Tuesday, October 31, 2017

When Will Mequon Give Up Their Juvenile Gay GA Hazing?
21 SUNY Students Charged With Hazing Pledges Using Urine, Vomit, Alcohol - NBC New York





21 SUNY Students Charged With Hazing Pledges Using Urine, Vomit, Alcohol - NBC New York:



"Twenty-one students at a New York college have been charged with hazing fraternity pledges by making them drink alcohol, forcing them to eat food off the floor, and vomiting and urinating on them.

State University of New York at Plattsburgh authorities say campus police were told in late September that pledges to the Pi Alpha Nu fraternity had been subjected to demeaning and abusive behavior that included being hit on the buttocks with a paddle. "



'via Blog this'

***

GJ - Broken leg? Tooth knocked out? - Mequon.

Obnoxious songs? - Mequon.

Fetching the pope's bowling ball in sewer run-off? - Mequon.

Disrobing outside, in view of the kitchen staff? Mequon.

Reformation - The 500th Anniversary Is Today - Here Are the Guilty,
Serving Their Father Below

Scott Barefoot, co-author with Richard Starr - Forgiven! -
posed with a shaven but not shriven Matt Harrison.

WELS loves to control its members and clergy, who seem to enjoy the experience of prison with benefits. But Matt the Fatt Harrison has trumped everyone in disgracing the Reformation.

He promoted via proxies the convention resolution that made discussing synod doctrine and practice an offense worthy of excommunication. That legislation was worded vaguely as addressing an issue not within the scope of that person's office. If the pope had passed that resolution, there would have been no Reformation stemming from Luther.

True, Luther was indeed excommunicated. But that is the other point of the LCMS resolution - its clergy immediately obeyed and no one raised a fuss. All the clergy writers continued to debate trivia, after a deadly silence, fulfilling the Biblical statement that some make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom (Matthew 19:12).

The LCMS clergy will not stand up to Matt the Fatt or Paul McCain the Plagiarist. Thus they earn the rewards of their ovine silence.

 Mark Schroeder is in charge of protecting the first,
second, and third strings of the WELS Church Growth bench. 

SP Schroeder has continued the WELS tradition of rewarding the stupid, the ignorant, the corrupt, and the incompetent. His path out of serving as a high school principal was secured when various people warned Gurgle to leave office or wear stripes. Gurgle went Third World for a year and showed up on Don Patterson's staff. No one has denied that the MLC chapel funds were siphoned off by synod staff, so I cannot confirm that rumor.

Schroeder traveled to the Anything Goes District, just to save Ski's hide and inflict him on a fourth congregation, a fourth district. Patterson helped of course, and rules were broken by the next DP of the Anything Goes District, to accomplish this blessed task.

In short, Schroeder will do anything to protect the right people and to condemn and silence Justification by Faith. Like the novel 1984, unpleasant details and horrible crimes have been erased from the collective memory.

Just as Gurgle silenced Issues in WELS, so Schroeder liquidated The Intrepid Lutherans, the very group he encouraged Steve Spencer to start.

 Pope John the Malefactor does not have much of an impact
on anything. Soon the ELS, CLC (sic), and micro-mini sects
will disappear - unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown. The ELS will leave behind a tiny, glittering campus built on Marvin Schwan's guilt-offerings.


These leaders have nothing in common with Martin Luther. They hate and repudiate Luther's Biblical doctrine, which the faithful believe - not from Luther's authority but from the Spirit's. The Bible judges all books and essays, but these clowns offer essays that filter their feminist Bibles to make a mockery of the Gospel.

 The Lutheran leaders today - no better than Liz Eaton - wipe their feet on the Scriptures and claim they are led by the Spirit.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Retired DP Benke (Earlier Ex-DP Benke) On ELDONA and Other Sects

 Someone designed this graphic as "Benke's vita" or resume. Haha.
He prayed with all these world religions but not "in the Name of Christ."
Benke is one of those LCMS smart-aleck bullies who always has a putdown that avoids the real issue.
To re-elect the apostate, his supporters had hats that
said "It's OK to pray." Hard to find those photos on Google now.


Ex-DP Dave Benke:
Don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out. My question was from the other angle - why do you want to stay if you honestly believe those in your denomination are so far off track? I don't have my ACELC membership roster in front of me, but the big bubble of membership is in Western Missouri and Nebraska, from my recollection, with scattered folks in Texas (The Keller Resolution People) and then here and there. ELDoNA is one of those offshoot denominations of the Missouri Synod with about 20-25 congregations, and they seem happy. Why not the same direction for the congregations in the ACELC? 

