Susan Boyle

Of course you've seen Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent, but if you haven't

click here. It will make your day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

So why, then, do English-speaking Christians call their holiday "Easter"?

So why, then, do English-speaking Christians call their holiday "Easter"?

One theory for the origin of the name is that the Latin phrase in albis ("in white"), which Christians used in reference to Easter week, found its way into Old High German as eostarum, or "dawn." There is some evidence of early Germanic borrowing of Latin despite that fact that the Germanic peoples lived outside the Roman Empire—though the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes were far very removed from it. This theory presumes that the word only became current after the introduction of either Roman influence or the Christian faith, which is uncertain. But if accurate, it would demonstrate that the festival is not named after a pagan goddess.

Alternatively, as Hutton suggests, Eosturmonath simply meant "the month of opening," which is comparable to the meaning of "April" in Latin. The names of both the Saxon and Latin months (which are calendrically similar) were related to spring, the season when the buds open.

So Christians in ancient Anglo-Saxon and Germanic areas called their Passover holiday what they did—doubtless colloquially at first—simply because it occurred around the time of Eosturmonath/Ostarmanoth. A contemporary analogy can be found in the way Americans sometimes refer to the December period as "the holidays" in connection with Christmas and Hanukkah, or the way people sometimes speak about something happening "around Christmas," usually referring to the time at the turn of the year. The Christian title "Easter," then, essentially reflects its general date in the calendar, rather than the Paschal festival having been re-named in honor of a supposed pagan deity.

Of course, the Christian commemoration of the Paschal festival rests not on the title of the celebration but on its content—namely, the remembrance of Christ's death and resurrection. It is Christ's conquest of sin, death, and Satan that gives us the right to wish everyone "Happy Easter!"

From an article titled:

Was Easter Borrowed from a Pagan Holiday?

The historical evidence contradicts this popular notion.
by Anthony McRoy
at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/bytopic/holidays/easterborrowedholiday.html

Mark Steiner in Madagascar

The current REPORTER Online of the LCMS has an article titled, "Sem students see Lutheran mercy in Madagascar." You can see a picture of our former vicar, Mark Steiner and read about his trip to Madagascar. Click here http://www.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=14961

Flipsyde - Happy Birthday

Rap of the Month

Charles Colson analysis of Evangelicalism

Many Christians confuse emotionalism with faith and personal feelings with spirituality. Charles Colson has written an insightful critique of Evangelicalism in which he states, "The greatest challenge for serious Christians today is not re-inventing Christianity, but rediscovering its core teachings." You can read the entire article here:

Doctrine Bears Repeating

Evangelicals need to brush up on basic Christian teachings.
Charles Colson with Anne Morse | posted 3/24/2009 10:16AM

Response to ELCA Report

MEMORANDUM

To: The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
From: Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
Subject: Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Document
"Report and Recommendations on Ministry Policies"
Date: February 22, 2009

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Grace and peace be with you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

It is with great disappointment and deep sadness that I share with The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod these brief comments on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Task Force on Sexuality document "Gift and Trust" and the "Report and Recommendations on Ministry Policies." The "Report and Recommendations" document recommends that the ELCA undertake a process that would result in the incorporation of "structured flexibility in decision making to allow, in appropriate situations, people in publicly accountable, monogamous, lifelong, same-gendered relationships to be approved for the rosters of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America." The two documents were released February 19 by an ELCA task force and are expected to be considered by the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in August.

If this recommendation should be adopted by the Churchwide Assembly, it would constitute a change in the ELCA's present position, which precludes "practicing homosexuals" from being included on its rosters. More importantly, it would constitute a radical departure from the 2,000-year-long teaching of the Christian tradition that homosexual activity, whether inside or outside of a committed relationship, is contrary to Holy Scripture.

As the ELCA Task Force Report itself states, "This church [the ELCA] does not have biblical and theological consensus on this matter." It therefore concludes that the ELCA "must seek a common way to live and serve in the midst of disagreements" such as "the understanding of the nature of sin," "the interpretation of the Bible," "how the Bible guides our lives," and "the level of disagreement the ELCA can bear."

