Messages

1

Your Turn / Re: Christian response to Rittenhouse trial

« on: Yesterday at 03:21:38 PM »

Bill O'Reilly:  B.A. in History, M.A. in Broadcast Journalism

1982-86...CBS, 1986-89...ABC, 1989-95...Inside Edition, FOX 1996-2016


Tucker Carlson:  B.A. in History

2000-05...CNN, 2005-08...MSNBC, 2009-Present...FOX

Neither one of these guys comes close to the gravitas of Walter Cronkite.
Of course Cronkite never had an hour of commentary 5 nights a week.

2

Your Turn / Re: Changing Lifestyles Of American Adults

« on: November 29, 2021, 02:28:19 PM »

These are some excuses for cohabitation:

1. The couple wants to "make certain" they are a good fit for each other
before they ever think about the life-long commitment of marriage.

2. The couple has no interest in marriage.  They are good friends who
want to save money by sharing rental fees for an apartment.

3. The couple  does not believe in marriage but want to have a sexual
partner who is available to them most of the time.

It seems that men are more leery of marriage commitment than women.
We are dealing with a secular culture which rejects the 6th commandment
and has no guilt about adultery.

3

Your Turn / Changing Lifestyles Of American Adults

« on: November 28, 2021, 12:54:19 PM »

The Pew Research Center reported the following percentages among the
adult population ages 25 to 54:

1990.....67% Married......29% Non-Married......4% Cohabiting

2019.....53% Married......38% Non-Married......9% Cohabiting

This trend in the past 30 years has implications for the local
congregation.  When marriage is postponed until people have
become established in their careers, it reduces the number of
years for wives able to have children.

Of course, less children means smaller parishes.   Some couples
are also making the choice to not have any children at all.  The
issue of cohabiting couples who are not married is also not a
positive trend for the future.

4

Your Turn / Re: Accurate interpretation of Bonhoeffer?

« on: November 26, 2021, 10:19:34 AM »

His "The Cost of Discipleship"  is a reminder to the church that every generation
must fight against cheap Grace.  It happens when there is forgiveness without
repentance, Baptism without church discipline, Holy Communion without confession,
Grace without the cross of Christ.

Bonhoeffer was a theologian who did not live in an ivory tower.  Instead, he was able
to communicate the truth of Holy Scripture in a way that impacted the lives of those
who followed Christ.   

5

Your Turn / Re: Accurate interpretation of Bonhoeffer?

« on: November 25, 2021, 11:05:02 AM »

To really understand Dietrich Bonhoeffer I would recommend 3 books:

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (unabridged edition, Macmillan)

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas (2010 Thomas Nelson)

The Collected Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2012 Fortress Press)

6

Your Turn / Re: Thanksgiving 'myth'?

« on: November 24, 2021, 01:16:17 PM »

On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation
to thank the Almighty God for the blessings of fruitful fields and their
bounties.  He stated that the last Thursday of November be set aside to
offer praise to our divine Father who dwells in the Heavens.

Bottom Line: He never mentions the Pilgrims/Plymouth Rock, instead
in the middle of a Civil War he asks the nation to thank God for His
bountiful blessings.

7

Your Turn / Re: Christian response to Rittenhouse trial

« on: November 23, 2021, 08:47:34 PM »

The mainstream media tried to convict Rittenhouse in the court of public opinion.
By their character assassination they said he was guilty before the jury said not guilty.
One of the problems in our justice system is permitting televised trials.  It is possible
for attorneys on both sides to play to the camera rather than seeking out the facts of
the case. Then you have President Biden using poor judgment in publicly commenting
about the verdict......"Keep calm.......I am angry".

8

Your Turn / Re: Fascinating black LCMS history at the Federalist

« on: November 23, 2021, 06:06:21 PM »

In 1955, Davenport High School in Davenport, Iowa was the state football
champs and went  undefeated.   The starting quarterback was black as was
one of the starting half-backs.  This city of 100,000 was proud to support its
high school sports programs.  There was no racial unrest in the 1950's for
the city of Davenport.

9

Your Turn / Re: Fascinating black LCMS history at the Federalist

« on: November 23, 2021, 11:45:36 AM »

A classmate of mine at Concordia Jr. College in Milwaukee
came from that ministerial family tree of Lutheran pastors.
His name was Harvey J. Lehman, the son of a Lutheran
pastor.  He is was one of two Black classmates who went
to Milwaukee for the first two college years and graduated
in 1961.  Neither one of them went to the Senior College
at Fort Wayne.

10

Your Turn / Re: Purpose/goal of left hand kingdom punishments

« on: November 22, 2021, 04:24:32 PM »

In the 1960's Walter Cronkite was the gold standard for network TV news
As the anchor for CBS evening news he stated that the Vietnam War was
unwinnable.  Shortly after that newscast, President Lyndon Johnson said
he was not a candidate for re-election.

Fast forward today and we have 24/7 Cable News channels like CNN
and FOX who bombard our TV screens.  Cronkite reported the news
and out of character for him was the pronouncement on Vietnam War.
Today, we have TV commentators who give us their opinion for one hour
and then someone else comes on the screen and does the same thing.
There is less reporting and more commentary on the news to a target
audience.

11

Your Turn / Re: Lutheran Levity

« on: November 20, 2021, 09:55:07 PM »

It happened at a Funeral Home visitation room during flu season....filled with many people
paying their last respects.

What did one casket say to another casket?   "Is that you coffin?"

12

Your Turn / Re: Christian response to Rittenhouse trial

« on: November 19, 2021, 06:25:37 PM »

It was not necessary for President Biden to give his opinion on the jury's verdict.
Our nation does not need to make this trial a political issue with Presidential anger.

In 1995, President Bill Clinton did not speak publicly about the non-guilty verdict
of the jury at the O. J. Simpson trial.  He was wise to not criticize their decision.

13

Your Turn / Re: Coronavirus news

« on: November 19, 2021, 10:09:56 AM »

I hit a single in February with my first vaccine shot/Moderna

I hit a double in March with my second vaccine shot/Moderna

I hit a triple yesterday with my booster shot/Moderna


The consensus at the medical clinic yesterday was that it is
possible that a once a year booster shot will be available
to combat Covid19 in the future.

14

Your Turn / Re: Christian response to Rittenhouse trial

« on: November 17, 2021, 03:45:40 PM »

@jebutler......In your signoff sentence you use the name of H. Grady Davis.

In my homiletics class at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis our professor George
Hoyer used his textbook.  The popular Goal, Malady, Means of Richard Caemmerer
was substituted with H. Grady Davis and his Point, Problem, Power.   It still comes
out the same Law/Gospel template.

15

Your Turn / Re: accidental overdose/suicide

« on: November 17, 2021, 03:05:20 PM »

In the journal First Things (December 2021) R.R.Reno states that according
to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention: "nearly 100,000 people died
from overdoses in 2020."  He goes on to state that drug overdose has killed
nearly one million people since 1999. Reno sadly concludes by saying  our policy
 in response to this drug over dose tragedy has been to legalize marijuana.