I feel like...

In pondering our current circumstances, I have come to realize how good the Triune God has been to me and my family.

• I feel like the the widow of Zarephath (1 Kgs 17). Although she had little, the Lord permitted what little she had to sustain her and her son for several years. So also, for many years my wife has fed our family (of eight) on less than $450 per month and we always have plenty on the table and in our bellies.
• I feel like the people of Israel whose clothes did not wear out during their 40 years in the wilderness (Dt 8). Many people have been generous with hand-me-downs for my family. We have received many name-brand, barely-worn clothing. My wife has made sure that I don't gain weight and so I can wear most of my clothes for several years.
• I feel like Jairus who received his daughter back (Lk 8). Through the skills of doctors and their staffs, my youngest daughter has been brought back to me after several heart surgeries. I am most thankful for our Concordia Plans for covering her medical expenses and to the congregations who support Concordia Plans so that the funds would be available.
• I feel like the man beaten by robbers whose livelihood and life were taken from him (Lk 10) who is saved by the Good Samaritan. The Lord has taught me that my life and hope do not rest in myself or others, but solely in Him. It is so hard to keep repenting of my pride and arrogance. Yet, in doing so, I return again and again to the mercies of God and find rest in His strength. Yes, many things have been taken away, but that "One thing needful" remains my inheritance and my Good Samaritan generously cares for my wounds and provides for my healing through His holy sacraments.
  

Now I feel like stopping.

Transitions

With everything going on in my life, my recent fortune cookie provided an appropriate fortune:

Going with the flow will make your transition ever so much easier.

My sons' fortunes could have just as easily applied also:

You should let go of negative things today. [For the record, I did let go of the negative things that day and invited back the next day.]

Tension in a partnership? It might be time for you to delegate.

(For Jeff's sake, this was not consulting a medium. It was hot and spicy.)

Book Sale

I think one of the weaknesses of men who become pastors is how we easily succumb to buying books. Over the past quarter century, I have accumulated a lot of books. I now have more books than I have room for on my bookshelves. I decided to go through my library and drastically reduce the size of my library. My attempt resulted in a 1/3 cut in the size of my library which I am now offering for sale. A list of these books can be found as a PDF document on my website. (You will need Acrobat Reader to view the document.)

They are grouped by boxes so that I can find them easier. There is nothing special about the arrangement. The price I'm asking for each book is noted in brackets at the end of each listing (shipping and handling are not included in the number).

OFFER ONE: Until December 28th, I will be accepting an offer to buy the whole lot for $2,000 (the price and arrangements for shipping would be an additional cost). If you are interested in the whole lot, please contact me.

OFFER TWO: After December 28th, I will be accepting offers for individual books (if the whole lot is unsold).

There are three reasons for this library sale:
1) I have too many books and not enough space for them.
2) I have duplicates of several books and books I have not used (or will not be needing).
3) My financial circumstances have changed so that I could use the money more than the books.

Honest Intentions

Yesterday included our annual trek to the Chinese Restaurant for our annual Christmas Day dinner. As usual, we ate our full (more accurately, more than we should have). This year's buffet included more seafood than previous years which provided too much temptation to restrain myself. But eventually, I got around to my fortune cookie and found it intriguing.


You are a person of imaginative, yet honest intentions. [The statement implies that imaginative intentions are not necessarily honest intentions. Maybe this encourages me to know that my intentions are imaginative and honest. Yet, we know what road is paved with good intentions. Oh well! Maybe I'll have better luck with my next fortune cookie.]

Frustrated Hearers

The following snippet fell out of a file folder recently. (It is amazing what you find when you clean out your office files.) I found the author's observation very helpful. I was more surprised when I found out who and written it. And I wondered if he would have the same observation today.

In a recent book-review article, I came across this quote. "The modern preacher might be comforted to hear that at the prime of the Reformation in 1529, Luther the preacher and the Wittenberg congregation had reached a crisis, because his preaching seemed to have no effect. Parishioners especially dreaded sermons on the Catechism, and Luther dreaded having to preach on the vices that the Reform did little to slow." As one whose sermons often leave a lot to be desired (do you ever feel that way, too?), I take some comfort in knowing that even Martin Luther had problems with his preaching once in a while. (Ralph Bohlmann, "Letter to Pastors," Reformation 1991, p. 11)

Who Wouldn't Be Frustrated?

