Expecto Petronum, Expecting Patriotism, and Expected Preus
Funny Links for the Day: Transformers 300
Justice League 300
Walk it out....Penguine Style
A 3-D cube rendering of the universe with every dot a galaxy???
This is just disturbing!!!!! My kid WON'T read THIS last book!
Jean Luc "Exploder"
A creature of darkness.
Ted Stevens explains that it isn't a big truck....
Lex Luthor>Optimus Prime....yes I loved the new movie!
Scripture Readings:
Old Testament-Judges 16:4-30
New Testament-Galatians 4:12-31
Psalms-Morning: 51
Evening: 85, 47
Festival: Old Testament St. Ruth
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Some news....first of all, I didn't expect Preus to win the Synod Presidential election....but I hoped Kieschnick would not be re-elected. However, I need to be content that the Holy Spirit guided the elections to fulfill God's ultimate plan and purpose.....and as long as our leaders whom we pray for constantly realize this......I assent to their decision. Secondly, I got to see the installation of my third cousin as pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Washington, IL. Thirdly, I turn 25 a week from today (yay). And fourth(ly), I liked the new Transformers movie, A LOT!
The Expecto Petronum in the title was a reference to Harry Potter. I've read and seen the first five movies/books. Would I recomend it to my kids? Maybe or maybe not. Would I be legalistic and contradictory about my attitute towards it? I hope not. I bring this up because Way of the Master host Todd Friel made the comment that Harry Potter leads to witchcraft and the occult, but seemed to side-step the issue that many Christians have the same attitude about Harry Potter but in the same breath will laud The Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings.....as if the magic in those is not "occultish." To me it seems if you are against the one because it is occultish, you would be ardently against the other for the same reason.
I'm sorry, but stories of how kids went from Harry Potter to being witches doesn't necessarily win this argument......I'm sure there are kids who went from C.S Lewis or Tolkien to New Age or Druidism....a point Friel somewhat mentions then downplays. The fact remains that if a kid does that....they have trouble distinguishing between reality and fantasy....and the parents aren't doing their job rightly. As a Christian, I would not tell my kids (students) at church.....read Harry Potter, it's good.....but I wouldn't say, "don't read it....it's bad" either. I would however push C.S. Lewis and Tolkien because their subject matter would be much safer to discuss in a Christian atmosphere. To be legalistic about the one while ignoring the other seems irresponsible to me......and to blame the book and not the parent (which was never brought up in the radio talk show) is the same.
The Expecting Patriotism in the title is in response to the same radio program's coverage of the Hindu priest leading prayer in the Senate. They focused on the behavior of some Christians who were rather rude by interrupting the priest's prayers with their own to God apologizing for the prayer of the wicked. Todd and many of the people who called in thought it was a travesty that this country was leaving its Christian roots (most of the founding fathers were Deists....so I don't know WHAT they're talking about) and Todd even made the comment, "I wonder if this is the final part where God just goes, 'okay, you're done.'" Where in the Bible does it say that America is the favored nation of God?! Scripture speaks of the secular authorities being ministers of God ordained for the enforcement of order.....but it does not say that the secular authorities must bow down to God and recognize Him. No where does it say this! Is this theology Dispensational Premillenialism? I'm aware that that theology focuses on Israel as God's chosen nation. The other group that accepts that America is God's chosen nation is the Phelp's family from Godhatesfags.com!
The fact remains that we are born as citizens of this world, but are made into citizens of the Heavenly world while remaining pilgrims on earth. We owe our allegiance to our nation as long as it keeps to its own rules and does not force a citizen to violate God's laws. It could be argued that because America uses our tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood which goes to paying for abortions, God would allow us to go against our government. However, within our government is the right of every citizen to vote their conscience and get rid of abortion non-violently. Would Christ's church like to have a nation which was responsible for the trail of tears and countless abortions as its witness? I DOUBT it!
