I am grateful to the people who have read this blog and shared their thoughts with me. I do not feel that I have finished my blogging adventures. There is more music to be posted, more historical topics to pursue, and more links to be read. I have nearly finished my 3-month tour of Lutheranism. I haven't gotten very far into into my intended study of the two Lutheran Study Bible, the (A) and the (C).
But sometimes things happen that are best dealt with by walking away. Such is the reason for me to shut down my blog. Thank you all for reading Lutheran Colportage.
I will continue my other blogs so you will continue to get those Friday night jokes on Norman's Demesne. See you there.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Tom Kuster named as Academic Dean at Bethany
This is good news for friends and alumni of Bethany. Tom's selection is important because of his impressive academic credentials and because he is a Bethany guy.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
ELS News
Here is current news about the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
CANDIDATES: Jeff Merseth – Roseau, MN; Nick Proksch – Holland, MI; Trent Saari – Lake Havasu City, AZ; Josh Skogen – Waukon, IA; three unassigned at this time: Mark Faugstad, Daniel Hartwig, Samuel Gullixson
The annual convention will be held in Mankato from June 20-24 in Mankato. There will be an election for President of the Synod on Tuesday, June 22nd.
The Rudolph E. Honsey Academic Center ('The Rudy') will be dedicated at Bethany College on Sunday, June 20th at 3 PM.
Didja hear the one about the ELS vicar who was dating a woman from the CLC? She wouldn't pray with him. [Joke stolen from Rolf Preus, former ELS pastor]
CANDIDATES: Jeff Merseth – Roseau, MN; Nick Proksch – Holland, MI; Trent Saari – Lake Havasu City, AZ; Josh Skogen – Waukon, IA; three unassigned at this time: Mark Faugstad, Daniel Hartwig, Samuel Gullixson
The annual convention will be held in Mankato from June 20-24 in Mankato. There will be an election for President of the Synod on Tuesday, June 22nd.
The Rudolph E. Honsey Academic Center ('The Rudy') will be dedicated at Bethany College on Sunday, June 20th at 3 PM.
Didja hear the one about the ELS vicar who was dating a woman from the CLC? She wouldn't pray with him. [Joke stolen from Rolf Preus, former ELS pastor]
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Catholic Church will survive
Read what Ross Douthat has to say on this topic by clicking on the link
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-catholic-church-is-finished/8159
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-catholic-church-is-finished/8159
ELS views of a segment of Missouri's history-a first hand perspective
Recently I have posted several items on this blog re Missouri Synod history. The ELS owes its formation to the support of Missouri Synod Lutherans. Even though the ELS is not in fellowship with Missouri (I personally think that this is wrong and hope that the ELS would reverse its position) there are many ties with Missouri. These ties with Missouri are in decline because of the passage of time, and death.
Walther's views on slavery were a shock to many of us in the ELS because we didn't know that the old man was so wrong about such a basic issue. I had always heard about Walther's good side and never anything about his bad side.
The link to a recent discussion of the Tietjen-Preus era brought a number of responses. The writer of that dissertation pointed out that the ELS suspending relations with Missouri was due to the influence of Jack and Robert Preus.
On another blog I made some observations about how painful it was for my father and my uncle that Jack left the ELS for Missouri. The pain was personal, of course, because my father and my uncle were very close personal friends of Jack and Robert. The greater pain was, I believe, that Jack and Robert were so persuasive to the ELS that the Missouri Synod had gone the wrong way, theologically speaking, and that the ELS should suspend relations. The ELS did so in 1955.
In the interests of objectivity, I also published a link to a 1999 analysis of the events. The author of this essay emphasized that the Walkout was based on doctrinal differences. The author of the dissertation emphasized the personalities of some of the principals. He particularly had unkind things to say about the Preus brothers.
Back to the ELS. The leaders of the ELS at the time of the Missouri-ELS split are gone to their graves. My father died in 2004. The young men from the ELS who knew Jack from the classroom are now in their declining years. What might be of interest to the readers of this blog is the observation of an old man who was once a seminarian and studied under Jack. His name will be kept confidential.
"I haven't had a chance to read about the Walther issue but I will surely do so since I am vitally interested. I can't imagine that I'd be agreeing with C.F.W's views on slavery judging by your comment. I thought your comments on the Preus brothers matter were poignant and interesting. Of course in my pre-the studies I had Jack as my Greek prof for a year. Church Politican, I concluded after that time. I wrote him some several years after he made a rather impassioned plea on the synod flood holding forth at some length on why the ELS should break or suspend fellowship with the LC-MS. Whether his position at that convention was for suspension of fellowship or breaking fellowship entirely I don't remember - tho perhaps my letter or his reply might reveal which & I'd have to spend hours perhaps finding that file. In any case, the gist of my letter to JAO was this: Why have you joined the LC-MS in the light of your former position. I referred at that point my letter to his speech at the convention. His reply - and I choke at memory of his words - was to this effect: "There must be some misunderstanding on this. I never spoke at that convention on behalf of the position taken by some that the ELS should suspend/break relations with the Missouri Synod." Enough said.
"That perhaps was the starting point for me in taking the position eventually that theologians/pastors/professors may be trustworthy but you'd better be very careful. They may be users. It was a shocking and disappointing experience."
