tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75510829657381747422012-01-30T20:11:31.833-07:00Critical reviews (by Lutheran pastors and church musicians) of books and other resources for Christian worship, preaching, and church music from a perspective rooted in Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions and good common sense. LHP Quarterly Book Review asks, &quot;Is it worth the money to buy, the time to read, the shelf space to store, and the effort to teach?&quot;Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comBlogger14521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-65173668040687539332012-01-30T20:11:00.001-07:002012-01-30T20:11:31.906-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Weedon's Blog<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 30, 2012 8:04 PM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (William Weedon)<br><b>Subject:</b> Suggestion for the Ash Wednesday Liturgy</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>So, in the LW Agenda, after the address and opening litany for Ash Wednesday, the rubrics direct you to continue with the OT reading - in other words, the address and litany replace the entrance rite entirely.<br><br>Along comes LSB Altar Book, and now in addition to the address and opening litany, the rubrics specifically permit the distribution of ashes (either as the people enter or after the opening litany). &nbsp;But then things get confusing: <br><br>&quot;After all have received the ashes, the service continues with the Service of Confession and Absolution in the Divine Service, or with the rite of Corporate Confession and Absolution.&quot; (p. 486) &nbsp;The rationale for the Confession and Absolution p. 483 with rubric 3: &nbsp;&quot;Ashes are a sign of mortality and death. &nbsp;Therefore, the imposition of ashes should be followed by the rite of Confession and Absolution.&quot;<br><br>Absolutely nothing is said about anything else in the Entrance Rite. &nbsp;The assumption seems to be that following Confession and Absolution for whichever Divine Service we'd continue with Introit, Kyrie, salutation and collect. <br><br>Yet we DO note in the rubrics for Corporate Confession and Absolution (p. 422, rubric 3): &nbsp;&quot;This rite may also replace the preparation rite of the Divine Service. &nbsp;Following this rite, the service would continue at the Introit/Entrance Hymn or Salutation and Collect of the Day. *This is particularly appropriate in Lent, and is suggested in the order for Ash Wednesday.*&quot;<br><br>Well, it's not suggested there no matter what the rubric says, but the fact that it is suggested HERE leads me to ask: doesn't it make sense if you insist on doing Confession and Absolution immediately after the Ashes, to move directly to salutation and collect? &nbsp;Or even to the OT reading? &nbsp;The litany has already covered the &quot;Kyrie&quot; if you will and it concludes with a collect. &nbsp;And an &quot;entrance&quot; - either Introit or Entrance Hymn makes little sense so late in the service (I mean, in our place, it takes about 20 minutes before the opening litany and distribution of ashes if finished - let alone adding to it a Confession and Absolution!). <br><br>Perhaps also of import is the rubric on p. 410 (#4) that &quot;the Litany may serve as an Entrance Rite in the Divine Service, replacing the Introit, Kyrie, and Hymn of Praise.&quot; &nbsp;If that holds for &quot;THE Litany&quot; why not for the Ash Wednesday litany (as it once did in LW)?</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I'd posted all the above over on ALPB and Pr. Zimmerman wrote me to inform me of his practice which makes the absolute most sense of out of the confusing rubrics. &nbsp;Here's his practice:</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Opening Hymn</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Invocation</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Opening Sentences</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Lenten Address (from LSB Altar Book)</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Salutation and Collect of the Day</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>OT&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Psalm</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>NT</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Verse</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Holy Gospel</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Hymn of Day</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Sermon</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Service of Ashes: &nbsp;The Litany, Blessing of Ashes, Imposition of Ashes, Declaration of Grace</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Offering Received</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Offertory</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>and then Service of the Sacrament as usual.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I like his immensely because it is clear, it simplifies the service, it gives you the opportunity to preach upon the practice before inviting folks up for the ashes, and it avoids the needless repetitions (Western liturgy does NOT like repetition in general!) of the Litany at the beginning and then the Prayer of the Church following the sermon. &nbsp;It totally preserves the rubrics concern that some form of declaration of grace be spoken after the ashes are distributed. &nbsp;I think it's the best solution I've yet seen to the rather confusing rubrics in Lutheran Service Book on this matter.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>One more matter of note - I also appreciate Pr. Mozolak's practice of reminding those who receive the ashes, not only that they are dust and to dust they shall return, but that they are Christ's and to Christ they shall return. &nbsp;I'm not sure what to do with that yet, but I like it. &nbsp;A lot.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>http://feeds.feedburner.com/WeedonsBlog<img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7291232-7769388419912549126?l=weedon.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://weedon.blogspot.com/2012/01/suggestion-for-ash-wednesday-liturgy.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-8318354035265587877?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-suggestion-for-ash-wednesday-liturgy.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-6517366804068753933?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-61241766718016305552012-01-30T20:07:00.001-07:002012-01-30T20:07:55.933-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgbYJB1Ognc/Tuv-EvThgiI/AAAAAAAABOs/YESnanGy9x8/s1600/twisted+stack.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=214 height=320 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgbYJB1Ognc/Tuv-EvThgiI/AAAAAAAABOs/YESnanGy9x8/s320/twisted+stack.jpg"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><i>ESV Single Column Legacy Bible</i>. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 1664 Pages. TruTone. $49.99. <a href="http://www.crossway.org/">www.crossway.org</a> (P) <br><br>Jenson, Robert W. <i>Lutheran Slogans: Use and Abuse. </i>Delhi, NY: ALPB Books, 2011. 80 Pages. Paper. $6.00. <a href="http://www.alpb.org/">www.alpb.org</a> (LHPN)<br><br><i>The Lake Louise Commission: The Sacred Family</i>. Delhi, NY: ALPB Books, 2011. 124 Pages. Paper. $12.50 <a href="http://www.alpb.org/">www.alpb.org</a> (LHPN)<br><br>Ronneberg, Rod. L. <i>A Little Book of Canons: Eucharistic Prayers for Times and Seasons.&nbsp; </i>Delhi, NY: ALPB Books, 2011. 120 Pages. Paper. $10.00. <a href="http://www.alpb.org/">www.alpb.org</a> (LHPN)<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6565397985954299937-8343681614779489419?l=lhplbr.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhplbr.blogspot.com/2012/01/resources-received.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-6124176671801630555?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-26503863457423917142012-01-30T15:12:00.001-07:002012-01-30T15:12:08.178-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Justification Rules<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 30, 2012 10:22 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Jay Hobson)<br><b>Subject:</b> Why I Like Doing It the Hard Way</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>There are a lot of resources available for a pastor to use. There are sermon series with full sermons available to preach. There are pre-molded bible studies that you can pick up and use in an instant. There are confirmation materials that practically teach themselves. In theory, the pastor wouldn't even need to know the Word of God at all with everything that is available for pastors.<br><br><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wd8P64tGaRY/TybReKutgBI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/4nInI6PfVVI/s1600/no-easy-button+for+you.png"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=200 height=190 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wd8P64tGaRY/TybReKutgBI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/4nInI6PfVVI/s200/no-easy-button+for+you.png"></span></a>But I like doing it the &quot;hard way&quot;. Concordia Publishing House (CPH) provides a bible study on each chapter of the bible, yet I am writing my own. That's not to say that I go it alone, or do not cherish some of the treasures that are available. For example, Rev. Peter Bender of the Concordia Catechetical Academy provides a great resource for catechesis. I use it to teach, but also supplement it (not that it needs much supplementing) with that of my own studies. CPH has produced a Lenten Sermon Series based on the Penitential Psalms. I am using their ideas, but I am not using their full written sermons. I will do things myself.<br><br>There are two reasons why I especially like to do this:<br><br>1) Learned in the Word of God. When I write a bible study, I am forced to study and know the text. I am forced to look at the Hebrew and Greek and read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. With a prefabricated bible study, I am tempted not to study as much. The end result is a more knowledgeable pastor and more time spent in and throughout the Word of God. It becomes a blessing to me in that I grow in the knowledge of the Word and of Christ. But is also a blessing to my congregation for the more skilled I am with the Word of God, the more clearly they will hear Christ proclaimed to them.<br><br>2) Contextualization. When I write a bible study, I can tailor the study to the congregation. Hear me rightly, please. The truth of the Scriptures reaches across all times and all places, and as such needs no contextualization. However, because the Scripture comes to not simply to a man, but to &quot;Bill the farmer, husband, father, school board representative, and U.S. citizen,&quot; the Scripture is spoken to him in his vocation. Thus, my bible study can be focus on the needs of the congregation as governed by where the Word of God leads. And, of course, this is a <i>necessity </i>when it comes to preaching.<br><br>On the other side, there are two reasons why this is burdensome:<br><br>1) Time. Writing a bible study is time consuming. Writing a sermon takes up a large portion of the week. Writing out individual bulletin inserts about the divine service (instead of purchasing them from CPH) takes more than a couple hours. It cuts into other things I could be doing - Shut-Ins could use more frequent visits, congregation members and less-frequent members could be visited, more time could be spent in other academic pursuits. The bottom line is that it takes extra time to do these things, and even more time to do them well. But in my opinion, it is time well spent.<br><br>2) My limited capacity. I am newly out of seminary. It is easy to get over ambitious in what I am trying to accomplish. Granted, I can do a lot, but there still room for improvement. Simply put, there are pastor who take a better approach at a certain study than I would have ever been able to conceive.<br><br>There are likely better ways than my ways. But my ways train me in the Word of God. It is time consuming and the struggle is great, but in the end it is for the benefit of all that I take this &quot;hard way&quot;. It gets me and the congregation deeper into the Word and that is always a good thing. <br><br>+Kyrie Eleison+</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3971192879947495978-8516371052853867242?l=justificationrules.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://justificationrules.blogspot.com/2012/01/why-i-like-doing-it-hard-way.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-387886116710073527?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-why-i-like-doing-it-hard-way.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-2650386345742391714?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-41714875223839237432012-01-30T14:54:00.005-07:002012-01-30T14:54:46.950-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Confessional Gadfly<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 30, 2012 8:20 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Rev. Eric J Brown<br><b>Subject:</b> Some Thoughts on Matthew 20:1-16</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As I was pondering Matthew 20 - the parable of the workers in the fields, I had a thought. So often we think of this parable in terms of *what age* a person is brought to faith - that some are of the faith their entire lives and that some are late converts.<br><br>Now I wonder. Consider the complaint of the early workers - &quot;And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'&quot;<br><br>I have been a Baptized member of Christ's church since I was an infant. There is not a time that I can remember where I was not a Christian.<br><br>Yet - what burden of the day have I borne? What scorching heat have I faced? I am an American. Even as I might complain about being underpaid -- I am wealthy. If I complain about difficulties - I've never had my life threatened for the sake of the Gospel. Having people complain about how they don't like how my sermons do or don't do ______ is hardly &quot;scorching&quot;.<br><br>I wonder if it isn't hubris and pride that make us in America think that we are the hard workers, that we have been long laboring for Christ. I hear what happens to our brothers and sisters in Africa, in Asia - those who literally have to face down tangible threats of persecution... they are the ones who have faced the heat, not I. And it is a sign of great generosity on God's behalf that I am promised the same forgiveness of sins and salvation and life as they are, even though I am wealthy and comfortable in a way they could not comprehend.<br><br>Just some thoughts.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3847211149012008703-8929901992546182938?l=confessionalgadfly.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://confessionalgadfly.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-thoughts-on-matthew-201-16.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5468990110668803118?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-some-thoughts-on-matthew-201-16.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-4171487522383923743?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-71928938281568890262012-01-30T14:54:00.003-07:002012-01-30T14:54:32.624-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 30, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> Paul Westermeyer on Ending Worship Wars...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://churchnext.tv/2012/01/27/paul-westermeyer-ending-the-worship-wars/westermeyer_paul/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=101 height=150 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://churchnext.tv/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/westermeyer_paul.jpg"></span></a>Sure, these worship wars have been going on forever, but Dr. Paul Westermeyer of Luther Seminary suggests today's church arguments over music have rarely been as mean-spirited as today – or this simple to solve (note the difference between simple and easy…).<br><br>Yes, liberating our congregations from the manipulative and emotion-based musical proclivities of the surrounding culture is our biggest challenge – but one that's met by simply getting back to basics of helping the Church sing around Word, font and table.<br>Dr. Westermeyer unpacks this in a refreshing interview not only for church musicians, but all church leaders.<br><br>Dr. Paul Westermeyer says the biggest challenge to today's church worship is capitulation to a culture that's based on consumerism and greed – in which bigger is better, and growing my piece of the pie is Job #1. In this interview Dr. Paul tells us that church music is not a commodity but for the glory of God and the edification of humanity.<br><br>HT to <a href="http://churchnext.tv/2012/01/27/paul-westermeyer-ending-the-worship-wars/">Church Next for this referral</a>...where you can watch....&nbsp; OR<br><br>Listen to Westermeyer unpack his thesis:&nbsp; <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/GrowMyChurch/+P+Westermeyer.mp3">https://s3.amazonaws.com/GrowMyChurch/+P+Westermeyer.mp3</a><br><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-78809964861266898?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/paul-westermeyer-on-ending-worship-wars.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5170440588817878548?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-paul-westermeyer-on-ending-worship.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7192893828156889026?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-80135028779860230902012-01-30T14:54:00.001-07:002012-01-30T14:54:22.535-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Wyoming…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Steadfast Lutherans<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 29, 2012 11:28 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Pastor Joshua Scheer<br><b>Subject:</b> Tell the Good News About Jesus. Wyoming District being &quot;missional&quot;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img width=156 height=300 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/TTGNAJ1-156x300.jpg">Every year clergy and laity from Wyoming (and some from other districts as well) converge on Casper, Wyoming to hear speakers on topics of Evangelism.&nbsp; Yes, confessionals from a confessional district learning about Evangelism.&nbsp; This year I had the opportunity to attend the convocation, listen to the speakers, and even moderate some of the panel discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This year's speakers were:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rev. Clint Poppe of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Lincoln, NE, chairman of the ACELC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rev. Dr. Ron Garwood, President Emeritus of the Wyoming, Associate Pastor of Mount Hope Lutheran in Casper, WY, Board of Directors member for CTS, Fort Wayne.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rev. Jeremy Mills of Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Church of Westfield, IN<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The speakers provided a good smattering of situations, from ages to styles of congregations that they serve, they really helped bring many good topics to the table.&nbsp; Rev. Poppe provided some excellent theology for mission and in particular stressed that the Church is about the forgiveness of sins.&nbsp; He also set up a good framework of using the Augsburg Confession articles I – VI for evangelism (that AC VI is where it fits, as a good work, but always must follow the teachings of the previous five).&nbsp; Dr. Garwood provided some excellent practical tips for congregational efforts at evangelism, including suggestions at member assimilation and so forth.&nbsp; Rev. Mills brought good thoughts to the table on taking good/discarding the bad in regards to modern &quot;evangelism&quot; efforts.&nbsp; He has been exposed to many of the modern church planting techniques as his congregation is a church plant faithfully growing thanks to God's blessing.&nbsp; He was able to show some common problems with modern evangelism and church planting schemes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>During the banquet on Friday evening the group assembled gave thanks to God for the work of Rev. Phil Grovenstein, Rev. David Londenberg and also Delano and Linda Meyer in the country of Sierra Leone.&nbsp; Many pastors from the Wyoming District go over to Sierra Leone and&nbsp; teach there as a part of Project Education: Sierra Leone.&nbsp; See the project's website <a href="http://www.sslc-cos.org/sierra_leone/sierra_leone.htm" target="_blank">here</a>; facebook page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/lutheranpastoraleducationsierraleone" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp; That project also brings in pastors from Liberia as well and there are hopes to expand the project to that country as well.&nbsp; The banquet was a fine way to show respect to those who came before and served tirelessly in a field that many would run from faster than Nineveh.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The worship was solidly liturgical and Lutheran, and many people gathered for Compline on Friday night with Rev. Marcus Zill accompanied by Dr. Steven Hoffman, the Kantor of King of Glory Lutheran in Cheyenne, WY.&nbsp; Morning Prayer was also great, led by Rev. Paul Rosberg with preaching by Dr. Garwood.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>For all of those who complain that confessionals are not interested in evangelism, this longstanding convocation debunks that myth.&nbsp; Confessionals want people to meet the right Jesus and realize that our Lutheran beliefs will direct our Lutheran outreach.&nbsp; It is all there, in our beliefs – no need to drink from other wells.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>It was very nice to be at an evangelism conference where the only person snapping and telling of people going to hell was the guy demonstrating that as false teaching (thank you Rev. Poppe)!&nbsp; It was also nice to attend one where the church and what happens in her walls was considered sacred time and space, rather than something to change in order to bring in the profanity of the world.&nbsp; It was nice to see the Gospel being proclaimed to people in order to motivate them to good works rather than the deadly beating stick of the Law that so many evangelism teachers use.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=16796">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-6216644855720294781?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-tell-good-news-about-jesus-wyoming.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8013502877986023090?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-25302486946167561172012-01-30T14:34:00.003-07:002012-01-30T14:34:44.122-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Gottesdienst Online<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2012 9:36 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Pr. H. R.<br><b>Subject:</b> How to learn to preach</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Preaching is hard. This is the double plus profound conclusion I have come to. It is embarrassing to read back over many of my old sermons. Some I still like. Many I think were just...bad. I'm sure you've had similar experience. The preachers I respect the most are those who struggle with it the most and don't rest on their laurels.<br><br>The second double plus profound conclusion I have come to about preaching is that the only way to learn to be a better preacher is to read the sermons of the better preachers. I am honestly shocked that my seminary homiletics classes had almost none of this. I think one professor assigned us to read a couple of sermons. Maybe you had a different experience, but in my classes we spent a lot more time on technique, exegetical studies, Lowry Loops, object lessons, yadayadayada. I learned something or other from all of it, I suppose, but I really wish that I had started my reading of good preachers a lot earlier.<br><br>This is one of the main reasons to observe the Historic Lectionary. When I'm called to speak to pastors about worship or liturgy I always bring this up. Even if you are a fan of the post-Vatican II three year series, why not try out the Historic Lectionary for one year? If you do, every week you can read the sermons of Augustine and Chrysostom through the NPNF series (online for free), Luther (online for free), and countless others through the <i>Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers </i>volumes, and the Gospel volumes of the&nbsp;<i>Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture</i>. This is a year-long course in homiletics vastly superior to any you have taken so far. I guarantee it. And if you don't love the Historic Lectionary after that year, go back to the 3-year series with what you have learned.<br><br>+HRC</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4778905687600416321-5697693280204080953?l=gottesdienstonline.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://gottesdienstonline.blogspot.com/2012/01/how-to-learn-to-preach.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-759604046808102039?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-how-to-learn-to-preach.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-2530248694616756117?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-80970054210340014792012-01-30T14:34:00.001-07:002012-01-30T14:34:28.497-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Read…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> divinae consortes naturae<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:21 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Paul)<br><b>Subject:</b> bread and wine, body and blood</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>St. Ambrose of Milan<br><br><br>Perhaps you will say,<br><br>&quot;I see something else, how is it that you assert that I receive the Body of Christ?&quot;<br><br>And this is the point which remains for us to prove. And what evidence shall we make use of? Let us prove that this is not what nature made, but what the blessing consecrated, and the power of blessing is greater than that of nature, because by blessing nature itself is changed.<br><br>Moses was holding a rod, he cast it down and it became a serpent. (Exodus 4:3-4)<br><br>Again, he took hold of the tail of the serpent and it returned to the nature of a rod. You see that by virtue of the prophetic office there were two changes, of the nature both of the serpent and of the rod. The streams of Egypt were running with a pure flow of water; of a sudden from the veins of the sources blood began to burst forth, and none could drink of the river.<br><br>Again, at the prophet's prayer the blood ceased, and the nature of water returned. The people of the Hebrews were shut in on every side, hemmed in on the one hand by the Egyptians, on the other by the sea; Moses lifted up his rod, the water divided and hardened like walls, and a way for the feet appeared between the waves.<br><br>Jordan being turned back, returned, contrary to nature, to the source of its stream. (Jos. 3:16)<br><br>Is it not clear that the nature of the waves of the sea and of the river stream was changed? The people of the fathers thirsted, Moses touched the rock, and water flowed out of the rock. (Exodus 17:6)<br><br>Did not grace work a result contrary to nature, so that the rock poured forth water, which by nature it did not contain?<br><br>Marah was a most bitter stream, so that the thirsting people could not drink. Moses cast wood into the water, and the water lost its bitterness, which grace of a sudden tempered. (Exodus 15:25)<br><br>In the time of Elisha the prophet one of the sons of the prophets lost the head from his axe, which sank. He who had lost the iron asked Elisha, who cast in a piece of wood and the iron swam. This, too, we clearly recognize as having happened contrary to nature, for iron is of heavier nature than water.<br><br>We observe, then, that grace has more power than nature, and yet so far we have only spoken of the grace of a prophet's blessing. But if the blessing of man had such power as to change nature, what are we to say of that divine consecration where the very words of the Lord and Saviour operate? For that sacrament which you receive is made what it is by the word of Christ. But if the word of Elijah had such power as to bring down fire from heaven, shall not the word of Christ have power to change the nature of the elements? You read concerning the making of the whole world:<br><br>&quot;He spoke and they were made, He commanded and they were created.&quot;<br><br>Shall not the word of Christ, which was able to make out of nothing that which was not, be able to change things which already are into what they were not? For it is not less to give a new nature to things than to change them.<br><br>But why make use of arguments? Let us use the examples He gives, and by the example of the Incarnation prove the truth of the mystery. Did the course of nature proceed as usual when the Lord Jesus was born of Mary? If we look to the usual course, a woman ordinarily conceives after connection with a man. And this body which we make is that which was born of the Virgin. Why do you seek the order of nature in the Body of Christ, seeing that the Lord Jesus Himself was born of a Virgin, not according to nature? It is the true Flesh of Christ which crucified and buried, this is then truly the Sacrament of His Body.<br><br>The Lord Jesus Himself proclaims:<br><br>&quot;This is My Body.&quot; (Matt. 26:26)<br><br>Before the blessing of the heavenly words another nature is spoken of, after the consecration the Body is signified. He Himself speaks of His Blood. Before the consecration it has another name, after it is called Blood. And you say, Amen, that is, It is true. Let the heart within confess what the mouth utters, let the soul feel what the voice speaks.<br><br>Christ, then, feeds His Church with these sacraments, by means of which the substance of the soul is strengthened, and seeing the continual progress of her grace, He rightly says to her: &quot;How comely are your breasts, my sister, my spouse, how comely they are made by wine, and the smell of your garments is above all spices. A dropping honeycomb are your lips, my spouse, honey and milk are under your tongue, and the smell of your garments is as the smell of Lebanon. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed.&quot; By which He signifies that the mystery ought to remain sealed up with you, that it be not violated by the deeds of an evil life, and pollution of chastity, that it be not made known to thou, for whom it is not fitting, nor by garrulous talkativeness it be spread abroad among unbelievers.<br><br>Your guardianship of the faith ought therefore to be good, that integrity of life and silence may endure unblemished.