Several years ago, I received the following snippet from a beloved (although not very lovable) professor. I found it as I was cleaning up my office. It is very appropriate to some of my current frustrations:

If I wanted to drive a manager up the wall, I would make him responsible for the success of an organization and give him no authority. I would provide him with unclear goals, not commonly agreed upon within the organization. I would ask him to provide a service of an ill-defined nature, applying a body of knowledge (few people understand in common), and staff his organization with only volunteers in addition to himself. I would expect him to work ten to twelve hours per day and have his work evaluated by a committee of 300 to 500. I would call him a minister and make him accountable to God.

Friends and Fun

Well, with our septic down and no LP for cooking (plus the church kitchen had many flies due to the recent Turkey Dinner), I suggested we splurge and buy some Chinese. The food was delicious, but I found my wife's and my fortune cookies very appropriate for our present circumstances:


You will always be surrounded by friends when you need them. [This has been an especially bad month and many friends have helped us in various ways. So much help has come that it is hard who to remember to thank.]


You'll accomplish more later if you have a little fun this weekend. [So yesterday we went to see 'Merchant of Venice' at APT and went for lunch at a local bistro to hobnob with (or just observe) some of the actors. Now will we get more accomplished.]

Paul Gerhardt Hymnody

This past May my family and I attended the Paul Gerhardt Symposium in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was excellent. The music (all Gerhardt, all the time) was played and sung well. The presentations for the most part were very informative. My one observation about the presenters is that those who indicated that they had been (as children) encouraged (forced) to memorize the Gerhardt hymns seemed to have the greatest insights into the richness of Gerhardt's theology and the depth of his faith.

A number of people commented that so few of Gerhardt's hymns had been translated into English. However, one presenter provided a reference to John Kelly's translation of Gerhardt's

I tried to find a copy of Kelly's work through the internet, but found nothing available for purchase. But through Google Books, I found a complete digital copy of Paul Gerhardt's Spiritual Songs (translated by J. Kelly) as well as Geistliche Lieder by Paul Gerhardt. Also available through Google Books is Paul Gerhardt as a Hymn Writer and His Influence on English Hymnody by Theodore Brown Hewitt. These can can be viewed online or downloaded as in PDF format. For those longing for more Gerhardt, these would be excellent resources.

Theosis: Achieving Your Potential in Christ (2)

Over a decade ago, a friend introduced me to the term 'Theosis.' Being thoroughly rooted in Missouri Synod Lutheranism, I had no idea what 'theosis' was. It sounded like a disease. But I was informed that this was a very old term and had great importance to the Eastern Orthodox Church's view of salvation. Now, after reading a few works on 'theosis,' I'm beginning to wonder if my first impression was not so far off the mark.

It is possible that some readers are now thoroughly offended by that previous comment. I will be simply dismissed as an unenlightened protestant heretic. (Yes, some EO writers clearly lump all protestants together as heretics and I am not in the least bothered by that judgment because they are wrong.) What I have discovered is that the word and concept of theosis carries with it all the baggage of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Some Lutherans (particularly the Finnish Lutherans) have tried to resurrect the word 'theosis' into the vocabulary of the modern Lutheran Church. They rationalize their position by stating that 'theosis' simply means 'deification.' And because Luther himself uses the term 'deification,' it is appropriate for Lutherans to use the word 'theosis.' Some might consider this an over-simplification of their argument, but it basic point which I gathered from some Finnish Lutheran presentations.

The concept of theosis in Anthony Coniaris's book Achieving Your Potential in Christ: Theosis is the fruit of all Eastern Orthodox doctrine. All EO doctrine serves and enlightens its understanding of theosis. What this means is that the errors of EO on original sin, justfication, work of the Spirit (eg, Pelagianism) corrupt any positive usage of the term 'theosis.'

It is possible that 'theosis' is a very good term, but its current usage among the EO make it very inappropriate for usage by Evangelical Lutherans.

Theosis: Achieving Your Potential in Christ (1)

In preparation for my presentation (directed discussion) for The Augustana Ministerium's Theological Conference (30-31 August 2007) in Burleson, Texas, one of the readings which I suggested was Achieving Your Potential in Christ: Theosis by Anthony M. Coniaris. Selected portions of his book can be found on the internet.

As John Fenton points out on his blog, "Orthodoxy has no central body of "confessional documents" because it does not have a central hierarchical authority." Thus I cannot attribute to Coniaris's book any authoritative status on the subject of theosis. However, numerous Orthodox parishes refer to his book as an excellent resource for those interested in discovering more about theosis. Coniaris may not necessarily be the final authority but his presentation is highly regarded among the Eastern Orthodox.

Coniaris's book is in its 2nd edition from Light and Life Publishing Company. Its slightly over 100 pages (1st edition) are in large type font. His presentation is not a theological treatise, but a treatise for Eastern Orthodox laity.