I'm not thinking about "blessed subtraction" from the Missouri point of view, but about Fresh New Starts for those folks. Jack Cascione's (former?) church simply became independent, but hooks up with others for mission. 

While I was district president, we picked up a congregation that had been in a very small micro-group, possibly acronymned (sic) FALC (Federation of Authentic Lutheran Churches?), and let's say five decades down the line from their affiliation with FALC we figured out a way for them and their pastor to become part of the Missouri Synod. That group had run its course. But the folks who remained through the whole era had not been unhappy in the micro synod, and did not join the Missouri Synod because it was bigger - they studied the doctrine and practice in our very own Atlantic District and made the choice to join. So it's OK to leave, and it's OK to join. Dave Benke 
https://alpb.org/Forum/index.php?topic=6857.msg431895;topicseen#msg431895

 For snazzy threads and $400 walking sticks,
join the ELDONUTs.
  Like  the LCMS and WELS, they
studiously avoid publishing Luther during the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.


***

GJ - Apparently, the ACELC is living rent-free in Benke's head, where there is plenty of room. He is graciously snide, like so many church politicians I have known.

The departures from the LCMS suggest that large groups of people despise the direction of the sect. Lutherans resist packing up and leaving, so the existence of ex-LCMS congregations should send a message to the most ELCA of LCMS DPs.

 They won Rolf Preus back, so Benke should
brag about that accomplishment.

Progress on Luther's Sermons - Volume IV Being Prepared for Amazon and Kindle

 Norma A. Boeckler designed the cover
and illustrations for Volume IV.  She had an author's
day at the Midland Dow Library in Michigan.
Her latest book is Those Days on the Farm.

Norma A. Boeckler's extensive list of books and illustrated books is listed here by Amazon.

Progress, The Sermons of Luther -
Volume IV is being prepared for Amazon print and Kindle e-book publication by Janie Sullivan.

Volume V is edited for typos and being finished for Janie Sullivan and for artwork by Norma A. Boeckler.

Volume VI is being read for typos, glitches, and other barriers to good reading.

The last two sermon volumes and The Gems of Luther's Sermons will be finished very early in 2018.

Future Plans
God willing, as always, publishing plans include the two Catechisms and Galatians.

New titles being planned include -

  1. An Ichabod Lutheran Dictionary
  2. The Gospel of John - A Brief Commentary, and 
  3. Calvinism Ruined the Protestant Church.



Last Roses of 2017 - Our Norman Rockwell Neighborhood

 I am Sassy Sue - and this is my Normal Rockwell world.

I had rescue roses on the altar for Reformation Sunday. The frost was coming, so I cut them before we had two nights at 20 degrees. Some buds had been nipped earlier, but the five-inch rain encouraged the plants to keep growing and blooming.

They looked forlorn on the altar, mostly closed from cold outside, waiting for their big day. Yesterday, the blooms were fully open and photogenic.

I knew who wanted them most, after the service was over. Our neighbor's daughter brought two vases back not long ago. "My mother finally gave up the last rose." That meant she kept them for a long, long time. So I dropped off the new bouquet Sunday afternoon and left some coupons, too.

On our cul-de-sac we can watch the neighbors park, visit with others, barbeque, and walk the dogs. Many connections remind me of the Norman Rockwell covers of the Saturday Evening Post, which we all enjoyed each week, growing up in the 1950s.

 After surgery this year, Chris' first walk was
to the neighborhood estate sale, which yielded a
 Bissel floor cleaner.


Mr. Gardener mowed my lawn for me, without being asked, when I only had a push mower during hot, sticky, allergy-friendly weather. I delivered his newspaper to his front door each morning, since the paid service lobbed it under his car or truck each day. Sassy always waits for me to grab it and toss it to the door on our morning walks. Neighbors had an informal meeting and decided to light up his widow's home better at night. Army Ranger Bob and I pooled some twirly lights and added a solar light, so the front is lit like the White House at night.

We have the Town Car for a little longer.
Sassy enjoys trips to Walmart and the Post Office,
but most of all to her friends at Lowe's.