<br><br>(On the Mysteries 9.50-55)</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2918171310732781428-6593514528098222846?l=prpaulbecker.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://prpaulbecker.blogspot.com/2012/01/bread-and-wine-body-and-blood.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-7574661166811767750?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-bread-and-wine-body-and-blood.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8097005421034001479?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-44545817184514139992012-01-30T13:35:00.007-07:002012-01-30T13:35:55.100-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>More on Harvard…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 29, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> The Chapel at Haaaavaaard (Harvard)...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://commonsenseatheism.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/religious_diversity.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://commonsenseatheism.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/religious_diversity.jpg"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Most of us have some vague idea of the Calvinist origins of Harvard College, founded in 1636 as a Puritan and Congregationalist institution to train ministers. The Divinity School, in but not of Harvard College, came along later, in 1816, when it was the first non-denominational divinity school in the United States.&nbsp;&nbsp; Remember that Princeton Theological Seminary was Presbyterian (1812) and the Calvinists fled Harvard to found Andover in 1807 because the Unitarians had taken over.&nbsp; Harvard Divinity School has been an unofficial Unitarian school ever since (though it also claims ties to the almost Unitarian successor to Congregationalism, the United Church of Christ).&nbsp; Harvard Divinity has a prestigious ring to it and this aura has attracted people from every religion over the years and the school has honored the religious pluralism of their student body by being among the most liberal and secular of the premier divinity schools of the Ivy League.&nbsp; <br><br>How liberal and how secular was recently shown in the <a href="http://christiancentury.org/article/2012-01/devotional-difference">puff piece in the Christian Century </a>on chapel at Harvard.&nbsp; Apparently, there is little desire to resolve or smooth over the competing religious traditions represented on campus.&nbsp; Instead, the students try to &quot;embody&quot; those diverse traditions and so mirror the popular separation of religion from spirituality and truth from piety that is so abundant in American culture.&nbsp; According to the article, they keep the traditions distinct but the students try to get into those traditions by being Jews on the Sabbath, Muslims on Friday, Baptists at the altar call, Episopalians in the Prayer Book, Hindus for puja, Roman Catholics in the Church Year, etc...&nbsp; What is most strange is that the bulk of the student body is still trying to train for service within a particular tradition and denomination and the hard question is how this multi-robed religious vesture aids and assists this goal. <br><br>According to the article: <i>We want to be with each other as we truly are, they said. We want to be present for each other's prayers and rituals and practices. We want to be led in Torah study by the Jewish students and in Friday prayers by the Muslims; to listen to a dharma talk with the Buddhist students and hear a sermon with the Baptists; to be with the Episcopalian students for the Eucharist and with the Hindus for puja; to light Advent candles with the Roman Catholics, offer prayers at the flaming chalice with the Unitarian Universalists and keep silence with the Quakers.</i><br><br>While you will get no argument from me about keeping each of the religious traditions &quot;pure&quot; in their assigned chapel slots, the idea that we can morph in and out of religions is faithful and true to none of them.&nbsp; This is the big lie of multiculturalism.&nbsp; While in the past, the ecumenical goal might have been to reduce the distinctives of each religious tradition to find a muddle in the middle, the goal now is to put on the clothes of another faith and test them out from the inside by thinking or acting like that faith for a day (or, in this case, the chapel hour).&nbsp; Surely this is no better attempt at religious diversity than the past effort to paper over differences and the end result will be that people are true to no tradition at all.&nbsp; Instead of cafeteria Catholics or luncheon line Lutherans, we will end up with tasters at the religious buffet, with criss-crossed holy books and<i> </i>prayer forms creating a religious patchwork unique to the person.&nbsp; The churches become mere buildings which house these unique individuals attached to nothing larger than themselves and their own tastes.&nbsp; In this case, we should all be happy about the leadership Harvard Divinity is providing for it favors none and detracts from them all.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-6439202212397035504?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/chapel-at-haaaavaaard-harvard.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5023333615866411599?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-chapel-at-haaaavaaard-harvard.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-4454581718451413999?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-53385858162037006472012-01-30T13:35:00.005-07:002012-01-30T13:35:41.599-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Intrepid Lutherans<br><b>Posted on:</b> Friday, January 27, 2012 11:20 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Rev. Paul A. Rydecki)<br><b>Subject:</b> They have kneelers - and they use them</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I promised to share a few impressions of the symposia last week at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne. I won't bore you with a play-by-play journal of the week. But here are some things that struck me.<br><br>I didn't attend the Exegetical Symposium that took up the first part of the week. Instead, I attended the presentations for the Symposium on the Lutheran Confessions (Wednesday afternoon through Friday morning). The overarching theme was: Justification in a Contemporary Context.<br><br>The presentations were very scholarly. I think all the presenters had a doctorate in something or other, and several came from non-Lutheran circles. It seems that the purpose of the presentations was not to teach the truth, but to inform the audience regarding current philosophies and trends in the broader &quot;Christian&quot; context. Rather than, &quot;This is what God says,&quot; it was more, &quot;This is what so-and-so thinks (or thought) about justification.&quot; While that may be helpful for ecumenical dialogue, I would have preferred more discussion of the Scriptures and Confessions themselves. Justification is an article of doctrine that urgently needs to be studied among Lutherans, and the best way to get back to a Lutheran understanding of the chief article, in my opinion, would be to set aside everything written about it in the last 300 years. First Scripture, then the Confessions, then Luther and Chemnitz. Once we have learned from them how to believe and to speak like Lutherans again, then we can move forward cautiously from the 16th century.<br><br>For me, the high point of the week was getting to know the LCMS pastors and laity, as well as their culture. In addition to their friendliness, there was a seriousness among them that I have rarely seen in WELS circles, an eagerness to discuss theology and doctrine that was very refreshing. As one pastor told me, &quot;It's a way of life.&quot; Say what you want about the problems in Missouri, but their conflicts and battles have forced them back into the Scriptures and the Confessions, and as a result, they are far more ready to speak and discuss than those who simply assume their orthodoxy or take it for granted.<br><br>There was actually a very open and honest admission in Ft. Wayne that the LCMS has major problems that need addressing. This didn't just come from a few disgruntled rabble rousers. It came from everyone - from recent seminary graduates to seminary professors to the synodical president Matt Harrison (who, I should mention, expressed to me his heartfelt love and appreciation for our president Schroeder and his joy in renewed discussions with the WELS). It seems to be a given in Missouri that the synod is sorely divided and in desperate need of repentance and help from Above.<br><br>…which brings me to what struck me most about the seminary in Ft. Wayne, and it has to do with their chapel. It's a beautiful, reverent chapel, with a baptismal font filled with water in the entryway. Many, though not all, would dip their fingers in the water and make the sign of the cross on themselves. There was lots of crossing oneself during the Matins and Vespers services, and a reverent bowing of the head at the Gloria Patri – without prompting and without any sort of chatty instruction from the presiding minister. There was a natural piety evident among the worshipers and among the ministers that was shamefully unfamiliar to me. Most noticeably to me, in their chapel they have kneelers – and they use them.<br><br>In all my years in the WELS, I can't remember ever kneeling in church. I recall seeing kneelers (but not using them) in the pews at only a few old WELS churches I have attended, and they were unheard of at the synodical schools I attended. (I honestly don't know if the chairs in our &quot;newly&quot; renovated seminary chapel have them. Maybe they do.) <br><br>What does this mean? It means nothing in and of itself. But to me, the kneeling I witnessed in Ft. Wayne is representative of a very salutary spirit within the Missouri Synod. Both of our synods have the Scriptures and the Confessions as their foundational documents. But both synods have clergy and congregations that have moved away from these foundations in this or in that area. Missouri tends to err more on the side of unionism, while the WELS tends to err more on the side of sectarianism. Neither synod practices much synodical discipline (at least, not the Scriptural kind). Neither synod is united within its own walls regarding the Office of the Holy Ministry, and both have remnants of Pietism and Church Growth philosophies and methodologies running rampant.<br><br>But Missouri is, for the most part, honest about this, open about her disunity, and prepared to acknowledge the seriousness of her flaws. More than that, her current president has repeatedly and publicly called his people (starting with himself) to repentance, and seems committed to addressing every issue from the Word of God. I see many, many LCMS pastors fighting for the historic, apostolic, Lutheran faith. But they are not fighting from a high horse. They are fighting from their knees. And that is a good thing. I hope it continues.<br><br>And I pray it rubs off. I know it did on me.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Dear Reader, while <a href="http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/p/what-we-believe.html#subscribers">many have declared resonance with us</a>, many more are still considering it. We invite you to <a href="http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/p/stand-with-us.html">Stand With Us</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6881617320676906596-5543842509457688017?l=www.intrepidlutherans.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/IntrepidLutherans/~4/3rjaP4G0aC0"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IntrepidLutherans/~3/3rjaP4G0aC0/they-have-kneelers-and-they-use-them.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-6833410267755437689?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-they-have-kneelers-and-they-use-them.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-5338585816203700647?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-79952900516973432132012-01-30T13:35:00.003-07:002012-01-30T13:35:19.253-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Weedon…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Weedon's Blog<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2012 6:11 PM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (William Weedon)<br><b>Subject:</b> The Swedish Preface</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>from the Olavus Petri Order from 1531 forms the basis of the invariable Preface found in Divine Service 4. &nbsp;It's ironic, in some ways, that the German-heritage LCMS would be the preserver of a text that the old Augustana Synod folk would immediately recognize. &nbsp;I've very glad that we still have it. &nbsp;BUT. <br><br>But I truly wish that we had left all of it intact. &nbsp;If we had, we'd have a prayer like this:<br><br>It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow upon us and all creation. &nbsp;Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love, <b>that when we were in so bad a state that naught but death and eternal damnation awaited us, and no creature in heaven or on earth could help us, then </b>You did send forth Your only-begotten Son, <b>who is of the same divine nature as Yourself, and suffered Him to become flesh, being born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mar</b>y, and did lay on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally....<br><br>Sad thing is, I think it's largely Maxwell's and my fault that those bolded goodies were lost, for the preface as it appears in LSB DS IV is clearly a slight revision of the proposed Eucharistia that Maxwell and I suggested (and which Quill chronicles in *The Impact of the Liturgical Movement on American Lutheranism* - see p. 209,210) - and in that Eucharistia the phrases bolded above were not included. &nbsp;I don't know about you, but I think it a sad oops. &nbsp;It would have been that much stronger a prayer had we not &quot;downsized&quot; it in our paper and subsequently had it not been downsized in the Hymnal.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>http://feeds.feedburner.com/WeedonsBlog<img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7291232-7721947419683080717?l=weedon.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://weedon.blogspot.com/2012/01/swedish-preface.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-102915659540117301?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-swedish-preface.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7995290051697343213?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-82158626325788151472012-01-30T13:35:00.001-07:002012-01-30T13:35:11.842-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Steadfast Lutherans<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2012 12:09 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Norm Fisher<br><b>Subject:</b> The Blessings of Weekly Communion</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>My church has &quot;forever&quot; had communion every Sunday, but at alternate services. Early service for the 1st and 3rd Sundays, and late service for the 2nd and 4th Sundays. So people who wanted every-Sunday communion could do it by simply alternating which service they attend each week.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I'm pleased that as of Easter Sunday 2011, we moved to communion in every Service. We spent a year working with the congregation talking about the change (We are Lutherans .. we don't like change!), which included using CPH's book, <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Blessings of Weekly Communion</span></em>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I can say that after several months, the congregation has fully accepted the practice and we are all enjoying the benefits of communion offered at every service.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Here is the article written by our pastor from our April 2011 church newsletter; mailed out to all congregation members prior to the change. I thought it well written to describe the reasons for making the change, and perhaps useful for other congregations who are interested in moving towards every Sunday communion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.cph.org/p-658-the-blessings-of-weekly-communion.aspx" target="_blank"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=134 height=200 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://steadfastlutherans.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/BlessingsOfWeekllyCommunion.jpg"></span></a>Your Pastors and Elders have been studying the biblical wisdom of having Holy Communion at every Sunday and Wednesday service for well over a year now. During this time the Board of Elders and Pastors have read and discussed a very persuasive book entitled, &quot;<a href="http://www.cph.org/p-658-the-blessings-of-weekly-communion.aspx" target="_blank">The Blessings of Weekly Communion</a>&quot; filled with convincing reasons why we should restore this practice of every service, every Sunday Communion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>To appreciate the Sacrament of the Altar, and desire it regularly, you first have to understand what it is, and why Christ wants us to receive &quot;often&quot;.&nbsp; Far too many regular church-goers don't understand. They think that they are doing God a service by coming to church. While they're willing to do this for an hour or so each week, they're unsure whether they want to commit to the longer Communion worship format each week. They feel like we are asking them to &quot;up&quot; their commitment to the Lord by asking them to stay in church twenty minutes longer every other Sunday morning or Wednesday evening.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>But attending church is not a service we perform for God's benefit. It's the other way around. God is doing us a far greater service when we come to church. For God has gifts that He wants to give to us in the divine service. Gifts found only in His Word and Sacraments. God's reason for wanting you in worship is so that you can freely receive His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. For worship is where God gives us these gifts in His Word and Sacraments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Long ago, Jesus Christ won forgiveness and peace with God for us by His cross. Then Jesus Christ gave us eternal victory over our enemies sin, death, and the devil by His resurrection. We call this good news — the Gospel. Christians gather weekly to hear this Gospel preached to us, and to receive this very same Gospel visibly, tangibly, and personally by receiving Christ's body and blood. God wants to give us a double portion of His love and grace for us in Christ in worship centered on His preached Word and distributed Supper of forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As Christians we gather weekly in the confidence that Christ is present among us in His Word and Sacrament. For these, along with Holy Baptism, are the means of grace by which Christ has chosen to save us. Just as we come to church in order to hear about what Christ accomplished for us by His obedient suffering and death, so we come to receive with our lips that same Christ who comes to us in His own true body and blood.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Like the sermon, the sacrament is the way that Christians shed their sins, receive God's mercy and Christ's forgiveness. Do we have to receive the Sacrament of the Altar weekly? Of course not. But should the church make the Lord's Supper available for those who do desire it that frequently? Yes. When you realize that the Lord's Supper is God's gift to His people in Christ to strengthen faith, to forgive sinners, to turn hearts back to God, and to bring us Jesus — making it available every Sunday and every Wednesday really seems like a &quot;no brainer&quot;.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Luther and the Lutherans after him thought so too. In our Lutheran Confessions, which all Lutheran Pastors and Congregations are sworn to uphold, we learn that during the Reformation Era and after, it was the practice of every Lutheran congregation to celebrate the Lord's Supper at every service on every Sunday because of the extremely high importance that Lutherans have historically placed on the Gospel comfort that Holy Communion provides. The early Lutherans understood that as sinners Christians are constantly in need of what the Lord wants to give us in the Lord's supper.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>It's unfortunate that in the years following the Reformation that this church practice of offering the Sacrament of the Altar in every service faded away and was forgotten. Pietism and other spiritual movements within Christianity lessened the importance of the Lord's Supper in the life of the Lutheran Church. When these lower views of the Sacrament became dominant, it lessened the frequency of a Christian's desire to receive the Sacrament. People even became afraid of the Sacrament which God had intended only to bring abundant comfort and reassurance to believers. At this, the Lutheran Church's lowest theological point, the Sacrament was only celebrated four times a year so that members did not run what they considered the great risk of receiving it unworthily. This happened as strict spiritual preparation for the Lord's Supper became more important than the Gospel intent of the Lord's Supper. Over time our Biblical understanding of the Lord's Supper as Gospel, and the frequency of its use have made a comeback in Lutheran congregations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Most of the arguments against the practice of every Sunday, every service Communion are really not biblical objections at all, but rather utilitarian concerns such as: &quot;Won't it take too long?&quot; Others will worry that it will take away from the specialness of the Lord's Supper. However, we preach the Gospel every Sunday without any similar concern or objection. Others will fear that it will turn into a form of legalism by making members feel that they must come forward to the altar every time the Lord's Supper is offered. However, we want it to be abundantly clear that our congregation is only making the Sacrament available to those who may desire it on a given Sunday, without making any judgments about those who will continue to prefer taking it less often. Finally, there are some logistic concerns that we need to work out. We are concerned that the service not run too long. We are also concerned with how to continue to fit in the children's message. We ask for your love, your prayers, and your patience as we work through these details to get them right.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I am thankful to serve a congregation in our more secular times which still recognizes the biblical importance of the Lord's Supper and treasures its Gospel reassurance. I hope you are thankful to belong to such a church.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>God's Steward of the Mysteries of God,<br>Pastor Mark Elliott<br>St John Lutheran Church<br>Champaign, IL<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=14439">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-640553492993506353?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-blessings-of-weekly-communion.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8215862632578815147?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-40994347052849128552012-01-30T11:52:00.003-07:002012-01-30T11:52:56.098-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Oremus…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> Lord, teach me...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iWKSACvVRvw/Swtc6M0taxI/AAAAAAAAM64/ZIc9AoBJhYY/s1600/Oremus108.jpeg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320 height=225 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_iWKSACvVRvw/Swtc6M0taxI/AAAAAAAAM64/ZIc9AoBJhYY/s320/Oremus108.jpeg"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>A prayer that is a favorite of mine was authored by +W. Harry Krieger.&nbsp; Old ones like me will recall the name and the man.&nbsp; Anyway the prayer is, I believe, original by him.&nbsp; It is a prayer that I like because of what it says and how it says it.&nbsp; It is the kind of prayer you pray all the time because the need is ever present and its petitions never go out of style.<br><br><b>Teach me, O Lord, not to hold on to life too tightly.&nbsp; Teach me to hold it lightly; not carelessly, but lightly, easily.&nbsp; Teach me to take it as a gift, to enjoy and cherish while I have it, and to let go gracefully and thankfully when the time comes.&nbsp; For the gift is great, but the Giver greater still.&nbsp; You are the Giver, O Lord, and in You is the life that never dies; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.&nbsp; Amen &nbsp;</b><br><br><br><br>Another one by Krieger that is also very good but not quite as good as the first is this one.<br><br><b>Disturb us, O Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves; when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little; when we have arrived in safety because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, O Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the water of life; when having fallen in love with time we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build the new earth, have allowed our vision of the new heaven to grow dim. Stir us, O Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas, where storms shall show Thy mastery, where losing sight of land we shall find the stars. In the name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes and invited the brave to follow Him. Amen.</b><br><br>I have learned much by praying the prayers others have written and I continue to learn much from the prayers authored by others.&nbsp; Once someone told me that when I prayed (in public) I sounded like a prayer book.&nbsp; I took it as a compliment.&nbsp; It was not meant that way.&nbsp; I have to say that I really don't know how else you learn to pray than by praying the prayers of others.&nbsp; As a child I learned to pray from the prayers of the hymnal and the prayers of my parents.&nbsp; I expect most Christians who grew up in Christian homes learned the same way.&nbsp; The collects were particularly impressive to me and still are.&nbsp; Everyone ought to give thanks for those Germans who turned to the Book of Common Prayer in attempting to translate the ancient collects into English.&nbsp; You cannot go wrong with Cranmer.<br><br>The language of prayer should elevate as well as communicate.&nbsp; I am not at all suggesting that simpler or more basic language is not pleasing to God or that He does not hear those prayers. Perhaps its is like the old dilemma -- is your spouse the one person you can dump on or the one person you cannot?&nbsp; I believe that it is not a bad thing to begin prayer by remembering that God is God and you are not.&nbsp; Good language and good prayer models can help us understand this.&nbsp; Praying is not like a couple of old friends sitting on a bar stool pouring their heart out to each other.&nbsp; Praying always begins with the acknowledgement that God is God, the Most High, and we are creature, sinner, and unworthy of His ear or His answer.<br><br>I am not too excited about attempts to modernize old prayers.&nbsp; It seems to me that tinkering with the language of old prayers is a bit like tinkering with&nbsp; the language of hymns -- it may be communicate better but it does so with a whole lot less eloquence.&nbsp; I have a number of prayer books (including Doberstein's Minister's Prayer Book) and they are like old friends to me.&nbsp; Sometimes, when I being reading the prayers (and praying them) I find I cannot stop and end up going on and on -- they are so absolutely addictive.<br><br>I recall a lesson in which we were asked to write a collect (an English literature class in an LCMS college).&nbsp; It was harder than a sonnet and it taught me something about the language of prayer, about the cadence of the words, about the richness of those words, and about the wisdom of those who have gone before me.&nbsp; Too many prayers are rather pedestrian -- you pray them once, okay, but you are not likely to pray them again.&nbsp; I am just the opposite.&nbsp; I tend to prayer the same prayers over and over again -- because through them I have learned to prayer and those prayers have become the scripts so faithful to the desires of my heart.<br><br>Like this one.<br><br><b>Almighty God, unto Whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy holy Name: through Christ our Lord. Amen.</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-5817429081121513062?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/lord-teach-me.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-1811004024406142254?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-lord-teach-me.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-4099434705284912855?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-76255643211704046572012-01-30T11:52:00.001-07:002012-01-30T11:52:47.505-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Cantemus…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> HYMNOGLYPT<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 26, 2012 5:39 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Matt Carver (Matthaeus Glyptes)<br><b>Subject:</b> Ach Jesu, der du uns zugut</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Here is my translation of the Candlemas/Purification hymn, &quot;Ach Jesu, der du uns zugut&quot; as found in the Strassburg Hymnal (766 Psalmen…, etc.). It is sung to the tune &quot;Christum wir sollen loben schon.&quot;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f88mKn4VmKY/Txctqj1MKRI/AAAAAAAADGU/rKwHc626llE/s1600/Picture+13.png"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320 height=85 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f88mKn4VmKY/Txctqj1MKRI/AAAAAAAADGU/rKwHc626llE/s320/Picture+13.png"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>O J</span></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>ESUS, who, to set us free,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Wast born in utter poverty,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Lain in a manger for a cot,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>And of Thy riches given naught:</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>2. In forty days Thou didst not scorn</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Into the temple to be borne,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Where godly Simeon did hail</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>And hold Thee to his bosom frail.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>3. What he awaited glad and fain</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>By Thee that day he did obtain,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>And with his heart his God adored,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>That he should live to see his Lord.