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has repeatedly affirmed the biblical truth and historical understanding of the Christian church that the Bible condemns homosexual behavior as "intrinsically sinful" and is therefore contrary to the will of the Creator and constitutes sin against the commandments of God (Lev. 18:22, 24,20:13; 1 Cor. 6:9-20; 1 Tim 1:9-10; and Rom. 1:26, 27).

Our prayer in the LCMS is that our gracious God will penetrate the lives and hearts of the leaders and members of the ELCA in the coming months as they discuss, debate, and determine the outcome of the task force report and its recommendations.

In the meantime, it behooves us in the LCMS, in a spirit of sincere humility, love, care, and concern, to continue to endeavor faithfully to honor Resolution 3-21A of the 2001 Convention of our Synod that while "we cannot consider [the ELCA] to be an orthodox Lutheran church body . we of the LCMS recognize that many of our brothers and sisters of the ELCA remain faithful to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and we resolve to reach out to them in love and support ."

God's grace, mercy, and peace be with us all.

Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick, President
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

"Transforming lives through Christ's love ... in time ... for eternity ..." John 3:16-17

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Here is an article for Black History Month that you may find interesting regarding Harriet Beecher Stowe, the anti-slavery movement, the Civil War and Uncle Tom's Cabin.

The article contains these two interesting quotations:

When President Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1863, he is reported to have said, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!"

"if a slave can come to Mount Sion and to Jesus and to the company of saints in the New Jerusalem, how can you set him up on an auction block and trade him from one white man to another?"

You can read the article at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/musiciansartistsandwriters/stowe.html

“Bishop Announces Plenary Indulgences.”

Indulgences return. Over the years I have been asked if Roman Catholics still teach indulgences. This New York Times article gives an answer.

“Bishop Announces Plenary Indulgences.”

Economic downturn has negative effect on the collection plate

The Journal Sentinel from Milwaukee has an interesting article on offerings received by religious groups.

They report that the Lakeland Baptist Association saw its member contributions drop 15% in 2008.

Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA dropped 6%.

These are certainly difficult times for churches. We will need to learn to be creative and trusting in the months ahead.

Read the complete article here.

How Personality Based Ministries End

I read quite a bit of material to keep current in religion and politics. I hope to keep you updated on some of the current events in religious news that I find significant or interesting.

The Washington Post has an interesting article on the Crystal Cathedral and the potential collapse of this ministry. Here is a particularly important quotation from the article:

"The Crystal Cathedral blames the recession for its woes. But it's clear that the elder Schuller's carefully orchestrated leadership transition, planned over a decade, has stumbled badly.

It's a problem common to personality driven ministries. Most have collapsed or been greatly diminished after their founders left the pulpit or died."

The temporary success of personality based ministries should not entice us to abandon the foundations of our faith.

You can read the entire article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/31/AR2009013100872.html?wprss=rss_religion

March for Life

Can't make it to the 36th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., next week? Follow the action online as LCMS President Gerald Kieschnick, members of the LCMS Sanctity of Human Life Committee, LCMS Life Ministry staff members, and Lutherans from around the country join thousands of other pro-life supporters expected this year. For up-to-the-minute web coverage (videos, audio interviews, photos, and more) about Lutherans on march day, visit www.lcms.org/marchforlife.

The Bible Translation that Rocked the World

Here's an article from Christian History that I hope you will enjoy.

The Bible Translation That Rocked the World

Luther's Bible introduced mass media, unified a nation, and set the standard for future translations.
Henry Zecher

Martin Luther was many things: preacher, teacher, orator, translator, theologian, composer, and family man. He came to symbolize everything the Protestant Reformation stood for.

But perhaps Luther's greatest achievement was the German Bible. No other work has had as strong an impact on a nation's development and heritage as has this Book.

