Quotable Blog Quotes #3

Quotable Quotes From Around the Blogosphere

The Brothers of John the Steadfast
Pastor Todd Wilken

Grammatically, the word ablaze seems to fall into the category of adjectives that can only be used predicatively, that is, as a complement to a noun, linked to it by a form of the verb "to be." In other words, the adjective ablaze will always come at the end of a phrase like "the building is ablaze" and never before the word it modifies, "the ablaze building." Ablaze is like some other a- words, such as astray, adrift, afraid, alone, aghast, ashamed and asleep.

A Little Leaven
Chris Rosebrough

Just in case you have a close encounter of the Klingon kind, there is a now a Klingon Language Version (KLV) Bible that you can use to share the gospel. We probably shouldn't be complaining because this thing actually looks far more accurate than The Message.

Father Hollywood
Rev. Larry L. Beane II, SSP

There is an increasing secularization of the Church - which brings with it the baggage of marketing. And that marketing is impossible without joining the world's chorus of "change for change's sake" - not only driving a wedge between style (lex orandi) and substance (lex credendi), but actually downplaying doctrine for the sake of popular appeal. This is precisely why churches - even in the once-conservative Missouri Synod - are being pushed by their own leadership ("executives") into abandoning tradition (from the Latin: "traditio" from "trado" - to hand over) in favor of mass-marketing and entertainment.

As the synodical president has said in his oft-repeated slogan: "This is not your grandfather's church."

This explains the proliferation of not only megachurches and "contemporary" services, but also niche congregations that seek only certain segments of the population, such as the young, or those who like heavy-metal music, or those who connect with coffee-shop culture. This explains why the cookie-cutter "emergent" model is being pushed from above (the corporate headquarters) - an approach to "doing church" that features pop music, a rejection of clerical vestments and traditional church architecture, a desire to appeal to pop culture, and a downplaying of the mysterious working of the holy sacraments ("emerging" churches within the LCMS will defend their infrequent communion by an appeal to the number of visitors who attend their entertaining services).

We are a church at war with our ancestors.

Necessary Roughness
Dan discussing the proposed restructuring in the LCMS

A synod is a group of members or congregations who agree. They are either in agreement or not; they cannot agree with "binding force." If this is "walking together," it must look like a three-legged race.

thinking-out-loud
Rev. Rick Stuckwisch

To be "liturgical" means that faith and life derive from and return to the Word and work of Christ: where two or three of His baptized little ones are gathered together "in His Name," that is, gathered together by and for His Word of the Gospel. Being "liturgical," therefore, means giving attention to the faithful preaching of Christ and to the faithful administration of His body and blood to His disciples. These are the chief duties of the pastoral office, to which every pastor is called and ordained by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Which is why I am quite honored to be and to be called a "liturgical guy," and why I assume that each of my colleagues in the Office of the Holy Ministry is also a "liturgical guy."

Where we differ in our use of rites, rubrics, ceremonies, hymns and traditions, there we should be asking each other (and challenging ourselves) how we might better serve our respective congregations and the Church on earth. How may we confess the faith and love the brethren more faithfully and clearly? Where does the freedom of the Gospel commend us to charity, so that differences in fasting do not divide the body of Christ? Where does love compel us to call a brother to repentance for the sake of winning that brother, and that the Gospel may everywhere abound? Where must each of us repent and do better? These are the questions of a "liturgical guy."

A comment on the Wittenberg Trail
Matthew Pancake

This is the disturbing trend I'm seeing: The alter is below the "stage". This is common in Lutheran versions of "epic" worship or whatever they are calling it.

See, I don't have a problem with "contemporary" worship when it's done in Churches where they don't believe in Sacraments or the Real Presence. In those situations, they are merely having a concert with a lecture afterwards. But for Lutherans, we desecrate the sacred space. We put a band right up there and have them do their thing rather than have the pastor in God's space doing what is way more important.

Mercy Journeys With Pastor Harrison

Pastor Harrison’s wry humor showing through. The entire post consists of his "headline" "We learn from history that we do not learn from history," along with an image of Hegel.

Slice of Laodicea
Ingrid Schlueter

Ingrid, remarking on the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) beef eating protest that indulged in a mock barbecue of a human in downtown Milwaukee:

Awwww. Think of all those cow families missing a member tonight because you went to Arby’s. The pathos of the empty barn stall. I am going to have to go get a hanky, hold on…