Issues, Etc

You may have heard about LCMS radio show, Issues Etc. that was taken off the air. Here's a Wall Street Journal Online opinion piece that is helpful in understanding what's happening.

WSJ

HOUSES OF WORSHIP

Radio Silence
By MOLLIE ZIEGLER HEMINGWAY
March 28, 2008; Page W11

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120667366412170875.html

The folded napkin

There is a story floating around the Internet on the folded napkin mentioned in John 20:7. The interpretation given in this e-story is that the folded napkin is a symbolic message from Jesus meaning that Jesus is coming back. I had never heard this story before, so I thought I'd check out what commentators say about John 20:7. The ones that I checked were unanimous in saying that since things were orderly in the tomb, this meant that there had not been a grave robbery.

None of them mentioned a symbolic meaning, "I'm coming back." Of course we believe that Christ will return but probably the folded napkin is not a coded message from Jesus. It seems that this story originated in 2007. No one knows where. Here are a couple of places that you can check this out.

JerusalemPerspective.com Exploring the Jewish background to the Life and Words of Jesus
http://forum.jerusalemperspective.com/viewtopic.php?t=377

Truth or Fiction.com The Folded Napkin in Jesus' Tomb
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/f/folded-napkin.htm

Forgery Trial In Israel

As you may know I have an interest in Biblical archaeology. A number of years ago an ossuary (bone box) with an inscription “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," came to light. It became quite famous. Eventually the Israel Antiquities Authority declared it a forgery along with some other rather famous artifacts. It seems to some that the story is over but in fact nothing has been settled yet. A number of scholars believe that the James ossuary inscription is authentic. Read a commentary on the Forgery Trial here. http://bib-arch.org/trial/bswbTrialIntro.asp

Lutheran Church Burned in Kenya

Springs of Life Lutheran Church, nursery school, and the newly remodeled Luther Health Centre in Kibera, Kenya, were looted and set ablaze Thursday afternoon as riots continued for the fifth day following heated presidential elections. "No amount of pleading would stop them," said Rev. David Chuchu, Project Coordinator for ELCK (Evangelical Lutheran Church Kenya). He also said a neighboring African Inland Church was burned.

Read More

LCMS missionaries OK in Kenya

Two Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod missionary couples stationed outside of Nairobi, Kenya, are safe and do not appear to be in harm's way despite five days of post-election rioting in the city that has led to more than 300 deaths, widespread destruction of property, and the displacement of more than 100,000 people.

Read More

Gospel of Judas - a correction

If you have been following the news about the so-called Gospel of Judas, this New York Times Article will be of interest to you . Apparently the National Geographic Society got the translation of the Gospel of Judas wrong.

April DeConick, a specialist in Gnostic Christianity, writes that the National Geographic Society made important errors in its publication ofThe Gospel of Judas.

Here is another article from the Christian Century that covers the same subject. It pays to wait until all the evidence is in.

The Golden Compass

Here are some Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod resources on The Golden Compass

Thoughts on The Golden Compass: C.S. Lewis and His Anti-Self

by Dr. Joel D. Heck

FREE "Golden Compass" Downloadable Study Questions from CPH!

California Fires

LCMS Provides Aid to Wildfire Victims

In its role as a first-responder when disaster strikes, LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the mercy arm of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), is assessing needs and determining ways the church can render aid in fire-ravaged Southern California. Assistance will include providing grants to the LCMS Pacific Southwest District so that along with emotional and spiritual care, the district also can provide financial assistance to its congregations, members, and neighbors in need.

There are some 216 LCMS congregations in Southern California with 70,393 members. At present, no LCMS churches are reporting damage, though many members’ homes have been destroyed or damaged. At least two congregations are in the line of fire—Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Lake Arrowhead and Light of the Valley in Valley Center.

Rev. Glenn Merritt, director of disaster response, and Rev. Carlos Hernandez, director of districts and congregations, both for LCMS World Relief and Human Care, are in Southern California meeting with LCMS pastors and Pacific Southwest District staff to identify resources. Early response and assistance includes: Members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Temecula are volunteering at the local Red Cross shelter to help their neighbors in distress; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Pacific Beach is accepting donations to distribute to thousands of evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium and Del Mar Fairgrounds; Rev. Douglas Jones of St. James Lutheran Church in Imperial Beach spent Monday and Tuesday at Qualcomm Stadium providing spiritual support in the medical section; Several churches, including Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, are serving as shelters for some of the displaced persons.

LCMS World Relief and Human Care made an initial disbursement of $50,000 today to the Pacific Southwest District office to be distributed to congregations to assist members who were evacuated. “Financial assistance, volunteering, and providing shelter are just some of the ways we are providing immediate assessment and response,” said LCMS World Relief and Human Care’s Hernandez. “Much work lies ahead of us as needs continue to surface in the aftermath of what is being called one of the worst fire disasters in California history.”

For more information on the LCMS response to the Southern California wildfire disaster, visit http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=12681.