11 September 2010
10 September 2010
Some Pics from ETR
Just a handful of the over 30 folks who gathered at taproom tonight. Didn't get pics of Mollie Z. or Carrie and Lance O'Donnell or a number of others!
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| Pr. Tim Landskroener visits with the Hemmers |
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| The Musegates |
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| Cindi and Pr. Karl Gregory |
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| Kathy Landskroener and Pr. Tom Messer and Lisa blurry pic - sorry! |
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| The Fritzches |
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| Pr. Lawrence and Jackie, Pr. Hemmer and Laura (Dean and Marion) |
Heard tonight at our Evening of Theological Reflection
that Pr. Robert Kuhn has been elected chairman of the Board of Directors and Pr. Michael Kumm as vice-chairman. Chairman of CPH board is Elaine Graff (Pr. Warren Graff's wife). Dr. Larry Rast will chair the CTCR. Wow. Looking good, Missouri, looking very good.
New Lutheran Quote of the Day
The "for you" is sacrificial language, which is clearly shown by Jesus speaking of His blood. To speak of body and blood separately is to speak of a sacrifice. So the "given" refers to the sacrifice, to Calvary. Yet it speaks of what is happening here. From the sacrifice, the body and the blood, they are given to eat and to drink now as He gives them. This does not fit with what we know of time and place. But it is the Lord Jesus who says it, so it is as He says. -- Dr. Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons, p. 282.
Old Lutheran Quote of the Day
I fear not my sins, for Thou art my righteousness; I fear not my ignorance, for Thou art my wisdom; I fear not death, for Thou art my life; I fear not errors, for Thou art my truth; I fear not my corruption, for Thou art my resurrection. -- Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditation V
Patristic Quote of the Day
To declare His righteousness. What is declaring of righteousness? Like the declaring of His riches, not only for Him to be rich Himself, but also to make others rich, or of life, not only that He is Himself living, but also that He makes the dead to live; and of His power, not only that He is Himself powerful, but also that He makes the feeble powerful. So also is the declaring of His righteousness not only that He is Himself righteous, but that He does also make them that are filled with the putrefying sores (κατασαπέντας) of sin suddenly righteous. And it is to explain this, viz. what is declaring, that he has added, That He might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. Doubt not then: for it is not of works, but of faith: and shun not the righteousness of God, for it is a blessing in two ways; because it is easy, and also open to all men. And be not abashed and shamefaced. For if He Himself openly declares (ἐ νδείκνυται) Himself to do so, and He, so to say, finds a delight and a pride therein, how do you come to be dejected and to hide your face at what your Master glories in? -- St. John Chrysostom, Homily 7 on Romans.
09 September 2010
New Lutheran Quote of the Day
God's love and love of Him are always first and largest. For only as all our loves are tied in with God's love do they have their health, their vitality, and happiness. -- Dr. Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons, p. 279.
Old Lutheran Quote of the Day
Receive me, O Lord Jesus, into the number of Thy children, so that with them I may praise Thy holy and saving name. -- Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditation IV.
Patristic Quote of the Day
For this is just what makes Gentiles disgusting, that they made gods of our passions; calling lust Venus, and anger Mars, and drunkenness Bacchus. If then you do not grave images as did they, yet do you with great eagerness bow under the very same passions, when you make the members of Christ members of an harlot, and plunge yourself into the other deeds of iniquity. --St. John Chrysostom, Homily 6 on Romans
08 September 2010
Just so's you know...
Am Tage der Geburt Mariä.
On the day of the Birth of Mary.
The readings assigned are an epistle from Sirach 24:22-31 and the Gospel is Matthew 1:1-16. Although the day did NOT make it into LSB's commemorations (sadly!), I do note that in Liturgies et Cantiques Lutheriens (think French LSB), the day is listed. The propers include:
Isaiah 61:7-11; Gal. 4:4-7; Luke 1:(39-45) 46-55.
The collect appears to be the same one that LSB prescribes for the Day of St. Mary, August 15.
So there is both Lutheran precedent and current Lutheran practice observing today as the Nativity of the Blessed Mother.
You know you have been...
...reading too much Nagel when you look at a homily you've written, wrinkle your brow, and wonder how on earth you ended up being gifted with so many passives.