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>4. Then Anna, widow great of age</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>By many known a seeress sage,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Who of God's Word was not ashamed,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Approached, and wondrous things proclaimed.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>5. O Christ, assist Thy flock on earth</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>To be Thy children by new birth,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>To turn to Thee with heart sincere,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Thy Spirit's teachings to revere.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>6. Thy Word let be our constant guide,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>That in Thy temple we abide,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Wherein we please Thee, where we praise</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>And give Thee thanks for all our days.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>7. What in Thy Church we ask of Thee,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>By Thee is granted faithfully;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>O blest are they who meet Thee there</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>And never from her courtyards err.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>8. All-holy Christ, be this our plea,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Who wast made Man, that men might be</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Thy children in Thy holy name,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>And ever Thee as Lord acclaim.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Translation © Matthew Carver, 2011.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>GERMAN</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Ach Jesu der du uns zugut</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>geborn bist in grosser Armut,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>in einer Krippen gelegen,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>hast wenig dein lassen pflegen.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>2. Und hast dich nach vierzig Tagen</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>lassen in den Tempel tragen,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>da Simeon der fromme Mann</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>dich auf sein alte Arme nam.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>3. Was er vor langest hätt begehrt,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>deß wird er jetzt von dir gewährt.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Drum preist er Gott aus Herzengrund,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>daß er erlebt hätt solche Stund.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>4. Ein Wittwe alt, Anna genannt,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>ein Prophetin vielen bekannt,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>die Gottes Wort fleissig anhing,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>trat auch hinzu, redt grosse Ding.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>5. Hilf, Christe, deim Volk auf Erden,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>daß&nbsp;wir geistlich Kinder werden,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>und uns zu dir herzlich bekehrn,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>und deinen Geist uns lassen lehrn.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>6. Und daß&nbsp;dein Wort uns stets regier,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>und immer zu deim Tempel führ,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>in welchem man dir behaget</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>dich lobet und dir danksaget.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>7. Recht alles was man da begehrt</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>wird uns treulich von dir gewährt;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>O selig der, so in dein Haus</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>kommt und fällt nicht wieder heraus.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>8. Das hilf uns, du viel heilger Christ,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>denn du darum Mensch worden bist,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>daß&nbsp;uns in deim heilgen Namen</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>geholfen werd ewig! Amen.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2529025296641122572-5575169099733201391?l=matthaeusglyptes.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://matthaeusglyptes.blogspot.com/2012/01/ach-jesu-der-du-uns-zugut.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-3699993419090847955?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-ach-jesu-der-du-uns-zugut.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7625564321170404657?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-37426299104367121612012-01-26T08:58:00.005-07:002012-01-26T08:58:45.399-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>More…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Steadfast Lutherans<br><b>Posted on:</b> Wednesday, January 25, 2012 7:49 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Pastor Tim Rossow<br><b>Subject:</b> The Best Fifteen Minutes of Theology I have ever Read, Heard or Seen – Fisk's Critique of the Anti-Religion Guy, by Pr. Rossow</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In case you are one of the 13 people who hasn't seen it yet I thought I would encourage you to view one of the recent editions of Pastor Jonathan Fisk's Worldview Everlasting videos. I have been privileged to listen to the best theologians of this and the last century – Korby, Preus, Hummel, Nagel, Scaer, etc. but this video is the best fifteen minutes of theology I have ever read, heard or seen, excepting maybe Article IV of the Augsburg Confession.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The kid is on a roll. He has received numerous invites to speak, chief of which is the upcoming <a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?cat=320">BJS conference</a>, has spent the last few months fitting into a house and a call to a committed confessional and liturgical parish (here at Bethany – Naperville, Illinois) and now has a video teaching that has over 40,000 hits on &quot;the source of all truth,&quot; the internet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Even though this thing has been all the rage for the last week and a half, I just viewed it last night. We always like to begin our <a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?page_id=4">Confessions Reading Group</a> with some tidbit of LCMS or worldwide religious news so we took the time to view the anti-religion guy's video (which has somewhere around 10 million hits) and then viewed Fisk's critique of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I finally got interested in viewing the video after an interesting email from a Catholic friend. I don't spend a lot of time on the internet. I really don't have the time – who does? Worldview Everlasting is one of the first places I do go to when I decide to surf – the internet kind, not the Cwirla kind. I have told the kid that if he would cut his videos down to ten minutes from fifteen I might watch more of them. Then there is the whole notion of the title: &quot;Worldview…&quot; I don't have a weltanshauung (worldview). I just have a world, a sinful world, redeemed by Christ. (I suppose you could say, in keeping with the theme of this post, &quot;I'm not philosophical, I just love the Lord.&quot;) The modern/post-modern delight in viewing things from a safe distance like in hermeneutics and worldviews is one step too detached for me from the real, common-sense, Incarnational world at my fingertips. It leads too lots of trouble, injecting man, the viewer, the reader, into an otherwise much less complicated deal of living. But I digress and I must say if the kid keeps pumping out theology like the stuff in this video he can call his website anything he wants. He could call it &quot;mangled baby ducks&quot; for all I care.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Here's one last thing about the kid. In light of all this &quot;success,&quot; he daily practices confession and absolution and asks anyone within reach to help him keep the focus on Christ. And he does. May God bless Worldview Everlasting, <a href="http://issuesetc.org/" target="_blank">Issues Etc</a>, BJS and the entire confessional new Lutheran media.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You thought I forgot about the story from my Catholic friend. The kid and I were at the symposium last week in Fort Wayne and late one night I got an email from my favorite Popish interlocutor, the husband of one of our members and the council president of the largest Catholic church in the area. He told me how his pastor was getting all sorts of questions about the video from the anti-religion guy. He then went on to say that a dozen or so members had given him rave reviews about some Fisk guy who had critiqued it. Bear in mind that Worldview Everlasting is done in typical Youtube fashion without any reference to time or place. These local Catholics had no idea that Worldview Everlasting is a Lutheran guy down the street from them. My friend recognized the name, asked his wife about it, and then realized it was Bethany's Fisk. Ahh, the wonders of the internet. Hearing about it from a Catholic friend was enough to finally get me to view the video.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>One last personal note. I listened to the song that started this whole thing, over thirty five years ago as a teenager,&quot;I'm not Religious, I just Love the Lord&quot; by Scott Wesley Brown and I listened to all sorts of other heterodox music that led me and countless other future LCMS pastors down the dangerous path of methabaptocostalism. I thank God that a few orthodox men got me back on the orthodox path of the Lutheran Confessions some years ago and pray for more of those conversions. We can thank God that the new generation of young bucks has several men who recognize the errors of methabaptocostalism at a young age and are being used by our Lord to teach the next generation to be Confessional. Praise be to God for people and things in our synod like liturgical renewal, the election of President Harrison, the Fort Wayne symposium and even the mature worldview of a kid theologian in Chicago.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I suggest you view the original video of the anti-religion guy first (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=1IAhDGYlpqY" target="_blank">click here</a>), then view Fisk's critique of it (<a href="http://www.worldvieweverlasting.com/" target="_blank">click here</a>, page down to Jan 13, Freestylin Religion).<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=16723">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-579646814635013617?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-best-fifteen-minutes-of-theology-i.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-3742629910436712161?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-69594265572391229432012-01-26T08:58:00.003-07:002012-01-26T08:58:35.726-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Cranach: The Blog of Veith<br><b>Posted on:</b> Wednesday, January 25, 2012 3:31 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Gene Veith<br><b>Subject:</b> Petronius, gluttony, and the Internet</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Another example of how classical literature can help us think through contemporary issues.&nbsp; Rob Goodman writes about the information overload that the internet can give us in terms of Petronius:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>For those of us left numb by the Internet, it might help to consider the ways in which gorging on information parallels (and has, for many of us, replaced) gorging on sensual pleasures. And if we want to take that comparison seriously, there is no better guide than the pioneering Roman novelist of decadence, Gaius Petronius Arbiter. Few have ever described—or lived—the attractions and exhaustions of overindulgence more vividly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In the court of the Emperor Nero—his friend, partner in excess, and the man ultimately responsible for his death—Petronius was employed as the official &quot;arbiter of elegance.&quot; In short, he was a style consultant to the Roman elite. The historian Tacitus describes him as an expert &quot;in the science of pleasure.&quot; Unmatched in his day as a trendsetter, Petronius is best known in ours as the probable author of one of the earliest surviving novels, the Satyricon. And out of this picaresque story, which has come down to us in fragments, the most outrageous figure by far is Trimalchio: the nouveau-riche ex-slave whose wildly gluttonous banquet forms the Satyricon's centerpiece. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Trimalchio—if only he would stop shooting dice, or loudly discussing his constipation problem—could be a master entertainer. He is a man of abundant means and an almost-pitiful eagerness to please, but his party turns into a feast of steadily diminishing returns. Good food isn't enough for Trimalchio's table: Nothing can be served if it isn't in disguise. Visual jokes were a fashion among Roman chefs, but in Trimalchio's household they are taken to absurd heights: olives disguised as rocks; sausages &quot;roasting&quot; over pomegranate seeds disguised as coals; pastry eggs hiding roast songbirds; a pig prestuffed with sausages; fruit filled with saffron perfume; more pastry birds, and fruit stuck with thorns to resemble sea-urchins; goose, fish, and game all made out of a pig; oysters in the water pitchers; a whole roast boar surrounded by suckling sweetmeat &quot;piglets,&quot; stuffed with live birds, complete with droppings that turn out to be fresh dates. The boar is also wearing a hat.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>One of these courses might have been a surprise; two or three or four might have been marvelous. But after our narrator is bludgeoned by hours of course after dressed-up course, all of which have to be applauded and swallowed, his only thought is for the exit—which he can no longer find.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Is the host, at least, enjoying himself? It's hard to see any real pleasure in a man who announces how many pounds of jewelry he's wearing and then demands a scale to prove it—a host who tops off the evening's entertainment by ordering the guests to &quot;make believe I'm dead&quot; and who then ends up weeping as they act out his funeral.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>If Petronius had been a Christian moralist—an ancient John Bunyan, maybe—Trimalchio's feast might have been marshaled against the sin of gluttony. But Petronius doesn't criticize the monster he's created from a standpoint of better morals. He criticizes Trimalchio from a standpoint of better taste: Petronius' attitude to Trimalchio is equal parts fascination and snobbery. The author was every bit as decadent as his character—he was simply, effortlessly, better at it. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Under decadent circumstances, such as Trimalchio's feast or Nero's court, pleasure becomes cheap. It must, at first, be exhilarating to find exquisite versions of the things we most want—food, sleep, sex—right at hand. But then comes the revelation that even with unlimited means, our capacity to take pleasure is itself limited. The usual enjoyments become repetitious and dull, until we can barely taste them at all, or remember how they once tasted. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>And there's the key to understanding the often anesthetic effect of the Internet. Decadence doesn't demand great wealth: Decadence is a useful way to understand any situation in which an existing pleasure becomes cheap, and it takes the ingenuity of a Petronius to fight off the boredom. That is now the case with information—the small burst of satisfaction that comes from a refilled inbox or a new text, from connecting with friends, or sharing the meme of the day. Millions of us are now richer in these pleasures than our parents' generation could ever imagine. But our capacity for enjoyment is still finite: We've built up a tolerance to the pleasures of information, just as Trimalchio built up a tolerance to the pleasures of food. Those who experience our constant connectivity as dulling should be able to identify closely with his guests.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>via <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Gluttony-Goes-Viral/130285/">Gluttony Goes Viral -- The Chronicle Review -- The Chronicle of Higher Education</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Do you agree that we can become &quot;gluttons&quot; of information?&nbsp; That the internet can have an &quot;anesthetic&quot; effect?&nbsp; That it can make us &quot;decadent&quot;?<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=nvJk_CBznnE:dEhSWD9mRng:yIl2AUoC8zA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=nvJk_CBznnE:dEhSWD9mRng:qj6IDK7rITs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=qj6IDK7rITs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=nvJk_CBznnE:dEhSWD9mRng:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?i=nvJk_CBznnE:dEhSWD9mRng:gIN9vFwOqvQ"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/geneveith/~4/nvJk_CBznnE"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/geneveith/~3/nvJk_CBznnE/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-3960546391033891767?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-petronius-gluttony-and-internet.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-6959426557239122943?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-15635221327576242712012-01-26T08:58:00.001-07:002012-01-26T08:58:25.774-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> internetmonk.com<br><b>Posted on:</b> Tuesday, January 24, 2012 10:32 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Chaplain Mike<br><b>Subject:</b> MPT Posts on Church Discipline — and I Suggest a Better Way</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/Confession.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=208 height=300 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/Confession-208x300.jpg"></span></a>NOTE</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>: This post is not about a certain well-known pastor, even though it involves the church he leads. In the discussion that follows, I am not interested in having us talk about this pastor personally. <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>So don't</span></strong>. Please keep the conversation on the subject of church discipline itself, more broadly. We focus on these articles because they present a detailed description of a church discipline process that gives us a rare inside look at how a congregation attempts to deal with Christian sin, repentance, and restoration in the church.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>• • •<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In two emotionally-charged posts, <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Matthew Paul Turner</span></strong> has given a detailed account of the church discipline process in one well-known congregation. Here are links to the articles:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://matthewpaulturner.net/jesus-needs-new-pr/mark-driscolls-church-discipline-contract-looking-for-true-repentance-at-mars-hill-church-sign-on-the-dotted-line/">Mark Driscoll's Church Discipline Contract</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://matthewpaulturner.net/jesus-needs-new-pr/mark-driscolls-gospel-shame-the-truth-about-discipline-excommunication-and-cult-like-control-at-mars-hill/">Mark Driscoll's &quot;Gospel Shame&quot;</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>These pieces tell Andrew's story. As a young man, Andrew set out on his own in an effort to find himself. So he moved to the big city and joined a well-known megachurch. He began dating a daughter of one of the elders and they became engaged. During their engagement, he spent an evening with an old fling and acted inappropriately. Feeling extremely guilty afterward, he confessed to his fiancee and another member of his small group. Then to his small group leader. Soon Andrew was involved in meeting after meeting in which he confessed other relational and sexual failures he had experienced in his life, including the fact that he and his fiancee had been intimate. A month later, he was informed in another meeting with a pastor and his small group leader that he was &quot;under church discipline.&quot; Soon he was sent a &quot;church discipline contract&quot; that listed the &quot;background issues&quot; (a list of his sins) and the &quot;plan of discipline&quot; they had set up for Andrew. (You can read the details of the contract at Turner's first post.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/reconciliation1.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=225 height=204 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/reconciliation1-300x273.jpg"></span></a>In the second article, we learn what happened next. Andrew waited and thought before signing the contract, and then decided not to sign. Instead, he contacted the pastor and informed him he was leaving the church. When asked why he made this decision, Andrew replied, &quot;Because I felt that the contract was legalistic, voyeuristic, and controlling. I felt like it was putting them in the place of God, determining when my heart was right or repentant enough. I didn't want that.&quot; The pastor wrote back, warning him that this would lead to more severe action. Citing Matthew 18, other church members were notified via the church's internal social media system that Andrew was under discipline and that church members were to treat him <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;as a Gentile and a tax collector&quot;</span></em> (Matt 18:17). The communique gave specific examples of the kinds of interactions that would be permissible and impermissible, along with practical examples.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Matthew Paul Turner takes a dim view of this &quot;gospel shame&quot; process of discipline:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Where do I even begin? Honestly, this letter speaks for itself in my opinion. The harsh heavy-handed &quot;theology&quot;. The misuse of scripture to validate their reasoning. The carefully worded instructions on what to say, how to act, etc. The term &quot;gospel shame&quot;? The assumptions that their decisions are to be viewed equal to God's decisions. At times, this letter comes off like the Roman Catholic church during the Dark Ages.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>…And if this is how they plan to treat Andrew–as an &quot;unbeliever&quot;? How in the world do they treat people who really are non-Christian? (And not to mention the fact that Jesus hung out with Gentiles, tax-collectors, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Fine. If they don't want Andrew to be a member of their church, take his name off the list! But this? I mean, seriously, did any of this letter, except for perhaps the &quot;heavy heart&quot;, infer that Mars Hill loves Andrew? Oh I know they think their actions represent love. But really, many of us have experienced firsthand that kind of &quot;love,&quot; and we know very well that it's an abuse of the term.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I encourage you to read these articles in their entirety</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>. Then come back and share your opinions about how &quot;discipline&quot; should be understood and practiced in the local church.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As for my opinion, <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>the whole process described here seems askew</span></em>. I recognize that we are only getting one side of the story, and that is an important caveat to keep in mind. But if we are to take Andrew's word as anywhere near accurate in the description of what he went through, then I would make the following observations:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>First, the &quot;sinner&quot; came forward and confessed of his own free will.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Second, Andrew makes no mention that anyone he talked to offered him forgiveness or pointed him to Christ.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Third, instead of absolution and restoration, a seemingly endless series of meetings began which only served to dredge up more sin and more shame, but still provided no word of forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Fourth, the end result of all these meetings and all these confessions was that Andrew was issued a discipline &quot;contract.&quot; This written and signed agreement gave him a list of &quot;works&quot; that he had to perform in order to &quot;prove&quot; that he was repentant, including detailing all the sins he could recall with regard to relationships, sexual behavior, and deception.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Fifth, when Andrew rejected these demands, the entire church was notified and instructed to shun Andrew, only excepting conversations in which congregation members could appeal to him to repent.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/penance.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=300 height=194 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/penance-300x194.jpg"></span></a>As far as I can see, this approach to &quot;church discipline&quot; was misguided, counterproductive, and counter to the Gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>It ignored the principle that if we confess our sins, forgiveness and absolution should be granted (1Jn 1:9). It ignored the example of Christ, who said simply and immediately, time and time again, to those who came to him, &quot;Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Instead, it stirred up more and more talk of sin and repeated that talk in ever-widening circles until finally the entire congregation knew about it. In contrast to the Gospel — <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;where sin abounded, grace much more abounded&quot;</span></em> — this process just seemed to cause discussion of sin to abound. It put all the attention on this young man's sin, repentance, and works.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The contractual requirement that this young man write out his &quot;sexual and emotional attachment history,&quot; and give a &quot;full chronology of events and social/emotional sin&quot; seems invasive and inappropriate. Why document such things and why should anyone want to read them? That feels really creepy to me, not only encouraging morbid introspection, but also voyeurism. Manifestly unhealthy!<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rather than count on Christ and his finished work, this &quot;discipline&quot; process put the onus on the sinner to feel sorry enough, to be repentant enough, to do enough works to prove his contrition and thus &quot;earn&quot; forgiveness and restoration from the church. That is not the Gospel.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Here is yet another instance where the evangelical world needs to listen to the traditions of the church. No system practiced by humans will ever work perfectly, but how much more like the Gospel is the simple practice of confession and absolution, the administration of the &quot;Office of the Keys&quot; that has been practiced for centuries?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Regarding the practice of confession, the <a href="http://www.bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article25">Augsburg Confession</a> states:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>But of Confession they teach that an enumeration of sins is not necessary, and that consciences be not burdened with anxiety to enumerate all sins, for it is impossible to recount all sins, as the Psalm 19:13 testifies: Who can understand his errors?<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>And Luther (who knew something about a tortured conscience and endless confessing of sins!), wrote in the <a href="http://www.bookofconcord.org/smalcald.php#confession">Smalcald Articles</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>But the enumeration of sins ought to be free to every one, as to what he wishes to enumerate or not to enumerate. For as long as we are in the flesh, we shall not lie when we say: &quot;I am a poor man [I acknowledge that I am a miserable sinner], full of sin.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In the <a href="http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php#confession">Small Catechism</a>, Luther then describes how the pastor should respond when such a confession is made:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/absolved.gif"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=200 height=200 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/absolved-150x150.gif"></span></a>Then shall the confessor say:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>God be merciful to thee and strengthen thy faith! Amen.</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Furthermore:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Dost thou believe that my forgiveness is God's forgiveness?</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Answer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Yes, dear sir.</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Then let him say:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As thou believest, so be it done unto thee. And by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive thee thy sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Depart in peace.</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>But those who have great burdens upon their consciences, or are distressed and tempted, the confessor will know how to comfort and to encourage to faith with more passages of Scripture.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;As thou believest, so be it done unto thee.&quot;</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> Go in peace. Because of Jesus, God forgives all your sins. Rise to walk in newness of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Gospel. So much better.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/mpt-posts-on-church-discipline">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-7497442522390162848?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-mpt-posts-on-church-discipline-and-i.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-1563522132757624271?