Lost, Insolvent Beggars

"Accordingly, we poor sinners praise God for the place of refuge He has prepared for us, where we can flee even when we have to come to Him as utterly lost, insolvent beggars, who have not the least ability to offer to God something that they have achieved. All that we can offer Him is our sins, nothing else."

C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, (St. Louis: CPH, 1986) 332-333.

photo credit: Hamed Parham

We’ve Lost the Vocabulary of Scripture

Quoting Pastor Todd Wilken from the March 23rd Issues, Etc. segment on the Catechumenate with Dr. Kent Burreson:

Think about how the Scriptures describe the movement from unbeliever to believer. You know nowadays we just have this category “unchurched” and “churched.” How barren, how empty, how hollow a way of thinking about the move from what Scripture says is “death to life,” “enemy of God” to “friend of God,” “sons of wrath” to “those who have been shown mercy,” “kingdom of darkness” to “kingdom of light,” and we in the modern Church say “churched” and “unchurched?” How vacuous. Maybe that’s part of the problem.

We’ve lost the vocabulary of Scripture when it comes to the difference between the Church and the world. And having forfeited the vocabulary of Scripture in these things we think more like the world about these things. Well, it’s just a sociological category, you’re unchurched or your churched. And we are poorer for it. And in fact, we may be through our empty ways of bringing people into quote unquote membership or attendance into the twenty-first century Church not so much making Christians, or disciples, but simply making members, associates. What’s another term that they might use, clients? Who knows. When the Scripture speaks of it as going from death to life, from being an enemy to God to being reconciled to God, sons of wrath to sons of mercy, darkness to light, it means that these are not just metaphors, these are the truth of what it means to go from unbelief to belief, from the world to the Church and the body of Christ. Do we need it? Of course we need it. And if we lose it, what we lose is perhaps the Church itself.

photo credit: monkeyc 2

On My Heart Imprint Your Image

On my heart imprint Your image,
Blessed Jesus, King of grace,
That life's riches, cares, and pleasures
Never may Your work erase;
Let the clear inscription be:
Jesus, crucified for me,
Is my life, my hope's foundation,
And my glory and salvation!

LSB # 422

photo credit: Loci Lenar

God, I Don't Understand...

Don't we all wonder what's going on some days? I know God's got a plan, but why doesn't He send me an email and let me know what it is? Lauren Malthaner, a college student and fellow Lutheran, asks a similar question in the following video, and provides a Scriptural answer.



Lauren's video appeared on her blog Irrefutable Love, the post titled "Sticky Notes for A College Student." Her Scripture references are Isaiah 43:2, Titus 3:4-5, Ephesians 3:18-19, 2 Corinthians 12:9, and Philippians 4:7.

We Cannot Depart from Pure Doctrine

Quoting C.F.W. Walther:

We know quite well that it is the duty of every individual Christian to be faithful to the truth, but thousands of simple Christians cannot see through the lies of false teachers. They simply cling to Christ in faith. Even though, by the grace of God, we have the full truth, yet we do not consider ourselves one whit better than others, we claim no better heaven, instead we rejoice over the fact that someday we will be saved together with them. But we cannot depart from pure doctrine. Woe to us, if we do not firmly cling to it! "To whom much is given, of him shall much be required." With great joy we can bear the insults that our opponents may heap upon us because of this.

Quoted from C.F.W. Walther, Essays for the Church, Vol. 1 (St. Louis: Concordia, 1992) 108.

Quotable Blog Quotes #7

Quotable Quotes From Around the Blogosphere

Cyberstones
Pastor Dave Petersen

But here was the interesting thing: under the [Third] article that is labeled " Sanctification" there is nothing about good works. The Holy Spirit sanctifies His Church through the Gospel, through the communion of Holy Things, by the Forgiveness of sins, for the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. No call to good works here.

I know: it is obvious. But you'd be sadly surprised how many pastors think the only way to increase the good works of their people is to preach the Law. In fact, the preaching of the Law increases sins, not good works. So if you want the people to do more good works: preach more Gospel, forgive them. That is how the Holy Spirit does it. And that is what the Apostles' Creed confesses.

Mercy Journeys With Pastor Harrison
Pastor Matt Harrison

It's the kind of paper that people who like these kind of papers will like.

thinking out loud
Pastor Rick Stuckwisch

Life is a battlefield when the Kingdom of God invades the devil's stomping grounds. So, too, because Christ Jesus has been baptized to be your Champion and your Savior, He is immediately driven by the Spirit of God from the waters of His Baptism into the wilderness, there to be tempted by Satan and to engage that wicked foe in a strange and dreadful contest. Thus, the Son of David goes out to meet a bigger, badder Goliath than this world has ever dreamed of.

The wilderness is where Christ contends with Satan, because the wilderness is where you are tested and trained. The wilderness is where fallen sinners learn how to live in Paradise again. It is the long stretch between Egypt and Canaan. It is where you are taught to live in the Kingdom of God by faith. To that end, it is in the wilderness that you are called to repent and believe the Gospel, but it is especially at those two points that you are tempted by the devil.


Laughing Martin
I. M. Abaldy II

If your pastor is too busy teaching and promoting non-Lutheran studies and/or planning his next creative praise service or chancel melodrama to teach and practice the Confessions and good Lutheran theology, then you need to go find a pastor who is Lutheran. Continuing to support a man who is derelict in his duty is not beneficial to anyone--yourself included. This is especially true for someone who would have no problem finding such a pastor within reasonable travel time and distance. (Is an hour too long to travel for the Bread of Life? Two hours?) To support such pastors while solid, faithful men are being starved and thrown out and their congregations closed or overwhelmed is not healthy for the church or for you.

