Thinking About Polycarp

The discussion and comments going on concerning the forced conversion to Islam of two Fox News reporters at Gene Edward Veith’s site had me thinking about St. Polycarp yesterday. Polycarp was a disciple of John the evangelist and may been one of the last church fathers to actually have heard eye witness accounts of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Polycarp is known for a number of writings but none are more important than his Letter to the Philippians in which he refutes the Gnostic argument that the Incarnation and Resurrection were real physical events and not simple moral teachings or some kind mythology.

A second importance to his Letter to the Philippians is the fact it is considered to be the first to quote the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, The Acts of the Apostles, and the first letters of both John and Peter.

Last night I looked over my copy of Eusebius’s Church History as translated by Paul L. Maier. Under the section covering the Martyrdom Of Polycarp I counted no less than six times Polycarp could have denied Christ thereby saving himself a martyr’s death. All he had to do is swear by Caesar’s fortune and he could have gone free, at least for a little while. “Just curse Christ and I will let you go” the governor told him. But St. Polycarp replied “For eighty six years I have been his servant, and he has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”

The two Fox News reporters that were released over the weekend were forced to convert to Islam with a gun pointed at the back of their heads. (Peaceful Mohammedans? Nope, but that is a discussion for another post or at least a rehash of previous ones.)

I for one am glad we have the saints, not for their intercession as the Romans would suppose, but rather as examples of faithfulness to the saints still living within a fallen and corrupt world. See Augustana XXI for more on that subject. We should look to and up to the martyrs’ faith that caused them to sing the first hymns of the Church on the way to their deaths. We should look to St. Polycarp’s bold confession after being told he would be burned alive; “you threaten me with fire that burns for a time and is quickly extinguished. Yet a fire that you know nothing about awaits the wicked in the judgment to come and eternal punishment. But what are you waiting for? Do what you will.” and say I hope I would be as bold in my confession.

I hope that I never experience what those two Fox reporters did. That being said, I hope that my faith would be as strong as that of St. Polycarp, and can say “do what you will” if that were to happen to me.

New Nursery Program?

Lark News is reporting that some churches are trying out a two tiered nursery system. For a small fee, parents who have the means can upgrade, for a measly $15, to a first class nursery program. A pastor who is obviously a very good business leader is quoted as saying "If we can offer 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. worship times, why not first class and economy class Sunday school?"

Why am I bringing this up? Well, tonight I will chair the monthly board of education meeting. Yep, the nursery falls under my dominion. It is course, my preference to have the little ragamuffins in the sanctuary during the Divine Service. But, if the parents think that they are just too young to "get it" or the children are just too unruly, well, why not help out?

I'm also thinking we could use this program to purchase that new icon for the nursery. Right now the religious art in the nursery is pitiful with pathetic cardboard cutouts of this and that. With more iconography the little crumb crunchers might understand tsinfulnnful state and actually want to attend the Divine Service!

Lutheran Carnival XXX

Lutheran Carnival XXX is up and running at the carnival's home site. Be sure to stop in, say howdy and tell Random Dan what a great job he did!

You Don't Say...

You scored as Luther. You are Martin Luther. You'll stick with the words of Scripture, and defend this with earthy expressions. You believe in an orthodox Christology. You believe that the bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ, but aren't too sure about where he goes after the meal, and so you don't accept reservation of the Blessed Sacrament or Eucharistic devotions. Luther 88% Roman Catholic 25% Calvin 6% Zwingli 0% Unitarian 0% Eucharistic theology created with QuizFarm.com

So, who didn't want me to review the small catechism because doctrine and the confessions are too hard? Hmm...

HT: Territorial Bloggings

Should Laity Teach Doctrine?

Because I chair the Board of Education I get to hear some pretty interesting things. Some things are good while some things make me want to pound my head against a wall. The following falls into the latter category.