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-32612026311851303652012-01-24T10:59:00.007-07:002012-01-24T10:59:43.992-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Unacceptable…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Cranach: The Blog of Veith<br><b>Posted on:</b> Tuesday, January 24, 2012 4:01 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Gene Veith<br><b>Subject:</b> Church organizations must provide free contraception &amp; abortifacients</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Obamacare will force church-affiliated institutions to have insurance policies that will give employees free contraceptives (without even the usual co-pay!).&nbsp; There will be no exemption for Roman Catholics who disapprove of birth control as a matter of doctrine:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Many church-affiliated institutions will have to cover free birth control for employees, the Obama administration announced Friday in an election-year move that outraged religious groups, fueling a national debate about the reach of government.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In a concession, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said nonprofit institutions such as church-affiliated hospitals, colleges and social service agencies will have one additional year to comply with the requirement, issued in regulations under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;I believe this proposal strikes the appropriate balance between respecting religious freedom and increasing access to important preventive services,&quot; Sebelius said in a statement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Yet the concession was unlikely to stop a determined effort by opponents to block or overturn the rule. If they fail, some predicted that religious employers would simply drop coverage for their workers, opting instead to pay fines to the federal government under the health care law.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their conscience,&quot; said New York Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. &quot;This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>via <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-admin-to-grant-1-year-extension-for-church-affiliated-employers-to-cover-birth-control/2012/01/20/gIQAu9XlDQ_story.html">Birth control: Feds say many church-affiliated employers must cover but grant 1-year extension -- The Washington Post</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Churches construed narrowly as houses of worship would be exempt, but not hospitals, schools, universities, and ministries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Here is the kicker for Christians who may not oppose birth control but who do oppose abortion:&nbsp; The government is classifying the Morning After pill, which prevents the fertilized egg from implanting thus killing the embryo, as a contraceptive! From the same article:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Workplace health plans will have to cover all forms of contraception approved by the Food and Drug Administration, ranging from the pill to implantable devices to sterilization. Also covered is the morning-after pill, which can prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex and is considered as tantamount to an abortion drug by some religious conservatives.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This means that Christian organizations that oppose abortion as a matter of&nbsp; religious conviction will be required by law to pay for abortifacients and thus violate their religious convictions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=He3GTiNiz20:szaYKx_OAVY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=He3GTiNiz20:szaYKx_OAVY:qj6IDK7rITs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=qj6IDK7rITs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=He3GTiNiz20:szaYKx_OAVY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?i=He3GTiNiz20:szaYKx_OAVY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/geneveith/~4/He3GTiNiz20"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/geneveith/~3/He3GTiNiz20/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-1374882397384831873?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-church-organizations-must-provide.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-3261202631185130365?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-74830175211669498192012-01-24T10:59:00.005-07:002012-01-24T10:59:30.188-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Cantemus…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> HYMNOGLYPT<br><b>Posted on:</b> Tuesday, January 24, 2012 5:04 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Matt Carver (Matthaeus Glyptes)<br><b>Subject:</b> Was uns etwan die heilgen Propheten</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Here is my translation of a German version of &quot;Quod chorus vatum,&quot; called &quot;Was uns etwan die heilgen Propheten&quot; (A. Lobwasser, author of the infamous psalter). It is sung to the original melody, which I have seen either as that of &quot;Iste Confessor,&quot; or else of &quot;Quem terra pontus ethera&quot; (The God whom earth and sea and sky). This <a href="http://chantblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/feast-of-purification-of-b-v-mary-feb-2.html">page</a> has more information on the original version as well as an English (unrhymed) translation of it.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>W</span></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>HAT PROPHETS in the Spirit once had spoken</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Now we behold fulfilled, the oath unbroken,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>By Virgin Mary comes the revelation</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Of our salvation.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>2. Conceiving Christ, the Son of God, our Savior,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Without a spot or breach of honor ever,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Pure she remained, as even from her mother,—</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Such as no other.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>3. They took the Child and to the temple brought Him,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>To aged Simèon, who long had sought Him.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>The priest received the Child with gladness willing,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>God's oath fulfilling.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>4. And so with fervent hearts, we pray Thee, Savior,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>True Son of God, to show Thy grace and favor;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Let us, e'en as Thou art to heav'n ascended,</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>E'er be defended.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>Translation © Matthew Carver, 2012.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"'>GERMAN</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>1. Was uns etwan die heiligen Propheten</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>durch den Heiligen Geist weißsagen täten,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Daß solches durch Mariam sei geschehen,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Wir nun verstehen.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>2. Denn sie empfangen hat Christum den Herren,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Gottes Sohn ohn Abbruch ihrer Ehren,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>ein Jungfrau blieb sie wei da war zu voren</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>der Welt geboren.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>3. Da man mit diesem Kind in Tempel kame,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Fröhlich es Simeon in die Arm nahme,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Das wie er hätt gewünscht das Kind zu sehen</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>nun wär geschehen.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>4. Drum bitten wir dich Gottes Sohne brünstig,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>daß du uns wöllest gnädig sein und günstig,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>und uns, weil du gen Himmel bist gefahren,</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>treulich bewahren.</span><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2529025296641122572-8303391825637365604?l=matthaeusglyptes.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://matthaeusglyptes.blogspot.com/2012/01/was-uns-etwan-die-heilgen-propheten.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-7842610485438337770?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-was-uns-etwan-die-heilgen-propheten.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7483017521166949819?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-9179027563690258822012-01-24T10:59:00.003-07:002012-01-24T10:59:21.649-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>One Year…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Weedon's Blog<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 23, 2012 5:48 PM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (William Weedon)<br><b>Subject:</b> LSB One-Year Peculiarities</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As we prepare to go into pre-Lent (can it already be here?), a few changes liturgically to note:<br><br>Beginning with the Divine Service for Septuagesima, the plaintive Tract replaces the joyous Alleluia and Verse. <br>Beginning with Ash Wednesday, the Gloria in Excelsis (or any Hymn of Praise) is omitted from the Divine Service.<br>Beginning with Judica, the Gloria Patri is omitted from the Introit.<br><br>Note that the Gloria in Excelsis MAY be used on Holy Thursday, if the service does not begin with the Service of Corporate Confession and Absolution. <br><br>Now the usual discussion of the color mess. &nbsp;First, remember that uniform use of the colors is relatively late. &nbsp;Read through Stiller's work on Leipzig at the time of Bach and you'll readily see how different from our current expectations the color scheme in use at the time was! &nbsp;But if we pay attention to the rubrics of our hymnal, then we have the following:<br><br>Pre-Lent - Green, with the Epiphany Preface continuing in use (see, Altar Book, pp. 862-865).<br>Ash Wednesday - Black or Violet with the Lenten Preface (see Altar Book, p. 867).<br>Invocabit through the week of Judica - Violet with the Lenten Preface (see Altar Book, pp. 868-875).<br>Palmarum through Holy Wednesday- Scarlet or violet with Holy Week Preface (see Altar Book, pp. 876-880).<br>Holy Thursday - White, scarlet or violet with Holy Week Preface (see Altar Book, p. 881).<br>Good Friday - Black (if paraments are used, but see note on p. 511 &nbsp;&quot;the altar remains bare, having been stripped on Holy Thursday&quot;) with Holy Week Preface (see Altar Book, p. 883).<br>Easter Vigil- Easter Wednesday- White or gold with Easter preface (see Altar Book, p. 885-891).<br><br>Certainly there is variety in how parishes choose to follow these particular rubrics. &nbsp;There are places that follow the one-time Roman custom of Pre-Lent being violet. &nbsp;There are places that insist on the White for Maundy Thursday. &nbsp;Here at St. Paul's our actual practice accords with the rubrics cited above, with these choices: &nbsp;violet for Ash Wednesday; Scarlet from Palmarum through Holy Thursday; Bare for Good Friday; and Gold for the Easter feasts. &nbsp;We do use the Corporate Confession option both to start and end Lent: &nbsp;on Ash Wednesday and on Maundy Thursday. <br><br>It seems each year that these questions get discussed around the blogosphere, so that's a quick reference guide if you're looking for the actual rubrics of our current rite. &nbsp;They're not divinely inspired; you may well disagree with the wisdom of some of the choices; but they are the guidance our Synod offers us, for what it's worth.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>http://feeds.feedburner.com/WeedonsBlog<img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7291232-1740618439958509125?l=weedon.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://weedon.blogspot.com/2012/01/lsb-one-year-peculiarities.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-8138713897770808680?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-lsb-one-year-peculiarities.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-917902756369025882?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-85126097132256823572012-01-24T10:59:00.001-07:002012-01-24T10:59:12.164-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Weedon…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Weedon's Blog<br><b>Posted on:</b> Tuesday, January 24, 2012 10:14 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (William Weedon)<br><b>Subject:</b> On the devotional side of life...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>...which is a favorite of mine, I had a friend lately write me to inquire about suggestions for his own devotions (which is a handy word for the discipline of daily time in the Scriptures and in prayer). &nbsp;I wrote him back to commend once again the beloved <i>Treasury</i>, but to add on that there are now two companion volumes (and a third on the way) that even deepen its value. <br><br>I'm referring to *A Year in the New Testament* which provides a meditation upon each of the NT readings for the day according to the LSB Daily Lectionary; and *A Year in the Church Fathers* which provides a choice selection from a wide array of early Church fathers, connected to one of the readings for the day. &nbsp;I've posted snippets from that volume since I purchased it. &nbsp;A book on the OT readings is in the works, I know, but I'm not sure where matters stand on its appearing. <br><br>But even with just the resources at hand, that means you have THREE writings each day to help you ponder and contemplate the daily lectionary readings. &nbsp;Add to this that with the PrayNow App, you don't have to lug your Treasury along with you - it fits in your iPad or iPhone or whatever. &nbsp;I'd love to see CPH put in the option of selecting the &quot;writing&quot; for the day from the Treasury itself or from one of the newer *A Year...* books!</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>http://feeds.feedburner.com/WeedonsBlog<img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7291232-2963718188914902872?l=weedon.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://weedon.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-devotional-side-of-life.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-6258910985402842394?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-on-devotional-side-of-life.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8512609713225682357?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-74503876050465467632012-01-23T11:25:00.001-07:002012-01-23T11:25:08.251-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Brown…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Confessional Gadfly<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 23, 2012 8:09 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Rev. Eric J Brown<br><b>Subject:</b> Trying to do Jesus' Job for Him</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>In prepping for my Hebrews study, I was struck by how often we in America put things backwards. For example - how often have you heard someone admonish someone to be more &quot;Christlike&quot; -- implying that by our own work and efforts and strivings we become like Jesus.<br><br>I translated Hebrews 2:16 thusly: For indeed it is not angels whom He delivers, but He delivers the seeds (spermatos) of Abraham.<br><br>In my notes, I explain how I use the awkward in English &quot;seeds&quot; to point out that this is plural, where as the promise is given to the singular seed (Christ), as Paul points out in Galatians.<br><br>Christ becomes man... and then, as He as a man has suffered and died and risen and gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation - He makes us to be like Him.<br><br>The Seed of Abraham makes us to be seeds of Abraham. <br><br>It is not that I must make myself more Christlike -- rather, in giving forgiveness and making me holy and righteous, Christ Himself makes me to be like Him. In giving me eternal life, the Risen Christ makes me to be like Him.<br><br>It's always Christ's activity - He is the One who comes down to me to lift me up unto Himself.<br><br>Why do we spend so much time trying to do Jesus' job for Him? He works for us in the Gospel... why do we rush back to the law and try to do His job for Him?</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3847211149012008703-8289134032503057876?l=confessionalgadfly.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://confessionalgadfly.blogspot.com/2012/01/trying-to-do-jesus-job-for-him.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-4628945983174210012?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-trying-to-do-jesus-job-for-him.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7450387605046546763?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-20240050568472062892012-01-23T11:24:00.001-07:002012-01-23T11:24:58.592-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Tolkien…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Cranach: The Blog of Veith<br><b>Posted on:</b> Friday, January 20, 2012 4:01 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Gene Veith<br><b>Subject:</b> With the liturgy, &quot;you never need words for joy&quot;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz points us to the role of the liturgy--including the Psalms and the classic hymns of praise--in the life of J. R. R. Tolkien.&nbsp; This is from a letter to his son, Christophe<span style='color:#1F497D'>r</span>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;If you don't do so already, make a habit of the 'praises'. I use them much (in Latin): the<em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> Gloria Patri</span></em>, the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Gloria in Excelsis</span></em>, the<em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> Laudate Dominum</span></em>; the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Laudete Pueri Dominum</span></em> (of which I am specially fond), one of the Sunday psalms; and the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Magnificat</span></em>; also the <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Litany of Loretto</span></em> (with the prayer <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Sub tuum praesidium</span></em>). If you have these by heart you never need words for joy.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>via <a href="http://e-nklings-revschuldheisz.blogspot.com/2012/01/tolkien-on-liturgy.html?spref=fb">E-nklings: Tolkien on the Liturgy</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>HT:&nbsp; Mary Moerbe<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=3Pvzd1jHEOg:yp5cQvoysSo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=3Pvzd1jHEOg:yp5cQvoysSo:qj6IDK7rITs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=qj6IDK7rITs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=3Pvzd1jHEOg:yp5cQvoysSo:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?i=3Pvzd1jHEOg:yp5cQvoysSo:gIN9vFwOqvQ"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/geneveith/~4/3Pvzd1jHEOg"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/geneveith/~3/3Pvzd1jHEOg/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-2583133903598947311?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-with-liturgy-you-never-need-words.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-2024005056847206289?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-58921622502046439262012-01-23T10:52:00.001-07:002012-01-23T10:52:09.380-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>More…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Cranach: The Blog of Veith<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 23, 2012 4:01 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Gene Veith<br><b>Subject:</b> &quot;I'm neither religious nor spiritual–I'm a Lutheran&quot;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You know that viral video from the guy who says he hates religion but loves Jesus?&nbsp; Well, Anthony Sacramone kind of agrees with him:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I like to say that I'm neither religious nor spiritual — I'm a Lutheran. It's more than just left of pithy; it's true. I have zero interest in religion. I had plenty of it as a kid. Sunday school; religion classes in my Lutheran parochial schools; confirmation classes. I was an acolyte and a winner of some religion-essay contest at the tender age of 9. And then there was church. And the inevitable Monday morning role call. Every Monday, our home room teacher would ask whether we had gone to church, Sunday school, both, or neither. After about age 11 I was racking up an impressive list of neithers. I would do anything to get out of going. To this day, I cannot remember a single word any pastor ever preached on any text. Church was something to endure. And among many of the Lutherans of my childhood, it didn't seem to matter. They subscribed to Woody Allen's shallow philosophy: just showing up was good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>And when I was finally confirmed, I was not just an adult in the eyes of the church; I was also free. Free never to have to endure the brain-sapping banality that was my religion. And we're not talking about a denomination exactly given to legalism. In fact, it had very few rules. Really, it had just one: show up. Just show up. And that was enough to make my religion unbearable. Because I wanted to be anywhere but there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>If only someone had told me to read Luther. Real Luther, not Sunday school Luther. The Luther who killed religion. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>What exactly did the religious folk want of Jesus? They wanted a king. And Jesus gave them one &quot;in the form of a slave.&quot; They wanted relief from oppression, and they got parables. They wanted a kingdom, and they got the cross — a young Jewish man of dubious parentage apparently crushed by the collision of church and state but in reality bearing the iniquity of us all to reconcile us to a holy God, to inoculate us against sin, death, and the devil, to bury us alongside him, so he could raise us to eternal life. Their prayers were answered in the most startlingly appalling way: they received not power but promises.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Christianity isn't a religion. It's a conundrum. And no one has ever wrestled with and wrung the truth out of that conundrum better than Martin Luther. And it took a class at NYU to introduce me to his inimitable voice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Luther hated that God who demanded perfect righteousness from an original sinner but who had already rigged the game with election. How could this possibly be good news? Where was hope of being a saint when you were still a sinner? How could a perfect God understand the weight of guilt, the pain of betrayal, the agony of a broken body? Luther had failed to bridge the chasm between a wrathful God and lowly, raging, libidinous man with his fastings and law keeping. How could he possibly get from despair to hope?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>It was in the communication of properties — the dual nature of Christ understood such that we can speak of the death of the Son of God and the true union of God and man — that Luther saw a way out and was able slowly to forge the key to the Christian conundrum: Jesus takes my sin and gives me his righteousness. <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>His</span></em> righteousness. There is real union, but it is predicated on faith, trust in the promises, not an ascent on our part, but a condescension on his. We are passive recipients of a gift, which is Christ's own flesh. He really took our sin into his own flesh on Calvary and he really communicates his favor and forgiveness by feeding us that same flesh. Because life is in the blood. The worst crime in history — he who called heaven and earth into being with his Word fixed immobile to two cross beams — is the only hope anyone has of true freedom.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The church should be the place where you hear the promises of God, and embrace them as your own. The Father's wrath at his broken law should terrify you such that you run from him to Jesus, from the Just Judge to the Righteous Redeemer, who delivers not a sentence but his own self. If what you get instead is therapy or law or even encouragement to try harder, climb higher, or even to just show up, then you have religion, and you are doomed.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>via <a href="http://strangeherring.com/">Strange Herring | And other signs that the end is nearish</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Read it all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This, of course, is the &quot;theology of the cross&quot; as compared to &quot;the theology of glory.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Do you see what he is saying?&nbsp; I'm touched by the account of his childhood post-confirmation alienation from the church.&nbsp; If we could teach the radical nature of the gospel and the theology of the cross more consistently, as opposed to just memorizing answers and &quot;just showing up,&quot; would that make a difference?&nbsp; Or are young people at that particular age more interested in a &quot;theology of glory,&quot; being oblivious to the grace that is hidden in an ordinary, boring church service?&nbsp; Whereas, perhaps, after failing and suffering and becoming cynical for awhile, they are ready to come back?<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=z9srNuYGOTw:bxPKyo4SEhY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=z9srNuYGOTw:bxPKyo4SEhY:qj6IDK7rITs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=qj6IDK7rITs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=z9srNuYGOTw:bxPKyo4SEhY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?i=z9srNuYGOTw:bxPKyo4SEhY:gIN9vFwOqvQ"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/geneveith/~4/z9srNuYGOTw"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/geneveith/~3/z9srNuYGOTw/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5294173271948781462?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-im-neither-religious-nor-spiritualim.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-5892162250204643926?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-37713900434595455282012-01-23T10:25:00.002-07:002012-01-23T10:26:02.452-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A worthwhile series of posts…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Blog My Soul<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 19, 2012 2:41 PM<br><b>Author:</b> ScotK<br><b>Subject:</b> How Lutherans Worship – 11: Prayer and the Collect of the Day</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Previous post: <a href="http://scotkinnaman.com/2009/03/23/what-is-lutheran-worship/" title="How Lutherans Worship – 10: Excurses: What is Lutheran&nbsp;Worship?">How Lutherans Worship – 10: Excursus: What is <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Lutheran</span></em> Worship?</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><h2><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Salutation<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:purple'>The Lord be with you. </span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:purple'>And also with you.</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Salutation</span></strong> is a special greeting between the congregation and its pastor. Originally the pastor would have spoken &quot;Peace be with you,&quot; purposefully repeating our Lord's post-resurrection greeting to His fearful disciples gathered together in the upper room on that first Easter evening. The present wording of the Salutation is inexorably tied to His incarnation (Luke 1:28) and with His promise to be with His church (Matthew 28:20). In the Divine Service the announcement of the Lord's peace heralds His coming to us in the readings that follow and makes us aware that important things are about to happen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:maroon'>Salutation.</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:maroon'> Special greeting between pastor and people: &quot;The Lord be with you,&quot; followed by the response &quot;And also with you&quot; or &quot;And with your spirit.&quot;</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><h2><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Prayer and The Collect of the Day<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://prkinnaman.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/in_prayer.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=300 height=215 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://prkinnaman.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/in_prayer.jpg?w=300&amp;h=215"></span></a>Prayer is how the Christian acknowledges the gifts of the Gospel. &quot;Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise (<em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Lutheran</span></em> <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Worship</span></em>, pg. 6). In the Scriptures God speaks to human beings, but in prayer, human beings speak to God. Prayer is the life of faith in active communion or conversation with object of our faith–God. Prayer is the evidence of the relationship we have with the Father because of the redemption won for us by the Son. It shows our childlike trust and confidence in the One who does for us all that we need and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:purple'>Let us pray.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The <strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Collect of the Day</span></strong> &quot;collects&quot; in a concise and beautiful manner the Gospel message for the day to implore God, by His grace and through His mercy, to manifest His love in and through our thoughts, words, and deeds. We pray these things to remember Him who always provides for us, and to receive these gifts with godly thanksgiving. Most of these prayers have been in continuous use in the Church for more than 1,500 years. In praying the Collect, we join with the great body of believers, the communion of saints, and with the generations yet to come.<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:maroon'>&nbsp;Amen.