Finding faith in the new progressive movement

[Steven W Bohler]

I've heard pretty much the same message on the Pandora on my car radio from a Roman Catholic perspective.

Dave Benke

Get premium, and you won't have to hear the ads.   

Sirius-ly, I'm already paying for Sirius, basically to be able to hear the Packers broadcasts by the two old dudes who do that for the Packers.  However, I like Pandora a lot, so maybe a little box from Santa will appear under the tree with a password to Pandora.  And thus Pandora's box is opened.

Dave Benke

Don't care for Wayne Larivee that much, but I think Larry McCarren is worth the price of admission.  Great insight and analysis from the old Rock.

[Eileen Smith]

Was there not a time in our history when a Republican could be completely at home in the ELCA (or its predecessors) and a Democrat could be at home in the LCMS? 
Was there not a time when we checked our politics somewhere in the narthex? 
Wasn't any Lutheran church a sanctuary from party polarization?

Sad that we have lost it.

Peace, JOHN

I agree with this for the most part.  One of the nicest things about our current parish is we have people of all political stripes, and while we might disagree on politics, we do not anathematize each other over politics.

Everyone is still considered a Christian in good standing.  And beyond our parish, that includes people ranging from near net-confederate libertarians to actual communists.  So long as they are faithful to the Church first (meaning, neither Ayn Rand's nor Karl Marx's atheistic views are going to fit), we don't tend to view people as "less Christian" based on their political views.

An member of our church for about 20 years commented, "I don't know if Pastor is a Republican or a Democrat."  That's a good thing!

[Dave Benke]

I've heard pretty much the same message on the Pandora on my car radio from a Roman Catholic perspective.

Dave Benke

Get premium, and you won't have to hear the ads.   

Sirius-ly, I'm already paying for Sirius, basically to be able to hear the Packers broadcasts by the two old dudes who do that for the Packers.  However, I like Pandora a lot, so maybe a little box from Santa will appear under the tree with a password to Pandora.  And thus Pandora's box is opened.

Dave Benke

Don't care for Wayne Larivee that much, but I think Larry McCarren is worth the price of admission.  Great insight and analysis from the old Rock.

"There's the dagger!"

Dave Benke

[Charles Austin]

in 1995 Bill Clinton and Robert Dole were both attending Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington. According to The New York Times, Mrs. Dole said she had found a "caring sensitive pastor" in Edward Bauman, pastor there. But Bauman was followed by J. Philip Wogaman, a more "out-spoken" type of pastor. Conservative columnist and general trouble-maker Cal Thomas wrote a column saying that Foundry Methodist Church was "where the Clintons receive moral nurture for their policies and programs." The Doles stopped attending the church.
One can debate where the "problem" was. In Wogaman's pointedly "liberal" preaching? In the Thomas column? In some politically-motivated decision?
But wouldn't it have been cool if Clinton and Dole could have attended church together on Sunday, sang and received communion, shared "the peace of the Lord" and then went out to hassle each other and disagree on political matters?
My bias is to blame Wogaman, who seemed to like being a "politically liberal" preacher. And it seems to have driven the Doles out of his pews. (they were never members, but kept their membership in their home church in Kansas.)

[Norman Teigen]

There is nothing new under the sun.  Luther said that prayer, meditation, and trials make a theologian.  I think it went like this:  ORATIO, MEDITATIO, TENTATIO  FACIUNT THEOLOGIAM. Wasn't the bishop saying something like that?

Side bar to Pastor Benke:  I hope that you will carefully listen to the Packers game this weekend.  They will host the 2017 NFC North champions.  I am an admirer of QB Rodgers and his long record of success. It should be a good one.

[Donald_Kirchner]

There is nothing new under the sun.  Luther said that prayer, meditation, and trials make a theologian.  I think it went like this:  ORATIO, MEDITATIO, TENTATIO  FACIUNT THEOLOGIAM. Wasn't the bishop saying something like that?

No.

[Steven W Bohler]

There is nothing new under the sun.  Luther said that prayer, meditation, and trials make a theologian.  I think it went like this:  ORATIO, MEDITATIO, TENTATIO  FACIUNT THEOLOGIAM. Wasn't the bishop saying something like that?

Side bar to Pastor Benke:  I hope that you will carefully listen to the Packers game this weekend.  They will host the 2017 NFC North champions.  I am an admirer of QB Rodgers and his long record of success. It should be a good one.

Is Rodgers going to play?  The Wisconsin sportswriters I read last night (from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Green Bay Press-Gazatte) were kind of thinking he might not, since there was nothing to gain, and so why risk further injury to him? 

[David Garner]

There is nothing new under the sun.  Luther said that prayer, meditation, and trials make a theologian.  I think it went like this:  ORATIO, MEDITATIO, TENTATIO  FACIUNT THEOLOGIAM. Wasn't the bishop saying something like that?

Side bar to Pastor Benke:  I hope that you will carefully listen to the Packers game this weekend.  They will host the 2017 NFC North champions.  I am an admirer of QB Rodgers and his long record of success. It should be a good one.