LCMS 2007 Convention: Male Restroom Etiquette

Restroom etiquette is rarely an issue for men, except at sporting events and LCMS conventions/pastors' conferences. The 2007 LCMS convention provided one of those unique experiences where there were actually lines for the men's restroom. This created one of those awkward experiences of too many men in a restroom. Women apparently appreciate a full restroom for the opportunity of meaningful discussion without the presence of men. This is not the case for men.

A specifically awkward moment for me was when -- as I was standing at the urinal --the man to my left put his right hand on my right shoulder. (For those who are in the know it was a certain former ecclesiastical supervisor.) After that awkward moment settled in, I remembered the following YouTube video:



At future conventions, this video should be part of the delegate orientation so that these awkward moments do not occur again and that there are no tragic fallouts. There are enough tense moments on the convention floor. There is no need to add to them in the men's restroom.

LCMS 2007 Convention: Church Politics and the Theology of Glory

In previous years, I had believed that as long as my side prepared well for the convention we could prevail. After several conventions where all our organizing was fruitless, I was distressed at our failure. I wondered if God had abandoned my synod and if I should leave this sinking ship.

So last year when my friends called upon me to join them in preparing for the district convention, I reluctantly agreed. But I found myself being un-enthusiastic about all the meetings and strategizing. Many people believed we were unprepared and that our side would not prevail. Then, lo and behold, the convention turned out much better than we had hoped.

So what happened? Rather than an organized assault, individual delegates addressed those resolutions which were most important to them. Bad resolutions were defeated or improved. With winsome and passionate (non-aggressive) arguments along with a little self-effacing humor, our concerns were addressed and in some cases answered.

Did we prevail? By no means. But we confessed the truth and let God's Word and sound reasoning do the convincing. Not by might or right, but by insight and God's light, the convention turned out much better than many people had thought possible. How much better you may ask? Well, one delegate was heartily thanked and encouraged by many who had voted to censure him six years previous.

I learned something important. Many people go into church conventions wanting to prevail. They believe that with the right strategy and organization they can advance their cause. Rather than desiring to confess and convince, they seek to coerce and reign.

This attitude is prevalent on both sides of the aisle (whether liberal or conservative, whether dogmatic or pragmatic, whether confessional or not). This attitude is clearly indicative of the theology of glory. Many believe that if they do not prevail on every issue, then all is lost. This is a theology of glory. They do not want to struggle and wrestle for the truth, but simply have the truth accepted without question or struggle. This is a theology of glory.

In contrast, under the theology of the cross we should expect the devil to be opposing us at every turn. He is not turned back by the best laid plans of mice and men, but by the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. We should expect continuously to contend for the true faith. And so under the cross of Christ, we confess and confess and confess. And in the end the Lord of the Church will determine what is best for His Church -- whether it will flourish under a 'David' or suffer under an 'Ahab.'

So what did we learn from the 2007 LCMS convention? We learned that we will have to continue to have to contend and struggle under the cross.

Abandon Ship

Another convention has come and gone. Some are calling 'abandon ship.' I used to find myself contemplating this call and determining whether or not the time is right. I eventually realized that 'abandoning ship' was not for me to determine.

Some (even me) have wondered if the LCMS is a sinking ship. If it is, then we should compare our current state of affairs to a 'sinking ship' (such as the Titanic). When the Titanic began to sink, the captain gave the order to man the lifeboats. During this chaotic time, each officer was given assigned duties. Some were placed in charge of a lifeboat. Others were assigned to assist the passengers in getting in the lifeboats. Others were responsible to search the ship and to lead passengers to the lifeboats. Others were to rescue trapped passengers. Others had to stay at their posts until the very end. Any ship officer/employee who sought to save himself over the passengers was considered a coward.

And so it is in the synod. Each pastor has his assigned duties. Some must stay and tend the ones who remain in harms way. Others are called to man the lifeboats and guide their people to safety. And some will stay at their posts and go down with the ship. Yet anyone who abandons his duties is to be considered a hireling.

LCMS 2007 Convention: Circuit Exceptions

I had the privilege of serving as our circuit's delegate to the 2007 LCMS convention. I need to prepare a report for my circuit. So I thought I would start here and see where I go.

One of the burning issues prior to the convention was the number of exceptions which were granted to circuits which did not meet the LCMS Handbook requirement. At first I was caught up in the frenzy, but after careful consideration, I realized that those raising the big stink were focusing on the wrong thing.

Our synodical president followed the bylaws, period. The bylaws leave the final decision to him (with no specified criteria). Just because one president uses one set of criteria and a subsequent president uses a different does not mean that either one violated the bylaw.