</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:maroon'> Declaration that what has been said is true and affirming its trust in the Lord's Gospel promise; &quot;yes, yes, this is most certainly true.&quot;</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>A special advantage of using the collects, both ancient and modern, is that they keep the fundamental needs of salvation and the great objective facts of divine grace in clear focus, and they align us with the revealed will of God which will soon be proclaimed in the reading of Scripture. The congregation makes the Collect its own with its &quot;amen,&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><h4><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Next: <a href="http://scotkinnaman.com/2012/01/20/how-lutherans-worship-12-hearing-gods-word/" title="How Lutherans Worship -12: Hearing God's&nbsp;Word">How Lutherans Worship – 12: Hearing God's Word</a><o:p></o:p></span></h4><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/godelicious/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/delicious/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gofacebook/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/facebook/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gotwitter/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1029" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/twitter/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gostumble/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1030" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/stumble/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/godigg/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1031" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/digg/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/goreddit/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1032" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/reddit/prkinnaman.wordpress.com/1190/"></span></a><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1033" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=scotkinnaman.com&amp;blog=27643127&amp;post=1190&amp;subd=prkinnaman&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://scotkinnaman.com/2012/01/19/how-lutherans-worship-11/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5677628486661651212?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-how-lutherans-worship-11-prayer-and.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-3771390043459545528?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-27533336805999145282012-01-23T10:25:00.001-07:002012-01-23T10:25:54.218-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>More…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> internetmonk.com<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 19, 2012 1:31 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Craig Bubeck<br><b>Subject:</b> Why I Just Can't Hate Religion, Though I Love Jesus</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/marriage.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=300 height=300 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/marriage.jpg"></span></a>There is an increasing sentiment, especially among younger Christians, that is not only apathetic toward organized and formally structured religion (read &quot;church&quot;), but is antagonistic and opposed to it. So when I came across this hugely popular <a href="%20http:/youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY" target="_blank"><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>You Tube</span></strong> </a>video (over 15 million views and counting), I found myself ambivalent. There is a core angst about it that I can really relate to (I mean, <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>really</span></em>). I'll admit, in recent years I've found myself happily becoming a theologically evangelical man without an evangelical culture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>But we, the disenfranchised, have to ask ourselves: when we boast in hating religion, how do we go about distinguishing the church, whom Jesus loves? I'm not so sure. I think maybe I at least am finding it a bit too convenient to draw cavernous lines between abstractions of &quot;religion&quot; and the people who comprise it. (It reminds me a little too much of the oft contrived dichotomy between loving the sinners, but hating their sins.) Can I legitimately claim to love God and yet hate his church . . . his church, made up of and organized by his people?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>An analogy occurred to me as I mulled. I find it helpful. (You'll find it to be not particularly original, as it's biblical). The Christian religion is much like marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Consider: one's love relationship with God through Christ is to Christian religion as love is to marriage. Accordingly, some will want to argue that the &quot;institution&quot; of marriage is similarly to be hated (or at least feared), as it is a lie and even antithetical to love.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Honestly, if you think about it, they don't have to look too hard or too far to find plenty of anecdotal support for such a view. Indeed, for far too many, loveless and dead marriages-in-name-only are all they've ever seen or known. You can empathize with why they oppose marriage, even when they fall in love. From their standpoint, marriage seems to ruin or kill authentic love.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I could easily imagine an identical video to this that is all about true love vs. marriage, with the implication being that people who are truly in love should avoid and resist marriage. And a lot of people who have had bad experiences with marriage or married people would applaud and agree. Marriage is man-made; it is cultural—people can love without getting married; they can even be very committed and monogamous in that love.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>It's hard to argue contrariwise to observable experience, except to insist one's own experience is contrary. (And for the record, mine is.) So then it's tit for tat—one says marriage kills as a rule, the other says he or she has experienced great marriage and retained love. And the same is argued on both sides of religion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Be that all as it may . . . I know the institutions of marriage and the Christian religion are true—no matter how they are abused and corrupted, the hope they promise is real (and even realized by many). I'm certain of this because I'm a romantic. The reason true marriage and religion must both win out is going to be more than reason (and I'll admit readily, being a romantic tends to be unreasonable).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>As with all things profoundly true, it's necessarily a matter of faith. You must in the end choose to believe what God's word has said about either marriage or religion. You choose to trust that though Christ and his apostles (including Paul) were continually running afoul of organized (Jewish) religion, they were nonetheless committed adherents to it (religiously so). You accept that, while Jesus did come to fulfill the law,<a href="#_edn1" title="">[1]</a> he did not come to destroy it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The regular and consistent (i.e., organized) gathering of God's people is something Hebrews calls believers not to forsake.<a href="#_edn2" title="">[2]</a> But forsaking isn't just about failing to show up. This is the hard question I have to constantly be asking myself as I revel in my antipathy: can it be anything other than forsaken when I would characterize my religion as an institution to be hated? Paul too was continually about the organized and institutional church, such as it was in his day, affirming what Jesus taught—that Christians should be committed to and consistently fellowshipping with brothers and sisters who comprise Christ's body.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Many of us can attest, of all things in life, this loving the unlovely body of Christ is where the good-works rubber most directly meets the road of faith. Loving unlovely religious hypocrites with their institutions and rules is the real test of holiness, especially when it comes to accomplishing the unreasonable and impossible only through the power of God's indwelling Spirit. By our own means, it's just not reasonable or possible to suffer the folly of, let alone love, the hateful religious jerks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>And I catch myself mid-sentence. Because isn't that just exactly what sin (&quot;original&quot; especially) is all about—&quot;by our own means&quot;?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This is why it's a matter of faith that we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, though they with their institutions and religiosity can be so brutal and abusive. The Apostle Paul endured no less: he was abused and betrayed not only by his brethren Jews,<a href="#_edn3" title="">[3]</a> but also by early-church Christians.<a href="#_edn4" title="">[4]</a> Never mind Jesus Christ himself being abused and betrayed by the religion that ironically should have been all about him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Faithful believers are called to not forsake the community because it <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>is</span></em> religion. It's easy to dismiss the Christian religion as man-made; but in truth, just what in human affairs wouldn't be man-made? And more to the point, what that is man-made can claim to be independent of God's sovereignty, or ultimately God-made?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This is really the question: whatever you create and do (religion included), is it created and done in right relationship to God? That is, if a work or institution is originated from God's Spirit, though it be man-produced, it need not be less God-inspired or less God-empowered.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>What this video is legitimately lamenting is works-driven religion, vs. Spirit-driven religion. I get that. But much of our counter-religious culture is similarly distracted, and we risk tossing out romance and faith with their respective bathwaters. The answer to loveless marriage is not to deny marriage—so also with faithless religion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>We should all agree: when religion becomes other than about (or a distraction from) love for God and love for one's neighbor, it becomes a loveless and false marriage . . . a profoundly and bitterly ironic witness against true marriage, against true religion. Nevertheless, there is true religion, just as there is true marriage (and all of us romantics echo, just as there is true love).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>So while I resonate a little too much with the sentiment of this hyperbole, it is hyperbole (perhaps dangerously so).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Jesus did not come to abolish religion. He came to fulfill it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br clear=all></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><hr size=1 width="33%" align=left></span></div></div><div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="#_ednref1" title="">[1]</a> Read &quot;religion&quot; into Matt. 5:17.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="#_ednref2" title="">[2]</a> Hebrews 10:27<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="#_ednref3" title="">[3]</a> See Rom. 9-11 and 2 Cor. 11:24-27.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="#_ednref4" title="">[4]</a> See 2 Cor. 10-13, or Gal. 2:11.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/why-i-just-cant-hate-religion-though-i-love-jesus">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-2047414020146980296?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-why-i-just-cant-hate-religion-though.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-2753333680599914528?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-43227555477636456552012-01-20T14:46:00.001-07:002012-01-20T14:46:20.441-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Cantemus…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 19, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> Sing Em All, Boys!</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.disciplemagazine.com/images/photos/129/Article%20Photos/Hymns.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320 height=212 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.disciplemagazine.com/images/photos/129/Article%20Photos/Hymns.jpg"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2012/01/breaking-bad-liturgical-habits-ii">George Weigel had some advice</a> about hymns used in the Mass.&nbsp; What he wrote for Roman Catholic ears is food for Lutheran ones, as well.<br><br><b><i>Music Directors and Pastors</i></b><i>: As a general rule, sing all the verses of a processional or recessional hymn. Good hymns have a textual integrity that is lost when we sing hymn-excerpts rather than hymns. It doesn't take that much more time to sing all six verses of &quot;For All the Saints&quot; or all four verses of &quot;Crown Him with Many Crowns&quot;; cutting such great texts by two-thirds or one-half inevitably sends the signal that music in the liturgy is filler—and</i><br></span><b><i><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>there is no room for filler in the sacred liturgy</span></i></b><b><i><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>. </span></i></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>[emphasis mine]<br><br>On New Year's Day, not exactly the highest attended Sunday of the year (at least I hope not), we sang all stanzas of &quot;From Heaven Above to Earth I Come&quot; during the distribution.&nbsp; Well, let me rephrase that.&nbsp; The distribution was completed by stanza 5 or 6 at each service but we kept on.&nbsp; We had a cantor give the folks a break by singing stanzas 5 and 11 but we sang them all.&nbsp; People used to say something to me about singing all the stanzas but hardly anyone does anymore -- because they know how ever many stanzas that hymn has, that is how many we will sing.&nbsp; Period.<br><br><br>So, if you won't listen to a nobody like me, listen to George Weigel -- acclaimed columnist, well published author, and esteemed commentator on things religious and cultural.&nbsp; Sing em all, boys.&nbsp; Sing em all!!</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-866652640091289689?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/sing-em-all-boys.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-4952942793674694690?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-sing-em-all-boys.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-4322755547763645655?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-20447202456818675662012-01-16T10:23:00.001-07:002012-01-16T10:23:10.926-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Brown…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Confessional Gadfly<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 16, 2012 7:29 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Rev. Eric J Brown<br><b>Subject:</b> The Slightly Different Angle</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I have the distinct honor of being part of the <a href="http://www.worldvieweverlasting.com/">Worldview Everlasting Team</a> where I get to help answer questions that Pastor Fisk doesn't address in his Ask the Pastor Videos. I like it, it's a good collaborative process -- and if there are questions that don't really interest me... I get to ignore them and let someone else take them. It's very nice.<br><br>But what I enjoy most is when a couple of us write up answers to the same question. This is where it becomes interesting - I write my answer, and then I see someone tackle the same question from a slightly different angle.<br><br>The slightly different angle is one of the most wondrous things in theology.<br><br>We aren't talking heresy, we aren't talking false doctrine - but we are just talking about coming to and pointing at the truth from a slightly different angle, a different approach.<br><br>There are wonderful nuances in theology. This would be obvious if we compared sermons. <a href="http://christopherdhall.com/">Pastor Hall</a> and I both use the 1 year lectionary - and while our sermons would preach the same truth, the nuances, the approaches, the things we emphasize would be slightly different (he doesn't post his sermons on his blog). If one went to his 8 am service and then my 10:45, it would be a neat, stereo or 3D view of the text.<br><br>The image I have liked for this is this: consider you hired two artists to paint pictures of your Church. And let us say that one artist loves the color blue, loves blue overtones. And then let us say that the other artist loves pulling out depth via shadows. Two artists, painting the same Church, but you would have two very different paintings. Both true paintings, but each emphasizing and pulling out something different.<br><br>The great danger for any Christian is to think, &quot;I know this. I know this text, I know this doctrine, I have studied my catechism and thus I know what this means.&quot; You may, but you know it and are used to seeing it simply from your angle. Seek out other good theologians and thinkers, others who are faithful, and learn from their approach. That is a wondrous thing.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3847211149012008703-3062033740086086915?l=confessionalgadfly.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://confessionalgadfly.blogspot.com/2012/01/slightly-different-angle.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5992238808014196036?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-slightly-different-angle.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-2044720245681867566?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-55428414134998012602012-01-16T10:22:00.001-07:002012-01-16T10:22:19.458-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Marquart…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Intrepid Lutherans<br><b>Posted on:</b> Monday, January 16, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Rev. Paul A. Rydecki)<br><b>Subject:</b> Must-listen mini-gems from Marquart: Private Worship</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Some of the best theological lectures I've ever heard are recordings of the Rev. Kurt Marquart, who now rests from his labors. Many of these recordings are available at <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/djw/marquartlectures.html" target="_blank">Rev. Jay Webber's site</a>. I recommend listening to them all.<br><br>But for those who only have a couple of minutes today, please take the time to listen to this short clip from a longer lecture on <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Liturgy and Evangelism</span></em>. The full-length audio recording can be found <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/djw/marquartmp3/1997bLiturgyEvangelism.mp3" target="_blank">here</a>.<br><br>More clips will be posted in days to come.<br><br><br><br>A few quotes from the above clip:</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:.5in'><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;If you're talking about private, individual worship, you can hardly define worship as anything but faith itself. The highest worship of God is faith itself.&quot;</span></em><i><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><br><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;We cannot honor God more highly than simply to receive what he gives. There is no greater worship than receiving the Son of God as our Savior in faith.&quot;</span></em><br><br><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;And without faith, no ritual, no genuflection, no gesture is any good. With it, almost anything is good. But it's got to express that faith and not fundamentally counteract it.&quot;</span></em><br><br><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;In Christian worship, the mind and the soul are in control, not the body with its foot tapping and its thigh slapping.&quot;</span></em><br><br><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;Anything worthwhile in worship, in the service of God, has to arise out of faith.&quot;</span></em></span></i><o:p></o:p></p><div><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Dear Reader, while <a href="http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/p/what-we-believe.html#subscribers">many have declared resonance with us</a>, many more are still considering it. We invite you to <a href="http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/p/stand-with-us.html">Stand With Us</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6881617320676906596-7533979938899664313?l=www.intrepidlutherans.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/IntrepidLutherans/~4/PPosS6nUaDk"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IntrepidLutherans/~3/PPosS6nUaDk/must-listen-mini-gems-from-marquart.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Enclosures:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'></td><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4826137/Marquart_PersonalWorship.mp3"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Marquart_PersonalWorship.mp3</span></a><br><a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4826137/Marquart_PersonalWorship.mp3"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4826137/Marquart_PersonalWorship.mp3</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-8174559431237157203?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-must-listen-mini-gems-from-marquart.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-5542841413499801260?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-10224192184064282572012-01-16T10:21:00.003-07:002012-01-16T10:21:51.159-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>More on Fisk…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> internetmonk.com<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:02 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Chaplain Mike<br><b>Subject:</b> Hate Religion? Love Jesus?</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Jefferson Bethke has certainly received a lot of attention for his video, <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&quot;Why I Hate Religion, but Hate Jesus,&quot; </span></em>which went viral on YouTube last week (over 10 million views). In it, he raps a poem expressing a common evangelical perspective: Christianity is not a <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>religion</span></em> but a <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>relationship</span></em>. In fact, Jesus came to abolish religion and establish something completely new in its place.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I wonder what you might think about it?</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Then, on the other hand…</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Jonathan Fisk calls out Bethke and charges him with not adequately defining his terms and with promulgating a <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>false dichotomy</span></em>. I don't post this for you because Fisk specifically promotes Lutheranism (though I personally agree with him), but because on a broader level, I think he offers a better way of thinking about how Jesus and religion relate to one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Oh yeah, and the clips from the Scott Wesley Brown video from the 70′s are worth twice the price of admission.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>OK, it's all yours. Have your say. Play nice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Note: please make sure you watch the videos. Don't just comment on what you may have heard elsewhere.</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/hate-religion-love-jesus">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-3227489866286467776?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-hate-religion-love-jesus.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-1022419218406428257?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-88293714608537859502012-01-16T10:21:00.001-07:002012-01-16T10:21:35.154-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Fisk is pithy…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Abide in My Word<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 15, 2012 12:56 PM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Rev. Thomas C. Messer, SSP)<br><b>Subject:</b> A Fisktacular Response to a Flawed Video</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>If you haven't seen this yet, this is a video that went absolutely viral, getting over 11 million hits since being posted just five days ago on January 10. Below this video is a most excellent response by Pastor Fisk of Worldview Everlasting fame. I love all of Pastor Fisk's videos, but I'm pretty sure that this one has moved to the top as my personal all-time favorite. Just perfect! <br><br>So, watch the first video and see what you think. But, then, watch what Pastor Fisk has to say about it, which is right on the money. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2978485750390455025-4667738015879812485?l=abideinmyword.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://abideinmyword.blogspot.com/2012/01/if-you-havent-seen-this-yet-this-is.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-377940906985535554?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-fisktacular-response-to-flawed-video.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8829371460853785950?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-79559745219381803902012-01-16T10:20:00.001-07:002012-01-16T10:20:58.173-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Tolkien…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> divinae consortes naturae<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 15, 2012 5:19 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Paul)<br><b>Subject:</b> tolkein on the liturgy</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Tolkien on the Liturgy<br><br>I've never understood how people can just sit in the pew and not sing. If you don't like the liturgy here, you're going to really be bummed out in heaven. It's one endless Divine Service with an endless liturgy sung by angels and men. Now, I can understand (with sensitivity) the timid in voice, those who are afraid of &quot;how it might sound,&quot; but just to sit in silence without as much as a quiver of the lip, or a silent hum-along. That I don't understand. Neither did Tolkien. <br><br>Even if you've only spent a short time in Middle-earth it is quite apparent that men and elves, hobbits and wizards, even the trees love to sing. They sing of sorrow and joy, dark days and homely day dreams. All of life is encompassed in song in Middle-earth. Come to think of it, that's the same way it is in the Church. The liturgy envelops sings along with our sorrow and sadness as much as it does our great joy and celebration. Whatever day we might be having, the liturgy gives us a song to sing, filling our lips with the Word of God. The liturgy is what fulfills and consumes all songs (even our very lives) in heaven and on earth, even in Middle-earth. <br><br>In a letter to his son, Christopher, Tolkien makes a similar point: <br><br>&quot;If you don't do so already, make a habit of the 'praises'. I use them much (in Latin): the Gloria Patri, the Gloria in Excelsis, the Laudate Dominum; the Laudete Pueri Dominum (of which I am specially fond), one of the Sunday psalms; and the Magnificat; also the Litany of Loretto (with the prayer Sub tuum praesidium). If you have these by heart you never need words for joy.&quot;<br><br>The liturgy not only gives our voice God's Word to sing, but it shapes our lives with the very Word of Christ, the forgiveness of sins and above all, the liturgy points us, leads us and woos us to the Sacrament, from whence all liturgy leads to and flows out of. The road to the Altar goes ever on...even unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.<br><br>Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures (of earth and Middle-earth) here below. Praise Him above ye heav'nly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.<br>Posted by Pastor Samwise Praetorius (Samuel Schuldheisz) at 9:30 PM</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2918171310732781428-2671055511680322378?l=prpaulbecker.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://prpaulbecker.blogspot.com/2012/01/tolkein-on-liturgy.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-8101584892481965738?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-tolkein-on-liturgy.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7955974521938180390?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-75592406318642996382012-01-14T16:09:00.009-07:002012-01-14T16:09:54.386-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Important…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Cyberbrethren Lutheran Blog Feed<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 12, 2012 1:08 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Paul T. McCain<br><b>Subject:</b> Marriage and Religious Freedom — An Open Letter from Religious Leaders</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/is_marriage_for_white_people-460x307.jpeg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=460 height=307 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/is_marriage_for_white_people-460x307.jpeg"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>MARRIAGE AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM</span></strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Fundamental Goods That Stand or Fall Together An Open Letter from Religious Leaders in the United States to All Americans<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Released January 12, 2012<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/marriage/promotion-and-defense-of-marriage/ecumenical-and-interreligious-activities.cfm">Open letter and signatories found here</a>. Here is a PDF copy of the statement: <a href="http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Marriage-and-Religious-Freedom-Letter-Jan-12-2012-4.pdf">Marriage-and-Religious-Freedom-Letter-Jan-12-2012-4</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Executive Summary</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>We, as representatives of a broad array of faiths, join together to affirm that marriage, the union of one man and one woman, must be promoted and protected for its own sake and for the common good. We also agree that redefining marriage will incur grave consequences, including a deleterious impact on religious liberty. Altering the definition of marriage will change not just one law but hundreds, even thousands, of laws. There will be government mandates, requiring the recognition and accommodation of so-called same-sex &quot;marriages,&quot; that pose a critical threat to institutions and individuals who for reasons of faith and conscience will resist the law's compulsion. Cases involving criminal and civil penalties and the denial of grants and other government benefits are already occurring and will only increase in number and severity if more jurisdictions redefine marriage. The law not only will coerce and impose disincentives, but will also teach that religious objectors must be marked as if they were bigots. We encourage all people of good will to protect marriage as the union between one man and one woman, and to consider carefully the far-reaching consequences for the religious freedom of all Americans if marriage is redefined. May all of us work together to strengthen and preserve the unique meaning of marriage and the precious gift of religious liberty.