Walther's views on slavery were a shock to many of us in the ELS because we didn't know that the old man was so wrong about such a basic issue. I had always heard about Walther's good side and never anything about his bad side.
The link to a recent discussion of the Tietjen-Preus era brought a number of responses. The writer of that dissertation pointed out that the ELS suspending relations with Missouri was due to the influence of Jack and Robert Preus.
On another blog I made some observations about how painful it was for my father and my uncle that Jack left the ELS for Missouri. The pain was personal, of course, because my father and my uncle were very close personal friends of Jack and Robert. The greater pain was, I believe, that Jack and Robert were so persuasive to the ELS that the Missouri Synod had gone the wrong way, theologically speaking, and that the ELS should suspend relations. The ELS did so in 1955.
In the interests of objectivity, I also published a link to a 1999 analysis of the events. The author of this essay emphasized that the Walkout was based on doctrinal differences. The author of the dissertation emphasized the personalities of some of the principals. He particularly had unkind things to say about the Preus brothers.
Back to the ELS. The leaders of the ELS at the time of the Missouri-ELS split are gone to their graves. My father died in 2004. The young men from the ELS who knew Jack from the classroom are now in their declining years. What might be of interest to the readers of this blog is the observation of an old man who was once a seminarian and studied under Jack. His name will be kept confidential.
"I haven't had a chance to read about the Walther issue but I will surely do so since I am vitally interested. I can't imagine that I'd be agreeing with C.F.W's views on slavery judging by your comment. I thought your comments on the Preus brothers matter were poignant and interesting. Of course in my pre-the studies I had Jack as my Greek prof for a year. Church Politican, I concluded after that time. I wrote him some several years after he made a rather impassioned plea on the synod flood holding forth at some length on why the ELS should break or suspend fellowship with the LC-MS. Whether his position at that convention was for suspension of fellowship or breaking fellowship entirely I don't remember - tho perhaps my letter or his reply might reveal which & I'd have to spend hours perhaps finding that file. In any case, the gist of my letter to JAO was this: Why have you joined the LC-MS in the light of your former position. I referred at that point my letter to his speech at the convention. His reply - and I choke at memory of his words - was to this effect: "There must be some misunderstanding on this. I never spoke at that convention on behalf of the position taken by some that the ELS should suspend/break relations with the Missouri Synod." Enough said.
"That perhaps was the starting point for me in taking the position eventually that theologians/pastors/professors may be trustworthy but you'd better be very careful. They may be users. It was a shocking and disappointing experience."
Thursday, June 10, 2010
more on Missouri Synod history
On June 8th I published a link for a view on a recent historical interpretation of Missouri Synod history.
A reader advised me that Paul Zimmerman had written on this subject but I have not read his take. Paul Zimmerman is an old friend of the Teigen family. He was at Bethany in the late 40s and early 50s and served most capably. He returned to his church home, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, where he served as President of Concordia- Seward and Concordia- Ann Arbor.
Rev. Daniel Preus, Director of the Concordia Historical Institute, has also written on this subject. Follow the link http://www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/dantalk.htm
A reader advised me that Paul Zimmerman had written on this subject but I have not read his take. Paul Zimmerman is an old friend of the Teigen family. He was at Bethany in the late 40s and early 50s and served most capably. He returned to his church home, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, where he served as President of Concordia- Seward and Concordia- Ann Arbor.
Rev. Daniel Preus, Director of the Concordia Historical Institute, has also written on this subject. Follow the link http://www.confessionallutherans.org/papers/dantalk.htm
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Who owns church history?
The interpretation of events is one of the fascinating parts of historical study. Who owns history? Who is entitled to tell the story of a particular event or era?
A thoughtful reader of this blog has sent me a link to a discussion of the history of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the Preus-Tietjen years. This topic generates intense energy among people who follow this subject.
Follow the link: http://daystarnet.org/Burkee%20on%20the%20LCMS.pdf
A thoughtful reader of this blog has sent me a link to a discussion of the history of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in the Preus-Tietjen years. This topic generates intense energy among people who follow this subject.
Follow the link: http://daystarnet.org/Burkee%20on%20the%20LCMS.pdf
'The Unchanging Forms of the Gospel'
Scott Diekmann is one of the best bloggers around. I was privileged to meet him in Bloomington a few weeks ago. Follow the link to a review of a new book by Holger Sonntag.
Mt. Olive Lutheran School, Des Moines - 50 year celebration
This Spring I've been on a tour of Lutheranism. This weekend I visited our Des Moines IA church for a 50th anniversary of the school which our sons had attended in the 80s.
It was a great experience to see old friends again and to know that Mt. Olive proclaims the Word to the community.
The guest preacher was Kurt Taylor a 1980 school graduate. Pastor Taylor is at St. John's Lutheran in New Boston MI. He had a terrific sermon. His theme was that the mission of the church is to bring them in and build them up.
Afterwards a banquet was held at a nearby Ramada Inn. On the way to my car in the parking lot I found a group of earnest Mt. Olive scholars. At Mt. Olive School learning is not restricted to the classroom. These science students were making detailed observations on the contents of a robin's nest which had fallen to the ground from an overhanging tree branch.
I thank God for Mt. Olive Lutheran Church and School in Des Moines IA.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Intrepid Lutherans in the WELS
I will be following this new Lutheran blog prepared by Wisconsin Synod people.
http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/
http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)