Create in me a clean heart, O God
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence,
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,
and uphold me with Thy free spirit.
Amen.
— Offertory, LSB 192-193
(Psalm 51:10-12).
Lutheran Satire links:
Blessed Reformation and All Saints Days!
Thy strong word did cleave the darkness;
At Thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank Thee,
While Thine ordered seasons run.Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,
Dark as night and deep as death,
Broke the light of Thy salvation,
Breathed Thine own life-breathing breath.Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous;
Bright with Thine own holiness,
Glorious now, we press toward glory,
And our lives our hopes confess.From the cross Thy wisdom shining
Breaketh forth in conqu’ring might;
From the cross forever beameth
All Thy bright redeeming light.
— “Thy Strong Word,” LSB 578:1-4.
From the cross shines the wisdom of God. This wisdom is foolishness to the world and the worldly.
The picture is of St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church in downtown Appleton, WI.
We glorify God through art because through it we reflect the image of God. Our art reflects us, and we reflect God. We make because we are “made in the image and likeness of a Maker.” (J.R.R. Tolkien).
In pursuit of my interests in art, specifically the visual, liturgical, and writing arts, I’ve discovered other Confessional Lutheran novelists and artists. Here are some worthies:
If there are any worthy Confessional Lutheran artists that I missed, please leave a comment letting me know. Thanks.
On January 26, 2015, Matthew Harrison, the President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod said:
When a public teacher on the roster of Synod can without consequence publicly advocate the ordination of women (even participate vested in the installation of an ELCA clergy person), homosexuality, the Errancy of the Bible, the historical critical method, open communion, communion with the reformed, evolution, and more, then the public confession of the synod is meaningless.
I am saying that if my Synod does not change its inability to call such a person to repentance, and remove such a teacher where there is not repentance, then we are liars, and our confession is meaningless. I do not want to belong to such a synod, much less lead it.
I have no intention of walking away from my vocation. I shall rather use it and, by the grace of God, use all the energy I have to call this Synod to fidelity to correct this situation.
— Matt Harrison.
Facebook post, January 26, 2015 A.D.
Pastor Harrison was referring to Matthew Becker an ordained LCMS clergyman and teacher at Valparaiso University, an alma mater of mine.
As you can see in the photo above, Pastor Harrison is an actual pastor. He is a pastor of pastors. And the vocation of a pastor involves calling out sin and false doctrine.
Apparently, he does not have the direct bureaucratic power to fix this sore situation, but he does have the power of the word of God. And that is a power not to be underestimated. However, even though God’s word is all powerful, that does not mean that it is God’s will to fix the LCMS. There is only one holy Christian Church, and it is not coterminous with the LCMS or any other Lutheran synod.
God is in control, and our prayers are with President Harrison. May God give him strength, wisdom, and especially, faithful helpers.
Kyrie eleison.
Registration is now open for the February 20 & 21, 2015 Brothers of John the Steadfast Conference in Naperville, Illinois. The rates are $65 per person or $100 per couple or $45 per student. If one registers before January 20, 2015, there is a $10 discount.
Regarding the conference, Pastor Scheer has written an article entitled, “What can you expect in Naperville in February?” In a few words he says: food, faith, friends, news, and good news, etc.
I have attended the previous five annual Brothers of John the Steadfast conferences, and appreciated every one. The scheduled slate of speakers at this conference looks to be excellent:
Click here for the conference schedule.
Click here to register for the conference.
Recently, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel began a weekly series “saluting Wisconsin’s veterans.”
For week two, they saluted Sergeant Jonathan Donnan. Please click on the image in this post to read a pdf copy of the Journal Sentinel’s salute to Sergeant Donnan. (If you are unable to view pdf documents, please click here on the Journal Sentinel’s site, scroll to the bottom, and then click “Week 2”).
I don’t think a civilian can salute a veteran, at least not officially, but I would like to add my thanks to Jonathan for his service to our country and our church.
Jonathan and his wife Mara are members of St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Appleton, WI (WELS). And like me, they are also former members of St. Peter & The CORE (also in Appleton, WI (WELS)). Jonathan is originally from the Ukraine, and came to Confessional Lutheranism through the Thoughts of Faith mission outreach program.