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Signatories come from the following communities:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Agudath Israel of America<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Anglican Church in North America<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Assemblies of God<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Brethren Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Bruderhof Communities<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Christian &amp; Missionary Alliance<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Church of the Nazarene Conservative Congregational Christian Conference<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Evangelical Free Church of America<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Evangelical Friends Church, North America Fellowship of Evangelical Churches<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Foursquare Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Free Methodist Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>USA General Association of General Baptists<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>General Council of Christian Union Churches<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Grace Communion International<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Great Commission Churches<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>International Pentecostal Church of Christ<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>International Pentecostal Holiness Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Missionary Church, Inc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>National Association of Evangelicals<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>North American Lutheran Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Open Bible Churches<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Salvation Army<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Southern Baptist Ethics &amp; Religious Liberty Commission<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>United Brethren in Christ Church, USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>United States Conference of Catholic Bishops<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Vineyard USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Wesleyan Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:yIl2AUoC8zA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:V_sGLiPBpWU"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?i=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:V_sGLiPBpWU"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:qj6IDK7rITs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=qj6IDK7rITs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1029" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?i=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:gIN9vFwOqvQ"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:-BTjWOF_DHI"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1030" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?i=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:-BTjWOF_DHI"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:dnMXMwOfBR0"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1031" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=dnMXMwOfBR0"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:D7DqB2pKExk"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1032" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?i=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:D7DqB2pKExk"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:YwkR-u9nhCs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1033" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=YwkR-u9nhCs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1034" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?i=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:F7zBnMyn0Lo"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:7Q72WNTAKBA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1035" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=7Q72WNTAKBA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:KwTdNBX3Jqk"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1036" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?i=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:KwTdNBX3Jqk"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:l6gmwiTKsz0"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1037" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=l6gmwiTKsz0"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?a=M6oRAfJ9CZA:sp7MXnpKvas:TzevzKxY174"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1038" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/Cyberbrethren?d=TzevzKxY174"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1039" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Cyberbrethren/~4/M6oRAfJ9CZA"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cyberbrethren/~3/M6oRAfJ9CZA/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Enclosures:</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'></td><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Marriage-and-Religious-Freedom-Letter-Jan-12-2012-4.pdf"><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Marriage-and-Religious-Freedom-Letter-Jan-12-2012-4.pdf</span></a> (83 KB)<br><a href="http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Marriage-and-Religious-Freedom-Letter-Jan-12-2012-4.pdf"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>http://cyberbrethren.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Marriage-and-Religious-Freedom-Letter-Jan-12-2012-4.pdf</span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1040" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-4821524811081629563?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-marriage-and-religious-freedom-open.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-7559240631864299638?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-23337825846588241202012-01-14T16:09:00.007-07:002012-01-14T16:09:46.423-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> internetmonk.com<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 12, 2012 11:54 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Jeff Dunn<br><b>Subject:</b> What Is A Song Good For?</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/rock-band.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=294 height=300 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.internetmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/rock-band-294x300.jpg"></span></a>We were having a good discussion about churches the other day over lunch at work. Not Church's Chicken, though that would have been appropriate. No, churches, which we have in abundance here in Tulsa. (There is one stretch of road about 3/4 of a mile long with four churches lining the street. Four in less than a mile. But that is a story for another day … ) The conversation took a turn toward music in church, what kind each person liked and didn't like. And then my friend Trish made this observation:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I think some music is good for fellowship, but not for worship.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Wow. That stayed with me the rest of the day as I helped guests find things in my electronics department at the local Target. It stayed with me all that evening, and the next day, and the next. Now, two weeks later, I am still trying to get my arms around that. &quot;Some music is good for fellowship, but not for worship.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>So I want to open this up for discussion. Are there some songs that you deem wrong for worship, but ok if you and some friends are talking and sharing and have music on in the background? Are there styles of songs that should never be used in a worship setting, but are ok for casual listening? Or do you believe worshipping the Lord should encompass all songs and all styles? Is it ok if Church A selects songs of <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>this</span></em> style, and Church B selects songs of <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>that</span></em> style? We all know that next to programs for children the music style of a church is what attracts and retains people. Should churches take this into account in deciding what style of music they will be performing in their services?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Enough questions. Now it's your turn. Play nice, now.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/what-is-a-song-good-for">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5197618087533458234?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-what-is-song-good-for.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-2333782584658824120?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-13723063576932586962012-01-14T16:09:00.005-07:002012-01-14T16:09:40.105-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Te Deum…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 12, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> In Praise of the Te Deum</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The source of the Te Deum is traditionally ascribed to Ambrose and Augustine, specifically for the baptism Augustine by Ambrose in AD 387. Some have posited its source in Saint Hilary of Poitier and now, some have decided, it was written by Nicetas, bishop of Remesiana; (4th century)&quot;. &nbsp; Some of the hymn is drawn from&nbsp; a selection of verses from the book of Psalms and do not appear to be original, though they are traditional.<br><br>It is a hymn that sings like a creed.&nbsp; It seems to follow the outline of the Apostles' Creed while also drawing upon the vision of the heavenly liturgy from Revelation. The hymn begins with an affirmation of faith -- we praise Thee,&nbsp; O Lord, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.&nbsp; But it quickly proceeds to name the faithful who praise and venerate God -- the whole company of heavenly creatures to those Christian faithful already in heaven to the Church throughout the world. The creedal structure of the hymn returns to sing of Christ --&nbsp; recalling His birth, suffering and death, His resurrection and glorification.&nbsp; Then the hymn returns to those the theme of praise, petitions for mercy, protection amid temptation, and for the long awaited reconciliation of the Church on earth and the Church in heaven.<br><br>If I ever got a chance to Pastor another congregation (hopefully smaller than my current parish), I might start by establishing a parish schedule of Matins at 8 am, the Divine Service at 9 am, Breakfast and Sunday School at 10:30 am.&nbsp; This fond wish is, in part, moved by the desire to see the Sunday experience to be more fully expressive of the liturgies of the hours, and to establish a greater sense of community by the restoration of a normal expectation of fasting prior to the Mass and a common meal (I remember the smell of the Orthodox cooking for their common meal after the twelve hour fast before the Divine Liturgy).&nbsp; But I digress...<br><br>Of all the hymns of Matins I miss most, the Te Deum ranks highest (closely followed by the Venite).&nbsp; I lament that our return to a weekly Eucharist has left this hymn more on the fringes of our life together than part of our common core of hymnody and song.&nbsp; It is not that we never use it but that we use it far less frequently than we should.&nbsp; On occasion, I have, now you liturgical purists should take a deep breath here, substituted the sung Te Deum for the Creed.&nbsp; I love the hymn paraphrases of the Te Deum but find them not a fair substitute for the singing of the Te Deum itself.&nbsp; I love the TLH setting in the Office of Matins but I especially love the Healy Willan setting for that Te Deum (at least for congregational song).&nbsp; I have too many favorite choral settings of the Te Deum to name them all here (or to list the YouTube places where you can hear them).<br><br>Our familiar words are but a modernized version of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer.&nbsp; Those words are as follows:<br><br><i>We praise the, O God, we knowlage thee to be the Lorde.<br>All the earth doeth wurship thee, the father everlastyng.<br>To thee al Angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therin.<br>To thee Cherubin, and Seraphin continually doe crye.<br>Holy, holy, holy, Lorde God of Sabaoth.<br>Heaven and earth are replenyshed with the majestie of thy glory,<br>The gloryous company of the Apostles, praise thee.<br>The goodly felowshyp of the Prophetes, praise thee.<br>The noble armie of Martyrs, praise thee.<br>The holy churche throughout all the worlde doeth knowlage thee.<br>The father of an infinite majestie.<br>Thy honourable, true, and onely sonne.<br>The holy gost also beeying the coumforter.<br>Thou art the kyng of glory, O Christe.<br>Thou art the everlastyng sonne of the father.<br>Whan thou tookest upon thee to delyver manne, thou dyddest not abhorre the virgins wombe.<br>Whan thou haddest overcomed the sharpenesse of death, thou diddest open the kyngdome of heaven to all belevers.<br>Thou sittest on the ryght hande of God, in the glory of the father.<br>We beleve that thou shalt come to be our judge.<br>We therfore praye thee, helpe thy servauntes, whom thou haste redemed with thy precious bloud.<br>Make them to be noumbred with thy sainctes, in glory everlastyng.<br>O Lorde, save thy people: and blesse thyne heritage.<br>Governe them, and lift them up for ever.<br>Day by day we magnifie thee.<br>And we wurship thy name ever world without ende.<br>Vouchsafe, O Lorde, to kepe us this daye without synne.<br>O Lorde, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon us.<br>O Lorde, let thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in thee.<br>O Lorde, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.</i><br><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-7270293600342128821?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-praise-of-te-deum.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-4661138786312042269?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-in-praise-of-te-deum.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-1372306357693258696?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-6787412194469491972012-01-14T16:09:00.003-07:002012-01-14T16:09:30.032-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Interesting...<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 2:24 PM<br>Subject: Burning Incense Is Psychoactive: New Class Of Antidepressants Might Be Right Under Our Noses <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm#.TxCg1RW3yt0.email">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm#.TxCg1RW3yt0.email</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-6516039416419680230?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-burning-incense-is-psychoactive-new.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-678741219446949197?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-86989242772953377412012-01-14T16:09:00.001-07:002012-01-14T16:09:18.821-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Veith…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Cranach: The Blog of Veith<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 12, 2012 3:45 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Gene Veith<br><b>Subject:</b> Chapel at Harvard</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Harvard Divinity School professor Stephanie Paulsell tells about worshipping at Harvard:<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>On Wednesdays at noon we gather for community worship organized by a student steering committee and the director of religious and spiritual life. When I first came to Harvard Divinity School, the weekly community worship service was deeply ecumenical. While the shape of the service was recognizably Protestant, it also possessed a flexibility born of a desire to create a welcoming, open space for people of different theological and religious backgrounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Over the years, as our school has become more multireligious, our students have urged us toward new ways of gathering for community worship. Even the most welcoming service can obscure our distinctiveness, they told us. We want to be with each other as we truly are, they said. We want to be present for each other's prayers and rituals and practices. We want to be led in Torah study by the Jewish students and in Friday prayers by the Muslims; to listen to a dharma talk with the Buddhist students and hear a sermon with the Baptists; to be with the Episcopalian students for the Eucharist and with the Hindus for puja; to light Advent candles with the Roman Catholics, offer prayers at the flaming chalice with the Unitarian Universalists and keep silence with the Quakers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>These days our community worship is led by one of the religious communities in our school. We begin with brief opening words (our beloved Protestant forms persist!) and a lifting up of the prayers, hopes and longings collected in a notebook at the door of the chapel. Then we enter into the practice of a particular religious community, joining in where we can, maintaining a respectful presence where we feel we cannot. Each week, as the distinctiveness of each tradition becomes visible, we can see more clearly the differences between our ritual practices, our holy books, our music and our conceptions of the divine, and we see the family resemblances, the shared concerns—what Thomas Merton called the &quot;wider oikoumene&quot; of the human family.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The desire of students to be present to each other as distinctively religious people seems to me characteristic of this generation—or at least of this current crop of divinity students. While earlier generations sometimes muted explicit religious symbolism out of a desire to cross the boundaries of difference, this generation seems to be more convinced that it is from the specificity of our religious traditions that we will reach one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>via <a href="http://christiancentury.org/article/2012-01/devotional-difference">Devotional difference: A pluralistic community's worship life | The Christian Century</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Yes, this is syncretism, celebrated at one of our most prestigious mainline seminaries and lauded in the mainline <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Christian Century</span></em>.&nbsp; This is where liberal theology is these days.&nbsp; But note the difference.&nbsp; A few years ago, what was once the multi-denominational and then became the multi-faith worship service would mush all of the different religions in a worship service that would be recognizable to none of them.&nbsp; Now, though, the distinct worship services of the distinct religions are carried out, but everyone participates in them and honors them all equally.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This is the difference between ecumenism and polytheism.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=fOOGqwea0ms:OadpID7fFm4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=fOOGqwea0ms:OadpID7fFm4:qj6IDK7rITs"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?d=qj6IDK7rITs"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?a=fOOGqwea0ms:OadpID7fFm4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/geneveith?i=fOOGqwea0ms:OadpID7fFm4:gIN9vFwOqvQ"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1028" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/geneveith/~4/fOOGqwea0ms"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/geneveith/~3/fOOGqwea0ms/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-4814480609752721298?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-chapel-at-harvard.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8698924277295337741?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-86124141679719655032012-01-09T13:55:00.003-07:002012-01-09T13:55:49.385-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 08, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> Your teens are capable theologians...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://blog.adw.org/wp-content/uploads/confirmation.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=298 height=320 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://blog.adw.org/wp-content/uploads/confirmation.jpg"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>One of the ever present sources of angst is the catechism curriculum and the constant need to invent new resources to teach the same old stuff.&nbsp; Lutherans seem to have an epidemic of self-loathing when it comes to what we do to prepare our young people for first communion or confirmation.&nbsp; A friend sent me <a href="http://issuu.com/barefootministries/docs/nov_dec_current_issue/17">this link to an article on the reform of confirmation</a>.&nbsp; You can read it for yourself.&nbsp; I know nothing of the source but suffice it to say it was being read in the Augsburg Fortress offices and the President of AF liked it a lot.&nbsp; Not so much for me.&nbsp; Let me just pick on one point...<br><br>According to the author, we can improve confirmation [instruction] if we <i>acknowledge -- without fear</i> <i>that even teenagers are capable theologians when given the opportunity... </i>and that your students will not be prepared for life because <i>they have prepackaged answers to the hot topic questions </i>but because you are willing to ask <i>questions for which you do not have the answers...&nbsp; </i><br><br>That would certainly seem to preclude use of the Catechism (a book which teaches through the use of questions and answers -- prepackaged ones from nearly 500 years ago!).&nbsp; It would also seem that the purpose of instruction is not to impart knowledge [answers] but rather to teach them to think for themselves.&nbsp; Now I would agree that thinking for themselves is a good end but without the tools you have placed within them (the knowledge of Scripture and the Catechism, the use of the hymnal, and an understanding of the way of worship in the liturgy), I cannot for the life of me figure out how they are supposed to think for themselves.<br><br>The<i> </i>author concludes with the question <i>Did the hair on the back of your neck stand up?</i>&nbsp; My goodness, she is psychic! How did she know her words were doing just that?&nbsp; I once thought alone the lines of this author -- don't teach the children, just lead them and show them how to think them through for themselves.&nbsp; Thank goodness a concerned mentor had the sense to tell me to stick with the catechism first and see if they learn to the use the tools before handing them a rough piece of wood to make something of.<br><br>It would seem that this is exactly the wrong thing -- to give our kids permission to explore on their own without warning them of the dangers or giving them the tools to help them arrive at the right destination.&nbsp; Memorized answers are no substitute for well thought out answers but if we could get there on our own God would have no need for His Word or the Spirit which enlightens us with respect to the Word.&nbsp; Before you think them through, memorized answers give you the framework to make the jump between question and answer.<br><br>BTW, since Augsburg Fortress press is drowning in red ink and had to let go curriculum writers and editors due <i>because the sales of adult faith formation resources have been disappointing... [their own words]...&nbsp; </i>maybe it could have something to do with the screwy ideas about what constitutes faith formation resources.... ya think?</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-3624036963702248946?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/your-teens-are-capable-theologians.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-8208087390876724281?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-your-teens-are-capable-theologians.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8612414167971965503?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-57117707622217809562012-01-09T13:55:00.001-07:002012-01-09T13:55:33.069-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>On an album we reviewed…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Kile Smith<br><b>Posted on:</b> Saturday, January 07, 2012 1:26 PM<br><b>Author:</b> Kile Smith<br><b>Subject:</b> Vespers notes</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>A few hours before the first of three concerts, here are my notes to <a href="http://kilesmith.com/vespers/" target="_blank"><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Vespers</span></strong></a> from four years ago…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://kilesmith.com/vespers/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://kilesmith.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/vespers.jpg?w=584"></span></a>I have loved the Lutheran liturgy from childhood, even before I was aware of the concept of classical music. So I was thrilled when, during discussions with Piffaro, the idea was floated of a new composition inspired by the musical flowering of the Lutheran Reformation. That idea became this <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Vespers</span></em>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Because so much new music was being produced in the early 1500s for these new liturgies (including excellent music by Martin Luther himself), and since so much of it is still in use, the Renaissance hovers over Lutheran music to this day. Certainly the sounds of the instruments composed for at the time—recorders, shawms, dulcians, sackbuts, plucked strings—are as congenial to the spirit and indicative of the boldness of this music now as then.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>For a Lutheran Vespers, any number of Psalms on a seasonal topic might be used. During the weeks of Epiphany (the time of the first performances of this <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Vespers</span></em>), the Lectionary suggests Psalms emphasizing light, kingship, deliverance, and the appearance of a Savior. &quot;Epiphany&quot; Psalms are also used throughout the year, though, so concert performances of Vespers need not be restricted to January. For this is not a Vespers service; an actual liturgy may include many more sections than those used here. My intention was not to compose a liturgy, but to create a concert work infused with the spirit of this liturgical tradition. A &quot;Deo gratias,&quot; for example, would not often be as elaborate as the one here, and in any case would more properly be divided into separate &quot;Benedicamus Domino&quot; and &quot;Deo gratias&quot; sections. A Lutheran Vespers would probably include Luther's &quot;Komm, Heilger Geist&quot; in place of the &quot;Veni Sancte Spiritus&quot; as often as not. My setting of it, which deletes all the words but the ending &quot;Alleluia&quot; makes this &quot;Veni&quot; more of an extra-liturgical Prelude. And more Psalms would most likely be included in a service.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The chorale, or Lutheran hymn, is the essence of the Lutheran musical gift to the Church. Be it a refashioned or newly composed melody for the new texts being written, the chorale tune is the musical lifeblood of Lutheranism. The hint of even a few notes immediately recalls text (and emotion) to the attentive congregant, even in purely instrumental works such as the Sonatas included here. The text is what drives Lutheran music. Typically Lutheran is the emphasis on hymns: &quot;Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern&quot; is used where a processional hymn might take place before the Introit, &quot;Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn&quot; (in a setting for four, then eight, then 16 voices) is placed before the Magnificat, and Luther's own &quot;Vater unser,&quot; his versification of the Lord's Prayer in nine verses, follows the Magnificat.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>This Canticle of Mary, which essentially serves as the Gospel reading, along with most non-hymn texts, would be chanted in Latin in urban churches; Luther encouraged the use of Latin where it was known, while promoting the vernacular German for hymns and in areas where Latin would not be understood. While much of the music here is chant-inspired, only two actual chants are quoted, the &quot;Veni Sancte Spiritus&quot; and the opening of the &quot;Deo gratias.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Writing for Renaissance instruments presents the same challenges as writing for their modern counterparts. Repeated listening to live performances of these instruments, singly and in ensemble, is the only way to discover the sounds and possibilities. Playing and singing music from this period in an early-music ensemble has proven to be invaluable experience for me. But I am indebted to Piffaro for providing me with a wealth of information, such as production issues within the ranges, chromatic possibilities, and so on, which would not be obvious even to the astute listener.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>There is one way, though, that writing for a Renaissance band—such as might have been available to the 16th-century composer—is unlike writing for an ensemble of &quot;modern&quot; players. It was common practice for many musicians of the time to be proficient in more than one instrument. It exhilarates and challenges the composer to have the players of Piffaro at one's disposal, each of whom can play any one of a variety of instruments at a world-class level. The possibilities for using these seven players and the twenty-four instruments we've chosen are endless. The masters excelled at varying texture (whether forces were limited, such as during the Thirty Years' War, or not), and this is something to which I aspired.