WALKING TOGETHER: WHERE? Are We Following Christ?

It has been a year since Gloria Dei Lutheran haz been exiled from its own worship facility.  The Northwest  District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod continues to hold the  property in its own name.  Gloria Dei Lutheran, also known as Community Lutheran, continues to meet in a home in the same area.

A year after the property was improperly taken from the congregation, by an ecclesiastical process called “suppression” that I explained in earlier posts,  the outline of the future of the LCMS seems to be coming into focus.

It is evident that the District Presidents are amassing for themselves authority over congregations. This desire for centralized control of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is born of fear; fear that the same dark impulses that led the ELCA  astray are now knocking at the door of the LCMS.   For example, there is the fear that any discussion of the ordination of women may bring with it feminist theology, wholesale biblical error,  goddess worship and acceptance of homosexual  practices within the church.  Experience within the ELCA shows that the concern is not entirely without support.

The impulse for centralized control is common to all human governance, whether  secular or  sacred.   While the impulse for centralized control has risen within the LCMS before,  the Synod has been able to recall its  identity as a Synod that was based in local self-autonomy.  However, the recent financial problems of  the Synod and our nation generally, together with the natural tendency of bureaucracies  to sustain themselves, may be too much   for the Synod’s  leaders to overcome.

And so we find a number of  instances where District Presidents have seen opportunities to protect the Synod from dangerous or threatening situations,  and acted accordingly.  That the District may itself   benefit from the actions taken, either financially, or in terms of control, would only be evidence that God blesses such actions.

But what the District Presidents have been doing  reveals that  as a group, they have lost trust in  Christ himself  as Lord of the Church.  And so they have taken it upon themselves to protect the Church, without realizing the cost.  In the process of saving the LCMS, they  themselves may cause the LCMS to become twisted into something almost unrecognizable.

 They are turning a congregationally based ecclesiastical structure into a hierarchical one.

If recent press accounts are at all accurate,  reliance of the Synod  and its legal counsel  on the use of the Synod’s dispute  resolution process as the exclusive method for resolving disputes within the Synod, and the corollary that recourse to civil authorities is contrary to scripture and those who use them are subject to discipline, is all evidence of both pride and arrogance on the part of those who argue so.

Incidentally, I do not agree with those that have concluded that the Synod has convinced  the Supreme Court of the United States that Missouri Synod Lutherans have no right to seek  remedies or relief for real or perceived injuries at the hands of the Church.  The Court,  even with five Catholic members, is much more likely to conclude that the US Constitution does not allow a Synod or any church body has no right to create an ecclesiastical Court system that bars the rights of Americans from the civil courts..  Our Constitution simply would not allow such practices.

Getting back to  the main point, the leaders of the LCMS  seem unaware that they are reflecting the ELCA in another way as well.   There is a persistent  tendency to confuse  the True Church of Christ  with those organizations which are of human origin.  And of course  our human pride  assumes that the organization in which we lead is a reflection  of the will of Christ, and if we are  certain of our cause, we may not  be  as open to   prayerfully discerning God’s true will.

The relevancy of all this to the Gloria Dei situation  is that while  the Synod argues that the dispute resolution process is either the exclusive forum for resolving disputes, or is at least a necessary precondition to seeking relief in a secular court, the Northwest District President , Paul Linnemann, has  made every effort to prevent  Gloria Dei and its people from  pursuing the process that the Synod holds in such high regard.

In taking this position, President Linnemann has so far denied Gloria Dei a  forum, promised by the Synod’s Constitution and Bylaws in which it may express its grievances or  seek a proper remedy.  In this amazing precedent, the District President may not only be pushing Gloria Dei to seek relief in a civil forum, but also may be putting himself in a position of personal liability, in the event  damages are sought.    It remains to be seen whether the District’s Board of Directors or others are concerned about this enough to take appropriate action.

As the LCMS emphasizes the concept of  walking together,  we might wonder, is anyone asking “:Where are we going?”

THE TRUE GROUND ZERO

One of the big controversies that has surfaced as we recognize the 10^th Anniversary of the Terrorist attack on our country concerns the showing of the terrible images that we remember of that day, the planes flying into the Pentagon and the World Trade center, the people jumping out of windows and the collapse of the two towers.                                                                                                      1

Another controversy was brought by American Atheists who do not want the huge steel cross found in the ruins of the WTC to be a part of the memorial or museum.