New Lutheran Quote of the Day
The prison of our mortal constructions, our ways of figuring things out, our ways of making ourselves big, defensed, and secure, our termination, our death. He enters them all. Jesus dies our death for us, the death that terminates the loving, giving life that flows from generous God. He bears our separation from God. Jesus suffers our hell, but hell and death cannot hold Him, for He never said yes to them. He did not sin. The sinless one takes what was coming to us by our sin. Jesus takes sin's claim on us and suffers it through. For on Him sin had no claim. Because of Jesus' taking it, sin can no more make a claim on us. We are liberated from its claim and dominion, its death that we willed with our sin. -- Dr. Norman Nagel, Selected Sermons, p. 276.
Old Lutheran Quote of the Day
God does not bind up thy wounds, until thou acknowledge and deplore thy sin. God does not cover thine iniquities until thou first uncover them in humble penitence. -- Blessed Johann Gerhard, Sacred Meditations, III
Patristic Quote of the Day
And observe with what propriety he uses the words! You treasure up unto yourself wrath, he says, so making it plain what is certainly laid up, and showing that it is not He that judges, but he that is condemned, who is the author of this. For he says, you store up for yourself, not God for you. For He did all, whatsoever things were fitting, and created you with a power to discern between good and what was not so, and showed long-suffering over you, and called you to repentance, and threatened a fearful day, so by every means drawing you to repentance. -- St. John Chrysostom, Homily 5 on Romans
A Bit More on an Unusual Vicarage
I've had two email exchanges today that explain a bit more about the nature of the vicarage to LCEF, and I thought they were definitely worth the sharing. I am very appreciate for the openness that both showed in engaging the questions raised with kindness and directness.
First, from Karen Drier:
Dear Rev. Weedon:
I have been a member of the LCEF staff for over 30 years and on numerous occasions I have had the opportunity to witness many, many opportunities when a pastor on staff provided great comfort and reassurance. For example, the death of a co-worker who passed away unexpectedly without any connection to a church home or family. My boss and I visited with the family before they made the difficult decision to remove life support. There were very young children involved and some days I am still haunted by the experience – was there something I could have done differently to change the life of this young woman. Yes, I had my pastor who I could turn to and did but to talk about her life and sudden passing with a pastor who knew her was a wonderful comfort. Without going into all the details, Rev Jeff Miller (member of the LCEF staff at the time) officiated at the funeral so the eternal life promised to each believer upon the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was proclaimed.
Another employee faced a brain surgery not once but twice. This employee had a church home but of another denomination – one that didn’t visit or nurture the sick. It was LCEF staff who stood by her side with her family, who sent cards, made phones calls and visited with her in the hospital. This employee eventually had to go on permanent disability and when that happens the people who worked side by side with this individual also needed counseling and care to understand how such a terrible experience could happen to such a wonderful human being.
I remember very well when LCEF President Art Haake passed away after a morning jog, an employee was killed in a car accident on her way to work, and an active energetic employee woke up one morning paralyzed never to return to work again. The stories go on and on. I have been a lifelong Lutheran and can tell you from personal experience it was a tremendous comfort to be reminded of a Savior who never leaves nor forsakes at times such as these.
Not everyone at LCEF is an LCMS member of a congregation because we are governed by the laws of our great country. This means there are members of our staff in need of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have even had the awesome opportunity to baptize a co-worker. Because of the work I do for LCEF I have also had the experience of speaking with a pastor or church worker where the call ended with a prayer.
I have been reading lately that there are people who have turned from “church” as we know it. They will never again sit in a pew or participate in Holy Communion. Their choice. My heart breaks when I hear of such stories or of such facts. The church of the Bible and when Jesus walked this earth was a church of community where we took care of each other without pause to reflect on the cost to do so or the risk to our personal well being. God has blessed LCEF at this time with an individual which great business experience and talent. He also has a heart calling him into ministry. Our Seminary is offering an opportunity for men to go through a training experience where they will be equipped to do ministry. How God will use this individual is a beautiful mystery to me outside of the opportunities I have described to you earlier. But I know in my heart that God will use this individual to further His kingdom. The new LCEF President Rich Robertson (new because he joined our staff in January this year) is a very relational person. He believes we will accomplish so much more being out in the field working face to face with the people in congregations than on the phone or through emails. I can’t help but think having a trained Institutional Chaplain on staff will lead to endless possibilities of sharing our faith to all kinds of people.
In closing, the SMP programs offers Vicar training as an Institutional Chaplain. LCEF is a ministry of the LCMS that provides expertise in stewardship and financial consultation. LCEF actively supports LCMS districts and congregations. This role will benefit the organization in terms of internal expertise (under the supervision of Revs. Gundermann and Miller) to provide theological and doctrinal consultation relative to LCEF’s core business of supporting ministry through loans and investment. Lastly, our more than 100 employees will benefit by having a focused individual to provide pastoral care for their families and themselves.
