Christmas from the Lutheran Confessions

From the blog of William Weedon, via CyberBrethren, a Lutheran Blog.

And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary – Apostles’ Creed

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. — Nicene Creed

But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man. He is God, begotten of the substance of His Father before all ages; and He is man, born of the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity. Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of divinity into flesh but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one another, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. — Athanasian Creed

Our Churches teach that the Word, that is the Son of God, assumed the human nature in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So there are two natures – the divine and the human – inseparably joined in one person. There is one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary… – Augsburg Confession

The human nature is assumed by the Word into the unity of His person. — Apology to the Augsburg Confession

The Son became man in this manner: He was conceived, without the cooperation of man, by the Holy Spirit, and was born of the pure, holy, [and ever] Virgin Mary. — Smalcald Articles

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord… – Small Catechism

We see how completely He has poured forth Himself and withheld nothing from us. – Large Catechism

So we believe, teach, and confess that Mary conceived and bore not merely a man and no more, but God’s true Son. Therefore she is rightly called and truly is “the mother of God.” – Formula of Concord

On account of the personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, did not bear a mere man. But, as the angel Gabriel testifies, she bore a man who is truly the Son of the most high God. He showed His divine majesty even in His mother’s womb, because He was born of a virgin without violating her virginity. Therefore, she is truly the mother of God and yet has remained a virgin. – Formula of Concord

Consider this majesty, to which Christ has been exalted according to His humanity. He did not first receive it when He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. He received it when He was conceived in His mother’s womb and became man, and the divine and human natures were personally united with each other. – Formula of Concord

He employed this mode of presence when He left the closed grave and came through the closed doors, in the bread and wine in the Supper, and as people believe, when He was born in His mother. – Formula of Concord

Birth of Jesus Foretold, Luke

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed [2] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” [3] 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” [4]

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born [5] will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant [6] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. ESV on line

Isn't that just the lovliest passage? This Advent season our whole church is listening to Handel's Messiah. We have personal devotional booklets, Wednesday and Thursday services at which the music is played, and small groups like my Monday book group, are pausing their usual order to focus on this wonderful story.

Yesterday a group from the Visual Arts Ministry drove to Akron, Ohio to visit the new museum just opened about 2 years ago, and to see "Familiar Faces:
Chuck Close in Ohio Collections." I've seen a lot of art shows in the last 50 years, but nothing quite like this. His style is photorealism based on a grid system and he uses all media--etchings, linoleium block, paper pulp, photography, finger prints in ink, lithograph, silkscreen, etc. Close works with faces, which is odd, because he has a disability that prevents him from recognizing faces, prosopagnosia, and since 1988 he has been confined to a wheelchair with very limited mobility, using a braced arm to hold his brush.

Close's disabilities require him to break down the whole into manageable parts. Handel's vision is somewhat like that. And any separate part of the Messiah is lovely. Together they are magnificient. On the way to Akron, we listed to the entire first part of Handel's Messiah. It was a glorious sunny day--a wonderful trip. On the way back to Columbus, we listened to a disc of different Handel selections.

Are you ashamed of your roots?

This may be the all time favorite e-Christmas card going around. It's from 2004, but never gets old. One of the lists from my high school (Bill L.) sent it this year. It comes from Ashland University here in Ohio, and I think may be one of the best PR tools a school could have. Great links, easy to read web-page.
http://ecard.ashland.edu/index.php?ecardYear=2004adm

But checking those links, it's really difficult to find that Ashland was the only college supported by the Brethren Church after the big break in the 1880s which split the German Baptist Brethren. When I have mentioned to fellow Ohioans that Church of the Brethren and Brethren Church are "sister" denominations (just try to get a librarian to straighten out the subject headings) and that Grace Brethren is the child and niece, they don't believe me. Well, it's true. That tiny group of anabaptists has had numerous splits, often dividing over minor issues, just like other denominations. But the big one was in the 1880s, a division three ways. To this day, they do little together, not even "good works." They did celebrate their 300th anniversary together in 2008 (founded in 1708 in Germany).