Which brings me to what I want to talk about today.   Russell D. Moore, writing in the latest issue of Christianity Today, has pointed out the connection between the WTC site and  Calvary.  For Calvary is the real ground zero. It is where man sees the full impact and the results of sin and death. They do not relent until there is shedding of blood.   

And whether an Atheist or a Christian, it is really difficult for us to look directly at the suffering of Christ in this way.  Today, some want us to avoid seeing the terrible images that happened 10 years ago.   In the same way, Peter could not envision his master  going to the cross, even after Jesus tried to explain to him it had to happen.  Peter and the other disciples feared the despair that seeing Jesus die would bring them.  Denial is sometimes an attractive alternative to despair.

But denial and despair are what Satan wants. They are his weapons, his tools.  Satan, you see, is the real terrorist.   He wants us to fear him, to cower and hide.

But on the cross, Christ overcame Satan and made powerless all his weapons.

When we are baptized, it means we look straight on at the reality of the human condition, and share in Christ’s death.  When we receive the Lord’s Supper, we are receiving into ourselves the torn body and splattered blood of Christ.

That is why the American Athiests organization is wrong to prevent the steel cross from being a part of the memorial, and why  Mayor Blumberg is wrong to keep clergy from being a part of the ceremony.  The presence of the cross and the clergy remind us that we are involved in a real battle.  We are engaged in spiritual warfare, not against Islam or muslims,  but against otherworldly principalities and powers, against spirits who want to see us dead, both physically and spiritually. Ephesians 6:12.

Some have criticized the United States for going into Iraq, that it was the wrong war to fight.   Regardless of one’s position on that point, unless we understand that we are in a spiritual battle, we are indeed fighting the wrong war.  If, like the Atheists and others, we ignore or deny the supernatural nature of our enemies, we will have to find scapegoats to call our enemies.  This is the real danger to           muslims and others, if we don’t recognize the real enemy is Satan.  Either that or we will be paralyzed into inaction.

We as Christians recognize the real enemy and are on the front lines; we are first responders, when Satan attacks.  We know that the true Church, with its focus on Word and Sacrameny, is the real Department of Homeland Security. And we are confident, because we bear witness that the cross, whether at Calvary or at ground zero, is a symbol of  the victory that Christ has won for us already in this war against evil.  AMEN

Romans 13 and the Northwest District (LCMS)

I have mentioned previously about the efforts of  the Northwest District President Paul Linneman to claim that Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Spokane was a dissolved/ closed congregation.   If  Gloria Dei no longer exists, than by virtue of the congregation's Bylaws, its real property would apparently belong to the District.  If, however, Gloria Dei Lutheran is still an active congregation, then the District would have no claim to its property.

The District still claims the congregation is gone, in spite of its continuing to meet each Sunday.  But the Corporations Division of the Washington Secretary of State's Office apparently has determined otherwise.  The agency has concluded Gloria Dei remains an active congregation.   The status of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church can be found at this site: http://www.sos.wa.gov/corps/corps_search.aspx
Which brings us to Romans 13:1-10, the epistle text for the  12th Sunday after Pentecost.  

 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.  For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

I am sure that even the Northwest District does not claim that it has the authority to determine when a congregation, a non-profit corporation, is legally active   That authority belongs solely to the civil authority established for that purpose. It now remains to be seen whether the Northwest District will respect the admonition of scripture, voluntarily acknowledge its error, and return possession and title of the property to the congregation.

SEARCHING FOR SOPM

Apparently,  the dispute resolution process for the Northwest District is governed not only by the LCMS  and District Constitutions and Bylaws, (as if they weren't enough) but also by something called the Standard Operating Procedures Manual.

If anyone out there has the SOPM document, I would appreciate your help in providing me a copy.
You can call me at 509 326-0828 or contact me at my email  gdlutheranchurch@netzero.net.

WHERE ARE THE PEACEMAKERS IN THE NORTHWEST DISTRICT LCMS?

I have previously chronicled the seizure of a Missouri Synod congregation's property by the process of "Suppression".
http://murphystone.blogspot.com/2011_06_12_archive.html 

Since that post, I have learned it also has occurred in the English District of the LCMS.

Congregations have had success in recovering their property in those places where secular courts have ordered a District to return  title to the lawful owners.

By now, the Districts should be on notice that their efforts to take title to property using "supression"are not only improper but subject to scrutiny by civil (secular) courts.