Finally, to end....two things on the Lord's Supper. Way of the Master Radio brought up the Lord's Supper and of course, misunderstood the Lutheran view when asked a question on it (calling our understanding of it consubstantiation) and saying that while our view is valid the Roman view of transubstantiation is wrong because it has a whole boatload of problems with it. I corrected them in an email (which I'm sure they'll read :-/) that it is not the concept of transubstantiation that we necessarily have a problem with. We do not like Aristotelian metaphysics being applied to the Sacramental mysteries. That's all transubstantiation teaches.....the part of the re-offering Christ in the Roman Mass is, however, is not necessarily joined to the doctrine of transubstantiation (as much as I can tell). For those not familiar with the various teachings on the Lord's Supper I am discussing:
Transubstantiation: The bread and wine have a substance (what the object IS...its "essence") and an accident (what is perceived). During the Eucharistic Prayer (Words of Institution), the substance of the bread and wine are destroyed and replaced with the body and blood of Christ. Rome also accept "comingling" which does not separate the body and blood from one another. As a result, the bread has the body AND the blood and the wine has the body AND the blood.
Consubstantiation: The bread and wine are two substances and Chirst's body and blood are two other substances. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the two substances of bread and body and the two substances of wine and blood are combined to form a new third substance distinct from the first two because it is a combination. This is NOT taught by the Lutheran church....even though the TERM is used at times by some Lutheran dogmatic theologians. It is usually used to describe the Lutheran position by those who are NOT Lutherans.
Sacramental Union: The bread and wine are two substances and Christ's body and blood are two substances. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the different substances are brought together but NOT mixed as in consubstantiation. The bread and body are together and the wine and blood are together, but not mixed. That is the meaning of "in, with, and under." The body fills the bread but does not replace it nor does it mix with it....and the same with the blood.
All of the above three views recognize Christ's very real and true body and blood as present in the elements of the Eucharist (bread and wine). This view is called the Real Pressence and has been around in Christianity since Scripture.....and if you doubt that.....look at what St. Ignatius of Antioch calls the Eucharist (he was St. John the Apostle's disciple).....he calls it "the medicine of immortality" (Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 20). Clearly it is not just symbolic.
What boggles my mind about Way of the Master is that they will take a staunch stand on things but then call them "adiaphora." How can the details of what our Lord instituted be adiaphora?!?!?!?! Clearly this seems to show a low regard for the teachings of the historic church as it has guarded the Apostles' teachings through the ages. This must be what Father Todd Wilken was referring to in his article, "Bible-believing Liberals." Perhaps the problem is that Todd (Friel) doesn't think the Holy Spirit helps us understand Scripture. He said, "the Holy Spirit helps us in application," but that "understanding comes by careful study." Did the historic church botch that last part????
It might seem like I am overly harping on Way of the Master Radio. I do so in love. I like the program...it is entertaining. It reaches the lost. It helps to equip believers. However, when it is wrong on doctrine I will guard doctrine tooth and nail. Let us look at the Gospel of St. John where it speaks of the Paraclete:
John 14:16-[Jesus said,] "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.."
John 14:26-[Jesus said,] "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
John 15:26-[Jesus said,] "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."
John 16:7-[Jesus said,] "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
What we see is that the Holy Spirit TEACHES US ALL THINGS. Especially Christ's church which "the gates of Hell shall not overcome." It is for this reason that the church's position is very important when it comes to the interpretation of Scripture. Why? Well the church is guided by the Holy Spirit (not to say it cannot err, but that its opinions as long as they do not go contrary to Scripture should be respected) and St. Peter said that no prophecy of Scripture has its origins in man, and so no interpretation of Scripture is up to anyone's private interpretation.
Again, in love to our brothers at Way of the Master Radio, we pray for you and thank God for your evangelistic work. I pray for our Synod to return to its Confessional principles. I pray that the church does not mock the Son of the Holy Theotokos by its wanton disregard for all things Apostolic. I pray that the church takes caution before it enters into altar fellowship with heterodox brothers, and thus risk destroying further ecumenical dialogue as the ELCA has done with the Orthodox Church by its full force entrance into fellowship with other variant Christian denominations. I thank God for the prayers of His Son, the Mother of God, and the Holy Apostles continuously for the church.
Glory be to the Father, and the Son (+), and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Justice League 300
Walk it out....Penguine Style
A 3-D cube rendering of the universe with every dot a galaxy???
This is just disturbing!!!!! My kid WON'T read THIS last book!
Jean Luc "Exploder"
A creature of darkness.
Ted Stevens explains that it isn't a big truck....