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The high standards and artistry of the professional singers of The Crossing have greatly influenced the vocal writing. Textures often shift among solo, tutti, and small ensemble singing. Modal harmonies are quite elaborate at times in the hymn settings, while there is much chant-inspired rhythmic flexibility in the Psalms, especially 27 and 113. The voice-leading in general is fairly independent, and there are large swaths of <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>a cappella</span></em> writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>When one of the world's premiere early-music ensembles commissions an entire evening of brand-new music, it has committed itself to an adventure into unfamiliar territory. Then again, many people love both contemporary and early music, and enjoy the experience of that which is beyond the standard repertoire. I commend Piffaro for having this vision, and thank them for allowing me to be enchanted again by the genius of the Lutheran Reformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>Filed under: <a href="http://kilesmith.com/category/choral-music/">Choral music</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/category/lutheran/">Lutheran</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/category/music-composition/">Music Composition</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/category/new-music/">new music</a> Tagged: <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/bob-wiemken/">Bob Wiemken</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/donald-nally/">Donald Nally</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/epiphany/">Epiphany</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/joan-kimball/">Joan Kimball</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/magni%ef%ac%81cat/">Magnificat</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/martin-luther/">Martin Luther</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/piffaro/">Piffaro</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/psalms/">Psalms</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/renaissance-music/">Renaissance music</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/the-crossing/">The Crossing</a>, <a href="http://kilesmith.com/tag/veni-sancte-spiritus/">Veni Sancte Spiritus</a> <a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gocomments/kilesmith.wordpress.com/8422/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/comments/kilesmith.wordpress.com/8422/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/godelicious/kilesmith.wordpress.com/8422/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/delicious/kilesmith.wordpress.com/8422/"></span></a><a href="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/gofacebook/kilesmith.wordpress.com/8422/"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1028" 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src="http://feeds.wordpress.com/1.0/reddit/kilesmith.wordpress.com/8422/"></span></a><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1033" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=kilesmith.com&amp;blog=701164&amp;post=8422&amp;subd=kilesmith&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1"></span><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://kilesmith.com/2012/01/07/vespers-notes/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-1549944105234006917?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-vespers-notes.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-5711770762221780956?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-36461030619723031802012-01-05T12:54:00.005-07:002012-01-05T12:54:32.324-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 05, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> Music in the Church</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://worship4christ.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/worship_music1.png"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=320 height=240 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://worship4christ.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/worship_music1.png"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rome, not always the high water mark in church music, has become aware of this problem of music that conflicts with the faith and with the nature of what happens in the Mass and has begun to do something about the sad state of music in worship in the average Roman parish.<br><br>From Mons. Valentín Miserachs Grau, the President of the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music:&nbsp; <i>[T]he Church has always requested as essential connotations of liturgical Sacred Music: holiness, excellence of the forms (true art) and universality, in the sense that liturgical music could be acceptable to everybody, without shutting itself in abstruse or elitist forms and, least of all, turning down to trivial consumer products...&nbsp; This one is a sore point: <b>the rampant wave of false and truly dreadful liturgical music in our churches</b>... <b>how is it possible that the musical praxis in our churches distances itself in so evident a way from the same doctrine?</b></i><br><br>[On the issue of experimentation:] <i>One cannot transform the &quot;oratory&quot; into &quot;laboratory&quot;.... <b>The second aspect of the problem derives from a false interpretation of the conciliar doctrine on Sacred Music. As a matter of fact, the post-conciliar liturgical &quot;renewal&quot;, including the almost total lack of mandatory rules at a high level, has allowed a progressive decay of liturgical music, at the point of becoming, in the most cases, &quot;consumer music&quot; according to the parameters of the most slipshod easy-listening music.</b></i><br><br>While Rome's concerns and its methods of dealing with the problem are not exactly the same as Lutherans, it is a good thing that Rome is awaking to the growing distance of the music of worship -- both in content and style&nbsp; -- from the faith the Church believes, confesses, and teaches.&nbsp; It will certainly take some time for this top down approach to change the Haugen-Haas pop hymn culture of the local parish, but at least they are doing something.<br><br>The best that we can hope for among Lutherans is a good conversation and some leading by example.&nbsp; We lack the jurisdictional authority to tell a local congregation what they can or cannot sing.&nbsp; Whether good or bad, that is the way we operate.&nbsp; Nevertheless, we have abused our liturgical freedom both to the detriment of the unity of the Church and the catechetical well-being of the folks in the pew.&nbsp; This is one area in which we all share the need for some repentance and change.&nbsp; We have borrowed from those who have a completely different understanding of worship and a different theology and the price we have paid is that our people do not see the difference between the pop gospel songs they hear on Christian radio and the hymns of the faith (both new and old).<br><br>For us it is not about changing the rules or enforcing the ones on the books -- it is about convincing Pastors and those who plan and lead worship to be more faithful in their calling.&nbsp; It is about believing that what can be done is not the same as what should be done.&nbsp; It is about putting the effort in to choose music for the liturgy that reflects the lectionary and not personal taste.&nbsp; It is about getting serious with respect to what we confess to our people and to the world when we use music that conflicts with the faith or is trite, trivial, and banal in content and style.&nbsp; It is about paying our parish musicians a decent wage so that they can be serious about their craft and about recruiting others for this noble calling.&nbsp; It is NOT about style vs substance, NOT about culture warfare between high brow and low brow music, NOT about whatever works, NOT about what people (or Pastors) want, and NOT about musical instruments (though I would argue that the guitar is not a melodic instrument and therefore cannot on its own support congregational song).</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-2749963713622650241?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/music-in-church.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-5119657116143870719?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-music-in-church.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-3646103061972303180?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-6713428021409775362012-01-05T12:54:00.003-07:002012-01-05T12:54:27.716-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Oremus…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> LUTHERAN WRITER<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 05, 2012 6:57 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Rev. Edward A. Engelbrecht, STM)<br><b>Subject:</b> Guest Post from Robert E. Moeller, Jr.: Praying for Your Pastor</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQitN1m7qSM/TwWsAG_lgKI/AAAAAAAAAeY/N0WHaatG4jg/s1600/man+praying.png"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XQitN1m7qSM/TwWsAG_lgKI/AAAAAAAAAeY/N0WHaatG4jg/s1600/man+praying.png"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Rev. Robert E. Moeller, Jr. of Sioux Falls, SD, shares the following thoughts and prayers:</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><i><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>The Small Catechism</span></i><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> includes a section in the Table of Duties on &quot;What Hearers Owe Their Pastors.&quot;&nbsp; Among the duties cited are financial support, respect for the office, and submission to their spiritual authority.&nbsp; But I've always thought that one thing is noticeably absent from this list: prayer.&nbsp; &nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>&nbsp;</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>I must admit, when it comes to praying for my pastor, I've failed miserably.&nbsp; But I want to add this to my daily prayer discipline.&nbsp; I've found prepared prayers help me maintain the proper focus and provide the framework for growth and adaptation.&nbsp; Unfortunately, there seems to be a shortage of resources that include such prayers for pastors.&nbsp; Most of the ones available are not very personal or specific.&nbsp; So, I've developed one of my own and offer it for your consideration. &nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>&nbsp;</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Lord of the Church, bless ____________, my pastor.&nbsp; Enable him to be a true teacher of Your Word.&nbsp; Put the power of the Gospel into his heart so that he always preaches and counsels in a way that is consistent with Your saving will.&nbsp; I especially ask that You would open My heart and mind to the Word that he speaks on Your behalf.&nbsp; May Your Law show me my sins and bring me to repentance.&nbsp; May Your Gospel increase my faith and empower me to holy living.&nbsp; Help me to be forgiving of my pastor's sins and patiently bear with his weaknesses.&nbsp; Enable him to do the same for me.&nbsp; Help me to continually encourage him as he strives to be a faithful witness to the Gospel.&nbsp; Help me always to put the best construction on his words and actions, and defend him and speak well of him among others.&nbsp; Be with my pastor and his family to support them in their every temporal and spiritual need (especially…..).&nbsp; Let your holy angels watch over them that they might be safe from danger and every evil.&nbsp; Grant us all hearts that are willingly instructed, comforted, and emboldened by Your Spirit so that as our congregation works together we will do those things which glorify Your name and are helpful for Your work among us.&nbsp; In Your holy name I pray.&nbsp; Amen.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Now of course, your prayers can be (and should be) even more personal and specific.&nbsp; But this is going to require some help from your pastor; he's going to have to be willing to let down his guard and let you know his specific needs when you ask him.&nbsp; And, as you pray for him, it is also good to remember that in addition to his office, your pastor is your brother in Christ also.&nbsp; He—like you—is living in this fallen world simultaneously as a sinner and a saint.&nbsp; It is safe to assume that he has all the same physical and spiritual needs that any other Christian has.&nbsp; Be sure to include these in your prayers as well.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8910036232775531253-7115755095339261918?l=lutheranwriter.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lutheranwriter.blogspot.com/2012/01/guest-post-from-robert-e-moeller-jr.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-6068415368702180901?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-guest-post-from-robert-e-moeller-jr.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-671342802140977536?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-40035642920063754412012-01-05T12:54:00.001-07:002012-01-05T12:54:18.807-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>FYI</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Crossway Blog<br><b>Posted on:</b> Thursday, January 05, 2012 7:01 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Ted Cockle<br><b>Subject:</b> 10 Day Special on All Crossway Ebooks</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Book lovers know there's nothing quite like a brand new stack of books. With crisp pages not yet turned for the first time, it's as if they're calling to you!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Those of you just now experimenting with a digital reader, have you experienced the same? Here's your chance to download a virtual stack of Crossway ebooks at a great price.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>For the next ten days every ebook will be priced at $5.99 or less on Crossway.org.</span></strong><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.crossway.org/EBKJAN" target="_self"><br>Browse</a> for the books that are calling to you and look for the ebook version in the &quot;Other Formats&quot; box. After the checkout process you can download your preferred format straight from your <a href="https://www.crossway.org/customer/bookshelf/">virtual bookshelf</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Blessings on your 2012 reading!<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=mrsocialsharing><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.crossway.org/blog/2012/01/crossway-ebook-special/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-6601796226897852481?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-10-day-special-on-all-crossway.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-4003564292006375441?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-84264482466760747242012-01-04T10:37:00.005-07:002012-01-04T10:37:39.414-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Big news…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> The Anglo-Catholic<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 01, 2012 9:13 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Christian Clay Columba Campbell<br><b>Subject:</b> The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.theanglocatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ordinariate_arms.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=314 height=448 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.theanglocatholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ordinariate_arms.jpg"></span></a>Under the protection of Our Lady of Walsingham and with Fr. Jeffrey Steenson as its first Ordinary. &nbsp;Go <a href="http://usordinariate.org/">here</a> to visit the Ordinariate's new web site.<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.theanglocatholic.com/2012/01/the-personal-ordinariate-of-the-chair-of-st-peter/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=the-personal-ordinariate-of-the-chair-of-st-peter">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-7746103585679995342?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-personal-ordinariate-of-chair-of-st.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-8426448246676074724?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-15509370894841828042012-01-04T10:37:00.003-07:002012-01-04T10:37:21.831-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Consider…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> PrayTellBlog<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 01, 2012 6:32 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Anthony Ruff, OSB<br><b>Subject:</b> Christmas always on Sunday?</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>How are you enjoying Christmas and New Years (or Mary, Mother of God) (or Holy Name of Jesus) (or World Day of Peace) falling on Sunday this year??<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Astrophysicist Richard Conn Henry and applied economist Steve Hanke propose a calendar where each date always falls on the same day of the week. Christmas could always be celebrated on a Sunday, for instance, and Memorial Day Monday could always be on May 28. Their calendar would make it easy to plan annual activities, from holidays to academic schedules to financial calculations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The pair says their calendar is different from other alternative calendars proposed in the past because it keeps each week at seven days. &quot;All of the major (other calendars) have involved breaking the seven-day cycle of the week, which is not acceptable to many people because it violates the Fourth Commandment about keeping the Sabbath Day,&quot; Henry says. &quot;Our version never breaks that cycle.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Read CNN on it <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/28/us/calendar-overhaul/?hpt=hp_c4" target="_blank">here</a>, and read the professors' article <a href="http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=13940" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The Second Vatican Council declared in <em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html" target="_blank">Sacrosanctum Concilium</a></span></em> that the Catholic Church &quot;does not oppose efforts designed to introduce a perpetual calendar into civil society. But among the various systems which are being suggested to stabilize a perpetual calendar and to introduce it into civil life, the Church has no objection only in the case of those systems which retain and safeguard a seven-day week with Sunday, without the introduction of any days outside the week, so that the succession of weeks may be left intact, unless there is question of the most serious reasons.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>My first reaction to the proposal? I like.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>awr<o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://www.praytellblog.com/index.php/2012/01/01/christmas-always-on-sunday/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-3349293940680979051?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-christmas-always-on-sunday.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-1550937089484182804?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-3291597071952092592012-01-04T10:37:00.001-07:002012-01-04T10:37:12.129-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Starke…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Pastoral Meanderings<br><b>Posted on:</b> Sunday, January 01, 2012 5:00 AM<br><b>Author:</b> <a href="mailto:noreply@blogger.com">noreply@blogger.com</a> (Pastor Peters)<br><b>Subject:</b> A Christmas hymn new to me...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.carthage.edu/assets/mediaman/art-gallery/Creche_Art-460px.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=156 height=200 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://www.carthage.edu/assets/mediaman/art-gallery/Creche_Art-460px.jpg"></span></a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>HT to Stephen Starke for this one...</span><o:p></o:p></p><h3><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Georgia","serif"'><a href="http://starkekirchenlieder.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-heart-would-ever-wander.html">My Heart Would Ever Wander</a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>(Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker)</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>1. My heart would ever wander</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>To where my Lord was born,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>My thoughts return to ponder</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>That humble stall forlorn:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>My faith there finds its treasure,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Its home of pure delight,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Its peace beyond all measure</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>This blessèd Christmas night.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>2. Palm branches I would scatter</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Around the place You lie.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>For You alone, Lord, matter;</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>For You, I live and die.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Come, let my soul be finding</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>The joy that makes me whole:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Yourself to me, Lord, binding</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Here, deep within my soul.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>3. Lord, come, each bolt removing;</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Unlock my heart and mind.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>My longing sighs are proving</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>The welcome You will find.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Your love my heart obtaining:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>You purchased it from sin,</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Thus evermore remaining--</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif"'>Your love, wrapped here within!</span></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6329600504016968888-2656928772810304640?l=pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://pastoralmeanderings.blogspot.com/2012/01/christmas-hymn-new-to-me.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-7826199882011916545?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-christmas-hymn-new-to-me.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-329159707195209259?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-38943188972735142022012-01-04T10:36:00.000-07:002012-01-04T10:37:02.916-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Walther…</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>&nbsp;</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>Feed:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Gnesio<br><b>Posted on:</b> Wednesday, January 04, 2012 9:42 AM<br><b>Author:</b> Gnesio<br><b>Subject:</b> The Worst Fault in Modern Preaching</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=first-child><span class=cap><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>T</span></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>he worst fault in modern preaching, my dear friends, is this, that the sermons lack point and purpose; and this fault can be noticed particularly in the sermons of modern preachers who are believers. While unbelieving and fanatical preachers have quite a definite aim, — pity, that it is not the right one! — believing preachers, as a rule, imagine that they have fully discharged their office, provided what they have preached has been the Word of God. That is about as correct a view as when a ranger imagines he has discharged his office by sallying forth with his loaded gun and discharging it into the forest; or as when an artilleryman thinks he has done his duty by taking up his position with his cannon in the line of battle and by discharging his cannon. Just as poor rangers and soldiers as these latter are, just so poor and useless preachers are those who have no plan in mind and take no aim when they are preaching. Granted their sermons contain beautiful thoughts; they do not, for that matter, take effect. They may occasionally make the thunders of the Law roll in their sermons, yet there is no lightning that strikes. Again, they may water the garden assigned to them with the fructifying waters of the Gospel, but they are pouring water on the beds and the paths of the garden indiscriminately, and their labor is lost.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Neither Christ nor the holy apostles preached in that fashion. When they had finished preaching, every hearer knew: He meant me, even when the sermon had contained no personal hints or insinuations. For instance, when our Lord Christ had delivered the powerful, awful parable of the murderous vine-dressers, the high priests and scribes confessed to themselves: He means us. When the holy Apostles Paul, on a certain occasion, had preached before the profligate and unjust Governor Felix concerning righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment to come, Felix perceived immediately that Paul was aiming his remarks ant him. He trembled, but being unwilling to be converted, he said to Paul: &quot;Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.&quot; But he never did call him. He had heard the sermon suited to his spiritual condition, and Paul's well-aimed remarks had struck home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The reason, then, my dear friends, why in the Lutheran congregations of our former home country Germany unbelieving preachers are nearly always in the ascendancy is unquestionably this: the sermons of the Christian preachers are aimless efforts. Unbelievers are increasing in the congregations about as fast as the Christian preachers are increasing, of whom there are considerably more now than when I was young. Why do they accomplish nothing? Oh, would to God that these dear men had the humility to sit down at Luther's feet and study his postils! They would learn how to preach effectively. For the Word of God, when preached as it should be, never returns void.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#888888'>from C.F.W. Walther, &quot;Law and Gospel, Twelfth Evening Lecture&quot; (December 12, 1884)</span></em><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>See also:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://gnesiolutheran.com/the-worst-fault-in-modern-preaching/" title="The Worst Fault in Modern Preaching…">The Worst Fault in Modern Preaching…</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://gnesiolutheran.com/advent-preaching-seminar/" title="Advent Preaching Seminar">Advent Preaching Seminar</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://gnesiolutheran.com/reflections-on-modern-lutheranism-c-1962/" title="Reflections on Modern Lutheranism c.1962">Reflections on Modern Lutheranism c.1962</a><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://gnesiolutheran.com/reflections-on-modern-lutheranism-circa-1962/" title="Reflections on Modern Lutheranism, circa 1962">Reflections on Modern Lutheranism, circa 1962</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ol></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://gnesiolutheran.com/the-worst-fault-in-modern-preaching-2/">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5654836433290347032-4668201965466609382?l=lhpfwd.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhpfwd.blogspot.com/2012/01/fw-worst-fault-in-modern-preaching.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-3894318897273514202?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-12204835484067811202011-12-30T17:25:00.001-07:002011-12-30T17:25:23.091-07:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td style='padding:.75pt .75pt .75pt .75pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6FsYwwuXtk4/TvuKkoDknQI/AAAAAAAABQA/LRIO_L70w0g/s1600/LHP+Hymnody+Resurgent+logo.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=231 height=320 id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6FsYwwuXtk4/TvuKkoDknQI/AAAAAAAABQA/LRIO_L70w0g/s320/LHP+Hymnody+Resurgent+logo.jpg"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>Reformed Praise. <i>Cross-Centered Worship.</i> Minnetonka, MN: Reformed Praise, 2005. Audio mp3 download album. $10. (CD available for $13.00.)&nbsp; <a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/">www.reformedpraise.org</a> (H)<br><br>Reformed Praise. <i>Merciful to Me.&nbsp;</i> Minnetonka, MN: Reformed Praise, 2010. Audio mp3 download album. $10. (CD available for $13.00.)&nbsp; <a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/">www.reformedpraise.org</a> (H)<br><br>Reformed Praise. <i>Amazing Love.&nbsp;</i> Minnetonka, MN: Reformed Praise, 2010. Audio mp3 download album. $10. (CD available for $13.00.)&nbsp; <a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/">www.reformedpraise.org</a> (H)<br><br><br>Our journey around the country observing the resurgence of hymnody in the Church continues in Minnesota! <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Our Mission<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id=box><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Reformed Praise exists to...<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Provide songs for corporate worship which are rich in theology, diverse in musical style, and centered on the gospel of grace, that our praise might be informed by Biblical truth.<br>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Promote the use of historic and modern hymns in corporate worship.<br>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Teach, write, and create other resources that the church might be built up in a Biblical understanding of worship and music.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>(RP Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>Allow me to introduce you to the three albums of Reformed Praise.