The real problem rests with those districts which asked for exceptions in 2004. They should have been required to realign their circuits so as to not need exceptions. One solution may be to add a bylaw stating that a district which is granted an exception must realign their circuits before the next synodical convention to bring their district's circuits into conformity with the synod's bylaws.

I also did a little math to figure out how badly the LCMS convention was out of balance. The bylaw requires that an electoral circuit must have between 7 and 20 congregations and have a aggregate communicant membership of between 1500 and 10000. Now if you divide the synod's total congregations (6044 as of 2005) by 7 and 20, you get 863 and 302 respectively as the range of circuits. Then if you divide the synod's total communicant membership (1,870657) by 1500 and 10000, you get 1247 and 187 as the range of circuits. Okay, if you are still following me, divide 863 and 302 and 1247 and 187 by 4 and you get 650.

That means there should be around 650 electoral circuits for the synod. From my best guessing it appears that there were about 652 electoral circuits for the 2007 convention. So it was pretty close to spot on. Some districts -- because of exceptions -- were over-represented (eg, Pacific Southwest, Eastern, and English), whereas other districts -- even with exceptions -- were under-represented (eg, Michigan, North Wisconsin, and Minnesota South).

Rather than complaining about the exceptions, we should be insisting that the districts evaluate the circuit alignments and correct them to be in conformity with the synod's bylaws.

Christology and Justification

Over the past few years, I have gotten into animated discussions about whether justification is the chief article. Usually what happens is I say something about justification being the chief article to which the other party says something like, "No, Christology is the chief article." Then we argue about whether the Smalcald Articles (SA, Part II) indicate the chief article to be justification or christology. Other places in the confessions clearly indicate that when the Lutheran Reformers refer to the "chief article" or the "article on which the Church stands or falls," they are referring to justification -- In the words of the Apology, this article of justification by faith is the chief article of the entire Christian doctrine” (Tappert, p. 540).

In reflecting upon these discussions, there appears to be a tendency among "Christology" proponents to change the chief article from justification to christology. First, this assertion sets up a false dichotomy. Second, this represents a not-so-subtle shift in their understanding of justification. To say that Christology is the chief article is to separate Christology from Justification.

Christology deals primarily with the person of Christ. Justification encompasses both the person and work of Christ. Making Christology the chief article permits the adherent to hold various opinions as to the work of Christ (eg, justification, deification, moral example, etc.). Holding to Justification as the chief article necessitates holding to a correct view of who Christ is.

Asserting the primacy of the article of Justification maintains the intimate connection between christology and justification. Asserting the primacy of the article of Christology allows for the corruption of this intimacy between the two articles.

This intimate connnection between justification and christology was exquisitely expressed by our Lutheran fathers. The genius of the Augsburg Confession on this point is revealed in the placement of Justification as the fourth article. Justification is the linch-pin between what precedes and what follows it. The first three articles set the stage for the work of Christ (AC IV). Articles V and following flow naturally from the article on Justification -- the Ministry (V) is the office through which God proclaims Justification; the new man produces fruit (VI) because of his justification; as new-born children of God we are gathered into the body of Christ (VII/VIII); the work of Christ is applied through the ministry in the Church by means of the Sacraments (IX-XIII); etc.

The Article on Justification is the chief article not because it is better, superior, or more important, but because it is the focal point to which all other articles lead to and flow from.

Luther on the Law of the Law

In preparation for my presentation at the Annual Theological Conference of The Augustana Ministerium, I came upon an interesting article by Tuomo Mannermaa entitled "The Doctrine of Justification and Christology" (Concordia Theological Quarterly, July 2000, pp. 206-239) with an excellent quote from Martin Luther:

Thus with the sweetest names Christ is called my Law, my sin, and my death, in opposition to the Law, sin, and death, even though in fact He is nothing but sheer liberty, righteousness, life, and eternal salvation. Therefore He became Law to the Law, sin to sin, and death to death, in order that He might redeem me from the curse of the Law, justify me, and make me alive. And so Christ is both: While He is the Law, He is liberty; while He is sin, He is righteousness; and while He is death, He is life. For by the very fact that He permitted the Law to accuse Him, sin to damn Him, and death to devour Him He abrogated the Law, damned sin, destroyed death, and justified and saved me. Thus Christ is a poison against the Law, sin, and death, and simultaneously a remedy to regain liberty, righteousness, and eternal life. (LW 26, p. 163: Gal 2:20)

Keeping Up Appearances

Since the beginning of this year, I have been keeping myself busy with several projects -- translating a 300-year-old (Latin, German, French, Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Old English) book, preparing two new classes for CUW's Beloit Adult Education Program, and preparing a presentation for the Augustana Ministerium -- along with trying to keep up with the two parishes I am serving. To say the least, I have been doing quite a bit of reading. As a slow reader, the amount has been daunting and at times overwhelming.

