Paredwka: Dropping the Ball: Take, eat; this is a Goldfish™

This courtesy of Rev. Benjamin Harju:

Paredwka: Dropping the Ball: Take, eat; this is a Goldfish™

I believe the right word is flabbergasted.

I thought the apocryphal stories about communion being done with Coke and crackers was bad.

Apparently, there is a "Lutheran" congregation who is distributing goldfish crackers to children during the Lord's Supper.

Hymns for June 29, 2008

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

 

Lord, Open Now My Heart to Hear TLH 5

Come unto Me, Ye Weary TLH 276

The Tree of Life HS98 873

If God Himself Be for Me TLH 528

Eternal Father, strong to save LBW 467

 

Pew Servey: 21% of Atheists belive in God

This is astounding:

I do have some possible explainations for this astounding inconsistency.

Either:

1. Simple proof that people taking surveys:
a. are not listening
b. do not care
c. are just trying to mess with the survey

-or-

2. Atheism is such an obviously contradictory belief system
and so clearly opposed to the evidence all around us in creation
and so logically untenable
that even those who claim to be Atheists do not really believe it.

Or in other words -- if Atheism were so obviously true, why are Atheists so argumentative and belligerent to us "poor, ignorant, religious folk."

Synod President Apologizes for Condemnation of Signers of "That They Might be One

Finally, a step in the right direction:

In a statement dated June 6, 2008 President Kieschnick has offered an apology for calling those who signed “That They May Be One” (TTMBO) “divisive and schismatic” in a May 30, 2003 memo. TTMBO was signed by over 600 members of synod and over 1100 lay people from member congregations. TTMBO was written by members of the Northern Illinois Confessional Lutherans (NICL) in response to the participation of a district president in a joint worship service that included many non-Christians.

The members of NICL had been repeatedly requesting a meeting with President Kieschnick for almost five years before one was finally arranged by the new district president Rev. Dan Gilbert. In the meeting President Kieschnick offered his apology for his offensive statement and also apologized for taking almost five years to agree to a meeting. Part of the joint statement offered from the meeting says:

"Upon this realization, along with hearing the assurances of the NICL pastors that their document was meant only for discussion and not for an expression of and requirement for fellowship, President Kieschnick expressed his regret that he did not meet or talk personally with the authors of the document prior to his May 30, 2003 memo. He also noted that doing so could possibly have spared everyone a lot of grief. Then he said simply, "I apologize for that." Immediately one of the NICL pastors replied, "We appreciate that, and we forgive you," and the other NICL pastors expressed their agreement with this statement of forgiveness."

Unfortunately, the 5 year delay of this meeting has allowed much division and animosity to increase that could have been avoided. For example, Jesus First actively campaigned against candidates for office in the synod who signed TTMBO, also saying that they were "divisive and schismatic." Furthermore, some district presidents pursued disciplinary action against signers. Hopefully this statement and apology from the President of the LCMS will begin a healing process that can be followed by others who were hurt by such words and actions.

My hope is that this will begin a broader healing process in our synod. The Missouri Synod grew and prospered by open discussions of theology and practice, even when no agreement was reached in those discussions. Face to face meetings, however, are part of that healing process. Since "That They Might be One" was written to begin this process, perhaps, with the synod President's apology and good example, the discussion can finally begin.

The Case for a Creator

Lee Strobel's book, The Case for a Creator, lays out the main arguments against and for the world and universe being created and designed. Recently, this book has led to a video production.

ACU has posted this work as a podcast, available for free! I highly recommend it. Download it and load it onto your mp3 player -- or more importantly, your children's iPods.

It is also available for viewing on YouTube.

Hymns for 22 June 2008 (Proper 7)

5^th Sunday after Pentecost

 

LBW 104  In the Cross of Christ I Glory

LBW 539  Praise the Almighty

LBW 366  Lord of our life and God of our salvation (LSB 659)

LBW 474  Children of the Heavenly Father (HS 888)

 

Sermon Podcast June 8, 2008

The call of Matthew.

Jesus desires mercy not sacrifice.

How the Pharisees reject mercy.

How we receive mercy of Christ

Oprah's declares, "We are God"

Oprah's creepy religion takes another spin for the worse: now she blasphemes by saying that "We are God." This is called pantheism. It is contradictory to every premise of the Bible. Just like the bumpersticker says, "I know two things. There is a God. You are not Him."



Ironically, this is really a way of denying that God exists at all. If everyone is God, then God is nothing meaningful or special. It is sort of like saying that a park belongs to everyone. If that is true, who owns the park? No one, because no one can say I own the park. If everyone is God that who is God? No one, because no one can say I, the Lord, am God.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Another Missionary Pulled from the field

Here is a picture of LCMS Missionary Rev. James May baptizing a child for Pentecost:
Rev. May is a missionary to Burkina Faso and Togo, West Africa. (Note in the picture, the young man (semniarian?) is wearing an Old Lutheran T-Shirt.)

Unforutnately, Rev. May writes in his newsletter:

Last Newsletter

I regret to inform you that due to programmatic and business decisions, World Mission has decided to cease employing me as a missionary in West Africa. This decision came as a shock to me and my family as it may also be a surprise to you.

World Mission has been pressuring me to move on and inform you as soon as possible. One reason is that I would be without a paycheck and insurance soon after we have a baby due in July. We hope that by the grace of God we could have another call in place when my salary and benefits terminate at the end of August 2008.

The decision leaves three newly planted churches in Burkina Faso without a theologically trained leader and also the Lutheran Church of Togo without a missionary which they had been awaiting for six years. Please keep all these people involved in your prayers.

chaz-lehmann.livejournal.com notes:

LCMS World Mission policy states that missionaries need to raise 120k per year to support themselves. This missionary has raised 248k in the past 21 months. That's 8k more than necessary in 3 months less time.

The missionary notes that it doesn't even cost 120k to cover his costs in the field.

I have no answer for that, but I agree with Mollie's assessment:

We don’t have money problems. We have priority problems.

Hymns for June 8, 2008

the 4th Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 5)

 

LBW 291    Jesus Sinners Will Receive

LBW 536    O God of God, O Light of Light (Hymn of Praise)

LBW 304    Today Your Mercy Calls Us (Sermon Hymn)

LBW 490    Let Me Be Yours Forever

 

Issues Etc. Resurrected

Courtesy of Rev. Onken:

Looks like Issues, Etc. is on its way back! I just received an email with a link to "Pirate Christian Radio" with an audio soundbite of Todd Wilken announcing the "resurrection" of Issues, Etc. Our congregation will continue to support this radio/internet outreach. If you wish to support it financially, go to this link and send your donation to "Lutheran Public Radio" at the address indicated.

I've already made a donation -- why don't you?

Sermon podcast June 1, 2008

Third Sunday After Trinity.
The foundation matters.

Is spreading the Gospel now a 'hate crime' in the UK?

Police demand Christian preachers leave Muslim area and not return to leaflet the neighborhood:
Police advise Christian preachers to leave Muslin area of Birmingham - Telegraph