And The Winner Is…

And the winner is...

Congratulations go out to Claudis K from the great state of Michigan for logging on and capturing a screenshot of her visit which marked Sitemeter recording my 100,000 hit! Yeah Claudia!

Claudia beat out a particularly strong showing from my international readers from Jr. America to our north as well as a host of regulars here at POTF for a sweatshirt from the Official Ablaze!(TM) Firefighter’s (TM)(R)(C) official line of (in)activewear.

I’d also like to thank everyone for hanging out, participating in discussions that were sometimes lighthearted and sometimes serious (sometimes a combination of both where if we didn't laugh we'd go mad as hatters), and for reading this slack jawed yokel’s drivel. If I could afford it, I'd buy everyone a shirt with my logo embroidered on it but that's just not within my budget. Sorry.

You guys and gals make blogging theological just plain fun and I just wanted to say thank you to everybody. Again, Thank you!

Putting Out The Fire Reader Appreciation Contest

I was clearing out my inbox earlier today while waiting for the keynote speaker of a metrology and biopharmaceutical trade show which I was attending when I noticed an email from the good folks at Sitemeter. Normally I don’t pay attention to how many people read this blog unless I’m getting a ton of hate mail which usually only happens when I shine a light on problems facing our beloved synod like the Southeastern district trying to reintroduce Roman monastic practices and the desert father’s brand of mysticism to our daughter churches or, the all time sacred cow it seems: teaching youth to look less like Lutherans and more like evangelicals in how they worship, how they act, and how they talk as is the case nearly every time the LCMS has a national youth gathering. When I’m getting a bunch of hate mail or if synodical and district employees think that they can actually leave anonymous comments without me finding out who they are (newsflash: nothing is anonymous on the interwebs) then... I do in fact have a tendency to pay attention to the little counter that not only tells me how many people are visiting POTF but where they are signing in from and what their IP addresses are. A word to the wise, nothing is anonymous on this blog if I don’t want it to be. Anyhoo…

As it turns out, that little counter at the bottom of the page indicates that in a day or two I will hit the magic number of 100,000 visitors. I never thought I would have seven hundred visitors much less seven hundred posts with what will soon be over a hundred thousand guests here at my little corner of the Lutheran blogosphere.

As a way of showing my appreciation to everybody who reads the drivel I end up writing I’m gonna have a little contest: the visitor who takes a screenshot of the Sitemeter counter when it rolls over to that magic number of 100,000 will win a t-shirt, polo shirt, or sweatshirt with the official Putting out the Fire logo embroidered on it. Just take a screenshot, sign in and leave a message (it's very important that you leave me a message with your name!) and as soon as I verify where you signed in from, and your IP address I’ll get right to work and get you your choice of shirt from the POTF inactive-wear line of clothing. The only limitation is that the shipping address must be in the United States or Canada.

So good luck everybody and thank you from the bottom of where my heart would be if I actually had one for hanging out at POTF and making blogging fun for yours truly

The Lutheran Carnival Resurrected!

What seems like ages ago there was once a Lutheran Carnival where a variety of Lutheran bloggers contributed posts in an effort promote some of the best writing coming from Lutherans all over the world. Then, after seventy editions of the Lutheran Carnival, there came a Sabbath rest as many great bloggers switched to microblogging on either twitter or facebook or just left the blogosphere entirely. The Carnival seemingly had run it’s course…

But Lutherans believe in resurrections and all and we knew that there was always a sliver of hope that maybe one day that the Carnival might emerge from it’s tomb. And so it has!

Pastor Alex Klages has resurrected the Lutheran Carnival over at his blog: A Begger At The Table with a post titled Welcome to the Carnival! with a focus on my favorite time of the Church's liturgical calender Lent! w00t!

Be sure to stop by, say howdy, and thank Pastor Klages for doing such a great job resurrecting a fine Lutheran blogosphere tradition.