The latest is that I should not be reviewing, with my high school class, the small catechism. The reason I was given recently was that the small catechism should only be taught by the head of the household. "At church, it should only be taught by the pastor."I was informed, "you see, Dr. Luther was using a double entendre when he is speaking of the head of the household. He was really saying that only the pastor should teach the catechism. The confessions are too complicated for the laity. Besides, they (the Confessions) are really written by and for trained theologians." I just love it when people get out their crystal ball and tell me what people really meant to say when they said this or that.

Would anyone like to chime in on this one? I personally think the laity needs to pay a little more attention to the confessions. I believe that more than half if not most of all our problems in the Church today are because we no longer understand what it is that we teach and confess. To hear anyone say that the confessions are too hard to understand is baffling to me!

Update: I put this in the same catagory as those who said I couldn't possibly teach high school kids because I don't have children of my own. "You won't be able to relate to them and your just too old (at the time I was 36)to do that." This came from a bunch of people that liked the idea of college students (who were not Lutheran, had never read the BOC, and never so much as wanted to join our congregation) teaching their kids because they were more "in tune" with youth. It was crucial that the kids have someone their own age to hang out with. What a load of...The "tribe apart" mentality is just a washed out idea left over from people the forgot the sixties ended decades ago.

First Post In A While

Well, it's been a little bit since I posted. Between going to Alaska for a couple of weeks and coming back to work and playing catch up, I've just now started to get caught up.

Last week I got to meet with a manufacture representative that directlcompeteses with a product line that my workplace supports. This meeting was necessary as the soulless dominion of corporate orthodoxy just doesn't always play nice. The soulless ones just don't seem to understand that we are a customer and not their minions. That being said, we are looking at a new way of meeting our customers needs. The meeting last week is a big step in that direction. The phrase of the week was cautious optimism. It was a good week!

B, as soon as I get a little breather, I will answer that Ablaze! question you had for me.

As soon as I get over my little "bug" (which I believe could be developed into a eugenic weapon as biological warfare goes) I promise I will post more.

This week I'm in Nashville, TN attending a metrology symposium. What a hoot! But at least I'll get some free time in the hotel to catch up on posting.

Back From Alaska

I'm finally back from my two week vacation in Alaska. The only problem with taking that much time off is the huge workload that is waiting when ya get back. I'm going to be slammed for the next week or two, oh well.

I didn't have internet access when I was away as I'm too cheap to pay $150 for 90 minutes of dial up service! If I missed anything really important, will somebody please email me a link or what not to help me get caught up on what's been going on in the world of dead orthodoxy.

I'll try to get the other site updated with pictures of the wife and I as soon as possible.

North To Alaska!

Well, the wife and I are now in our hotel, getting ready to go bed (the time difference is hurting my brain). Tomorrow we fly to Vancouver to board our ship to cruise the inner passage. I've set up a another site called Frank and Laura's Alaska Vacation. I'll try to keep it updated as much as my access to the internet will allow.

A Request.....

In just a few short days, I will turn 40. My wife understanding that you can't take your fortune with you when you die, will be treating me to an Alaskan cruise. Because of this, my ability to post will be limited.
Would anybody like to be set up as a guest at this site? All I would ask is that "theme" of the site be followed. If this sounds like fun just send me an email.

A Great Article On Evangelism By Julie Martinez

A member of the priestly caste pointed out this great article by Julie Martinez at the Alliance of Evangelical Lutheran Laypeople site. Since permission is given to reproduce the article as long as no changes are made, I thought I would post it in it's entirety. Ms. Julie Martinez is a former member of LCMS Board of Directors. Enjoy!