Bob helped the mother of the four girls on the corner to arrange her yard sales. That is one place where we swap superfluous treasures, like a Bissel floor cleaner, a neat brass table, and so forth. We donate in the hopes of removing clutter and not seeing something we want in return.

Bob sold me a Voyager - and repaired it to the point where it was more like a new car than a 2002. For rainy nights, before his camper shell was bought, he borrowed the Voyager back for the big Sunday delivery to stores. I always hand him the keys and tell him, "Don't drive too fast, son."

Sassy and I often see the vet tech and her children walking their dogs. Sassy found their runaway dog hiding in a bush, once. Our neighbor's children give me their surplus pine needles, and I pay them for their labor. A thick layer of needles provided the start for the first Hosta garden in the back.

I also used the needles to provide an acid-soil bed for the Blueberry row, but since I was raising them for the squirrels, I delivered all the plants to our dentist's wife. She laughed with happiness because she had all her plants stolen before her move. She was starting over and thought, "I really need more Blueberries."

Across the street is our Laotian family. We met the son when we first moved in. He kept asking me two or three questions at a time. I said to him, "You sound like a cop." He said, "I am taking criminal justice. Yes, I plan on it. Why do you know my mother's name?"

Next to them is the painter, who donates five-gallon paint pails to me, every so often. They are perfectly clean and so handy for storing and carrying rainwater. Our dentist's mother got one, and so did another friend. The painter's children and extended family children play outside and love to run to Sassy for some petting. She also visits the children next door, who moved in recently. Sassy is neutral about adults, until they welcome her. Then she adds them to her list of flock members. The children are always her immediate interest and she goes to them at once, a bit too loud but always gentle.

On Joye Street lives Pat and her husband John. They assume we will stop and visit when we go by. Once Pat was too tired to get out of bed. She said, "I was in bed. I heard Sassy. I said hello Sassy. Have a nice day Sassy. But I could not get up."

There are other neighbors, too. One stopped us at Cracker Barrel and said, "You own Sassy. We see you walk by every day."


Sunday, October 29, 2017

The Reformation is over. Protestants won. So why are we still here? - The Washington Post

 Stan Hauerwas illustrates the problem of
being a professional, ecumenical theologian.
His article says nothing, so it is illuminating
about modern theology.


The Reformation is over. Protestants won. So why are we still here? - The Washington Post:



"Under the influence of the great Protestant theologian Karl Barth, an emphasis on the centrality of Christ has been the hallmark of my work in ethics. Yet, perhaps tellingly, a number of my Protestant graduate students have become Roman Catholics over the years. (So many crossed the Tiber that my colleagues joked I was an agent for Opus Dei.) They convert because Catholicism is an intellectually rich theological tradition better able to negotiate the acids of our culture. "



'via Blog this'

The Festival of the Reformation, 2017.



The Festival of the Reformation, 2017


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson



Daylight Savings Is Over Next Sunday


The Sermon Hymn # 262                   A Mighty Fortress         
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       
The Gospel              
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22
The Hymn #376              Rock of Ages          

Teaching Faith Caused the Reformation


The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 261                            Lord Keep Us Steadfast  

           

KJV Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

KJV Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Collect
O almighty, eternal God: We confess that we are poor sinners and cannot answer one of a thousand, when Thou contendest with us; but with all our hearts we thank Thee, that Thou hast taken all our guilt from us and laid it upon Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and made Him to atone for it: We pray Thee graciously to sustain us in faith, and so to govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may live according to Thy will, in neighborly love, service, and helpfulness, and not give way to wrath or revenge, that we may not incur Thy wrath, but always find in Thee a gracious Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
 
Martin Luther - sepia tone by Norma Boeckler.


Teaching Faith Caused the Reformation


Romans 5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Romans 5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Therefore being justified by faith...

The Biblical authors did not write verses, but small books, and they obeyed the basic rules of literature. Anyone who discusses Romans 5 while ignoring Romans 4 is a fool. That discussion also includes Romans 1-3, which are essential in building the case for Romans 4.

Therefore, is a transitional word, often used as punctuation in the New Testament, separating events and also topics. It is like saying, "Now that I have shown the basis for forgiveness and salvation, let me add more details." 