Which makes it all the more odd that the Northwest District is obstructing Gloria Dei Lutheran and its leadership in their efforts to resolve its property issues using the reconciliation process laid out in the LCMS Bylaws.    The reconciliation procedures  are designed to promote  peace within the church. According to the Preamble of the Dispute Resolution section (1.10.1)                                                                                
                  When disputes, disagreements, or offenses arise among members of the body of Christ, it is a matter of grave concern for the whole chuirch.....(I)ndividuals, congregations and various agencies within the Synod are urged to reject a "win-lose" attitude that typifies secular conflict  For the sake of the Gospel, the church should spare no resource in providing assistance"

Yet the Northwest District continues to delay and obstruct  Gloria Dei Lutheran and its leadership from resolving  its dispute  in a God-pleasing and scriptural fashion.  Indeed, the Northwest District seems to be pushing for a civil court fight.within the secular courts.   The Distruict is not even open to discussing the matter within  the informal resolution process.

The Gloria Dei matter would normally be entirely a dispute within the congregation.  It would not involve the District as a party, except that currently the District is a beneficiary of the actions of a faction within the congregation. Having made representations and promises to that faction  in order to get title to the congregations' property, the District found itelf having to allow others to occupy Gloria Dei's property, while the district claims title to it.   Where it should be neutral in the matter, the District has a conflict of interest, and so instead favors and protects one faction to preserve its own interests.

The latest efforts to obstruct a Christian resolution to the Gloria Dei dispute comes from the Districts Secretary, Rev. Langdon Reinke, pastor of St. John's Lutheran in Salem, Oregon.

When I wrote Rev. Reinke on June 17, 2011, I expressed my displeasure that it took several months for him to disclose that the District's dispute resolution process was governed by something called the Standard Operating Procedures Manual (SOPM).  I then asked him to provide me with a copy of the SOPM, together with other documents.  Secretary Reinke did not send me a copy of the SOPM, but wrote "I respectfully decline your requests."  So much for "For the sake of the Gospel, the church should spare no resource in providing assistance"

Did I just hear a door slam?

Of course that's not as bad as District President Linnemann declaring in writing that the matter was already decided by his office before the reconciliation process had even begun. Can he not see the conflict of  interest manifest in such a dismissive statement?

 Is the District so embarrassed by its actions that it doesn't want others to know about its practice of "suppression".  Or, as some have said,  is the District hoping that it will obtain a windfall  and not face consequences because Gloria Dei is a poor and vulnerable congregation that will go away.

It is perhaps not an accident that the suppression actions are targeting small congregations of elderly or otherside vulnerable people.

I call upon the  Northwest District President and Secretary to demonstrate true Christian leadership by example and acknowledge their own sinfulness in these matters and demonstrating a true attitude of repentance.

Gloria Dei still exists, despite the efforts of the District.  Nor is it likely to give up its claims any time soon.  Shortly, Gloria Dei will be asking those who oppose efforts to make the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod a church  hierarchy run by "bishops" to join and support us in our continued struggle.

Sadly though, it didn't have to be this way.

Celebrate the Birthday of our Country

From Richard Worthing, the  (at least)  14 errors found in the Time Magazine article "One Document, Under Seige" (June 23, 2011)   (Published with permission.) A link to Worthing's full article is also available
http://bigjournalism.com/aworthing/2011/06/29/fourteen-clear-factual-errors-in-richard-stengels-essay-on-the-constitution-and-i-am-looking-for-your-help/

Here are the fourteen errors, in short:

The Constitution does not limit the Federal Government.

The Constitution is not law.

The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment emancipated the slaves.

The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment granted the right to vote to African Americans.

The original Constitution declared that black people were to be counted as three-fifths of a person.

The original, unamended Constitution prohibited women from voting.

The Commerce Clause grants Congress the power to tax individuals based on whether they buy a product or service.

Inter arma enim silent leges translates as “in time of war, the Constitution is silent.”

The War Powers Act allows the president to unilaterally wage war for sixty days.

We have only declared war five times.

Alexander Hamilton wanted a king for America.

Social Security is a debt within the meaning of Section Four of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Naturalization depends on your birth.

The Obamacare mandate is a tax.

The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod and the Practice of "Suppression"

Let me state clearly what I am referring to when I speak about "Suppression"  It is a term of art relating to the manner in which an official in a church hierarchy disposes of real property owned or used by a congregation. Suppression  traditionally has been a practice within the Roman Catholic Church.  It is initiated by the Bishop having jurisdiction over a diocese.