Back in the 90s when I was doing some research on Brethren roots for a publication project, I travelled to Ashland, because the library has great resources for all members of the German Baptist groups. Sometimes in genealogy searches you find some folks you'd rather not claim, but I know of nothing that Ashland needs to hide about its Brethren founding and roots. Yes, it was a family fight, but lots of churches did that. You'd have to know about Ashlands religious founding before coming to their excellent website, because I went through various links and clicked in pretty far, and found nothing obvious. There seem to be some active Christian groups on campus, but I didn't find anything related to the Brethren Church (Ashland).

Do we think we're better than Jesus?

From Pastor Brad, Albertville, Alabama:

"Most of us like to get along with others. We want everyone to be our friend. We exert a great deal of energy being politically correct, choosing our words carefully so as not to offend, and generally avoiding conflict as if it were the mother of all sins. We are artists as pacifying and befriending others, often in harmful ways.

As Christians, we know that it is our duty to proclaim the gospel. We also know that, if we speak the gospel, it is going to bring conflict. If we present the gospel to an unbeliever, some nasty things are bound to come up in that conversation:


1. We actually believe that if the other person does not repent and believe in Jesus that they will die and go to hell.

2. We actually believe that they deserve hell.

3. We do not think that they are good people. We believe them to be wicked.


That's just to name a few of the potential deal-breakers if we are honest about what we believe. Jesus said things like this all the time. The Bible clearly teaches that man is sinful and that apart from the risen Savior, there is no hope at all. The Bible is clear about the reality of hell and it is equally clear that those who reject Jesus Christ deserve to go there. We know that. We believe that."

There's more. . .

What ever happend to. . .

Jesus went to all the effort to bring the Good News, even to his own death, and never gets a word in the annual report.

Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio has revised his mission statement (I AM the way, the truth, and the life) to "Creating a better world by serving people in need" moving from what He did to what We do. Hunger. Housing. Healing. Hope. But no Jesus.

Can be seen at www.lssco.org. Well, never mind--I couldn't find the Annual Report on the web site. I'm working from a paper copy--maybe it will be there later. It is 90% a list of donors--seems like a big expense in a time of shortage.

Churches help the government redistribute the wealth

When I mention my concern about "faith based initiatives" (i.e. churches) taking money from the government to 1) run the church's programs, or 2) run the government's program, I get little or no support--except from non-Christians who also seem to see it as inappropriate, although for different reasons. I just can't imagine (what would Jesus do) our Lord and Savior suggesting that his disciples petition the Roman government for money to feed the poor, offer a cup of water, and bind up the wounds.

Folks, we're going to be in big trouble when the President moves off health care and starts fulfilling his campaign promises to shut us down if we don't have nondiscriminatory hiring (other faiths, GLBT) or offer a sermon on marriage and it's declared "hate speech." This can be done by any number of "czars" or congressional threats by pulling the tax exempt status (one senator has already suggested that because of the Catholic Bishops' opposition to abortion in the recently passed House health care bill), stopping expansion of building programs through zoning, denying church supported nursing homes Medicare and Medicaid, disallowing church schools certain government services, removing a license for adoption or fostering programs if they have requirements that married couples be male and female, etc., etc., or (and it's coming) recognizing the moral and legal rights of animals as equal to humans.

But let's take a look at one "peace and justice" quasi-Christian group, which includes our own ELCA:

"Jesus said that the poor would always be with us—but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to bring them broadband. A coalition of Christian churches and the Islamic Society of North America has launched a new campaign to bring broadband to everyone in the US so that "our poorest communities, our rural areas, our public libraries, our public schools, and community centers" benefit from the communications revolution that the Internet hath wrought.

The "Bring Betty Broadband" campaign casts the broadband debate in moral terms. It's about the "right to disseminate and receive information," it's a "right that helps to define ourselves as human beings and political actors," and it's absolutely essential for everyone in a modern society.

In addition, in the modern economy, just distribution of access to communication and information is essential to promote economic justice," says the group. "Increasingly in the United States, the fundamental right to communicate is meaningless without high speed Internet access."