Romans 4 - if you are curious - is an entire chapter about Abraham as the father - or example - of faith in Christ. He is the supreme example, apart from Jesus, in the New Testament. See Galatians, James, and Hebrews 11. The words leading up to Romans 5:1-2 are -

Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;  24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

So Paul has already shown through the Old Testament Scripture that Abraham was justified by faith in God's Promise that the Savior would come from the child he would bear with his wife. Unlike earthly kingdoms, this Kingdom would be numbered like the stars in the sky.



Going backwards a little more, Romans 4 is dependent upon the case made by Paul in Romans 1-3, that justification by works is impossible.

We live in a world of works, where various kinds of Law tell us how we are horrible sinners. We do not recycle. We let children - and adults - wear costumes from another culture! We vote for the wrong person. We gain weight so we must build up our self-esteem to do better. The solutions are always based on works, as if an x-ray diagnosing a broken bone would also be used for treating a broken bone. There is no comfort, because we flailed and pummeled by the law when shown by various forms of the law that we are terrible sinners. This is mostly man-made law because the Ten Commandments are not considered the norm of behavior.

Paul used Pharisaical law as an example of righteousness through works, because he lived that life, so Romans 1-3 shows that no form of works can possibly give forgiveness and the peace or comfort that comes from doing what is deemed necessary.



Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ...

So this first phrase is one of great comfort, after excluding man's erroneous solutions. If we believe in Jesus, we are declared forgiven (justified), because faith means trusting in His atoning death and His resurrection.

We are always tempted to have something proving we are forgiven. The hymn Rock of Ages mocks this - "could my tears forever flow." And there is a message for the billionaires visited by Planned Giving Counselors - "nothing in my hands I bring."

So we only have peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. This teaching caused the Reformation because Luther - following Paul and the Scriptures - excluded salvation through the law. One could claim, all of Europe felt the weight of the law and how useless works of the law were - because there was no inner peace, no comfort from pursuing law solutions.

We have peace...
This word peace is the key to understanding the Gospel. 
  • The law no longer condemns us.
  • Satan no longer accuses.
  • We know God loves us.
Luther's singular effect on the world was to teach faith in Christ as the forgiveness of sin. In doing so, he wrote and preached that everything else was wrong. They were providing wrong solutions for the human condition. He could see the results of false teaching around him, because over time, Satan had cleverly re-asserted salvation by works, which paved the road to Hell.

Anyone tormented by sin could be moved by teaching works to do more for Holy Mother Rome - more money, more churches, more special organizations to honor Mary, more pilgrimages to fund the tourist industry, and more estates given to convents, monasteries, and religious orders. You must donate a child to a religious order and that will give you bragging rights if someone is serving as a monk, nun, or priest.

This worked well and did not inhibit anyone from taking care of the Old Adam. Depravity and corruption were all around, but they were convinced they were applying the correct solution with their works. They could have it all and be blessed.

So teaching faith in Christ, which made no money for anyone and provided no workers for the church business, was completely disruptive. The business structure was shattered, never to gain the same power, because each order was a self-sustaining business that had to raise its own money. 

So Europe really became a war zone, with great suffering for over a century. Jesus said, "I came not to bring peace but a sword." Matthew 10:34

He was speaking of outward peace, because the church business fought back with a vengeance. Teaching faith brought the sword. And it does today, too, although it is not permitted to lock people up and burn them at the stake. Still. the religious leaders who feel threatened do whatever they can to get even.

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

This really shows us the comfort of Christ. Access is the big word today. If a journalist wants to have a good career, he needs access to the top leaders. He or she gets that by giving that person's version of events. Otherwise there are no exclusive interviews and no raises. Many benefits come from access.

In this case anyone of any standing has access to the Savior. Faith in Him makes us brothers and heirs, so we can ask anything of Him and take anything to Him. He is the power of God and always shows us the mercy of God.  The only  pathway is faith in Him.

There are many forms of tribulation and distress. Some of them come from long-standing and impossible to heal disorders and diseases. My distant neighbor had a condition where the only treatment - not cure - is to soak in bleach water.

Other burdens come from emotional turmoil and pain, originating in many sources. Some are more sensitive to difficulties that arise. Some inherit a different make-up that makes them vulnerable. Others are put through terrible hardships. As a writing teacher I hear many stories from those struggling to be the first in their families to get an education. 

Since everything God does is through grace and mercy, we know that the hardships we face are within His view and also His care. Therefore He listens to our cares and helps us even before we ask.