Suppression has become very well known in Roman Catholic circles in recent years.  The onslaught of legal actions by those abused by priests has necessitated the Catholic Bishops to find some way of satisfying the resultant claims.  To accumulate the vast sums of liquid assets needed, the Bishops have frequently ordered congregations to be closed and their properties sold.

These acts of Suppression have not always been supported by the members of the parishes involved.  In fact, often members of these congregations have fought hard to keep their property.  These efforts have not always been successful.  Organizations such as  Endangered Catholics, have been established to fight the efforts of Bishops to use Suppression to close and sell these congregations.

The Endangered Catholics website can be found at http://www.endangeredcatholics.org/,  It should be remembered that unlike in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod,  the Catholic Church has a hierarchy, and the Diocese has a legal interest, if not title to all the property in its jurisdiction.

It appears that some District Presidents of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod have now taken the position that a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod District holds some interest in real property owned by congregations, even though the title or deed is solely in the name of the congregation.  These District Presidents also claim for themselves the authority, if not the title of bishops, with the power to close congregations, seize real property or transfer title thereof to the District's own name,  sell or otherwise dispose of the property and use the proceeds as the District deems appropriate.

This was the position taken by the District President for The California-Nevada-Hawii-District in a lawsuit filed against members of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.(Lee v.Bowles Alameda County Superior Court Case # RG07363452)  That District was unsuccessful becasue the Court found the District had no authority to claim any interest in the property of the congregation.

The District President for the Northwest District now claims  District ownership of the property of Gloria Dei Lutheran congregation in Spokane.  The basis for claiming the District's ownership is that Gloria Dei dissolved.  Yet no dissolution papers have ever been filed, the congregation is still recognized as "Active" by the State of Washington, and many members still gather each Sunday to worship together, though at another location..

These are just two instances where the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Presidents have acted like "Bishops" and used "Suppression" tactics of Roman Catholic  hierarchy to obtain property.

Why would these particular District Presidents take this  unprecedented step and assume for themselves a power that is authorized neither  in the Constitution or Bylaws of the Synod,and that turns upside down the relationship between LCMS congregations and the Synod?

The answer is found in the May special issue of the Synod's own magazine, Lutheran Witness.  The Synod has a serious financial shortfall.  For example, the Northwest District has had a 36% drop in pledged contributions. (LW, page 11).

As congregations of the Synod, and as individuals who love the Church, it is time we communicate our displeasure to any District Presidents who presume power or authority they do not have.  We should demand they acknowledge that  our Constitution and Bylaws do not recognize any power of Suppression or similar right or power in the District, and  insist District Presidents not claim such authority simply because it is expedient.

  If they do not restrain themselves from such actions as were done to Our Redeemer, Oakland, and Gloria Dei, Spokane, it may become necessary for congregations  and individuals to  take unusual steps such as withhold pledges and contributions to the Districts, as several Roman Catholics are now doing in their various Dioceses..

UNTROUBLED HEARTS

In our gospel today Jesus says to His disciples,  “Let not your heart be troubled”What is really amazing about these words is the context in which they are spoken.  Because Jesus has just told the  disciples several things that would trouble anyone’s heart.

Not only has he revealed that in 24 hours, he will be dead and buried.  Their time together as master and disciples, almost three years, will abruptly end. Furthermore Jesus has told his closest friends that they will be responsible for his death.  One of them will betray him to their enemies, all of them will run away, and Peter will deny knowing Jesus, not once but three times.
And yet, having heard all this, the disciples then hear Jesus tell them,  “Let not your heart be troubled”

In truth, Jesus words “Let not your heart be troubled” shows us the inside of the Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For, unbelievably, he himself is not troubled by these things. How likely would you and I be untroubled knowing what our friends were about to do to us.  I am sure I would rather be alone than spend time eating dinner with those who would soon betray and deny me.   And yet the words “Let not your hearts be troubled, demonstrate that Jesus has already forgiven his friends.

Jesus follows up these words of mercy and forgiveness with something else.  He says “Believe in God, Believe also in me.  These are not words of command, but of comfort..  Twice Jesus invites us to trust.  To trust Jesus that his Word of grace “Let not your heart be troubled” is true, and that he speaks not only for himself, but for his Father as well.

This is confirmation Sunday.  It is a day when Sarah and Miriam will be confirmed in the Christian faith.  For some, confirmation has become something of a graduation day.  It is a day when confirmands are supposed to show how much information they have memorized.

