nixon pursued it.  He chose not to for the good of the country.  What, pray tell, has happened to us?

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Your Turn / Re: Could we be seeing a return to one-earner families?

« on: November 18, 2021, 10:33:37 AM »

The formula I've tried to use is based on the idea that God alone knows who is or is not saved among the people sitting in front of me.  And reason tells me that if there is anyone not yet convicted of his or her sins, then they need to hear the Law so they can truly hear the Gospel.  But there may be people who have been convicted of their sinfulness, but still believe they can or must do something about it--try to be good, etc.  They need to understand there is nothing they can do about their situation, so the Gospel must be purely proclaimed monergistically.  And finally there are the saved saints in the congregation.  They know that Christ has imputed His righteousness to them and they are saved.  But they still long to hear the truth because they know it.  There exists then the need for each sermon to, in some way, address all three groups.

I also think a good sermon must explicate the text on which it is based, apply that text to the life of each hearer, and show how the Gospel is applicable to all things.

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Your Turn / Re: New University

« on: November 18, 2021, 10:24:41 AM »

My belief is that the more religious conservative folks already have their institutions of higher learning - Hillsdale.  And Bob Jones.  And a few others. There will be many lines of differentiation between Hillsdale and Austin.  Which means those on the religious right will or would eventually be forced to weigh in on why Austin is not good for your children. 

Dave Benke

Why do you believe Hillsdale is a religious school?  I've never had that impression.  I would agree more if you had made that observation about Grove City.  And why did you throw Bob Jones Univ. in there--is it some kind of red meat for the anti-fundamentalists among us?  And then there is Liberty, of course.  As I've read about the proposed new Univ. I see it more as a secular school that will not discriminate against those who are religious, thereby avoiding all the law suits that schools seem to always lose because they're more concerned about the snowflakes and their faculty encouragers than the Constitution of the USA

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Your Turn / Re: Could we be seeing a return to one-earner families?

« on: November 17, 2021, 05:46:23 AM »

I have never wanted to know what individuals or families give to the church.  I do, however, ask the Financial Secretary to let me know if there is a significant change in giving as part of my pastoral care.  I have always encouraged tithing in writing and from the pulpit, but God, loving the cheerful giver, is the only one to whom any of us must answer for our generosity or lack thereof.

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Your Turn / Re: Once again, in loco parentis

« on: November 09, 2021, 08:12:33 PM »

Slavery was a bad thing in 1781.  It was a bad thing in 1861.  But it was scarcely something used solely by white Americans.  Would we not be better off worrying about the slavery that exists today in China, in the Middle East, in Africa as well as America and Europe.  We all like to pretend that the clothes we wear weren't made from cotton harvested by slaves in western China.  We all like to pretend the products we buy made overseas were not produced by children and women kept in a form of slavery.  We all like to pretend that there are no young people being trafficked in our town, slaves of another sort.  I'm sorry some of our people are descended from slaves, but I am more sorry for the people who are enslaved today and scarcely anyone seems to care.

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Your Turn / Re: Reformation Sunday Observances

« on: November 06, 2021, 10:07:21 AM »

Thanks to everyone sharing on this thread. This is ALPB at its best, in my opinion. I think I may use Salvation unto Us Has Come as the basis for my Lenten series in the spring. Our congregational hymnal, Service Book and Hymnal, does not include this classic so this is a great way to introduce it.

Your church uses the old Service Book and Hymnal?  That was the hymnal used at my confirmation church (ALC) and I haven't heard it for 40+ years.  Kinda miss it now and then.

There are multiple AFLC congregations still using it.  My congregation actually donated a number of them to replace those held together with chewing gum and tape .  One of those still using the SBH is one of our larger congregations in the Pittsburgh area, originally ALC but joined the AFLC in the '90's.  I've worshipped there a few times and quite like the change to "thee, thou, etc."  Wouldn't want to do it all the time, but it does have a dignity that many more modern liturgies lack, IMO.

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Your Turn / Re: Reformation Sunday Observances

« on: November 05, 2021, 08:36:24 PM »

Salvation unto Us Has Come and Dear Christians One and All Rejoice are fantastic hymns best divided in a service.

Interesting: ELW only includes 6 verses for Salvation Unto Us Has Come (10 verses in LSB and 14 in the original by Paul Speratus) and 8 verses for Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice (10 verses in LW & LSB).


I composed a more folk-style tune for these lyrics (see attached). It can work for either hymn.

I believe the LBW had only 5 verses of Salvation Unto Us Has Come.  We have 10 in the AFLC's Ambassador Hymnal--I assume they're the same 10 as the LSB.  Do you know where I could find an English translation of the entire hymn as written?

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Your Turn / Re: Reformation Sunday Observances

« on: November 05, 2021, 06:07:50 AM »

I expected more might post about Reformation observances at congregations. Do you think we are in an event "shadow" where the highpoint of the 500th anniversary now makes for a drought of heritage observance?

Not sure what you're looking for. It's a festival on the church calendar that we celebrate every year. I didn't think it necessary to state that we used red paraments. That's a given.

I was a bit surprised by all of those who stand for all the hymns. We used LSB Divine Service, Setting Three last Sunday. We followed the rubrics therein for standing and sitting. That includes standing for the Trinitarian final stanza in , for example, "Salvation Unto Us has Come."

One of my favorite hymns.  I began to divide it into 5 verses twice because I could tell that people were looking "funny" when we did all 10 at once.  I remember a person who joined our church and heard it for the first time.  He told me he felt like he had received 2 Law and Gospel sermons that morning.  I did ask which was best. 

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Your Turn / Re: Coronavirus news

« on: November 02, 2021, 08:15:36 PM »

Pastor Bohler:
And what percentage of Americans have had COVID but have not been vaccinated (natural immunity, which is stronger and longer lasting than immunity via vaccination)?  That may well push the total over the 70-80% threshold.

Me:
Dream on. And pray that you are lucky. For that is virtually the only hope of those who dismiss precautions, vaccinations, and related safety measures. The problem is - in areas where the population is large, rather than just open spaces with cows counted as voters - the infection is active, forceful and immunity is, if present at all, fleeting and uncertain.

No, the cows are not counted as voters here.  But I HAVE heard that in major metro areas, it is not uncommon for dead people to vote.

And in some rural areas too--Landslide Lyndon Johnson elected by the former living in Duval County TX