Is Ablaze Evangelism?
There appears to be considerable confusion in the LC-MS today regarding Ablaze!. LC-MS World Mission insists that Ablaze! is “not a program, it’s a movement.” Yet its stated goal is bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to 100 million people by 2017. There is even a scoreboard on the LC-MS official website that tracks “encounters.” This certainly sounds like evangelism, and indeed, most people think “evangelism program” when they hear Ablaze!.
Those who question the actual theology or methods of Ablaze! are labeled, erroneously, as being anti-evangelism. Let us look at the question “Is Ablaze! evangelism?” by first discussing what evangelism really is.
True evangelism is grounded on the Scriptural teaching that stony and unbelieving hearts are changed into hearts of faith in only one way; through the Means of Grace, Word, and Sacrament (Isaiah 55:11, Matthew 28:19-20).
Simply put, evangelism is leading people to the Means of Grace. This can be done in many ways, but one of the simplest and most effective is for a Christian to share his faith with someone in the context of an existing relationship, where trust and respect have already been established.
Ours is one of the most challenging times in the history of Christianity; for the prevailing thought in our culture today is that all things are subjective, and there is therefore no such thing as absolute truth, or sin. For someone who doesn’t believe in sin, there is no need for a Redeemer from sin. People in this culture need to hear both law and gospel; first the law, to be convicted of their sin so that they can see the need for a Redeemer, and then the good news, that Christ is that Redeemer who forgives their sins.
This is not a message that can usually be delivered once and forgotten, but for the most part requires ongoing discussion in the context of relationships found in our various vocations. However, the place where the Means of Grace is truly found, and where we want to lead our friends, is to the local congregation; where the Word is proclaimed in its truth and purity and the Sacraments practiced in accord with Christ’s institution.
Contrast this view with how Ablaze! DVD defines a “critical event,” as any one-time encounter where the Word of God is shared on a one-to-one basis, regardless of the response. In fact, it is exactly this one-time “event” that they have decided to “count” on the scoreboard as they diligently strive to attain 100 million contacts. The DVD states that Christians in India have “committed” to 25 million “critical events,” ostensibly leaving only 75 million for the rest of us. The numbers appear to be a goal unto itself. Indeed, anyone can report his own “critical events” on the website to add to the scoreboard total.
One of the glaring problems with this approach is that the one-time “critical event” becomes a goal in and of itself, and the importance of the on-going faithful proclamation of the Word, as well as the Sacraments, is tragically diminished.
While the Synod is raising funds, marketing Ablaze! Salsa, T-shirts, and sending teenagers and senior citizens to foreign countries, where they neither speak the language nor have any personal relationships; let us not forget our neighbor, and our conversations over the garden fence, or in the school cafeteria. I pray that God will continue to give us opportunities through our vocations to quietly invite our friends, family, and neighbors to hear the Word through His divinely instituted Means of Grace; and share the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ with a world that does not yet know Him.
This article written by Julie Martinez, Pagosa Springs, CO
Permission to reproduce is granted ONLY without changes.

Another Modest Proposal...

Today we have another modest proposal from A. Blaise. Monsieur Blaise's previous post recommending a new translation of the Book of Concord was very well received and still generates a large number of "hits." Enjoy!

“Consequently the church cannot be better governed and maintained than by having all of us live under one head, Christ, and by having all the bishops equal in office (however they may differ in gifts)…” (SA II:IV:9)
“But if our opponents would only listen to the complaints of churches and pious hearts! Our opponents valiantly defend their own position and wealth. Meanwhile they neglect the state of the churches, and they do not see to it that there is proper preaching and administration of the sacraments in the churches…Those who are now bishops do not perform the duties of bishops according to the Gospel…” (Ap. XVIII:3, 12)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. So it would seem in the church of the 16th century and that of the 21st. In the modern Missouri Synod, we of course mostly shun the title “Bishop” (save the English District). “District President” sounds so much more American and democratic. But the office seems the same and the abuses similar to the 16th century days and complaints cited above. Except, in the 16th century, those who exercised ecclesiastical supervision at least made a pretense of holding office in a Christian congregation where the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments was nominally required of them. Our current DPs in Missouri with only one or two exceptions (i.e. Atlantic DP) are not pastors anymore except in name. They serve no congregations, they have no pulpits, they administer the sacraments rarely, and preach only at anniversary celebrations, giving the same tired accolades over and over and over (if you can call that preaching). Pretty much the 16th century bishop revisited.