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter" /> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" /> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" /> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" /> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" /> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" /> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" /> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" /> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" /> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" /> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" /> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" /> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" /> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" /> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" /> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:101.25pt;height:103.5pt;z-index:251658240;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/ccw_tiny.gif" /> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/ccw_tiny.gif" align=left v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Cross-Centered Worship</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> by David L. Ward, Released October 2005<o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The contemporary church is drowning in a sea of music that, at least in name, is designed for use in worship. The musical styles of this tidal wave represent almost every form of music imaginable: Eastern chant, African tribal music, classical, rock, blues, jazz, country, folk, and even "hard-core." This musical variety can be a good thing since modern recording technology has given us unprecedented access to enjoying the music of a huge variety of styles. The music that tugs at the heartstrings of people in a community, even in an individual family, can be very different. But should musical variety or style be the main distinguishing characteristic in worship music? What should set a particular song or arrangement of music apart in order for it to be called "worship" music? <o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>God gives us insight into how He wants music to be used in the church. He commands, "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). This passage teaches that worship songs should stir our emotions (thankfulness being the example in this passage) and be a means by which <i>God's Word</i> dwells richly within us. Worship songs should be written to be <i>musically moving</i> and <i>theologically gripping</i>. Successful worship music will meet both of these requirements by presenting a depth and breadth of biblical truth along with a musical style that is fit for congregation singing.<o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I would characterize the settings and instrumentation on this album as &quot;adult-contemporary rock,&quot; based on my radio station days. Percussion is light, yet basically unnecessary, in my opinion. I like hearing saxophone and piano.<br><br><b>Track two from this album is a &quot;Featured Song&quot; on their site. Take a listen...</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/lightning.jpg"></a></span></b><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/lightning.jpg" style='position:absolute;margin-left:-2.45pt;margin-top:0;width:48.75pt;height:75.75pt;z-index:251659264;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f" o:button="t"> <v:imagedata src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/lightning.jpg" /> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/lightning.jpg"><img border=0 src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/lightning.jpg" align=right v:shapes="_x0000_s1027"></a><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/lightning.jpg"></a></span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Featured Song</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><h4><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/songs/updatedhymns/by_grace_alone/">By Grace Alone</a><o:p></o:p></span></h4><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Reformed Praise presents Martin Luther's setting of Psalm 130 in a fresh, reflective, piano-driven setting suitable for a wide range of worship music styles.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I would use this new melody of &quot;From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee&quot; (cf. <i>LSB </i>607) next Ash Wednesday as the Hymn of the Day (with appropriate copyright permission, of course). That's about the highest compliment I can pay David Ward and Reformed Praise. This is the true gem of the first album.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> <br><br>&quot;God of Mercy&quot; transitions to light jazz. Acoustic guitar is featured on &quot;I Lay My Sins on Jesus.&quot; &quot;I Need You&quot; is mellow and reverent. The upbeat &quot;The Fountain of Grace&quot; recalls &quot;Depths of Mercy,&quot; track one. &quot;Ever to Obey You&quot; has an acoustic guitar accompaniment that reminds me of the sound of Caedmon's Call.<br><br>This initial album shows great promise in the simple idea of getting God's people to sing historic hymns by providing new (and often more singable tunes) that support Biblically-solid evangelical texts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/joshbuttram.jpg"><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/joshbuttram.jpg"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Amazing Love</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> by Josh Buttram, Released December 2010<br><br>We're proud to share an album which features several of our songs and some fantastic traditional hymn texts and tunes. Josh has done a great job casting these wonderful texts in an acoustic setting that is creative, tasteful, and fresh. Acoustic guitar leads the way on most of the arrangements, but be on the lookout for the occasional tasty electric guitar riff, mandolin, or pedal steel morsel.<br><br><br>Lyrics: <a href="http://jbamazinglove.blogspot.com/">http://jbamazinglove.blogspot.com</a><br><br>(RP website) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br>This album has a modern bluegrass feel. Vocals are pleasantly rough and rustic. Vocal harmonies add interest and beauty.<br><br>Some historic texts retain an historic tune: &quot;The Solid Rock,&quot; &quot;Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted,&quot; &quot;Rock of Ages,&quot; and &quot;My Shepherd Will Supply My Need.&quot;<br><br>&quot;Amazing Love (And Can It Be),&quot; &quot; Jesus, Priceless Treasure,&quot; &quot;How Sweet,&quot; &quot;Nearer,&quot; &quot;Depth of Mercy,&quot; and &quot;He Lives (I Know that My Redeemer Lives)&quot; get new David L. Ward tunes.&nbsp; <br><br><br><br>The third album shows maturing musicianship, vocals, and composition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br></span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1028" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:101.25pt;height:103.5pt;z-index:251660288;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/mercifultome-cover.jpg" /> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/mercifultome-cover.jpg" align=left v:shapes="_x0000_s1028"><![endif]><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Merciful to Me</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> by Reformed Praise, Released September 2010<br>"God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" These words, from the gospel of Luke, represent the disposition of the heart and the confession of the lips shared among all true followers of Jesus. When planted in the hearts of poets and musicians, this cry for mercy gives birth to songs of gratitude for the promise that God will answer it in Jesus. Though the lyricists and musicians behind these songs span the centuries, they are united in their desire to magnify the mercy of God shown to them in Jesus, the one who both satisfied the requirements of the law and bore the penalty for its transgression, in order that God might justly show mercy for all those who put their trust in Him.<br><br>"Merciful to Me" is a collection of songs whose texts and tunes are both old and new. While all of these songs are intended for congregational singing, they have been cast into many different styles of music. This reflects our conviction that worship music should be as stylistically diverse as the cultures of humanity. Our goal in singing our faith is that we might engage with the lyrics in our songs emotionally. This is why Reformed Praise so often writes fresh melodies for hymns even though they may already have a commonly used tune – the tune was usually written centuries ago and, in the opinion of many, does not fit the pathos of the lyrics. It is our hope by writing and recording worship songs that continue the legacy of centuries of Protestant hymnody, that we might reform the praise of the church by injecting heart-stirring melodies into theologically rich and gospel-saturated lyrics. (RP website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>The title track, &quot;Merciful to Me&quot; is quite endearing and memorable. The Eric Schumacher/David Ward original, &quot;There Is No Greater Portrait,&quot; focuses on the person and work of Christ, His work in winning for us and delivering to us the forgiveness of sins. The choral background is quite moving. &quot;Jesus I My Cross Have Taken&quot; is a Henry Lyte hymn of the theology of the cross in the life of a believer in Jesus.<br><br>&quot;O Jesus&quot; reinvents an old text with a peppy tune and rock arrangement. Amazingly, the words of the text come through clearly over the electric guitar. &quot;O God the Holy Spirit&quot; focuses on the person and work of God the Holy Spirit. This is a Ward original, both words and music. It is evidence of how the new tunes of modern hymnody use more of the melodic rhythms of CCM yet within the discipline of supporting a hymn text.<br><br><b>John Newton's &quot;Come Sinners View the Lamb of God&quot; is paired with an expressive new melody and refrain, &quot;So I Will Come,&quot; that deftly combines and contrasts our attributes (unworthy, helpless) with the attributes of God in Christ (mercy, righteousness, spotless) slain on the cross. The language of invitation is answered by &quot;I&quot; language that focuses on what Jesus has done for us rather than our response of faith. I would use this as an opening hymn or as special music in Lent.</b><br><br>Craig Johnson composed a new melody of Charles Wesley's &quot;Jesus, Lover of My Soul.&quot; Acoustic guitar, saxophone, and miltary-style snare drum provide inspiring musical support, transforming a text of child-like prayer for help into a more confident confession of faith and strength in Christ the Victor. This arrangement would work well on a Sunday with &quot;Onward, Christian Soliders.&quot;<br><br>The new tune and arrangement for &quot;The River&quot; reminded me of Petra from the early 90's. Hand drums are quite appropriate for the hopeful and faith-filled mood of the new tune for &quot;Glory Is Certain.&quot; Well done! &quot;There Is No Sin That I Have Done&quot; is another Schumacher/Ward original. The rest of the first sentence? &quot;....that has such height and breadth it can't be washed in Jesus' blood or covered by His death.&quot; Comforting in a practical way. &quot;O Weary Saint&quot; is an original text by the same pair to the familiar tune LOVE UNKNOWN.<br><br>Another John Newton text meets bluegrass in &quot;Begone, Unbelief!&quot; The Ward tune, arrangement, and instrumentation fits the joyful and confident faith of the text. &quot;Majestic Sweetness&quot; gets a light jazz piano arrangement of a Ward tune. The text puts Jesus' heavenly glory in the context of His cross for our rescue. I would love to hear the melody with brass at a much faster tempo.<br><br><br>Want to know or hear more? Visit the groups website through their &quot;Guide to Songs.&quot;<o:p></o:p></span></p><div id=box><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/category/songs/updatedhymns/">Updated Hymns</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Historic hymn texts, usually more than a hundred years old, set to new tunes.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/category/songs/modernhymns/">Modern Hymns</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>New texts, new tunes. They are called &quot;modern hymns&quot; because the lyrics have the same depth and format as historic hymns.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/category/songs/hymntexts/">Hymn Texts</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>New, old, and updated hymn texts for use with existing hymn tunes.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/category/songs/hymnarrangements/">Hymn Arrangements</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Historic lyrics and melodies set to contemporary chord progressions.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/tag/favorites/">Favorites</a><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><ul type=disc><ul type=circle><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l1 level2 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 id="_x0000_i1027" src="http://www.reformedpraise.org/wp-content/themes/reformedpraise/images/favorite.gif">Jump right to some of our most popular songs.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></ul></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><br>I personally want to hear more from Reformed Praise.<br><br>What specifically?<o:p></o:p></span></p><ol start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Many Christians are recovering (or retaining like our church body) even older hymns and liturgical texts from before the Reformation.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>How would Reformed Praise lead a service of Vespers or Evening Prayer with Psalm 141 and the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)?&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>What would a Reformed Praise Matins/Morning Prayer setting sound like with Psalm 95 and the Te Deum or Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)?&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Finally, I'd love to hear Compline/Prayer at Close of the Day with settings of verses from Psalms 92, 31, 102, 17, the Lord's Prayer, and the Nunc Dimittis (Luke 2:29-32).<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><br>Lutheran Christians and Reformed Christians have some honest differences in theology and practice, but I am grateful for edifying experimentation Reformed Praise is doing to recover classic hymnody, to add something new of their own to an enlivened and resurgent heritage of hymns.<br><br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times","serif";color:black'>Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of <i>QBR</i>.</span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6565397985954299937-4408012885785466638?l=lhplbr.blogspot.com"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><a href="http://lhplbr.blogspot.com/2011/12/hymnody-resurgent-minnesota.html">View article...</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7551082965738174742-1220483548406781120?l=lhpqbr.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Paul Cainhttps://profiles.google.com/103419894377562405410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7551082965738174742.post-42822065861391892692011-12-30T15:55:00.000-07:002011-12-30T15:55:03.156-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYh6wsYh70c/Tb8o8trcDpI/AAAAAAAABIU/WYqIo0w_mQg/s1600/LHP+Liturgy+Hymnody+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NYh6wsYh70c/Tb8o8trcDpI/AAAAAAAABIU/WYqIo0w_mQg/s320/LHP+Liturgy+Hymnody+logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Blessed Is the Man: A Man's Journey Through the Psalms (Psalms of Lament)</i>. St. Louis: Concordia, 2010. 226 Pages. Paper. $9.99. <a href="http://www.cph.org/">http://www.cph.org/</a> (LHP)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Faithfulness: Selections from The Book of Psalms for Worship</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">. Pittsburgh: Crown &amp; Covenant Publications, 2011. Audio CD. $15.00. <a href="http://www.crownandcovenant.com/">www.crownandcovenant.com</a> (H)<i>&nbsp;</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Hallel: Selections from The Book of Psalms for Worship</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">. Pittsburgh: Crown and Covenant Publications, 2011. Audio CD. $15.00. <a href="http://www.crownandcovenant.com/">www.crownandcovenant.com</a> (H)</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The Board of Education and Publication of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. <i>The Book of Psalms for Worship</i> <i>(Fifth Printing, slightly revised)</i>. Pittsburgh: Crown &amp; Covenant Publications, 2010/2011. 590 Pages. Cloth. $19.00. <a href="http://www.crownandcovenant.com/">www.crownandcovenant.com</a> <a href="http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2010/11/hymnody-review-psalms.html">http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2010/11/hymnody-review-psalms.html</a> (H) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The Revised Grail Psalms. </i>Chicago: GIA Publications, 2010. Paper. 327 Pages. $11.95. <a href="http://www.giamusic.com/">www.giamusic.com</a> (LH)</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Steele, Roland. <i>Psalter Cycle A</i>. Corpus Christi, TX: Roland Publishing, 2006. Spiral Bound. $29.95. <a href="http://www.rolandpublishing.com/">www.rolandpublishing.com</a>&nbsp; (LH)&nbsp; <br /><br />Steele, Roland. <i>Psalter Cycle B</i>. Corpus Christi, TX: Roland Publishing, 2006. Spiral Bound. $29.95. <a href="http://www.rolandpublishing.com/">www.rolandpublishing.com</a> </span><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp; (LH)&nbsp; <br /><br />Steele, Roland. <i>Psalter Cycle C</i>. Corpus Christi, TX: Roland Publishing, 2004. Spiral Bound. $29.95. <a href="http://www.rolandpublishing.com/">www.rolandpublishing.com</a>&nbsp; (LH)&nbsp; </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Psalms.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">They are the prayerbook of the Bible and the Church's first Hymnal.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">And I think we need to sing them more. We should pray them more.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Not only does the Psalter tie us to the Israelite Church of the Old Testament, but we join in praying with our Lord and His disciples and the Church of every age, especially, but not limited to Martin Luther himself.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">First up is one of four volumes in a series on the Psalms for men.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cph.org/images/Product/medium/203469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.cph.org/images/Product/medium/203469.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: small;">Real Men. Real Stories. Real Savior.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">Who is this product for?</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Real men who want to know a real Savior. With the help of this devotional Bible study, you can create a comfortable, yet challenging, place for men to be men, as they live according to God’s purposes. </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">What does this provide for you?</span> <br /><span style="font-size: small;">• Real stories written by real men. These remarkable stories connect to God’s Word with an in-depth study of the Psalms.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">• A daily look at Scripture. This study gives a structured study plan for men to follow.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">• An opportunity for fellowship in an authentic, natural atmosphere.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: bold;">What is it?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Men, take this journey together through Blessed Is the Man to discover how Christ your Savior builds your character and integrity through His Word. You will read real stories from other men sharing how they deal with the realities of daily life and the challenges and opportunities they face. This study helps you live out the greatest adventure every man is given: a life rooted in God’s Word and anchored in blessings of Christ.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Session 1: Psalm 44</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Session 2: Psalm 74</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Session 3: Psalm 77</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Session 4: Psalm 80</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Session 5: Psalm 83</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Session 6: Psalm 90</span><br /><div><span style="font-size: small;">Be sure to stop by our ministry partner, The Men's Network, to learn how to build a successful men's ministry at <a href="http://www.lhmmen.com/">www.lhmmen.com</a>. (publisher's website)</span></div></blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">Take six weeks and study through the psalms of lament on your own, or with a group of men at your congregation. Study a psalm a week.&nbsp; Each week begins with the full psalm in ESV. Daily study segments include a portion of the psalm, a meditation, prayer, and study questions. Each week concludes with Luther's commentary on the psalm and a two-page reproducible group Bible study.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Authors are Lutheran and it shows! Readers are directed to Christ in the Word and the Sacraments. They include a seminary professor, a pastor, a seminarian, an LCMS Congressman, and very knowledgeable and active lay Lutheran Christians.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I particularly appreciated the helps for men's ministry (especially the glossary at the end) and Dr. Biermann's Introduction to the Psalms.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">All four volumes in the series are now on sale. I recommend that you invest in at least one for 2012.</span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Other Items in the series</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-1464-Blessed-Is-the-Man-Psalms-of-Divine-Wisdom.aspx">Blessed Is the Man: Psalms of Divine Wisdom</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-12413-Blessed-Is-the-Man-Psalms-of-Praise.aspx">Blessed Is the Man: Psalms of Praise</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-1472-Blessed-Is-the-Man-Psalms-of-the-Messiah.aspx">Blessed Is the Man: Psalms of the Messiah</a></span></blockquote><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We were pleased to receive two more CDs of recordings of selections from <i>The Book of Psalms for Worship</i> (and the latest edition of that Psalter). In addition, we would like to feature a new version of the Grail Psalter and three volumes of Psalm settings intended for use in liturgical churches.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-size: small;">Our original review of <i>The Book of Psalms for Worship&nbsp; </i>(hereafter <i>BPW</i>)<i> </i>is one of <i>QBR</i>'s most popular blog posts (<a href="http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2010/11/hymnody-review-psalms.html">http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2010/11/hymnody-review-psalms.html</a>; See also <a href="http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2011/04/liturgy-and-hymnody-review-psalms-hymns.html">http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2011/04/liturgy-and-hymnody-review-psalms-hymns.html</a>) </span></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9JfKaTCO9wA/Ti3e9qsYTjI/AAAAAAAABKg/S2GOj25448A/s1600/Hallel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9JfKaTCO9wA/Ti3e9qsYTjI/AAAAAAAABKg/S2GOj25448A/s320/Hallel.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;">Hallel&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">During the Last Supper, Christ and his disciples celebrated the Passover meal, which traditionally includes the singing of the Hallel, Psalms 113-118. When Matthew records that "after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives," that hymn is understood to be from the Hallel.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">New Song, a music ministry group from Geneva College, perform psalms 113-118 from the Book of Psalms for Worship.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.crownandcovenant.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/hallel%20lyrics.pdf">You can download the lyrics from Hallel here.</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">(Publisher's website) </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">Of the tunes used for these psalms in <i>BPW</i>, only two are familiar to Lutherans: HENDON (113A, <i>LSB </i>784) and ST. ANNE (115, <i>LSB </i>733). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">If I were to share but one critique, I may urge a more limited use of vibrato in singing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">How could these Psalms be more profitably used?&nbsp;</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">As special Offertories sung by choir and/or for&nbsp;</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Lent</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Holy Week</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Maundy Thursday</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">any Divine Service</span></li></ul></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Graduals or Introits</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Choir Anthems</span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Tim and Kaylee McCracken return for a second recording of music from <i>The Book of Psalms for Worship</i> in <i>Faithfulness</i>.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0Ja0T-9X3A/Ti3fBkf5IaI/AAAAAAAABKk/2QdN2mYqRZ0/s1600/Faithfulness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="289" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0Ja0T-9X3A/Ti3fBkf5IaI/AAAAAAAABKk/2QdN2mYqRZ0/s320/Faithfulness.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">The CD includes psalms 1A, 13B, 23A, 28A, 40B, 47C, 59B, 67C, 68A, 99A, 100E, 102C, 103A, 104C, 107I, 117B, 119N, 128B, 131B, and 132B.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">(Publisher's website)</span></blockquote><span style="font-size: small;">Psalm 1A is particularly memorable when sung to ELLACOME. CLEVELAND's soulful tune shows the hope evident in Psalm 13B. St. COLUMBA worthily supports a more literal version of Psalm 23A. Mozart's AMADEUS provides a wonderful opportunity for a choir to share Psalm 28A with a congregation.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I found Psalm 47C to be delightful because of the familiar tune (though not one included in our hymnal) and Psalm 67C was an appropriate choice for the vigorous tune THAXTED. ARNSBERG was another particularly well-chosen tune for the text of Psalm 99A, as was ASH GROVE for "The Trees of the Lord," Psalm 104C, and Psalm 119N, "Your Word's a Lamp," with TALLIS' CANON.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">I could go on and on, but let this suffice for my recommendation of <i>Faithfulness</i>, a CD worth listening to again and again, yet also a model of singing the psalms and a motivation for listeners to do so!</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gIzKKDHhPfQ/TOLB4pSOqbI/AAAAAAAAA_A/1vxW-F5A_eg/s400/Psalms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gIzKKDHhPfQ/TOLB4pSOqbI/AAAAAAAAA_A/1vxW-F5A_eg/s320/Psalms.jpg" width="210" /></a></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">In a 2011 Fifth Printing, <i>The Book of Psalms for Worship</i> was slightly revised according to the recommendations of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">In brief:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">Psalms 19C, 47C, 150C, and 150D were removed</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"> Psalm 24B was revised</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">Psalm 136D was added</span></li></ul><span style="font-size: small;">Why? I can only give educated guesses.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The deletion of Psalms 19C and 150D may have been done due to copyright issues with the tunes. </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Psalm 24B has been shortened. It no longer has a two-system five-fold Hallelujah and triple Amen.</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The addition of Psalm 136D gives singers a version of all twenty-six verses of the psalm in seven stanzas set to LLANFAIR.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">The fifth printing and previous editions may be used profitably together in the same setting with these differences noted.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;">How have I made use of The Book of Psalms for Worship as a Lutheran Christian pastor?</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Here is a work-in-progress, a chart to use the Psalms in a Lutheran way:</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> 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mso-style-unhide:no; mso-tstyle-border-insideh:cell-none; mso-tstyle-border-insidev:cell-none;}</style><![endif]--><br /><div align="center" class="Default" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: black;">LSB</span></i><span style="color: black;"> ThreeYear Psalm Index <i>by Liturgical Date</i></span></span></div><div class="Default"><br /></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableMediumShading1Accent2" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: medium none;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(192, 80, 77); border-color: rgb(207, 123, 121) -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121); border-style: solid none solid solid; border-width: 1pt medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Psalm</span></span></div></td> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(192, 80, 77); border-color: rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Liturgical Date</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(239, 211, 210); border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121); border-style: none none solid solid; border-width: medium medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Ps. 122</span></b></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(239, 211, 210); border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Advent 1 A </span></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121); border-style: none none solid solid; border-width: medium medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Ps. 80:1-7</span></b></span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Advent 1 B</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(239, 211, 210); border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121); border-style: none none solid solid; border-width: medium medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Ps. 25:1-10</span></b></span></div></td> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(239, 211, 210); border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Advent 1 C</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121); border-style: none none solid solid; border-width: medium medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black;">Ps. 72:1-7</span></b></span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"> <div class="Default"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Advent 2 A</span></span></div></td> </tr><tr> <td style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% rgb(239, 211, 210); border-color: -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color rgb(207, 123, 121) rgb(207, 123, 121); border-style: none none solid solid; border-width: medium medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319