I would rather that we understand confirmation Sunday as the day that Sarah and Miriam affirm that they believe that they are now beginning the lifetime journey of learning to trust God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a forgiving and gracious God, and , believing that, they will forgive themselves and forgive others in times when their hearts would otherwise be troubled.

Sometimes our hearts need encouragement because of the disappointing actions or failures of others.  Sometimes, our own sinfulness may discourage us.  Faith, says Jesus, strengthens hearts in such times of trouble.

What did Jesus mean when he said “Believe in God , believe also in me”  We see an example of this sort of belief in Stephen, the first martyr. 

You see, Stephens faith was not just a faith about God, or Jesus.  It was a living faith,. It was faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ. It was a kind of believing that empowered Stephen to forgive those who were about to stone him, because had Jesus first forgave Steven his own sins.

Jesus goes on to say that in his Father’s house there are many rooms, or mansions.  Most of you are familiar with the TV show, Extreme makeover, Home edition.  Families in need receive their “dream home”, based on their families needs and situation.

.  When Jesus said “It is finished” from the cross  (John  19:30”, he announced that your home, your place with God , was complete, and ready for you to move in. Jesus words in our Gospel are words of promise, that your mansion will be far greater than any house ever built on that show

But in spite of these gracious, forgiving and wonderful words of Jesus, we still see that the hearts of the disciples are still troubled.  This is revealed in the words of Thomas and Phillip.“ 

First Thomas says to Jesus

“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Right after Jesus has said that he is about to die, and that he is about to return to the Father, Thomas reveals that he doesn’t want to hear any of this death talk.  He is in denial

This is the attitude of everyone who resents and hates the cross.  Here is the fear of everyone who would desperately cling to their life rather than lose it.  It is what Luther called the theology of glory.  Such people want to be the center of the universe.  Those who have this attitude would rather be on American Idol rather than Extreme Makeover.

This same attitude is reflected in the request of Philip .  Phillip says “Show us the Father”.

Phillip no more believes in the Father, or in Jesus, than did Thomas.  He wants to see wants to see the miracle, not be the miracle.

 According to Heb 1:3, Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” To see Jesus is to see the Father.  He is the way, the truth and the life. And no one comes to the Father except by me.

And that is why so many hate Christ.

To believe in God is to believe that God is hidden in the person of the poor carpenter from Galilee   To believe in God is to believe his glory is hidden in the cross where Jesus died.  And to believe in Jesus is to believe that he died and was raised for the forgiveness of your sins, and that because of his forgiveness, there is no reason for you to have troubled hearts Amen.

SERMON GRACIOUS LIVING

Fourth Easter Sermon -Good Shepherd Sunday

ACTS 2:46-47

46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

GRACIOUS LIVING

In our Tuesday Bible Study we are studying the book of Acts, and we have looked at these verses.  We discovered for example, that the early church, meeting in Jerusalem, often met daily to worship, not just weekly..  We also learned that the first Christians often split their worship service and met in two locations.   The people gathered first in the temple.  There they would read the scriptures, and then hear Peter or another apostle give  a sermon or message based on the scriptures just read. 

Then they would move on to various homes of their Christian  brothers or sisters, and  break bread together.   This “breaking bread” we know was the first name for the special meal we know by other names; Holy Communion, Lord’s Supper, Eucharist.

We should recognize that the things those first Christians did, we still gather and do under one roof.  The first part of our service this very Sunday,  the emphasis on scripture, is what we call the Service of the Word, and had its origins in the temple.  The Lord’s Supper, the breaking of the bread, we also will celebrate shortly.   .

But whether it happens in two places, or combined under one roof, where Christians gather with Word or Sacrament, grace happens Where you see the word favor,  like in Acts 2:47, it means literally “grace”.

  The phrase God’s favor is found often in the Bible.  In Genesis 6:8 we learn that Noah found favor with God.  We see it at the very beginning of  the Gospel, when the angel appears to Mary,  he says, fear not Mary, you have found favor with God,  Luke 1:30 A little later,  in Luke 2:52, we learn that Jesus grew in wisdom and favor with both God and the people.

.

This is the concept of sacred space.  From at least the time of Jacob, God’s people have marked the places where they encountered God.  Its not that God can only be found there, but the place is sacred because there the people experienced God’s grace.

As Christians we believe that wherever Word and Sacrament is, that place is sacred, because there we are promised to receive God’s grace.