Things Your Lutheran Pastor Totally Loves: Talking With Biblicists

Things Your Lutheran Pastor Totally Loves: Quick Questions

It’s Ain’t About The Recipe

Here’s my random thought of the day: If you think that the recipe used to prepare the bread for the Lord’s Supper is what makes it valid, you are really missing the point.

If you tell someone who can’t eat wheat that it's "better safe than sorry" that they consume something that makes them sick in order that we follow the right recipe, you do damage to this member and only cause them doubt what it is that they receive at the Sacrament of the Altar.

So, stop it. You are receiving the Body of Christ even if your "bread" recipe doesn’t match a gold star selected recipe from a nonexistent Palestinian cookbook from two thousand years ago!

The sacrament is not made valid because we follow a recipe from Betty Crocker but rather it is the very Word of God joined to the element of simple bread and simple wine for the cup. It is the Lord who is running the verbs and not your cup and three quarters of genetically modified wheat, (which Monsanto hadn’t yet got around to modifying when the Eucharist was first instituted) which makes this Sacrament a sacrament.

Just saying…

And for fun, here is what Lutherans teach in the Small Catechism concerning the Lord’s Supper:

The Sacrament of the Altar

As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

Where is this written?

The holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul, write thus:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Take, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

What is the benefit of such eating and drinking?

That is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?

It is not the eating and drinking, indeed, that does them, but the words which stand here, namely: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Which words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, as the chief thing in the Sacrament; and he that believes these words has what they say and express, namely, the forgiveness of sins.

Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily?

Fasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins.

But he that does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit; for the words For you require altogether believing hearts.

Bunnies, Blenders, And Babies

What a fantastic commercial! Who doesn’t love commercials with cute bunnies? There’s really nothing more to say is there?

A Wonderful Definition Of Pietism

Today’s quote of the day comes from a friend of mine over at Facebook:


___________ Pietism: making people feel guilty for doing things that God has not forbidden, and making them feel guilty for not doing things that God has not commanded.

There is nothing more I could add to this brilliant and succinct description of pietism except to say amen!

So, Is It Finished Or Not?

For the past few weeks I’ve been working on remodeling my master bedroom. This is no small task and is the reason for my lack of posting over the last month or so. How big of a job was this? well, the missus and I tore the walls down to the studs to replace the aluminum wiring (which isn’t the best stuff to running in your walls!) and to insulate the walls for the first time since the house was built back in 1938.

As I finish up with installing all the electrical outlets, light fixtures, and painting I’m taking the opportunity to catch up on all the podcasts that had been accumulating on my iPod. Last night as I was shimming doors and painting the shelving that is going into the closets I listened to a bunch of Table Talk Radio episodes and heard this week’s quote of the day.

Today’s quote of the day is from Pr. Bryan Wolfmueller commenting on the ridiculousness of thinking that humans can make a decision for Jesus as expressed on a bumper sticker that said “Give Jesus A Chance, He Died For The Opportunity”:

“this is the whole Arminian sorta unless you do something you’re not going to be saved, Jesus makes salvation a possibility but now you have to make it a reality; the devil cast a vote for you, God cast a vote for you, now you got to tie the vote, this is, I mean, when Jesus says “it is finished”, He should have cried out on the cross: “it’s almost finished!, because now you’ve got to finish it!”

Pr. Wolfmueller is one of my absolute favorite preachers and would be one of my favorite bloggers but unlike many of our Calvinist brothers, he only has one blog: World Wide Wolfmueller and not the ten blogs as required by the Institutes (That’s an inside joke. If you want hear the setup, you’ll need to listen to Table Talk Radio) Pr. Wolfmueller does a wonderful job in refuting this misguided notion that Jesus just needs our decision to finish up His glorious and salvific work on the cross.

Table Talk Radio is always entertaining and could easily be described as a whole series of soundbites or quotes of the day just strung together, one right after another. The show is a hoot and I encourage everyone to listen and give it a shot. If you really feel that you have to or want to make a decision, then make a decision to listen to Table Talk Radio! Who knows, you might even earn a few Table Talk Radio points in the process.