The joint effort is part of a media reform project called "So We Might See," and it's spearheaded by the United Church of Christ (which organizes a lot of these "justice" groups). It has also been endorsed by the National Council of Churches, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops, the United Methodists, the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), the Lutherans (ELCA), and the Islamic Society of North America."

I wonder how much of the truth of the gospel is going to be sent via high speed Internet if Main line Christians are cooperating with Muslims on the project? If the government provides the internet access, it can also decide on the content, just as it does for radio and TV. Castro has shut down bloggers; so has Chavez; so has China.

Now through these various clutches of faith groups which spend more time writing grants and having meetings than telling people about the way to salvation, we've got racial justice, environmental justice, media justice, peace and justice, battered women's justice, social justice, justice for women, etc. etc. Justice, the biblical word, is nearly synonymous with "righteousness." God is eternally righteous and the source of all righteousness which can only be understood in his revelation. God's righteousness was revealed in the 10 commandments and the life and death of his Son Jesus. We are declared righteous for Jesus' sake--it's not our own and never will be. Nor will we ever achieve Biblical justice for others by redistribution of goods and services through taxation. And it's definitely not "good works" that follows from faith.

Think about it. Isn't it mind boggling, that many of the Christians in this group who believe that broadband is a "right," don't even believe in the right to life of an unborn child, or the right to medical care for the inconveniently sick and elderly.

Can we trust the Bible?

I think I've spotted what might be ELCA's problem. Have you looked through (Akaloo) Questions for life: Matthew's View? It's Augsburg Fortress published in cooperation with Presbyterian Church USA (2006) and the cover says it's for grades 9-12. Akaloo means "follow." I don't know if UALC is using the series; checking the internet, I see many churches use this series for Sunday school. I found a "loose" copy of Matthew at church, and assume our young people are using it. In glancing through it I thought the "point counter-point" quotables were beyond strange--using Norman Mailer and Dr. Seuss to make a point about safe sex . . .and quotes from American Pie. (The adults who wrote it might "get it" but do 9th graders?) However, this statement on p. 6 of the introduction really stopped me in my tracks and explains a lot about why ELCA has lost its way not only on sex, but other topics, since the Akaloo series includes many age groups:

"We can't determine for sure what Jesus actually said, may have said, or wanted to say. The gospels are written three, four, even six decades after the events happened. And the four gospels themselves often differ in the details. So we read the story to discover what is says for me, us, and all people of all time.. ."

That's not much to hang a sexuality statement on, let alone a faith.

Peace and Justice Christians--Do they ever get to talk about Jesus?

"The Pittsburgh interfaith impact network, which comprises more than 30 faith-based organizations, promised to hold them [senators, city council reps] accountable on issues such as health care, immigration reform, racial profiling, neighborhood blight and public transportation.

For two hours at Epiphany Catholic Church in Uptown, PIIN members outlined problems and plans for reform, then called upon officials or, in some cases, their surrogates, to answer a series of yes or no questions.

Among the promises, representatives for Sens. Bob Casey Jr. and Arlen Specter said they would support legislation that protects immigrant workers from abuse regardless of whether they were born in the United States.

Allegheny County Council President Rich Fitzgerald said he would continue to support plans to make shopping malls more accessible to public transit riders. A representative for County Executive Dan Onorato said he would make eradicating blight a priority.

And Pittsburgh police Chief Nathan Harper said he will work to implement a policy that would bar officers from targeting people based solely on race. He also agreed to create a "cultural diversity training program" that would be mandatory for each officer and said he wants the force to better represent the diversity of the community it serves."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09303/1009479-455.stm#ixzz0W6zPwJUu

A pile of stones

If you've been a member of UALC since the days of Pastor Luther Strommen, you might remember a pile of stones in front of the sanctuary. Here's a trip down memory lane.

www.advent1.com/UALC/stone_at_top.mp3

We came to UALC as baby Christians. That's when the Pastor came to the home of visitors with a team of parishioners. My husband used to say, Pastor Strommen has a 3 point sermon: Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is Lord.