Sergeant Donnan has not only well served our country, he has also served our church with bravery, honor, dignity, and courage.
Thank you Sergeant Donnan.
Issues, Etc. Reformation week 2013 is from Monday, October 21 to Friday October 25.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is a period of renewal involving confession, absolution, and repentance. It takes place in Spring because our Lord died and rose again in Spring: Spring is a period of renewal and new life.
In our baptism, God drowned our sinful nature, buried it with Christ, and raised us again to new life in His resurrection. (Romans 6). The sacrament of Confession and Absolution stems from our sacramental death and resurrection in Baptism. In Confession we die to sin, and in the Absolution we are raised again to new life.
As Lutheran Christians, we
keep Confession, especially because of the Absolution. Absolution is God’s Word which, by divine authority, the Power of the Keys pronounces upon individuals. Therefore, it would be wicked to remove private Absolution from the Church. If anyone despises private Absolution, he does not understand what the forgiveness of sins or the Power of the Keys is.
— Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Art. XIIb, 2-4,
The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005, 172.
Baptism and repentance are both gifts of God. (Acts 11:18). In the very first of the 95 Thesis, Martin Luther wrote that when “Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent’ [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” (Luther’s Works). That means that the entire life of a Christian is a living out of our baptism.
On Ash Wednesday, many Christians use ashes to remind us of the wages of sin: death. For we were made from dust, and to dust we will return. (Genesis 3:19). Our deaths bring only death forever. On the other hand, Christ’s death brings us life eternal. In sin and ash we fall from death to death. But with cleansing water Christ raises us from death into His life.
In Him, He makes us clean and alive forever.
The video above is of President Harrison of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LC-MS). Today, he joined Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist and Jewish leaders to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Oversight and Government Reform Committee regarding these issues. (Reporter, the official newspaper of the LC-MS).
First, the Obama Administration sought to force all employers to pay for contraception & abortion drugs. Then they “compromised,” and basically said they would give citizens of faith a year to change their beliefs. Then they promised a future “accommodation” which was nothing more than an accounting gimmick. An accounting gimmick is just another way to deceive. Unfortunately, these issues are fraught with deception.
Even the very words we speak are under assault. One of my law school professors explained the difference between contraception and birth-control in this way: Contraception means against conception. In other words, contraception stops conception. Birth-control means to stop a birth. That is exactly what many birth-control pills do: they deliver drugs that hinder conception, and they cause the death of children already conceived.
The very term “emergency contraception” is a deception, because these drugs were designed to kill a child after he has been conceived. These drugs are not used to stop conception, but rather to stop a live birth.
Furthermore, pregnancy is a condition, it is not a disease. All children are a blessing from God. Why must that even be said? Why? Because such undeniable truths are under constant assault. Human dignity is under assault. Human life is under assault. Truth is under assault.
The Enemy of truth is trying to embed deception and delusion into our very language and thought patterns. However, Christians need to think and speak clearly.
May the Creator of heaven and earth bless the testimony of our religious leaders in Washington D.C. as they speak for freedom and the truth of the dignity of all human life.
Yesterday, the head of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), President Mark Schroeder said:
Recently the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will require all health care plans, including those provided by religious organizations, to include coverage for contraceptives, abortive drugs, and medical procedures that are contrary to the doctrinal positions of many Christian churches and denominations. This action is a clear and unprecedented threat to the religious liberty guaranteed to all citizens by the First Amendment. No religious organization should be required by the government to support or facilitate activities which are in clear violation of its principles and beliefs.
****
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod clearly understands and teaches that Jesus has directed his followers to ‘give to Caesar what is Caesar’s’ (Mark 12:17) … [However, we] “also confess and affirm that if the government directs us to do something in clear violation of the will of God, ‘we must obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29).
— (WELS News).
These are unprecedented attacks against our most basic American rights and fundamental freedoms. These attacks are coming from the highest levels of government.
Kyrie eleison.
This is a breath of fresh air.
Pastor Harrison is President of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). The rest of President Harrison’s address can be found embedded on the Brothers of John the Steadfast at: President Harrison’s Open Forum for the ANCA-LCMS Dialogue.
Light from Light 
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