When Peaceful Sikkhs Bring A Knife To A Nerf-Gun Fight…

It’s just plain weird that in our western society couples are prevented from getting on an airplane because their child a doll with a three inch plastic gun and deemed a safety threat and Nerf- Guns are banned as if they were weapons used by SEALs teams as part of a zero tolerance policy but bringing a knife to school as long as it is done by certain religious groups is just hunky-dory.

From the news story over at Fox:

The decision by the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools reverses a ban put in place in December after a fourth-grader at a Canton Township elementary school was found with a dull, 3- to 5-inch kirpan. The kirpan represents a commitment to fight evil in the Sikh tradition. The dagger is a religious symbol that baptized Sikh males are expected to carry. The principal initially let the boy keep the kirpan, but the school board instituted a ban because of parental concerns and conflicts with the district's rules against bringing weapons to school.

So, as long as you belong to a minority religious sect it is OK to bring a knife to school. Wonderful.

Who Says I’m Not Open To Contemporary Worship?

My missus and I will try out a new church tomorrow.

I always like to call ahead (OK, my favorite niece was on Facebook and IM’d the pastor for me, she was more than happy to help her uncle out!) and announce that I’m going to visit someplace new so that the pastor’s job is made easy and he doesn’t have to wonder if the person he is communing shares the same confession of faith that all Lutherans are supposed to. I certainly don’t want him to wonder if I’m some Jack Mormon who just wandered off the street and thinks that the Holy Supper is only a representation of the body and blood of our Lord and to be consumed as part of an ordinance (hey, that’s just like my evangelical and reformed friends... that’s kinda weird ain’t it?) and not the true Body and Blood that offers life, salvation, and the remission of sins by the power of the Word attached to the elements of bread and wine. So, I’m considerate like that and all.

Anyhoo, I was warned by the pastor (once again through social media instant messaging) that tomorrow being the fifth Sunday of the month it is normal for the congregation to experiment with contemporary worship: Divine Service 1! When I asked if the service was going to be conducted in Latin or even Greek I was informed that the language of choice for this particular congregation was but the vernacular!

So, there you have it; tomorrow I will knowingly go to a church that practices contemporary worship, Divine Service 1 out of the Lutheran Service Book, and conducts the entire service in English. Who says I’m not open to contemporary worship?

Footprints In The Sand

Since this picture was such a big hit on my Facebook page…

So what does it mean when you look back and only see one set of footprints in the sand during times of trial and hardship? It means you’ve had a Sandpeople problem and they were probably sent to teach you what it means to be a theologian of the cross as opposed to a theologian of glory.

Now, to steal a phrase from Paul Harvey, you know the rest of the story as well as the alternate ending of that little poem hanging in your dentist’s lobby since 1977.

HT: Pr. Christopher Gillespie who found the image first over at Saint and Sinner

Time Out Episode 100!

Dan over at Necessary Roughness has the newest Time Out: Time Out, Episode 100 posted. Episode 100? w00t!

The Scripture reading for this episode is the entire book of Philemon with commentary from the Kretzmann Commentary Series. The hymn this time is “Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered” found on page 404 in the Lutheran Service Book.

From Dan:

Paul appeals, rather than orders, Philemon to take Onesimus back as his brother in Christ. This gives Philemon a chance to truly forgive Onesimus for what he did. Very cool on Paul’s part, and an interesting way to act as a Christian when one is a superior.

404 is quite contemporary in age, only 12 years old, and yet the lyrics discuss baptism and Jesus’s duty on Earth. I especially like the last verse, where the cross is traced over us in baptism, counting us as righteous. Great gospel there.

After the Kretzmann commentary there is an overtime segment where we get hear submissions from listeners of this awesome podcast ministry.

So, be sure to stop by, say howdy, and thank Dan for doing such a great job not only on Time Out, Episode 100 but all the episodes that so beautifully give witness to Christ Jesus through Scripture, hymnody, and commentary!

Thank you Dan for all the hard work and I hope there many more Time Out episodes to come!