Steve Puffenberger explains: Pastor Strommen had received a call to go to another church, something he struggled deeply with. He presented the prospect of his leaving to staff, council and ultimately the congregation, with the challenge that if he stayed there would be a new commitment to following Jesus. The congregation agreed. The moment was commemorated by the building of a pile of stones that sat on the shelf beneath the cross (in the old sanctuary). In the year that followed some of the most remarkable ministries began happening. The Don Abdon seminar resulted in the "so preach teach and live" mission statement. William Vaswig brought the beginnings of healing prayer. There were other programs on evangelism born. The "New Day," as it was called, was pivotal in the spiritual lives of many.

Listen and pray.

Not to be offensive, but. . .

We're being encouraged to save on our utilities at our three locations. Years ago I was taught that constantly turning lights on and off didn't really save electricity. However, there's another reason not to turn out the lights at Lytham Road Ladies Rooms. At least during busy times like Sunday Morning, Thursday morning, weddings, funerals, etc. It turns off the ventilation. 'Nuf said?

But if that's not enough. The rooms have no windows, so they are pitch black when you enter. The ladies room in the back of the church is off a windowless hallway where some conscientious Christian has also turned out the lights. That's not very welcoming for visitors. And dangerous.

Get out now--nothing is going to change

I grew up in the Church of the Brethren, as did my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents (in 1888 there were several splits, but you get the idea). The church dates its beginning to 1708 when a group decided after much prayer and Bible study that they needed to re-baptize themselves--thus Anabaptist. It is one of the historic peace churches with strong ties to the Mennonites (and a lot of intermarriage). Each year it has an Annual Conference to discuss the business of being a church--a very tiny church, I might add. I attended one in 1949 with my grandparents in Ocean Grove, and one in Dayton in 1974. Some people go every year to see old friends. I think there are about 50,000 members--so it's not hard to run into someone you know. At the Newsletter of the Brethren Rival Fellowship (now 50 years old) a group that has attempted to return the group to its Biblical Anabaptist Pietist roots, I noticed this report on the 2009 Annual Conference.

1. The 223rd recorded Annual Conference was held in San Diego, California, on June 26-30, 2009, with attendance at an unusual low of just slightly under 2,100 in attendance.

2. The theme was, “The Old Has Gone, The New Has Come, All This Is From God.” It was based on 2 Corinthians 5, on becoming new creatures in Christ.

3. While the theme emphasized the new things in Christ, the Conference spent most of its time dealing with what is becoming an increasingly old issue at Annual Conference–namely homosexuality.

4. Last year’s Standing Committee had formed a statement of Confession and Commitment in response to the repeated requests that came to the Program and Arrangements Committee from BMC (Brethren Mennonite Council­a pro gay organization) to have a display area among the exhibits. This request has consistently been denied.

5. The Standing Committee Statement essentially affirmed the 1983 decision on human sexuality and acknowledged the tension that exists in the denomination over this issue. The statement cautioned against the meanness that has been expressed at some levels and said this kind of activity must stop.

6. This year a new item of business was received from the Northern Indiana District that raised the question, “Whether it is the will of the church that this language on same-sex covenantal relationships [in the 1983 Annual Conference decision] will continue to guide our journey together?” . . .

I think we know what the result of this struggle with the advocates from the LGBT group will be. I’m not sure why every denomination tries to reinvent the wheel on this. A tiny percentage of the group advocates for acceptence of their unbiblical life style; a larger group doesn't want to be mean or judgemental (because that would be unbiblical) and supports them; the majority waffle and wait (which is also unbiblical since there is an outline on how to handle this) and finally leave a weakened, gutted denomination. The solution might be to get out now so you can move ahead with the Lord’s work. Their sexuality statement goes back to 1983, and when I went back and looked at some of the archives, even 26 years ago teen-agers at the youth conferences were being told same sex attraction was OK and they should be working for “justice” for the gay community.

The ELCA task force statement to recognize and bless homosexual unions goes back to 1989, but only because ELCA was birthed in 1988 through a merger of two of the largest synods, the Lutheran Church in America, and the American Lutheran Church. The individual statements on sexuality from those groups probably predate 1989.

