Topics

31

Your Turn / Epiphany Plans

« on: December 14, 2021, 08:21:52 AM »

I'm wondering what congregations have planned for Epiphany since it commonly comes in the middle of the week rather than on Sunday. Do you have a service or specific observance for Epiphany?

32

Your Turn / Acts 10:4, 31

« on: December 12, 2021, 07:25:15 AM »

These passages struck me this week as I had devotions. Gentile Cornelius knows about the one true God through the Old Testament revelation. God knows Cornelius by his prayers and alms. I had not noted before the weight of the alms in the story. Cornelius mentions them twice as highlighted by the Lord's angel. Cornelius does not yet know Jesus. Others later say he did not yet know repentance unto life (11:18). The Spirit is given to Cornelius while Peter preaches Jesus.

How does all this fit with our doctrine of conversion, with God's relationship to those who do not yet know Jesus to be the Savior? How does God heed the prayers and alms of those outside the Church? I invite your thoughts.

33

Your Turn / What Happened to the Christian/Lutheran Cyclopedia?

« on: December 08, 2021, 08:26:36 AM »

I went looking for the Christian Cyclopedia this morning to check on a historical practice. A digital edition was on the synod's website but is now down, which is too bad. It is a great resource.

When I was at CPH, I drew up a three volume plan for updating the entire work with scholar-signed articles. It was to be published as:

Vol. 1, Biblical Studies
Vol. 2, Historical Studies
Vol. 3, Doctrinal Studies

One was to include liturgy/worship, too. (Can't recall whether those articles would go in volume 2 or 3.)

I had lined up about 30 scholars from throughout the Concordias to start on volume 1. It appears that the work was never advanced by the team after me. Does anyone know if there are plans to make the Cyclopedia available again? It is a valuable resource.

34

Your Turn / Video Comments

« on: December 05, 2021, 05:22:33 AM »

This video from Greece shows some East-West tensions. The comments on the video are also candid.

https://youtu.be/Rp5fEF_AVdo

35

Your Turn / Remember Lot's Wife

« on: November 11, 2021, 07:30:42 AM »

In Luke 17:32, Jesus provides this brief counsel in a discourse about the coming of God's kingdom. What precisely should we remember about Lot's wife (Genesis 19:15--16, 26) and how should it apply to our lives now?

36

Your Turn / All Saints Day Observances

« on: November 07, 2021, 04:20:35 PM »

We had a good exchange about Reformation Sunday observances. I would like to invite the same for All Saints. How did your congregation observe the day?

37

Your Turn / Reformation Sunday Observances

« on: November 02, 2021, 07:26:28 AM »

How did your congregation/family observe Reformation Day?

38

Your Turn / Listing Concerns about Those Other Lutherans

« on: October 30, 2021, 12:37:04 PM »

On a different thread there was a discussion forming about ELCA and LCMS differences. Here is a list Charles provided:

LCMS has no women's ordination
-Closed communion
-no ordaining of partnered homosexuals
-young earth creationism
-heresy hunting

Here is a list Peter provided regarding concerns with the ELCA:

Support for abortion
-following culture rather than Scripture
-approving and celebrating adulterous and sinful relationships

Perhaps folks from other Lutheran denominations would like to voice their concerns about one or more groups. I recommend everyone stay calm and voice their concerns constructively. It should be a helpful learning experience.

39

Your Turn / All Hallows Eve Fun

« on: October 28, 2021, 09:15:48 PM »

Had our labyrinth again this year for neighborhood families. Theme was Life, Death, and Eternal Life. Good turn out despite nagging rain. We didn't host this last year because of Covid restrictions. Had our own version of Trunk or Treat in 2020 (also in the rain). Talked with several families I had not seen in a while. Started a discussion of Baptism with a young man who did not know what Baptism was. Tossing spoonfuls of Christianity against the shovelfuls of secular culture.

40

Your Turn / Anniversary Acclamation of Praise!

« on: October 24, 2021, 07:15:31 AM »

Praising the Lord today for 150 years of ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church in Roanoke, IL (the first congregation I served) and 100 years for the sanctuary of Emmanual Lutheran Church in Columbus, OH, the current congregation I serve. May the Lord sustain both congregations for years of ministry to come! Alleluia!

41

Your Turn / Halloween and All Hallows' Eve

« on: October 21, 2021, 07:09:45 PM »

In the explanation for the Second Commandment, Luther warns against using "satanic arts." Where are the boundaries between Halloween fun and corruption of the Christian Faith for our people?

42

Your Turn / Sunni---Shia Conflict

« on: October 15, 2021, 07:13:33 AM »

What precisely is the cause of violence between Sunnis and Shias?

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58925863

43

Your Turn / Early Retirement

« on: October 14, 2021, 09:14:31 AM »

I wonder if there are pastors on the forum who have opted for early retirement and whether they would share their experiences. How has it gone personally and financially?

Update: Other considerations raised on the thread are (1) the circumstances of other church workers, (2) of congregations, and (3) of church worker families. These are factors that may affect a retirement decision. Perhaps there are others.

44

Your Turn / An Observation about the Numbers in Genesis 5

« on: September 24, 2021, 10:18:00 PM »

I've been teaching on Genesis and we're coming up to Genesis 5. As I was studying, I noticed the following about the numbers (ages) in the Genesis 5 genealogy:

More numbers are divisible by 5 (67.85%) than by 2 (46.4%), which is surprising since 2 divides into all even numbers whereas 5 divides into far fewer numbers (only those ending in 5 and 0). One would not expect such a high representation of numbers divisible by 5.

These results, however, would make sense if the recorder was in the habit of rounding figures to the nearest 5 or 10. One may notice, for example, that none of the figures ends in a 1, 3, 4, 6, or 8. Although not all numbers in the genealogy are rounded to 5 or 10 (32% clearly are not since they end in 2, 7, or 9), it appears that the genealogy includes rounded information.

45

Your Turn / NALS

« on: September 14, 2021, 07:22:44 AM »

I was reading Rich Carter's article on vocation in the spring 2020 Lutheran Forum and came across an advertisement about the North American Lutheran Seminary. Since I was unfamiliar with this school, I sought out the following video about it, produced 7 years ago:

https://youtu.be/i5lTlDJCxqQ

There was also a website at thenals.org, where some programs appeared incomplete.

I wondered whether others here might know more about the development of the seminary and their plan to have regional study centers at other seminaries. What progress have they made? Thanks in advance.