Concordia Austin Cuts Back Organ Department
Not Impressed With Video From Our Savior
Very Much Impressed With Video From Our Savior
Devil Can't Be Saved
Reply to Jeffery A Young Why Devil Can't Be Saved
Concordia Austin Cuts Back Organ Department
Pr.Cascione:
Tell Prof. David Held that the "9 organ students in all
Concordias" were advanced as the reason for demolishing the music program
(as Lutherans know it) at Concordia, Austin, and letting Professor Achtenberg
go. The professor was a resource person for the confessional congregations in
Texas, and that is a grievous fault in Kieschnick's Kingdom!
[No doubt a guitar teacher will be sought, if one is not already employed.]
Helen E. Jensen
We are glad that Seward is still training organists!
Not Impressed With Video From Our Savior
Dear Pastor Jack
Your background as an account executive shows - but I wouldn't buy the
tape. I am an Australian Lutheran and I and many of us here don't give too
much for the buildings and 'if we don't stick to 'traditional' worship we'll
all lose our way' approaches to preserving our faith.
If you can find me a fancy church or synagogue in which Jesus preached to
preach his message of faith and redemption then I would be surprised. If you
can find any where in the gospel of Jesus that he says a building is necessary
or even desirable to embellish, enrich and amplify the faith I will be even
more surprised. If you can find me in which cathedral of glory and
magnificence Martin Luther gave us his profound insight - the righteous shall
live by faith - my surprise will be overwhelming.
If you can find where in the Book of Concord (Tappert edition) a particular
style of worship is endorsed my surprise cup would flood rather than run over.
If you can find 12 people agreeing on what contemporary worship is you ought
to buy a lottery ticket. If you can identify with any reasonable certainty
what 'traditional' worship is and how it is more efficacious and more pleasing
to the Lord I'll get a bucket (pail) to catch the overflow of surprise.
The Gospel needs no walls and it needs no protection. You and I can witness
to it but we are incapable of 'protecting' it. It is greater than Tom, Jack,
pastor White and the church edifice in Houston (as beautiful as it may be).
The promotion of a grand building celebrating cultural continuity is harmless
and good in that it bonds people together and celebrates common origins and
more importantly common faith BUT to run it up as a must have to do the job
ought to embarrass the pastors who get sent a tape and more importantly
doesn't it embarrass the baby born in a manger at the back of an inn in
Bethlehem?
In some respects modern Catholic thought has left us behind. In an
Australian Catholic statement on social issues there is an 'option for the
poor' proposition. It challenges us to look at the world from the bottom of
the heap rather than the top or even halfway down. From a theological
perspective it extremely confronting. Why? Because it places us where Jesus
stood. I don't measure up - works righteousness an issue? - not a bit of it. I
realised that whatever I do I am entirely dependent on God. My human
charitable instincts are poor to non existent under pressure - every positive
response I might make is because I get the juice from God.
I liked reading your pitch and I hope Our Saviour congregation enjoy their
church. If you want to convince me tell me about the product not the fancy
warehouse. Come and visit and you'll understand.
To God be the glory great things He has done.
Tom Svikart
Alice Springs
Northern Territory
Australia
Very Much Impressed With Video From Our Savior
I just received the video "To The Glory of God and the Salvation of
Man" today. I watched it right away and boy was it worth it! I have never
shed a tear watching a documentary until today. The richness of the Gospel
pours forth throughout.
The quality of the production was pretty good and could even be improved
particularly in some of the interviews and animations. This gives it an earthy
character showing real people, not polished actors and actresses.
Now I know even more, why I am Christian -- why I am a Lutheran -- why I am
a pastor. There is much work to be done. May this video inspire others to
preach and teach what God has done by the power of His living Word.
-An LCMS Pastor in the Midwest
Devil Can't Be Saved
Dear reclaimers,
I treasured the luther quotes which I just received in my email box, but
thought it worth mentioning that one of them is deceitful in that it gives a
false impression.
The quote which said that the devil could be forgiven if he begged mercy
did not prove that this was the opinion of Dr. Martin Luther.
This was a quote in a long series that was designed to prove that men both
within and without the faith will not acknowledge their sin.
The particular quote given was a quote from St. Martin, not Martin Luther,
whom, Dr. Luther quoted to prove that what prevents absolution in men is not
the lack of forgiveness, but the lack of confession. This definitely does not
prove that Dr. Luther held that the devil could be absolved. You know that you
could be showered with quotes showing this. The context which proves my
contention is the following quote, which is followed by a series of
"Thus..." "Thus..."
As yet, however, they do not grieve; as yet they do not acknowledge their
crime. Accordingly, their heart, or the confidence they have that their sin
has been consigned to oblivion, is shaken, although they do not yet confess
their sin; they think that by murmuring secretly and keeping silence they will
escape even now, yet not without fear and anxiety. Therefore Moses says:
"Confusion and stupefaction took hold of them." They looked at one
another and thought: "Things are not going right." But they ascribe
this to God, the Judge, and say: "Why has God done this?" And this
came from the terror and anguish of conscience which, with great grief and
anguish of heart, are wont to follow sin. Such an evil beast and wicked devil
is conscience. For all authors, sacred and profane, have depicted this monster
in horrible fashion, Luther, M. (1999, c1965). Vol. 7: Luther's works, vol. 7
: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 38-44 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T.
Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (Ge 42:29). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing
House.
It is unfortunate that after reading these eight volumes, you have still
not learned to practice the doctrine of the ministry. If you had, you would be
shouting for the local congregation of Benke and Kieshnick to excommunicate
them, and if not, for the congregations to be removed by witness of the
District president, and all LCMS congregations. Or, you would advise lacking
this that congregations withdraw fellowship and membership from LCMS.
I think that you are ignoring the fact that LCMS behaves like a Roman
Catholic body because you want one of those coveted offices for yourself. Oh
if only you were a district president (bishop), or the president (pope). Then
you could clean up the LCMS. No sir, it would be no cleaner, because it would
still have a papist in its highest posts.
Jeffrey A. Young, Pastor
Salvation Evangelical Lutheran Church, LCR
Reply to Jeffery A Young Why Devil Can't Be Saved
Dear Jeffrey:
Luther, along with all Christendom, knows that the devil and his evil
angels will never be saved. Luther's point was that the power of divine grace
is so great that even the devil could be saved if he did repent. Of course,
all know that the devil and all his will never repent for all eternity. I
reproduced the quote because, to me, it was a rather HUMOROUS speculation on
Luther's part in order to make his point about the power of divine grace.
Speculation is not the basis of doctrine. I have no intention of subscribing
to the idea of possible salvation for the devil. It is not my doctrine or
teaching, I promise, nor do I believe that Luther actually taught the possible
salvation of the devil. If you recall, I titled one of the quotations,
"Luther on Gun Control" when he was actually talking about daggers.
There is no question that the devil will not be saved.