Mix and match any number

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has been sparing over its sexuality statement for 20 years (1989 the task force was formed), and in August 2009 the liberals won--by a tiny margin. The English in the document is so obscure you'd never get out of Writing 101 if you tried this at the college level. Now hundreds of Lutheran churches are leaving as soon as they can secure their buildings and pensions and work out the business relationships with new umbrella organizations through which they can continues missions, teaching and publication. As I have often pointed out to my clueless (and holier than thou) friends, it wasn't going to end with gay marriage, or ordaining gay pastors in "loving committed relationships." Polygamists and man-boy love advocates were waiting in line for us to lower the bar.

So I hate to say "I told you so," but I will. Obama's nominee Chai R. Feldblum, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Council, is a lesbian who believes any number, any mix and match, makes a family and a household. Read her story at InsideCatholic.com

Obama has flip flopped on so many issues, his backing off of marriage between a man and woman is no surprise.

Feldblum's advocacy of the homosexual lifestyle is quite startling, given the fact that she teaches at a Catholic law school. As a matter of fact, she is seen in this video arguing not only that the government has a duty to promote homosexuality but also proclaiming, "Gay sex is morally good."

Since President Obama nominated Feldblum on September 15, his outreach to the homosexual community has rapidly accelerated. His keynote speech to the Human Rights Campaign on October 11 contained all the positions advocated by his EEOC nominee: "You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman."

Obama's declaration "to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act" reflects Feldblum's commitment to employ the power of government to encourage the growth of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender social units, thus presenting a direct challenge to traditional marriage."

My only question is what is this woman doing at a Catholic school? A question we soon won't be able to ask because it is hate speech to believe what God said in Genesis 1-2. Hate speech legislation isn't about protecting minorities from violence--that happens most in their own communities--it's about shutting up and outlawing anything you don't want to hear, including the truth.

The flu scare

Our church has installed a hand sanitizer outside the sanctuary and fellowship hall (where the X-Alt service meets). Also, bottles of hand sanitizer were available as we went up for communion, and each server used it.

But the soap in the Ladies Room is pink and the counter top is white--and horribly stained from the pink soap. Part of encouraging people to wash their hands is to have a well kept environment and attractive wash room. About a year ago I suggested that we purchase white soap, but nothing happened. I'll have to find out what channels or committees were used to get those hand sanitizers installed.

Blake Haxton begins at OSU

Blake Haxton's story is amazing. In the spring his legs were amputated to save him from necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria); he was not expected to live. Although the Haxtons were not members of UALC, many days our whole community was praying for him and his family because teens in our community knew him through sports. His father has a journal at The Caring Bridge, and on Sept. 23 reported that Blake had entered OSU as a Freshman. The faith of the family has been an inspiration to all.

Interview with Blake's Dad.

Lutherans Leaving ELCA

Alternative church fellowship for Lutherans to be formed as 1,200 gather in Indianapolis, Sept. 25-26 for Lutheran CORE convocation. http://lutherancore.org/ The turn out and interest has been so great, the registration is closed and they've moved it to a larger church.

My first impression at this web site is that I hope they can soon hire a professional web designer. But the information is good.

My church, UALC in Columbus (3 locations),

"Our future is not in the ELCA. Moving toward wherever our future will be is a fairly lengthy but a critically important process, and one that will be given all the time it needs. . . No funds whatsoever have been given to the ELCA since July. . . We will spend our effort and our energy where they matter most, on people, for Jesus' sake." Senior Pastor Paul Ulring, report to the Congregation, Cornerstone, Sept. 20-26, 2009

There are a number of other options in addition to CORE for ELCA congregations planning to distance themselves from their misguided synod which has been wandering in the wilderness for about 10 years.

• Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (this probably isn't an option for UALC since 7 of the 9 services are informal/contemporary or too loud for me to attend (drums, electric guitars, etc.)
  