Thank you for your inquiry and giving me the opportunity to share my views and experience; please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions. May our good and gracious Lord continue to bless you in all your efforts to serve Him!
Sincerely,
Karen S. Drier
Assistant Vice President, LCEF Information Center
1-800-854-4004, extension 6327
Karen's comments were very helpful because I'd not really thought of an institutional chaplain working in the LCEF - I always thought along the line of our nursing homes or hospitals or such.
Second, Vicar DeBeir was also kind enough to contact me and provide further information for me about the nature of his vicarage. I specifically had asked if they had chapel and what sorts of things he'd be doing. Here's his helpful reply:
Pastor,
To answer your questions ...
Yes, we provide chapel twice a week at our office. Typically if you are providing chapel on a Tuesday or Thursday you would be providing both at the IC and LCEF. We are in a separate building from the IC (across the street). I have been providing chapel both at the IC and LCEF since 2005. I have my homilies reviewed by ordained ministers, always have - and have learned a lot in so doing.
As Karen indicated, the vicarage is to provide pastoral care for our more than 110 plus employees at the LCEF building, facilitate bible studies, provide hospital visits for employees and their families (all of which is under supervision) LCEF recognized the need to train an employee in this regard and nominated me ... I then went through the whole process of qualification, admission, etc.
For the organization it should benefit LCEF in terms of developing internal expertise (under the supervision Revs. Gundermann and Miller) to provide theological and doctrinal consultation relative to LCEF's core business of supporting ministry through loans and investment. As well as specifically enhance my area of responsibility, ministry services.
Yes, my understanding is that after ordination, I will be limited to this ministry context. LCEF is a unique ministry that is blessed to partner with many areas of the church.
There is another chaplain in my cohort, the rest of the men are from congregationally ministry contexts (urban, rural, suburban) of various age ranges.
I think my 15 minutes of fame on your blog is about up, but it has been an interesting day. I'll do my best to introduce myself to you on the 11th, that will be a great day, indeed!
I wish you continued blessings on your ministry, and thanks, again, for regularly updating your blog ... it has served as a blessing for me, particularly your Homilies as well as the quotes provided from our church fathers.
Your brother in Christ,
Jay
First, from Karen Drier:
Dear Rev. Weedon:
I have been a member of the LCEF staff for over 30 years and on numerous occasions I have had the opportunity to witness many, many opportunities when a pastor on staff provided great comfort and reassurance. For example, the death of a co-worker who passed away unexpectedly without any connection to a church home or family. My boss and I visited with the family before they made the difficult decision to remove life support. There were very young children involved and some days I am still haunted by the experience – was there something I could have done differently to change the life of this young woman. Yes, I had my pastor who I could turn to and did but to talk about her life and sudden passing with a pastor who knew her was a wonderful comfort. Without going into all the details, Rev Jeff Miller (member of the LCEF staff at the time) officiated at the funeral so the eternal life promised to each believer upon the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was proclaimed.
Another employee faced a brain surgery not once but twice. This employee had a church home but of another denomination – one that didn’t visit or nurture the sick. It was LCEF staff who stood by her side with her family, who sent cards, made phones calls and visited with her in the hospital. This employee eventually had to go on permanent disability and when that happens the people who worked side by side with this individual also needed counseling and care to understand how such a terrible experience could happen to such a wonderful human being.
I remember very well when LCEF President Art Haake passed away after a morning jog, an employee was killed in a car accident on her way to work, and an active energetic employee woke up one morning paralyzed never to return to work again. The stories go on and on. I have been a lifelong Lutheran and can tell you from personal experience it was a tremendous comfort to be reminded of a Savior who never leaves nor forsakes at times such as these.
Not everyone at LCEF is an LCMS member of a congregation because we are governed by the laws of our great country. This means there are members of our staff in need of the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We have even had the awesome opportunity to baptize a co-worker. Because of the work I do for LCEF I have also had the experience of speaking with a pastor or church worker where the call ended with a prayer.