Lex Luthor>Optimus Prime....yes I loved the new movie!
Scripture Readings:
Old Testament-Judges 16:4-30
New Testament-Galatians 4:12-31
Psalms-Morning: 51
Evening: 85, 47
Festival: Old Testament St. Ruth
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Some news....first of all, I didn't expect Preus to win the Synod Presidential election....but I hoped Kieschnick would not be re-elected. However, I need to be content that the Holy Spirit guided the elections to fulfill God's ultimate plan and purpose.....and as long as our leaders whom we pray for constantly realize this......I assent to their decision. Secondly, I got to see the installation of my third cousin as pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Washington, IL. Thirdly, I turn 25 a week from today (yay). And fourth(ly), I liked the new Transformers movie, A LOT!
The Expecto Petronum in the title was a reference to Harry Potter. I've read and seen the first five movies/books. Would I recomend it to my kids? Maybe or maybe not. Would I be legalistic and contradictory about my attitute towards it? I hope not. I bring this up because Way of the Master host Todd Friel made the comment that Harry Potter leads to witchcraft and the occult, but seemed to side-step the issue that many Christians have the same attitude about Harry Potter but in the same breath will laud The Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings.....as if the magic in those is not "occultish." To me it seems if you are against the one because it is occultish, you would be ardently against the other for the same reason.
I'm sorry, but stories of how kids went from Harry Potter to being witches doesn't necessarily win this argument......I'm sure there are kids who went from C.S Lewis or Tolkien to New Age or Druidism....a point Friel somewhat mentions then downplays. The fact remains that if a kid does that....they have trouble distinguishing between reality and fantasy....and the parents aren't doing their job rightly. As a Christian, I would not tell my kids (students) at church.....read Harry Potter, it's good.....but I wouldn't say, "don't read it....it's bad" either. I would however push C.S. Lewis and Tolkien because their subject matter would be much safer to discuss in a Christian atmosphere. To be legalistic about the one while ignoring the other seems irresponsible to me......and to blame the book and not the parent (which was never brought up in the radio talk show) is the same.
The Expecting Patriotism in the title is in response to the same radio program's coverage of the Hindu priest leading prayer in the Senate. They focused on the behavior of some Christians who were rather rude by interrupting the priest's prayers with their own to God apologizing for the prayer of the wicked. Todd and many of the people who called in thought it was a travesty that this country was leaving its Christian roots (most of the founding fathers were Deists....so I don't know WHAT they're talking about) and Todd even made the comment, "I wonder if this is the final part where God just goes, 'okay, you're done.'" Where in the Bible does it say that America is the favored nation of God?! Scripture speaks of the secular authorities being ministers of God ordained for the enforcement of order.....but it does not say that the secular authorities must bow down to God and recognize Him. No where does it say this! Is this theology Dispensational Premillenialism? I'm aware that that theology focuses on Israel as God's chosen nation. The other group that accepts that America is God's chosen nation is the Phelp's family from Godhatesfags.com!
The fact remains that we are born as citizens of this world, but are made into citizens of the Heavenly world while remaining pilgrims on earth. We owe our allegiance to our nation as long as it keeps to its own rules and does not force a citizen to violate God's laws. It could be argued that because America uses our tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood which goes to paying for abortions, God would allow us to go against our government. However, within our government is the right of every citizen to vote their conscience and get rid of abortion non-violently. Would Christ's church like to have a nation which was responsible for the trail of tears and countless abortions as its witness? I DOUBT it!
Finally, to end....two things on the Lord's Supper. Way of the Master Radio brought up the Lord's Supper and of course, misunderstood the Lutheran view when asked a question on it (calling our understanding of it consubstantiation) and saying that while our view is valid the Roman view of transubstantiation is wrong because it has a whole boatload of problems with it. I corrected them in an email (which I'm sure they'll read :-/) that it is not the concept of transubstantiation that we necessarily have a problem with. We do not like Aristotelian metaphysics being applied to the Sacramental mysteries. That's all transubstantiation teaches.....the part of the re-offering Christ in the Roman Mass is, however, is not necessarily joined to the doctrine of transubstantiation (as much as I can tell). For those not familiar with the various teachings on the Lord's Supper I am discussing:
Transubstantiation: The bread and wine have a substance (what the object IS...its "essence") and an accident (what is perceived). During the Eucharistic Prayer (Words of Institution), the substance of the bread and wine are destroyed and replaced with the body and blood of Christ. Rome also accept "comingling" which does not separate the body and blood from one another. As a result, the bread has the body AND the blood and the wine has the body AND the blood.