It’s rough being a DP these days in Missouri. You have to spend long hours bossing people around and collecting money. Even if you’re inclined, there’s no time and you’re not really supposed to preach the Gospel, give the sacraments, or make hospital visits. Even good, orthodox men seem easily corrupted by such an office. They come in with good intentions, but soon are the same sort of no preaching, no sacrament, no Gospel giving louts of which our Lutheran fathers complained. And so the church suffers today in astonishingly similar ways as it suffered in the 16th century. Money is king, along with numbers and organizational unity (though you can’t say the Synod is wrong about anything anymore, according to our Synod President. I guess we even have an infallible hierarchy again, but that’s a subject for another time). So our DPs sow seeds of dissent and cause considerable trouble for orthodox pastors, and seem to lack any sympathy whatsoever for the needs of humble parish pastors serving diligently in small parishes with little help or encouragement.

But there is a fairly simple solution! Several years ago, the former President of the St. Louis Seminary, Dr. John Johnson had a six month sabbatical coming to him. Instead of using it to sit on a beach in Tahiti, he went back to the parish and served six months as a pastor at a church in Houston. By all accounts, it was a great experience for Dr. Johnson and for that congregation, and served to connect him in a real and powerful way to the office he holds and for which he prepared men to enter.

So here’s a modest proposal: how about we pass a resolution at the next Synod convention (since such resolutions are infallible and unconditionally binding on all Synod members now!) that every District President serve at least six months of every three year term in a parish. And not just any parish: it is easy to serve in a big mega church and run a few volleyball leagues, chair a couple of boards, and pat all the lay leaders on the head, without preaching more than once or twice a year, or ever making a single shut-in visit. No, no they must be required to serve a church that has no more than 100 members average Sunday attendance, allowing the pastors of such congregations some rest and respite. If these congregations were in urban areas with challenging conditions and high crime rates (especially muggings), all the better! Then they’d really get a taste of modern parish life! Then they could truly empathize with the least of Christ’s servants.

I hear the cry “but Districts would grind to a halt without our DPs! Their strategery (sic) and what not is vital for the church to survive!” But I recall a presentation by the former SED DP, Dr. Scherer. He informed the brethren of a little known fact from the animal kingdom: if you shoot the lead buffalo in a herd, the whole herd stops and is easy prey for hunters. But if you shoot the lead goose in a formation, he drops out and is quickly replaced and the geese fly on. “Don’t be the buffalo, Dr. Scherer admonished: be the goose.”

We read ad nauseum anyway about “servant leadership” and how the mission of the clergy is not to actually minister but equip others to do the real work. What DP does not preach such things? So let them put their feet where their mouths are. If they are such dynamic servant leaders and have done their jobs properly for a year or two, they should be able to walk out of their cozy corner offices for six months and not even be missed. Surely they are all geese, are they not?

So let’s get those cards and letters flying into Synod, my dear fellow Lutherans, imploring the Synod to require the Six Month Parish Ministry Tour (small parish, less than 100 members in worship, inner city, high crime rate, lots of muggings) for all our DPs. They will be better, the church will be better, and our complaints may at last find redress…

A. Blaise

Tropical Storm Alberto Interrupts Posting

I will be taking a short break from posting this and probably next week. Tropical Storm Alberto came through town and put my shop under water. What a mess! I have flood experience from when Hurricane Floyd flooded the eastern half of the state a few years back. Trust you me, ain't no picnic!

The good news is that we are still here and are going to rebuild. I will try to post an update as soon as everything calms down.

The picture posted is the water crossing the street in front of my shop on the way to my shop.

I Bind Unto Myself Today

For Trinity Sunday we sang the hymn I Bind Unto Myself Today that is attributed to Saint Patrick (372-466) and sung to the tune St. Patrick’s Breastplate. This hymn is a beautiful Trinitarian hymn that confesses the three persons of the trinity, that is to say God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. I’ll take a closer look at the Trinity later in the week with an examination of the Quicunque Vult.