• The Lighthouse Covenant (Ulring is one of the founding members)
  
• LCMC Word Alone (UALC is a member)
  
• ARC Alliance of Renewal Churches
  
• AFLC and AALC Association of Free Lutheran Congregations and **American Association of Lutheran Churches

**Twelve ALC congregations chose not to enter into the ELCA merger and prior to the merger, on November 7, 1987, formed their own Lutheran church body, The American Association of Lutheran Churches (The AALC). The pastors and congregations held firmly that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and they saw the ELCA moving further away from that foundation. From 1987 to 2009, The AALC has grown from 12 congregations to 78 congregations and formed their own seminary, American Lutheran Theological Seminary (ALTS), which is now located on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. (from the AALC web site)

Be changed by God’s Word. Don’t let the Word be changed

“To all believers, not just Lutherans, and to all not-yet believers in Jesus Christ: Have ears to hear!

It is very important for you to hear today that Jesus died for you to save you from your sin through repentance, forgiveness and new life, which are true freedom in Him.

That is the message and the calling for the church. That is not up for a vote. . . God’s Word is not up for a vote and, remember, He always gets the last word because He alone is eternal.”

Word alone newsletter, in response to the vote to accept homosexual behavior

Wenger on European Christians

Earlier this month I blogged about my new book (110 years old) Six months in Bible Lands by A. D. Wenger. Wengers are in my family tree, but I think he's a different branch. I've finished it now, and thoroughly enjoyed reliving the many places we visited this spring on our "Steps of Paul" tour. However, his trip is 14 months, so he sees many places and visits many different Christian churches, missionaries, and particularly Mennonites, when he can find them. Modern Jews and Arabs of Israel probably think Christian pilgrims make too much of "holy" sites (although we bring many tourist dollars), and miss the modern day political and social problems. However, an Iowan doesn't go to D.C. to see samples of corn, so I think it's quite logical to look for Biblical clues about archaeological sites in Israel, Turkey, Egypt and Italy. Wenger's book isn't exactly a travelogue, but more a 550 page evangelism tract. Nothing misses his magnifying glass of a premillenialist, American Mennonite evangelist who was on the cusp of many changes in his church and American society.

He provides some details both about Mennonites and Lutherans, or "evangelicals." After noting the various Mennonites he visited in Germany and Switzerland, he writes:

"But how did we get to Germany and the adjoining countries from which we came to America? . . . According to history, many centuries before Christ the descendants of Japheth, the third son of Noah, reached central Europe. For many generations they had been pushing westward from their primitive home, thousands of miles away in Asia, to these favored lands (Germany) and had forgotten the God of their old father Noah and turned to be a horde of degraded savages clothed in the skins of animals. They worshipped wooden and metal images, hand-made gods, and offered up human sacrifices. We are not the descendants of the Jews, but of these Gentile barbarians. The early missionaries bore the Gospel of salvation westward and northward from the Holy Land until it reached our forefathers several centuries ago. . . Ever since as early as 150 AD when the Roman Church already began to grow corrupt, there have existed bodies of Christians independent of that church. . . in one continued line such as Marconite Christians, Paulician Christians, Catheroi Christians, Waldensian Christians and Mennonite Christians. . . The faith of the ancient Waldenses was not changed, but because of the prominence of the able minister, Menno Simon [former Catholic priest baptized by and united to Waldenses] others gave them the name Mennonists and later Mennonites. . .

[Gives history of William Penn inviting Mennonites from Germany, Holland and Switzerland to settle in Pennsylvania, the first arriving in 1683] In our minds let us step back 200 years and take the position of our brethren ancestors in Europe. Three things stare us in the face, severe persecution, recantation of faith or flight to America. We choose the later. We are hundreds of miles from the sea. There are no railway trains to carry us to the vessel, none even in the world. By means of vehicles, horseback or on foot, we pass through many dangers and reach the shore. No great steamship awaits to carry us in safety in a week to Philadelphia or New York. We must take only the ru'e sail crafts of the time and be tossed for months on the merciless waves. At last we set our feet upon a strange land [notes problems with Indians]. . . Many clung to their faith and laid down their lives for Jesus that He might take them up to better realms. Others were too weak to stand the test of their faith. The longing eyes of some never reached our fruitful land. They rest in their deep graves until the sea shall give up its dead. Now, from five to eight generations on both shores await the Resurrection. Others continued to follow the little band that settled at Germantown. They are still coming to our most favored land, especially from Russia. . . The pressure by the European governments to bear arms and to violate other principles of the gospel of Christ has been greater than in our country, hence some of the most faithful and conscientious ones continue to come to enjoy our religious freedom.