Click HERE to continue reading >>

President Kieschnick and the LCMS BOD, Let Your “Yes” Be “Yes.”

Two weeks ago today Pastor Tim Rossow and I sent a letter to President Kieschnick regarding the trademark dispute petition, which was received, along with 76 pages worth of your signatures and comments. We have yet to hear back from him. The letter reads as follows:

March 7, 2009

Rev. Dr. Gerald R. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
International Center
1333 S. Kirkwood Road
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295


Dear President Kieschnick:

We represent the 2000+ signatories of the Issues, Etc. trademark petition, a copy of which is attached, along with the signatures themselves.

While it appears that the immediate threat of continued legal action against Pastor Wilken and Mr. Jeff Schwarz has ceased, and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod has dropped its objection to the trademark application for the Issues, Etc. name filed by Mr. Harry Madsen, there is more work that needs to be done before this matter is resolved.

To better explain, we would appreciate it if you would first read through the following comments, which are a representative sampling of comments taken from the petition:

• President Kieschnick and the LCMS Board... I have tried to put the best construction on everything as I try to understand why you would pursue this action. It seems to give the wrong impression of your intensions. I can think of no good reason, no purposeful or meaningful reason that this action is in the best interest of your neighbor or even yourself. Just let it go.
  
• I find myself being more ashamed of my beloved LC-MS each passing month. This use of lawyers to "handle" Christian issues is unforgivable and the synodical president is personally responsible by virtue of his office.
• This action by the LCMS Synod saddens me. It runs contrary to the interest of serving our neighbor. This action leads me to think LCMS is only concerned with the preservation of self rather than the Gospel.
• Dear Bishop Kieschnick, Although I am a Catholic, I believe that Issuesetc and its staff do wonderful work in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all while also presenting a very favorable picture of the LCMS. I would request that you withdraw any attempts to interfere with the programming of the group. It makes you appear petty and vindicative. Sincerely, Steve Griffin

Click HERE to continue reading >>

Issues, Etc., the Metaphor

One final audio clip of Pastor Wilken: Called to preach the unchanging truth of the Gospel.




The Metaphor

Everybody’s left, the lights are turned down, and we’re just sweeping up the mess. It’s been a busy week. I’m thankful that you stopped by one last time.

What is it about Issues, Etc. that attracts us anyway? Is it the topics? Certainly, they touch on the great questions of our time, as well as delve into the past as it relates to the present. But that’s not quite it is it?

Why did people protest so vehemently when the show was previously canceled? Is it the guests? They certainly have guests who rival any show on the radio or elsewhere, but I don’t think that’s it either.

Why would people bother to sign petitions – even people from other denominations? Is it the host? Pastor Wilken is a great guy and superb at what he does, but I don’t think that’s exactly it.

You know what I think it is? I think it’s because what the show really offers is what people really thirst for, and that something is the truth. Truth is in short supply in our world. It isn’t manufactured, so you can’t buy it. You usually can’t find it on the television, so you can’t watch it. But truth does exist, and it’s found spoken, through plain ordinary words. It’s most often found spoken from the lips of God’s called servants of the Word, faithfully laboring in a pulpit on Sunday mornings, but sometimes on other days too. Sometimes even on the radio, or on the internet.

The Samaritan woman at the well didn’t know exactly what it was she was looking for, but yet she knew she had found it. People today often don’t know what they’re looking for either, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, they know it when they’ve found it, or more properly, when they’ve been called. When they find it, they rejoice. They’ve found what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined.

People thirst for the water of life that only Jesus Christ can provide. They search for water that is pure. Issues, Etc. is one source of that pure water. From the lips of Pastor Wilken and his guests flows that pure water, the Word of God that is the power of God to grant forgiveness to fallen sinners. They find spoken the Confession of the one catholic Church – the same Confession spoken by our fathers and their fathers before them.

Click HERE to continue reading >>

The CAnniversaryTM Celebration, Day 7

Welcome to Day 7!

Coming tomorrow on Day 8 - just kidding. Seven days is enough already.

Today's guest introductions:

The last treats, including lots of great bump music, a clip of Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, more "outtakes," and Pastor Todd Wilken:

Guest Blogger Pastor Todd Wilken

You all know Pastor Todd Wilken, so I'm going to skip the intro and platitudes, and get right to it.

Here's a couple of clips of Pastor Wilken to get things rolling:

A Very Good Thing

for March 18, 2009
by Todd Wilken

“Well gentlemen, I’ll get right to the point. The purpose of the meeting is to let you know that after --believe me-- a great deal of consideration, it’s my decision to discontinue the Issues, Etc. radio show, meaning the elimination of both your positions.

“‘Terminate’ is a harsh word, but that’s the meaning of ‘eliminate the positions.’

“And it’s a very difficult thing to do. At times it almost makes you sick, but that’s the decision that’s been arrived at.”

We knew it couldn’t last. And we were right. It lasted only until holy Tuesday, March 18, 2008.

Jeff had always told me, “The best thing that could happen to Issues, Etc. would be if someone were stupid enough to cancel the show.” And, as he has been so many times over the last 15 years, Jeff was right.

Luther was right too: “Where God's Word is preached, accepted, or believed and produces fruit, there the holy Cross cannot be missing.” (LC, III, 70)

But remember, in Jesus, the holy Cross isn’t a bad thing; it’s a good thing.

What do I mean?

Was the cancelation of Issues, Etc. on March 18, 2008 a bad thing? Yes, it was. Did it disappoint and hurt many? Yes, it did. Did it prove to be a debacle for LCMS Inc. and KFUO? Yes, it did.

Luther also said, “A theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. A theologian of the Cross calls the thing what it actually is.”

Click HERE to continue reading >>