The Gospel reading for the day is taken from the Gospel according to St. John 3:1-17
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Here in this Gospel reading we have the Trinity. In the text there is God the Father who gives us His only begotten Son. We are told of God the Spirit who by grace gives us saving faith. And we have the Son, that just as the bronze serpent that was lifted up by Moses to heal Israel, will be lifted up on the cross as our propitiation, our atoning sacrifice.

St. Patrick confess the entire Gospel story in the second verse of the hymn. Without the incarnate Lord of the first line we are lost to sin. Since Christ’s baptism is our baptism we would lost to sin without it as well. Since Christ death on the cross is our death and since his rising from the tomb is our resurrection, St Patrick is confessing his absolute faith in God’s word. For if we couldn’t believe Scripture means what it says we would rightly be brought to the state of despair under the crushing weight of the Law! The Gospel give us the freedom to look to Christ for our salvation as the One who has done it all for us poor miserable sinners. And just as St. Patrick binds unto himself the good news of the Gospel, so should we daily with confidence!

My only “issue” with our opening hymn is my own difficulty in singing it. One would expect a cantor like myself to read music with little difficulty, and that would be a mistake! Chanting the Introit (the psalm of the day) back and forth with the congregation is quite a bit different than following the musical notes of what I consider a difficult hymn. That being said, I love this hymn for the doctrine it confesses; we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. It is for this reason that I look forward to singing it again.

I Bind unto Myself Today Text: attr. Saint Patrick para. Cecil F. Alexander 1823- 95

I bind unto myself today
The strong name of the Trinity
By invocation of the same,
The three in One and One in Three

I bind this day to me forever
By pow’r of faith, Christ’s incarnation,
His baptism in the Jordan River,
His cross of death for my salvation,
His bursting forth from the spiced tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I bind unto myself today

I bind unto myself the name
The strong name of the Trinity
By invocation of the same
The Three in One and One in Three
Of whom all nature has creation
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word
Praise to the Lord of my salvation:
Salvation is of Christ the Lord

Praise The Lord And Pass The Ammunition.

"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition." That's how the Kansas City Star starts the story on the video game coming out based on the Left Behind series by Tim F. LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

Left Behind: Eternal Forces allows the gamer to convert the different charactors to Christianity. If the charactors don't want to just make that decision for Jesus, well then it's just peachy keen to go ahead and shoot them dead. In the multiplayer games, participants can choose to command the Antichrist’s forces.

Here's a quote from the article: "In the game, Tribulation squads unleash the usual arsenal against the Antichrist: guns, tanks, helicopters. But soldiers lose some of their spirituality every time they kill an opponent and must be bolstered through prayer. The failure to nurture good guys causes their spirit points to drop, leaving them vulnerable to recruitment by the other side. The player’s choices prompt intervention by angelic forces or unleash demons who feast on the faithful. As players progress through the increasingly difficult levels, they see Scripture passages presented as secret scrolls and hear inspirational music."

In multiplayer games, participants can choose to command the Antichrist’s forces.

I wonder what brain child thought this would be a good idea? Better yet, who really thinks this nonsense will attract Christians? Isn't there already a glut of first person shooter games out there?

But ya know, if this sells even a couple copies, wouldn't it be a good idea to release Koran: Eternal Jihad. Now that's a game I would consider playing on the ole Gamesphere 2000! Wouldn't it be cool to play one of the archangles and start wiping out the Mohammadians. I'm mean, if its ok to play the role of the Antichrist and his forces, well it must be ok to, well you know...

There's enough fodder in this one little story that I could start writing full time. To read what I have previously written about deciding or making a choice for Jesus go here. It's ridiculous I know, but I can hear folks out there already thinking "God is just using these programers to reach the unchurched and show them the error of their ways". Oh great, now I'm thinking like these half wits! Blast!


HT: my niece Valerie

Lutheran Carnival XXV

The latest edition of the Lutheran Carnival is up and running at Mrs. Terrible Swede’s site Journalistic Jargon. The theme for the first carnival after Pentecost is the life and ministry of Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm (C.F.W.) Walther. Make sure to stop by and say howdy!