He goes on to note how small the European congregations are now, with the two groups separated by a vast ocean are almost completely independent of each other. He is quite distressed at the higher criticism that has taken over many of the European Mennonites, and how the Germans see nothing wrong with vineyards that will turn to alcohol, and their pridefulness in their beautiful farms and livestock.

In almost every country he visits he notes the condition and fashion of women, always mentioning how much better American women live, because in so many societies women were little more than pack animals, and still wearing the family's wealth on their heads or clothing. He compares the deformed, tiny feet of the wealthy Chinese women to the stays in the corsets of high fashion western women deforming internal organs.

The laboring classes [of Germany] are hard workers, especially the women. You can see them doing all kinds of slavish work, even hauling on the road with ox teams. Nothing appears too hard for the weaker sex. . . On the road I saw an old lady tottering beneath a heavy basket while beside her walked a large, strong man with his hands in his pockets. . . Women are not held in high esteem and as man's equal, especially in rural districts. While her position seems a little degraded and lower than in our country, it is not nearly as low as in Asiatic countries. Men take respectable places and women are pushed aside. . . The Germans are noted for their kindness and hospitality. . . When you retire for the night and again when you meet in the morning you must shake hands with every member of the family. Really I think there is not a friendlier people to be found or a people more ready to do you a favor than the Germans are. . .

He tells the story of Katrina, a child care worker and teacher of young children in Gelsheim. Here he puts in a plug for religious education outside the home, something not popular in many American Christian groups.

"Her mission is to live for the good of others and for the Lord whom she loves. She appears to be a pious and heavenly-minded soul, fond of prayer and the Scriptures. . . She is a Lutheran, or rather Evangelical [notes she attends a pietist group movement]. . . She calls it "Kleine Kinder Schule." Though a school teacher, yet in one sense she is a farmer, for she allows many others to go to the field by keeping the children. While the parents and the larger children are engaged in household duties and in working in the fields she is taking care of the little ones of the village [50]. . . She entertains them with may beautiful pictures, especially Bible pictures; and with dolls, all kinds of toys, hobby horses, swings, trowels to play in the sand, lines to play driving the horse and apparatus to play post man and many other games. Katrina well knows that children are almost always busy at something. . . who knows how much these plastic minds are shaped and moulded for time and eternity by her teaching and influence. . . I am told 200 such sisters work in the province of Wurtemburg alone. Their work is highly necessary, especially in summer, when the women all work in the fields, and besides the children generally get better training under the care of a Sister than they would get at home. . .

Except for the part about each child having a spiritual spark that needed to be ignited, he could be a disciple of Friedrich Froebel, the German who started the kindergarten idea which was imported to the United States.

It's time

For years our huge, evangelical congregation in suburban Columbus with 3 locations and 9 services on Sunday and many ministries has been told we would leave if this happened. Let’s see if promises are kept. In April 2008 I wrote about the "Social Statement on Human Sexuality" at Digging for the Pony.

This ELCA draft does violence to our English language--verbal abuse, noun abuse, adverb abuse and adjective abuse, to say nothing of abusing our Christian faith. It is Scripture twisting and gymnastics! This draft criticizes "Lutheran historical teachings concerning homosexuality" with no footnotes (Book of Concord? Luther? Lutheran Brethren? Missouri-Synod Lutheran? Wisconsin Synod? the old ALC?). It does not analyze or reference any teaching, research or biblical criticism by known Christian homosexuals, theologians or Lutheran pastors who promote ordination and marriage for gays. It does find space to comment on and condemn children's clothing, playground bullying, consumerism, date rape, dangers of the internet, early sex education, grandparents raising grandchildren and inappropriate touching of female pastors. If you throw in the kitchen sink maybe no one will notice there is no Biblical foundation?