But our lesson tells us that we don’t only receive God’s grace in such places, but we also are empowered to do God’s grace.  Grace is not just experienced in the hearing of God’s Word, or the receiving of the sacrament.  It was also experienced in what God’s people do!

God’s people are empowered to gracious living.   Acts 2 gives us a picture of this gracious living.  Diligence in prayers and worship, frequent expressions of praise and thanksgiving in all circumstances, and a cheerful and generous disposition; these are marks of gracious living.

That is what Peter meant when he said “When you do good and suffer for it, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

Gracious living of an awareness that we are owned by Jesus, that he was our Good Shepherd, and they were his sheep, that made all the this gracious living possible..  That is why Peter called our Lord Jesus the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls

The Lord is the overseer and shepherd of our souls because he has made us his people.  He now takes responsibility for us.  He gathers us into the  sheepfold for our protection and our nurture, care and feeding.

 This he does in the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life, and in Word and Sacraments. God has shown his generosity of Spirit in these means of grace, and moves our hearts to likewise reveal a generosity of spirit, not in material things alone, but in welcoming of others into the sheepfold.  In this we become a family, having a common Father to whom we may pray confidently.                                                         

In all this Jesus is not just the good shepherd, he is the gate of the sheepfold.  That means that he is the one who lets us into the family, Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we are able to enter into a relationship with God, and with our brothers and sisters in faith and experience gracious living. 

That is why I am so excited that we have chosen to include the  word Community in our name.  It expresses our openness, our love for each other and for others and our gracious living.  .  And we are a part of a greater family, found not just in this house, nor this city.  We are a part of a family that reaches around the world, and beyond.  I say beyond because in our liturgy, we join not just other Christians but also angels and archangels and all the hosts of heaven who sing praises to God.

Amen

The Personality of God

I recently heard prosecutor Vincent Buglliosi  on the radio.  Bugliosi was promoting his new book Divinity of Doubt: The God Question  Bugliosi offers  up the old argument that the existence of evil/ suffering in the  world proves that God does not exist. 

Buliosi argues that God, if He existed, must by definition, be both all-powerful and all-good (all-loving). An all loving God  would not  allow suffering unless he was powerless to prevent it; an all-powerful God would not allow suffering if he were truly all-loving.  Therefore God does not exist.

But God, like people, is more than what He does or fails to do.   I am a person.  I am defined as much by my physical characteristics height, eye and hair color, etc.), interests (writing, collectables etc.), and values(Christian faith, family etc.) as I am by my actions or inactions.  It is these things that distinquish me from a chair,  an animal or other persons. This is my Personhood.

God too is a Person, who is, surprisingly exactly who Bugliosi says He should be.  God is distinquished from the creation around him because God is in fact All-powerful and All-loving, and the world is not these things.  If creation did not have evil/suffering, we would be unable to distinquish it from God.

The Christian faith is correct in that it recogizes the Personhood of God.  By contrast, Bugliosi, who claims intellectual superiority for agnosticism, can only imagine a god found in the most primitive forms of tribal animism.

WELCOME TO CHINZY AL'S COMIC RACK

CHINZY AL'S COMIC RACK

 Many know that I  collect comic books.  When I was a kid in the sixties, I bought and traded comics to build up my collection. I purchased comics from many places. One of the places I bought comics was from the corner store two blocks from my grandmother's house in Hillyard, Spokane, Washington.

              I don't remember the name of the store, I only know that everyone who shopped there called it Chinzy Al's. 
              I don't know the owners real name, or where the "Chinzy Al" moniker came from  ( I heard it first from my aunt Emily Teeters, who we all called "Aunt John" ( don't know where that nick-name came from either, but I digress).
             I do know that the Chinzy adjective fit.   He never liked kids in the store unless they were going to buy something- right away. 
             Which made it difficult for kids who wanted to buy candy, bubble gum cards, or comics but didn't have a lot of money to spend.  So we would  take some time  looking over the wares to decide what to get.  Comic book buyers had a particular hard time, because "Chinzy Al" would often yell at us for "wasting" time looking through the comic books to decide what to buy.  He would often say things like, "You want to read it, buy it!",
So we had to spin the racks and judge what comic books we wanted, pretty much based on the covers.

                I remember for example, buying this comic book based only on the cover.  That's because I had already read the previous two issues so knew what the story was about.