Because of this high demand, I have tried to stay clear of other issues (although they might be very important), so that I can get these other projects completed. I have not been too successful because I am a delegate to this year's LCMS convention and have been trying to make myself as informed as possible on the key issues. And then another issue has drawn me out -- the discussion of Sanctification and the Third Use of the Law.

As I have been pondering this matter, I believe another item can be thrown into the mix -- Theosis.

Theosis (deification) is a key theological issue among the Eastern Orthodox. And those who speak of theosis as the shape of the Christian life sound so much like some Lutherans who are discussing Sanctification/Third Use of the Law. I have seen some dear friends go down the path of theosis away from the primacy of justification. Likewise, in my discussions (heated arguments) with fellow confessional Lutherans, I hear some speaking of sanctification in a way that sounds like 'theosis' to such an extent that it sounds to me that they are moving away from the primacy of justification.

And so, I am planning another series of blog posts under the title "Sanctification, Third Use of the Law, and Theosis."

Magnetic Personality

I usually get a good chuckle from my chinese fortune cookies. Today, we ate a nice Chinese Restaurant during lunch break from the Concordia Catechetical Academy Symposium.

Today's 'fortune' read -- You have an unusually magnetic personality.

It is amazing how well these cookies know me ;)

Chemnitz and McNabb

What possible connection could there be between Martin Chemnitz and Donovan McNabb? Well, apparently, my comments about Chemnitz being overrated have irritated some people as have Rush Limbaugh's comments about McNabb. Limbaugh did not say McNabb was a bad quarterback -- only overrated. Likewise, I did not say that Chemnitz was a bad theologian -- only overrated.

Chemnitz is described as a centrist who did not like the vitriolic nature of the controversies among Lutherans. Probably one of the most outspoken Lutherans of the latter half of the 16th century was Matthias Flacius. Apparently, there was no love lost between these two Lutheran theologians.

Flacius chastised those Lutheran theologians who opposed the Augsburg Interim and Leipzig Interim in a quiet, non-confrontational way --among whom were Melanchthon and Chemnitz. It was Flacius's strong, passionate defense of Lutheranism and opposition to the Interims that led to the withdrawal of the Interims and the freedom for other theologians to compose the Book of Concord.

So, did Chemnitz make great contributions to Lutheran theology? Certainly! He is one of the greatest theologians of Lutheranism. But when Lutheranism faced its direst moments after the death of Luther, it was not Melanchthon and Chemnitz who stood up to the forces of the pope and emperor, but men like Flacius and the people of Magdeburg. Historically speaking, if it weren't for Flacius, Chemnitz would not have flourished.

If we want to rate Luther with an A+, then I would put Chemnitz as B+ and Flacius as A-. If Flacius erred in his doctrine of human corruption, Chemnitz erred in being a pacifist in the midst of strife and controversies.

Rosie -- The Associate Cat

Our current cat (Athena - the mighty huntress) is going on seven years old. She is a good hunter (of very small to medium-size game). But as we learned from our previous cat (Ashes), even cats can move past their prime and not perform up to expectations and fulfill their office (of keeping the house free of mice and the yard free of rodents). When the gophers were getting closer to the house, we realized Ashes needed help. Athena was added to our household when our previous cat was well past his prime. He was the Cat and Athena was the Associate Cat. Needless to say the Cat and his Associate did not get along. They basically co-existed and tolerated each other's presence in the house and yard. After Ashes' death, Athena assumed the office of Cat.


Well, in a stop-gap effort and to avoid future intrusions by those rodent interlopers, we determined it was time to add a new Associate Cat. So yesterday we introduced "Rosie" as the new Associate. Rosie is Athena's niece and from a good hunting family. As Athena fades from her prime, Rosie should be right there to fill the void. The office of Cat will not be empty and those loathesome rodents can remain in fear.


As you would guess, introducing a new Associate has not been easy. Athena now is sulking outside and avoiding the family. Rosie has been trying to introduce herself to Athena, but Athena knows that Rosie is only after her job. Hopefully with time, the Cat and Associate Cat will adjust to each other and become a fearsome duo warding off the forces of rodently evilness.


So with pleasure we introduce Rosie to our friends and family.


PS - Apparently she likes Runescape.