I checked the website today, and found out the temperature in Columbus is 63, but didn't see anything about this issue. Nor did I really expect to. ELCA (our synod) has been spiritually wandering in the wilderness and losing members ever since it was created in 1988 out of a liberal and a moderate synod whose ethnic differences had blurred over the years.

From Episcopal Life online: The 2009 Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on August 21 approved opening the ministry of the church to pastors and other professional workers living in committed same-gender relationships.

The resolution passed by a vote of 559 to 451 and overturns previous church policy that prohibited participation of gays and lesbians in church ministries unless they were celibate.

Discussions about human sexuality have dominated the August 17-23 assembly in Minneapolis, the chief legislative authority of the 4.6 million-member denomination. More than half, or about 1,045, of the 2,000 participants are voting members at the gathering, themed "God's work. Our hands."

The assembly also approved a resolution committing the church to find ways for congregations that choose to do so to "recognize, support and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships." It did not use the word "marriage." It also approved, by a vote of 771-230, a resolution committing the church to respect the differences of opinions on the matter and honor the "bound consciences" of those who disagree.

In 2008 I concluded with, "I don't know what our congregation (UALC) is waiting for--it took this sexuality task force seven years to write a mish-mash and hodge podge and submit it to the people of God as a serious work. Every paragraph looks like the sentences were drawn from a hat of former reports and pasted to a page. It is an insult to our common sense and a travesty of our faith. It's time to go. It really is. These people will not back down; they'll just wear us out."

Six months in Bible lands

Yesterday I bought a "bag of books" for one dollar at the Women's Club book sale here in Lakeside, Ohio. There wasn't much left when I got there and I just picked some up randomly. When I got home and went through the bag I found some real treasures, including a first edition of Edna St. Vincent Millay's letters. However, I also found a delightful book with a very long title,

Six Months in Bible Lands and Around the World in Fourteen Months; observations and notes of travel in England, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, Constantinople, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, India, Ceylon, China and Japan. With fifty illustrations. Moral, practical and religious subjects are treated in harmony with the Bible. Wenger, A. D. Joseph B. Steiner, Mennonite Publisher, Doylestown, PA. 1902.

Book Description from an internet used book site: Hard Cover. Book Condition: Good. Dark green cover, some light spots. cover slightly frayed at spine ends and corners. clean and tight. 550 pp. $14.00 (what the dealer wanted, plus shipping)

Wengers are in my family tree, so I first looked up Amos Daniel Wenger, and learned through a genealogy that he is a descendant of Christian Wenger, not Hans and Hannah Wenger, my guys. But they all arrived in the U.S. around the same time, the 1730s. Also in looking through internet genealogies, I learned that his wife of one year had died in 1898 and in January 1899 he began this around-the-world trip, returning in 1900, to recover from his grief. This is not mentioned in the passages I've read. He later married his second wife with whom he had 8 children all of whom either became ministers, missionaries or spouses of same. He edited his notes with research about the areas, and published the book in 1902.

He says in the introduction that no orthodox Mennonite had ever written a travel book of this type and it would fill a place in the church literature. Often I have a problem with the flowery purple prose of 100 years ago, but he is a delightful, easy read, and sounds like he went on our trips of the last few years. Before he even gets out of the U.S. he lets us know on page 3 that foolish claims of materialism and the worldly culture are claiming even Mennonites. He stopped in Brooklyn to visit an Amish-Mennonite family--or a used-to-be in the faith--in their too well funished home with costly furniture and adornments.

"The widowed mother is from an humble Amish Mennonite family in Pennsylvania. Like too many thoughtless young men and women, she arranged her conjugal relations first and the church relations received an after consideration. Now she finds herself a member of a denomination too proud and avaricious to give her a pew in her nearest church-house."

So he went off with the family some distance to find a church that was within their reach, although the son, a well-off lawyer, has his membership at the nearest place of worship and rents a pew there. Wenger has little use for magnificient buildings and would prefer to see the money go to feed the poor. More about that when he gets to Europe!

Hellfire in the modern church?

"Some people say they are tired of hellfire and damnation sermons." Then [paraphrase of the late Keith Green] he said, "Let me ask you a question: When was the last time you heard any?" Comment at Darrell Bock blog.