Consubstantiation: The bread and wine are two substances and Chirst's body and blood are two other substances. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the two substances of bread and body and the two substances of wine and blood are combined to form a new third substance distinct from the first two because it is a combination. This is NOT taught by the Lutheran church....even though the TERM is used at times by some Lutheran dogmatic theologians. It is usually used to describe the Lutheran position by those who are NOT Lutherans.
Sacramental Union: The bread and wine are two substances and Christ's body and blood are two substances. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the different substances are brought together but NOT mixed as in consubstantiation. The bread and body are together and the wine and blood are together, but not mixed. That is the meaning of "in, with, and under." The body fills the bread but does not replace it nor does it mix with it....and the same with the blood.
All of the above three views recognize Christ's very real and true body and blood as present in the elements of the Eucharist (bread and wine). This view is called the Real Pressence and has been around in Christianity since Scripture.....and if you doubt that.....look at what St. Ignatius of Antioch calls the Eucharist (he was St. John the Apostle's disciple).....he calls it "the medicine of immortality" (Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 20). Clearly it is not just symbolic.
What boggles my mind about Way of the Master is that they will take a staunch stand on things but then call them "adiaphora." How can the details of what our Lord instituted be adiaphora?!?!?!?! Clearly this seems to show a low regard for the teachings of the historic church as it has guarded the Apostles' teachings through the ages. This must be what Father Todd Wilken was referring to in his article, "Bible-believing Liberals." Perhaps the problem is that Todd (Friel) doesn't think the Holy Spirit helps us understand Scripture. He said, "the Holy Spirit helps us in application," but that "understanding comes by careful study." Did the historic church botch that last part????
It might seem like I am overly harping on Way of the Master Radio. I do so in love. I like the program...it is entertaining. It reaches the lost. It helps to equip believers. However, when it is wrong on doctrine I will guard doctrine tooth and nail. Let us look at the Gospel of St. John where it speaks of the Paraclete:
John 14:16-[Jesus said,] "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.."
John 14:26-[Jesus said,] "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
John 15:26-[Jesus said,] "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."
John 16:7-[Jesus said,] "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
What we see is that the Holy Spirit TEACHES US ALL THINGS. Especially Christ's church which "the gates of Hell shall not overcome." It is for this reason that the church's position is very important when it comes to the interpretation of Scripture. Why? Well the church is guided by the Holy Spirit (not to say it cannot err, but that its opinions as long as they do not go contrary to Scripture should be respected) and St. Peter said that no prophecy of Scripture has its origins in man, and so no interpretation of Scripture is up to anyone's private interpretation.
Again, in love to our brothers at Way of the Master Radio, we pray for you and thank God for your evangelistic work. I pray for our Synod to return to its Confessional principles. I pray that the church does not mock the Son of the Holy Theotokos by its wanton disregard for all things Apostolic. I pray that the church takes caution before it enters into altar fellowship with heterodox brothers, and thus risk destroying further ecumenical dialogue as the ELCA has done with the Orthodox Church by its full force entrance into fellowship with other variant Christian denominations. I thank God for the prayers of His Son, the Mother of God, and the Holy Apostles continuously for the church.
Glory be to the Father, and the Son (+), and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
posted by Chris | 5:35 PM
3 Comments:
Thank you for pointing out that consubstantiation is not Lutheran teaching and also what Lutherans do actually reject. I just wish that everyone could (generally speaking) stick with explaining their own viewpoints, church's teachings ect. and let others define theirs. All too often, we just end up being mistaken.
Hi Chris!
Actually, I'm the one who found your blog and showed it to Phil. :) I came across it at the Lutheran Carnival. And now I've linked to you so I can find you easily in the future!
Keep up the great work!
Cheryl M.
I liked this post very much as it has helped me a lot in my research and is quite interesting as well. Thank you for sharing this information with us.
Essay on Patriotism
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