In Luther's time, the German language consisted of several regional dialects (all similar to the tongue spoken in the courts of the Hapsburg and Luxemburg emperors). How were these scattered dialects united into one modern language? The rise of the middle class, the growth of trade, and the invention of the printing press all played a part. But the key factor was Luther's Bible.

The Wartburg Wonder

Following the Diet of Worms in 1521, Luther's territorial ruler, Frederick the Wise, had Luther hidden away for safekeeping in the castle at Wartburg. Luther settled down and translated Erasmus's Greek New Testament in only eleven weeks. This is a phenomenal feat under any circumstances, but Luther contended with darkened days, poor lighting, and his own generally poor health.

Das Newe Testament Deutzsch was published in September 1522. A typographical masterpiece, containing woodcuts from Lucas Cranach's workshop and selections from Albrecht Durer's famous Apocalypse series, the September Bibel sold an estimated five thousand copies in the first two months alone.

Luther then turned his attention to the Old Testament. Though well taught in both Greek and Hebrew, he would not attempt it alone. "Translators must never work by themselves," he wrote. "When one is alone, the best and most suitable words do not always occur to him." Luther thus formed a translation committee, which he dubbed his "Sanhedrin." If the notion of a translation committee seems obvious today, it is because such scholars as Philipp Melanchthon, Justus Jonas, John Bugenhagen, and Caspar Cruciger joined Luther in setting the precedent. Never before, and not for many years after, was the scholarship of this body equaled.

Forcing Prophets to Speak German

Luther remained the principal translator, however. His spirit motivated and guided the Sanhedrin in producing a translation that was not literal in the truest sense of the word. He wanted this Bible to be in spoken rather than bookish or written German. Before any word or phrase could be put on paper, it had to pass the test of Luther's ear, not his eye. It had to sound right. This was the German Bible's greatest asset, but it meant Luther had to straddle the fence between the free and the literal.

"It is not possible to reproduce a foreign idiom in one's native tongue," he wrote. "The proper method of translation is to select the most fitting terms according to the usage of the language adopted. To translate properly is to render the spirit of a foreign language into our own idiom. I try to speak as men do in the market place. In rendering Moses, I make him so German that no one would suspect he was a Jew."

The translators used the court tongue as their base language but flavored it with the best of all the dialects they could find in the empire. Luther, a relentless perfectionist who might spend a month searching out a single word, talked at length with old Germans in the different regions. To better understand the sacrificial rituals in the Mosaic law, he had the town butcher cut up sheep so he could study their entrails. When he ran into the precious stones in the "new Jerusalem" that were unfamiliar to him, he had similar gems from the elector's collection brought for him to study. Read the rest of the article here

Dissertation Defense

I am happy to report that yesterday I completed my dissertation defense of Concordia at Christ Lutheran Church: Introducing the Lutheran Confessions to a Lutheran Congregation at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN.

Dr. Q.

Christianity is a distinct culture.

Here is an excellent article by Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray. If you haven't subscribed to his daily devotions email, you really owe it to yourself. Pastor Murray is pastor of Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas. This is part of his daily devotions for January 8, 2009.

Christianity is a distinct culture. Usually, we think of Christianity fitting into a given culture, such as Western culture; not as a separate and distinct culture. Culture comes from the Latin word (cultus) which means, among other things, "worship." Usually culture is defined as "the way of life for an entire society;" and includes worship, spirituality, structure, ethics, and behavior. Culture is about "everything."

Christianity is a distinct culture in so far as it reflects in the behavior of the church the spirituality of the God who gives it divine worship. The culture of the church includes a strong boundary between belief and unbelief, truth and falsehood, wisdom and foolishness. That boundary also implies a decisive break with the world and its ways. The cult of the Western world, although arising in the cradle of the church, is no longer directed by its original mother. Western culture has become a self-willed Nietzschean bastard, coming of age cut off from God its Father and its mother, the church. This coming of age has a profound effect on the church. She is now forced to distinguish herself from her bastard child. She can no longer expect support from the cult of the West based as it is on self willed and self centered knowledge; knowledge always critical of both Father and mother, as though an ill-mannered teen.