I have been reading lately that there are people who have turned from “church” as we know it. They will never again sit in a pew or participate in Holy Communion. Their choice. My heart breaks when I hear of such stories or of such facts. The church of the Bible and when Jesus walked this earth was a church of community where we took care of each other without pause to reflect on the cost to do so or the risk to our personal well being. God has blessed LCEF at this time with an individual which great business experience and talent. He also has a heart calling him into ministry. Our Seminary is offering an opportunity for men to go through a training experience where they will be equipped to do ministry. How God will use this individual is a beautiful mystery to me outside of the opportunities I have described to you earlier. But I know in my heart that God will use this individual to further His kingdom. The new LCEF President Rich Robertson (new because he joined our staff in January this year) is a very relational person. He believes we will accomplish so much more being out in the field working face to face with the people in congregations than on the phone or through emails. I can’t help but think having a trained Institutional Chaplain on staff will lead to endless possibilities of sharing our faith to all kinds of people.
In closing, the SMP programs offers Vicar training as an Institutional Chaplain. LCEF is a ministry of the LCMS that provides expertise in stewardship and financial consultation. LCEF actively supports LCMS districts and congregations. This role will benefit the organization in terms of internal expertise (under the supervision of Revs. Gundermann and Miller) to provide theological and doctrinal consultation relative to LCEF’s core business of supporting ministry through loans and investment. Lastly, our more than 100 employees will benefit by having a focused individual to provide pastoral care for their families and themselves.
Thank you for your inquiry and giving me the opportunity to share my views and experience; please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions. May our good and gracious Lord continue to bless you in all your efforts to serve Him!
Sincerely,
Karen S. Drier
Assistant Vice President, LCEF Information Center
1-800-854-4004, extension 6327
Karen's comments were very helpful because I'd not really thought of an institutional chaplain working in the LCEF - I always thought along the line of our nursing homes or hospitals or such.
Second, Vicar DeBeir was also kind enough to contact me and provide further information for me about the nature of his vicarage. I specifically had asked if they had chapel and what sorts of things he'd be doing. Here's his helpful reply:
Pastor,
To answer your questions ...
Yes, we provide chapel twice a week at our office. Typically if you are providing chapel on a Tuesday or Thursday you would be providing both at the IC and LCEF. We are in a separate building from the IC (across the street). I have been providing chapel both at the IC and LCEF since 2005. I have my homilies reviewed by ordained ministers, always have - and have learned a lot in so doing.
As Karen indicated, the vicarage is to provide pastoral care for our more than 110 plus employees at the LCEF building, facilitate bible studies, provide hospital visits for employees and their families (all of which is under supervision) LCEF recognized the need to train an employee in this regard and nominated me ... I then went through the whole process of qualification, admission, etc.
For the organization it should benefit LCEF in terms of developing internal expertise (under the supervision Revs. Gundermann and Miller) to provide theological and doctrinal consultation relative to LCEF's core business of supporting ministry through loans and investment. As well as specifically enhance my area of responsibility, ministry services.
Yes, my understanding is that after ordination, I will be limited to this ministry context. LCEF is a unique ministry that is blessed to partner with many areas of the church.
There is another chaplain in my cohort, the rest of the men are from congregationally ministry contexts (urban, rural, suburban) of various age ranges.
I think my 15 minutes of fame on your blog is about up, but it has been an interesting day. I'll do my best to introduce myself to you on the 11th, that will be a great day, indeed!
I wish you continued blessings on your ministry, and thanks, again, for regularly updating your blog ... it has served as a blessing for me, particularly your Homilies as well as the quotes provided from our church fathers.
Your brother in Christ,
Jay
07 September 2010
Can ANYONE Explain to Me
how an SMP vicar assigned to LCEF in ANYWAY fits the criterion by which the program was "sold" to the Synod??? Waiting to hear the answer...
Jay De Beir, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, St. Louis, Mo., Missouri
http://www.csl.edu/2010/09/concordia-seminary-announces-new-smp-cohort-vicarage-assignments/
Jay De Beir, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, St. Louis, Mo., Missouri
http://www.csl.edu/2010/09/concordia-seminary-announces-new-smp-cohort-vicarage-assignments/
Coons and such...
...the wildlife guy came by today to offer his suggestion: he says we have to keep the garage totally locked up, with even the cats not allowed in it. The soffits open up into the house from the garage, and he says we don't want any animal up in the attic. So, we're trying a new way of feeding and caring for the cats, and I guess preparing them for a winter without benefit of the shelter of the garage. It will be worth it, though, not to have those foul smells in the garage and the strange noises above our heads while we're trying to sleep!
Where is it written
in the law of the Medes and the Persians that only the papa can put the new toilet paper roll in? Good grief! How difficult is it?
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