                Anyway, the corner stores with the  spinner racks are pretty much gone now.  Instead we have the comic book store.  But  what is unfortunate is that we have all  become "Chinzy Als".  We have put comics in plastic bags, and even had them sealed, and expect people to buy comics based solely on the covers.
               So I thought I would have some fun with that memory.  From time to time, I am going to stick on this website a selection of comic book covers.  All comics in the group will have been published about the same time, and were likely on the stands at the same time.  I would like my readers to judge which ONE comic book they would buy if they could only afford one- based solely on the cover, and let us know.  
                I welcome your votes on which one you would buy and I would like to hear  your reason.  Also, if you have a story about any of the posted comics, feel free to share that story too.  After a week or so, I will share with you the comic I bought off the stands that month, and which ones I had to leave behind (sob!).
If you have scans of any comic covers for the selected month, you are welcome to send them too, and I will try to include that issue on Chinzy Al's Comic Rack.
                  First, a note about comic book dates.  The dates on the covers of comics indicated when the comic was to be pulled off the stand.  So, comic books were often found on the racks 2,3,or 4 months before the date listed on the cover.  So, Christmas themed and other comics on the stands in December may be dated in January February or March of the subsequent year.
                   For our first selection of  books on Chinzy Al's Comic Rack, we will have comics with a cover date of  February 1962.

SERMON : EVEN OSAMA BIN LADEN HAD A MOM

THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER SERMON  May 8, 2011

When I say  to someone that the bible has two parts, most people will nod their head.  But they will almost certainly think that the parts I am referring to are the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament”.

But when a Lutheran says the Bible has two parts, we are referring to a way of interpreting scripture,  We divide passages of the Bible as either Law or Gospel.

The first lesson today is a good example of how we can distinguish between Law and Gospel because it contains both.

Let’s take a look at Acts 2:36-41

Peter, shortly after Pentecost,  speaking to the strangers gathered around him and the other disciples, accuses them all of complicity in a murder.   Specifically he says:

 God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Imagine the audacity of that statement.  .  It would be equivalent to today someone accusing you of  being involved in a terrorist attack

This would not be a recommended way to win people to Christ today,  and more likely it would get people to throw things at you.

This is the Law part of the Bible                                                                            

O and by the way, Happy Mother’s Day.!

Why must we have a Mother’s Day?

How could we be so thoughtless and unappreciative of our mothers, the one that bore us, and gave us life, that we would have to set aside a certain day to remember them?

 Shouldn’t we honor and praise God for our mother’s each and every day of our lives. That is what the  Fourth Commandment demands of us; that we honor our Father and our Mother each and every day.  Instead, we make it easy on ourselves, and think that we can give our mother’s a couple of hours on the first Sunday of May, and think that is enough!.

What I have just done is the same thing that Peter did  with his words to the crowd.  His words came from the holy Spirit and were done to elicit a particular response from the people in the crowd.  His words and mine, were designed to “cut to the heart”.

That is what the Law does.

What does this mean, being cut to the heart.   Today we would say that the Law convicts us. Here is the way that Rev. Adrian Dieleman explains it.

To say or do something with conviction does not mean you say or do it because you know it is the right thing to do.  To say or do something with conviction is to say or do it because you are aware of your own sin.

 “When you are cut to the heart, you find God to be so pure and holy and glorious that His presence terrifies you. When you are cut to the heart, you are overwhelmed by your sense of sin and shame and guilt. When you are cut to the heart, God and hell become overpowering realities. When you are cut to the heart, you don't want God to be close but you don't want Him to be far away either; His presence scares you but His absence scares you even more. You feel repelled – because of the darkness of your sin. And, you feel attracted – because He is the light. Like the Pentecost crowd, you may not know where to turn or what to do.”

And that is where  Peter revealed to them the other part of the Bible, the Gospel, the good news, the Kerygma.  What must you do. Repent and be baptized, because God has  forgiven you your complicity in Christ’s death. God has forgiven you all your sins.-  for Christ’s sake!.

Now, not everyone who hears that they are complicit in the death of Jesus will respond in the same way   Acts 5:33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and determined to kill them.

When a murderer is exposed,  he may either confess it, deny it or justify it..  This week we found out about the death of Osama Ben Laden.  He was a murderer who justified his murder of others. For most of us, the news of his death made it a day for some celebration. 

This was a man who not only is responsible for the death’s of thousands of people, but  also for a lot of  troublesome changes and expense in our government and our lives.  And I confess that I too felt some satisfaction in knowing he is dead. 