For example, the Western university and its open enquiry into truth and the nature of reality arises out of the Christian insistence that all of truth is God's. And though the Western university tradition was fraught with many battles over the validity of certain kinds of knowledge, still there was over the long haul an openness about the modes and methods of enquiry into the world and the nature of God. That openness is now being closed off in the dying of the light. Matters of spirit, life, truth, beauty, ultimacy, and God are routinely ruled "out of bounds" in the so-called secular universities. They have forgotten that even the saeculum, "the age" remains God's. Finally, the cultus of the West has become the cult of the self; drowning in the solipsistic sea of foolishness and rabid and intentional ignorance of the cross of Christ. How tragically this narrowing of thought impoverishes the Western world. But this foolish narrowness is not new to Christianity. It has its roots in Eden's invention of the cult of self. Paul the apostle speaks of it as the foolishness of unbelief. The foolishness of the cross despite all this still looms as the wisdom of God. This is the church's cultus.

The Real Twelve Days of Christmas

Here's an article from ChristianHistory.Net that you may be interested in. It begins:

The Real Twelve Days of Christmas

Celebrating Christ's birth with saints of the faith during the actual Christmas season.

Edwin and Jennifer Woodruff Tait

Sometime in November, as things now stand, the "Christmas season" begins. The streets are hung with lights, the stores are decorated with red and green, and you can't turn on the radio without hearing songs about the spirit of the season and the glories of Santa Claus. The excitement builds to a climax on the morning of December 25, and then it stops, abruptly. Christmas is over, the New Year begins, and people go back to their normal lives.

The traditional Christian celebration of Christmas is exactly the opposite. The season of Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and for nearly a month Christians await the coming of Christ in a spirit of expectation, singing hymns of longing. Then, on December 25, Christmas Day itself ushers in twelve days of celebration, ending only on January 6 with the feast of the Epiphany. Exhortations to follow this calendar rather than the secular one have become routine at this time of year. But often the focus falls on giving Advent its due, with the Twelve Days of Christmas relegated to the words of a cryptic traditional carol. Most people are simply too tired after Christmas Day to do much celebrating.

The "real" twelve days of Christmas are important not just as a way of thumbing our noses at secular ideas of the "Christmas season." They are important because they give us a way of reflecting on what the Incarnation means in our lives.

Read the rest of the article.

Church Attendance Boosts Student GPAs

Here's an interesting article about a study published in the winter 2008 issue of the Sociological Quarterly.

Church Attendance Boosts Student GPAs

The article says "If you want to boost your teenager's grade point average, take the kid to church."

"Students who attend religious services weekly average a GPA .144 higher than those who never attend services, said Jennifer Glanville, a sociologist at the University of Iowa."

"The study ... identifies several reasons the students do better:

• They have regular contact with adults from various generations who serve as role models.
• Their parents are more likely to communicate with their friends' parents.
• They develop friendships with peers who have similar norms and values.
• They're more likely to participate in extracurricular activities."

"Kids who attended church were also more likely to have friends with higher GPAs who skipped school less often, Glanville said."

Read the article here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080819/sc_livescience/churchattendanceboostsstudentgpas

Secondhand Witnessing

Christianity Today sent me an email promoting a piece titled Secondhand Witnessing by Holly Vicente Robaina.

The email made this interesting comment "the desire to share our faith through Christian paraphernalia often comes from a good place: we want others to experience the difference Jesus can make in their lives. But this approach may do just the opposite, repel rather than invite conversation."

Read the entire blogpost at Walk With Me - A Today's Christian Woman Blog.

Midwest Flooding

Here's a report on what's going on with the LCMS and the Midwest Flooding:

Members turn to each other for help after flooding hits Midwest

By Linda C. Hoops

While storms continued to sweep over much of the Upper Midwest Thursday (June 12), LCMS congregations and members began assessing damage, but still managed to find some rays of hope amidst the devastation.

Read the full article

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