This is especially beneficial when we realize that God's Word always brings the Savior to us - not in merely an academic way, as an object of study, but personally in both natures, human and divine. Through the Spirit He  gains access to us just as we have access to Him. So He understands in His human nature and helps in His divine nature.

When the difficulties of the moment have passed, we realize how much help we have received, and that builds our confidence in the Savior. 

Some things remain. That is where the Luther quotation above fits so well. God does not always take the affliction away from our hearts. The second part of this is difficult to understand but makes sense in time - He takes our hearts away from the affliction. Rather than dwell in the difficult, we see the blessings. 

We have to correct many people who think, "How terrible to have two daughters who had such a serious condition, not even treatable." They feel pulled down by the sorrows they imagine, which are genuine, as many parents know. But we think about the laughter and love, even the pranks they pulled with their ultra-limited muscles. A parent said to a child in the store, "Don't even think about it." That reminded me of Erin's favorite admonition. I faked sternness to get her to move her leg. That could take several minutes and made her sweat. But she tried just to show me and grinned afterwards when we said Halleluia.

Bethany spit food she didn't like into the face of her favorite nurse, and they laughed about it time after time. With children, a joke grows in value over time, as our grandson reminds us about burnt-to-ashes bacon I grilled.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

Whatever we see around us is part of God's plan, so we glory in difficulties that He lets us experience and address with the Word. For those who love God, everything has a good outcome ultimately.

We are watching Western Civilization collapse around us, and this shows up in every possible way. That is certainly true of Christianity, as the institutions creak and groan and continue to fall. But God has given us a chance to spread His Word without judging the results, since they are in His hands.

And thus it was during the Reformation. Europe was collapsing in front of a powerful and effective Muslim force. This went on for over a century. Religious turmoil and persecution were everywhere, which resulted in my relatives and yours coming over to the New World for another start. 

We mark 1517 as the start of the Reformation, but the key battle to break the power of Islam was in 1683, over 160 years later. The threat lasted that long. 

Thus the most we can learn from history is that we cannot predict the future. We are costumed players in a drama where the stage-manager and script-writer is God (as Luther observed). All we can do is remain faithful to His Word and thankful for the blessings of the Gospel.


Saturday, October 28, 2017

Ex-WELS Pastor and Protege of Jon Buchholz Leads the Views for the Last 30 Days

 Ricky Johnson is laughing at the synod that trained him
in Church Growth, funded his multi-campus parish,
and watched him leave with the members and money.

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 Nothing to see here - move on.

I doubt whether WELS clergy are waiting for the next Martin Luther to reform their dying sect. They cannot even get rid of the Wendland NIV clown, who turned down a call to their Asian portable mini-seminary.

By now, if they do not realize that Fulleroids run the whole synod - I give up. The same names appear endorsing the same dogmas of Fuller, the same apostate gimmicks, even the same slogans and rampan plagiarism. "Everything has to change or we will all die. The evil ELCA will come and take our lands, our people, and our temples." in small print <Download your registration for the next ELCA-WELS-LCMS conference.>

I was ruminating about how this developed. Anyone who doubted Church Growth was hated out of these sects. In one case, Werning pursued one pastor he ran out of the LCMS and chased him out of another group. I know from ELS Pastor Paul Schneider that Werning was bad-mouthing me after I challenged him about going to Fuller Seminary, when Waldo denied it and I quoted my notes about him saying the opposite.

When this Gadarene Swine rush to Fuller began, the ELS-WELS-LCMS did not kick pastors out for doubting the liturgy, the creeds, the hymns, and the Biblical sermons. No, they let the Fulleroids do whatever they wanted. If caught at it - like John Parlow '87 Mordor, the synod moved the man to a new location friendly to Church Growth. If the Church Growth mission or parish collapsed from Fulleroid leadership and scandals, the same place was rekindled with a new name and even more funds.

WELS is liquidating the old congregations that sit on valuable land. A few incompetent pastors can close down a congregation and bequeath $1 million cash to the insolvent sect. The Love-Letter parish is down to 20 members attending - thus a new call and thanks from a grateful district president.

Since traditional Lutheran ministry is hated by the Fuller-trained leaders, the Lutheran Church is being actively destroyed, its schools populated by even more Fuller-indoctrinated idiots. If they are not fulminating Growthers like Larry Olson, they are actively stifling themselves about the issues.

 And then I said, "Let's have the largest distinctively
Lutheran conference in North America. Schroeder will fund it."