Yet, Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies?  We must  remember that Jesus died for the sins of all, including Ben Laden.  And we should feel sorrow that Ben Laden did not repent his sins, and is lost.  And if we cannot do that, it is a sign that we too need to repent of our sin, that we would rejoice in any persons death and damnation is a sign of our own sinfulness.

Even our very reasonable ,human desire to take joy in the death of  a mass murderer is a sin. But again, if we are convicted of sin, and our response is repentance, we are then ready to receive the good news.  God forgives us our weaknesses and failures.  That promise is for us who are, in Peter’s phrase, a long way off, in both time and space.

But if we compare ourselves to Ben Laden or Hitler to minimize our sinfulness, we deceive ourselves.  Each sin, no matter how apparently innocuous or harmless, adds to the pain Christ suffered on the cross.,  But we can take comfort in this, because that is the path to forgiveness.

On the cross, Jesus did not ask his Father to forgive everyone,  He asked God the Father to forgive those involved in his crucifixion.

As Lutherans, we acknowledge, like Luther himself, that the  Jews alone were not responsible for Christ’s crucifixion.  Each sin of ours is another cut or bruise unto the body of Jesus.  We are accessories to his murder.  We have blood on our hands.  But God has forgiven us.  In the waters of baptism, the tell-tale blood on our hands is washed away and we are made pure and clean again.

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). Amen.

A VERY DISTURBING PICTURE OF THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE

While the link below seems to be about Obama's efforts to cash in on the killing of OBL, more disconcerting is the reconstruction of the events leading up to the Navy SEAL operation. http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/unbelievable-barack-obama-fundraising-off-killing-bin-laden/

"FRINGE" AND "THE FLINTSTONES"

As I meantioned, Fred and Wilma Flintstone once had a son, Junior.  It will not be the first, or the last time that a TV family's first born has disappeared (Anyone remember Fred McMurry's oldest boy on My Three Son's,  played by Tim Constantine, or Chuck Cunningham on  "Happy Days".)

No one knows what happened to Junior but I can imagine that in some alternative universe, Pebbles has an older brother.  Is it possible that "Junior was taken from his own universe by another "Fred".  It would be fun to imagine how such a "Fringe" event changed cartoon "history".

THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF FRED AND WILMA'S BOY

I recently came across this item on Ebay



Note that the doll has a very similar appearance to the son of Fred and Wilma Flintstone.  What son, you ask?  The one found on the cover of this little golden book from 1961.

Inside the book we learn that the boys name was Junior Flintstone. He also was the one who adopted the "dinosaur pup" that lived in the Flintstone's residence, except he named  the Dinosaur, no not "Dino" but "Harvey".
As a person who remembers watching the Flintstones episodes when they were first broadcast, I don't remember any reference to the Flintstones having any children B.P. (Before Pebbles).
The Flintstones were originally modelled after the"Honeymooners" so I was surprised to see that there was ever any thought given to Fred and Wilma having a child. I certainly didn't expect to see any Flintstone products referencing "Junior".

Lutheran Ecclesiastical Court Part 2

Some were surprised to learn that the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has its own Ecclesiastical system for resolving disputes. It's existence is not common knowledge, but its there.  And it appears to be designed for disputes of all kinds, whether  they be disputes between individuals who are both M.S. Lutherans or disagreements within a congregation or between different congregations    The sum and substance of the process is found in the  Bylaws, (1.10) of the LCMS Handbook, found here                     http://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=400

FCBD 2011 COVERS

This is the flip side of the Avatar issue

This is the flip sde of the Star Wars Issue

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2011

Today is FCBD.  The Spokane Comic Book shop is allowing each person dropping by the store to select three comics.  I will try to post the covers up here.

The latest in hi-tech (1960)

Below is a link to an old Steve Allen Show.  Steve was often told he looked like Clark Kent, and eventually he even wrote a book about how he got mistaken for Superman's alter ego.That has nothing to do with this post, which links to an old Steve Allen show.  About 90 seconds into the video, it goes to commercial.  Watch the commercial to see the many reasons to purchase the 1960 Plymouth.  You gotta love # 15!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Dlv-zKsgo&feature=player_embedded#at=18

Lutheran Ecclesiastical court

 

Most Lutherans are not aware that the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod actually has its own procedure for resolving disputes within the Church.
From time to time, this little known process will be discussed on this page. For now, I invite you to take a look at some scriptural authority for establishing such procedures
Matthew 18
    ¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. NIV

I Corinthians 6
¹ If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? ² Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴ Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? ⁵ I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? ⁶ But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!
 ⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. ⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? NIV