Tuesday, July 10, 2012

A Convention Resolution for You Enthusiasts Out There

I heard this convention resolution read on Table Talk Radio. I’m not sure if it was adopted.


Resolution 1-01

To Fully Express the Presence of the Holy Spirit in Our Hearts, and to Affirm that He Speaks Clearly Through District and Synodical Conventions

WHEREAS, We love Jesus, He loves us, and He promised to send His Holy Spirit, and

WHEREAS, Lutherans insist the Spirit promises to work through means, especially the Word, including the spoken words at convention microphones, and

WHEREAS, majority vote at convention obviously gives clear confession and concrete expression of the Spirit’s voice which ultimately began in our hearts and spoke through our mouths, and

WHEREAS, those who unfortunately spoke contrary to a past resolution during the debate held prior to its being passed were necessarily speaking against the voice of the Spirit, and

WHEREAS, speaking blasphemy against the Spirit is an unforgivable sin proceeding from the mouth of the devil himself, and

WHEREAS, the devil can be silenced by eliminating his voice, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the persons or person who spoke against the passed resolution and especially this one, and or voted against it should be excommunicated, stoned, and then burned at the stake, and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the delegates who were actually filled with the Holy Spirit, having voted for the passed resolution joyfully stand and sing the doxology during said burning.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

This one is over the top, and frankly, not all that humorous. It makes me very uneasy.

Joe Strieter

Anonymous said...

Joe -

One of those parodies that comes too close to reality for comfort?

Timothy C. Schenks said...

I thought this one was an extreme waste of my time to read, enough that I will waste even more time complaining to you about it. Shame on Table Talk Radio. I'm listening to The God Whisperers from now on...

Anonymous said...

No, Dan--not too close to reality for comfort, but too close to blasphemy for comfort. What possible good can come from this bogosity? It's patently offensive.

Joe Strieter

Anonymous said...

I read it as an analysis of a bad idea by taking it to its logical conclusion, which, it just so happens, is patently offensive.

Mike Brown

Scott Diekmann said...

Wow Pastor Schenks, you are really getting desperate. Plus, you're going to cut the TTR listenership in half! ;>)

Joe, I should have just posted this quote of Dr. Weinrich, which I think makes a similar point as the bogus resolution:
"With an increasing consistency the LCMS refers to itself, the CTCR, its synodical resolutions to argue issues that are the common possession of the church universal. The claim that synodical resolutions testify to what the LCMS holds the Bible (and the Confessions) to say is at once the stuff of all organizations and the stuff of sects."
I don't find the whole "stand and sing the doxology" concept too far out of line with reality, considering the Michigan District's hijacking of the Doxology. You can also imagine my own uneasiness as I remained seated as ~360 other delegates rose "in gratitude and thanksgiving for the ministry of our Licensed Deacons," as the resolution text read. I wonder if the delegates were filled with the Holy Spirit as they once again voted to abrogate AC XIV.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Dr. Weinrich, and identify with your uneasiness and seatedness. I don't know what you mean by Michigan District's hijacking of the Doxology, by the way. But I still find the "resolution" you posted unneccessary and offensive. Better to have posted Dr. Weinrich's quote, and your experience, as well as whatever the Michigan District did. Your point would have been just as well made.

Joe Strieter

Scott Diekmann said...

In defense of Pastors Wolfmueller and Goeglein, I don't think their reading of this farcical resolution on air (which somebody else wrote), was intended as some kind of commentary on the synod - it was read as a joke, which I thought was funny. That is the context. In my own defense, I offer no defense. This blog isn't written with the purpose of seeing how many readers I can attract - if it were I'd have a lot more readers. It isn't written to see how pious I can sound - there's plenty of those kinds of blogs out there already. If it's true pastoral piety that you're looking for, there's some really good blogs referenced in the BLOG ROLL section of the right sidebar. It isn't carefully written to avoid this or that criticism from District Presidents or anybody else. It is written to expose threats to confessional Lutheranism, proclaim the Gospel, and even have some fun once in a while. Not everybody will appreciate that or agree with the way I go about it. That's one of the hazards in choosing to write, and it's one of the hazards in choosing to read as well.

Timothy C. Schenks said...

And a little late...but I'm not a pastor. :)