Surely it can’t be coincidence or accident that in God’s so-called silent years when He only spoke by the written Word and the visible Word of Old Testament Sacraments that the great philosophers did their speaking? Between the Word of the Lord coming to Malachi and John the Baptist Socrates (469-399 B.C.), Plato (427-347 B.C.), and Aristotle (384-322) B.C. filled the “void.” Most don’t give these philosophers or their respective philosophies much consideration outside of their one college required course on the subject. For my part, I agree with Pasternak in Dr. Shivago. Philosophy is a great condiment, but it makes a lousy entrée. Now, however, it’s the main course of modern life, yet most don’t know it. Continue reading
Walther’s Woodshed
I was going to take other’s to C.F.W. Walther’s woodshed, but I found myself being hauled in there too. Well if we’re going to get disciplined by the first president of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod let’s remember the first rule of getting paddled: don’t try to put your hand back there for protection. The paddle will not break your posterior but it will you hand. Continue reading
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Shall the Circle Be Unbroken?
We’ll we’ve certainly completed our tyranny over them now. The prophesy of Genesis 3:16 is complete: The woman’s lust shall be for the man’s place and he shall be a tyrant over you. The ACLU with their lawsuit on behalf of four women to allow them to serve in combat has completed the circle. Continue reading
Posted in For Anyone who dares
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Concerning Visitation and Other Ways to Cut Pastors off at the Knees
President Harrison’s latest Lutheran Witness article is entitled “Concerning Visitation.” He makes some powerful assertions in this article. Now, he does throw us all under the bus with his closing statement: “Absent visitation, we paralyze the ‘legs of the Gospel’ as it were – whether it be parish pastor, circuit counselor, district president or Synod president. Visit.” But he only cuts parish pastors off at the knees. Continue reading
Posted in For Pastors Only
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Why Don’t We Commune Those Who Believe in Open Communion?
This is first and foremost a matter of pastoral care. If I asked an LCMS Lutheran if they believed in infant Baptism and they answered “No,” you know I could not commune them. Well those who believe Christians believing different doctrines should commune together at the same altar are saying not only the doctrine of infant Baptism doesn’t matter, but neither does the doctrine of creation, the Real Presence, or any other biblical doctrine. Continue reading
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What Will Get You Thrown Out of Synod?
All confessional guys have said this for as long as I’ve been in the ministry. “I’m going to stay in the Synod till they throw me out. That’s what Luther did.” Continue reading
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Keith Richards: Higher than Higher Things?
Having finished Keith Richards’ biography Life, I can say with some authority that Keith is higher than Higher Things. Continue reading
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When Second becomes First
Some years ago the St. Louis seminary began writing articles emphasizing the two kinds of righteousness: one before God and the other before men. Even then what they didn’t emphasize is that one can be righteous before men without being righteous at all before God. Their point was that Lutherans need to, should, better, must pay attention to the second kind. If you ask me the second has become first. Continue reading
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I Know Why the Widemouthed Frog Mumbles
With apologies to Maya Angelou, I begin. I know why the widemouthed frog mumbles. Actually I now know why the LCMS does. First the widemouthed frog. Continue reading
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Where Have all the Criminals Gone?
I’ve always liked “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?” Most people think it cheesy. It began as Pete Seeger folk song in 1955 with three verses. In 1960 Joe Hickerson added the rest turning the song into a circular hit song against war in 1961 (http://en.wikipedia.org). Seeger and Hickerson wrote it, but The Kingston Trio sings it best. The basic point of the song is that flowers go to girls; girls go to young men; young men go to soldiers; soldiers go to graveyards, and graveyards go to flowers. So what’s the answer to where have all the criminals gone? “Gone to graveyards every one.” Continue reading
Posted in For Pastors Only, Missouri Megatrends
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