Previous Time Out episodes:

Time Out Episode 99
Time Out Episode 98
Time Out Episode 97
Time Out Episode 96
Time Out Episode 95
Time Out Episode 94
Time Out Episode 93
Time Out Episode 92
Time Out Episode 91

Evidentiary And Philosophical Apologetics Will Always Be Necessary

Today’s quote of the day is from Joe Carter writing for First Things about the anger atheists feel toward a God they don’t believe exists. From the article:

A new set of studies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds that atheists and agnostics report anger toward God either in the past or anger focused on a hypothetical image of what they imagine God must be like. Julie Exline, a psychologist at Case Western Reserve University and the lead author of this recent study, has examined other data on this subject with identical results. Exline explains that her interest was first piqued when an early study of anger toward God revealed a counterintuitive finding: Those who reported no belief in God reported more grudges toward him than believers.

At first glance, this finding seemed to reflect an error. How could people be angry with God if they did not believe in God? Reanalyses of a second dataset revealed similar patterns: Those who endorsed their religious beliefs as “atheist/agnostic” or “none/unsure” reported more anger toward God than those who reported a religious affiliation.

Mr. Carter later writes “Many atheists do, of course, proceed to their denial of God based solely on rational justifications. That is why evidentialist and philosophical approaches to apologetics will always be necessary. But I'm beginning to suspect that emotional atheism is far more common than many realize. We need a new apologetic approach that takes into account that the ordinary pain and sufferings of life leads more people away from God than a library full of anti-theist books. Focusing solely on the irate sputterings of the imperfectly intellectual New Atheists may blind us to the anger and suffering that is adding new nonbelievers to their ranks.”

And right there is today’s quote of the day: “Many atheists do, of course, proceed to their denial of God based solely on rational justifications. That is why evidentialist and philosophical approaches to apologetics will always be necessary”

Sadly, I’m finding myself using evidentiary and philosophical apologetics more and more, not with angry atheists but rather with my reformed Christian friends and neighbors who think the Bible is just a group of stories given to us by men as a guidebook to holy living and not having any real ties to a historical crucified Jesus who continues bless us with His gifts in the sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and Holy Baptism right now, today.

Yep, I’m doing way too much of evidentiary and philosophical apologetics lately.

The question I find myself wondering is this, how many of my Christian friends who physically exhibit signs of repulsion when I say we go to church to receive gifts from God and not to do something for God are angry not at me for taking the Bible literally but instead are angry at God for not coming to them in more rational or sensible terms than simple bread, wine, or water with the spoken Word.

No matter what the case may be, evidentiary and philosophical apologetics will always be necessary for both those inside and outside the walls of Christ's Church.

iPad And iPhone Apps As A Means Of Grace, It's Only A Matter of Time

I stumbled across a story last week that highlighted an iPhone / iPad app that allows Jews to now “visit” the Western Wall. The reason that visit is in quotation marks is that the visit (allowed at any time except the Sabbath or on religious holidays when electronic gizmos are said to be forbidden) is only visit in a virtual sense and the notes left in pixilated Western Wall are really only emails.

It’s really only a matter of time before such things hit the Americanized Christian church scene. Already there are pastors who encourage their members to utilize Twitter during the Sunday worship services in order to "make it not suck". How much longer before some enterprising pastor tells his people to just stay home and attend the weekly gathering in only a virtual sense. Who wants to bet that the local media will be on hand when this little stunt is perpetrated?

In a country that for the most part has no ties to the historic Church which confesses a Jesus who comes to us in a real, actual presence in the Holy Supper and instead looks to a crucified Lord who can only be with us poor humans in a spiritual sense, it won’t take that much of leap for someone to suggest a virtual spirituality in, with, and under the iPad. Mark my words, it’s gonna happen. The only question is which purpose driven or soul winning congregation does it first.

When spirituality is divorced from Christ’s presence in the Word and in the Sacraments, iPhone or iPad apps as a means of grace is just a minuscule step away. Mark my words…