Is Rodgers going to play?  The Wisconsin sportswriters I read last night (from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the Green Bay Press-Gazatte) were kind of thinking he might not, since there was nothing to gain, and so why risk further injury to him?

They should absolutely sit him unless he's 100% ready to go.  The Packers cannot make the playoffs.  Risking further injury to someone who, in light of the season, is the most important guy on the team is folly.

Get him into offseason conditioning ASAP.

[Dave Likeness]

At the age of 34, Aaron Rodgers has more miles behind him , then ahead of him.
His NFL career is reaching the twilight years for a quarterback.  Let his collarbone
fully heal and shut him down for the last two meaningless games.  He can make
some more TV commercials and get some face time for his fans.

[Steven W Bohler]

He says he plans on playing into his 40's and, apparently, the experts (coaches, trainers, etc.) believe he will.  They are forecasting another 6-8 years for his career, with very little slippage in play.  I hope they are right.

[James_Gale]

He says he plans on playing into his 40's and, apparently, the experts (coaches, trainers, etc.) believe he will.  They are forecasting another 6-8 years for his career, with very little slippage in play.  I hope they are right.

Tom Brady still plays extremely well at 40.  I wouldn't bet against Rodgers doing the same. 

[Richard Johnson]

Was there not a time in our history when a Republican could be completely at home in the ELCA (or its predecessors) and a Democrat could be at home in the LCMS? 
Was there not a time when we checked our politics somewhere in the narthex? 
Wasn't any Lutheran church a sanctuary from party polarization?

Sad that we have lost it.

Peace, JOHN

I agree with this for the most part.  One of the nicest things about our current parish is we have people of all political stripes, and while we might disagree on politics, we do not anathematize each other over politics.

Everyone is still considered a Christian in good standing.  And beyond our parish, that includes people ranging from near net-confederate libertarians to actual communists.  So long as they are faithful to the Church first (meaning, neither Ayn Rand's nor Karl Marx's atheistic views are going to fit), we don't tend to view people as "less Christian" based on their political views.

That describes my parish as well.

[Richard Johnson]

Was there not a time in our history when a Republican could be completely at home in the ELCA (or its predecessors) and a Democrat could be at home in the LCMS? 
Was there not a time when we checked our politics somewhere in the narthex? 
Wasn't any Lutheran church a sanctuary from party polarization?

Sad that we have lost it.

Peace, JOHN

I agree with this for the most part.  One of the nicest things about our current parish is we have people of all political stripes, and while we might disagree on politics, we do not anathematize each other over politics.

Everyone is still considered a Christian in good standing.  And beyond our parish, that includes people ranging from near net-confederate libertarians to actual communists.  So long as they are faithful to the Church first (meaning, neither Ayn Rand's nor Karl Marx's atheistic views are going to fit), we don't tend to view people as "less Christian" based on their political views.

An member of our church for about 20 years commented, "I don't know if Pastor is a Republican or a Democrat."  That's a good thing!

I think that is a high compliment.

[James_Gale]

Was there not a time in our history when a Republican could be completely at home in the ELCA (or its predecessors) and a Democrat could be at home in the LCMS? 
Was there not a time when we checked our politics somewhere in the narthex? 
Wasn't any Lutheran church a sanctuary from party polarization?

Sad that we have lost it.

Peace, JOHN

I agree with this for the most part.  One of the nicest things about our current parish is we have people of all political stripes, and while we might disagree on politics, we do not anathematize each other over politics.

Everyone is still considered a Christian in good standing.  And beyond our parish, that includes people ranging from near net-confederate libertarians to actual communists.  So long as they are faithful to the Church first (meaning, neither Ayn Rand's nor Karl Marx's atheistic views are going to fit), we don't tend to view people as "less Christian" based on their political views.

That describes my parish as well.

That also describes my ELCA congregation.  They most certainly do still exist.


I have no idea how my senior pastor votes. 

[Dave Benke]

Was there not a time in our history when a Republican could be completely at home in the ELCA (or its predecessors) and a Democrat could be at home in the LCMS? 
Was there not a time when we checked our politics somewhere in the narthex? 
Wasn't any Lutheran church a sanctuary from party polarization?

Sad that we have lost it.

Peace, JOHN

I agree with this for the most part.  One of the nicest things about our current parish is we have people of all political stripes, and while we might disagree on politics, we do not anathematize each other over politics.

Everyone is still considered a Christian in good standing.  And beyond our parish, that includes people ranging from near net-confederate libertarians to actual communists.  So long as they are faithful to the Church first (meaning, neither Ayn Rand's nor Karl Marx's atheistic views are going to fit), we don't tend to view people as "less Christian" based on their political views.

That describes my parish as well.

Tom Brady still plays extremely well at 40.  I wouldn't bet against Rodgers doing the same. 
This describes John and my idea about our abilities in pastoral ministry.  Except substitute 70 or 75 for 40.  OK, substitute 80 for the sake of future options.  Don't bet against us!

Dave Benke