Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Maranatha--Come, Lord Jesus!
O Come, thou Wisdom from on High!
Posted on 12/17/2011 5:54:55 PM PST by lightman
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all. Titus 2:11
Yes
In this world where God creates with
deep beauty and profound mystery.
In this world where so many yearn for
God’s healing and peace.
In this world where some have thought God has forsaken us:
Yes
Here, in this world, the grace of God has appeared.
Not just in this world but for you.
Yes
For you, weary from trying to meet the
expectations of others.
For you, worrying about an uncertain future.
For you, wondering if you are worthy.
Yes
For you, the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation.
Not just for you but for all.
Yes
For all, salvation has come in the wonder of
God in mercy bending low to meet us
in our humanity.
In the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.
In the power and promise
of the gospel’s proclamation,
God’s goodness and loving-kindness has appeared
in the Savior Jesus.
So with angelic messengers and witnessing shepherds,
we raise our voices:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
1) Totally apolitical.
2) Grace-centered.
3) Scripturally based.
And now for the negatives:
1) A very deficient, if not totally absent Christology. Nowhere does ++Mark indicate what relationship, if any, exists between God and Christ. Of course, he can never say or write the dreaded F(ather)-word; apparently this revulsion now precludes him from identifying Jesus as God's Son.
2) A distancing from Christ's saving work by identifying Him as "the Savior" instead of "our Savior".
3) A babbling attempt at poetic prose that bears great resemblance to Øbama in front of a broken teleprompter.
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Maranatha--Come, Lord Jesus!
O Come, thou Wisdom from on High!
Favors? I just heard a radio ad from the piskie diocese telling me that God Loves everyone-- no exceptions (meaning homosexuals, I guess). What's the scoop?
Without the explicit repentance of sin, there is no grace. Cheap grace is neither cheap nor grace. Mr. Hanson is hell bound I’m afraid.
Yes, God loves homosexuals. He loves also murderers and thieves. But that does not mean that He approves of their conduct, much as liberals stretch and strain to instruct us that to love homosexuals is to approve of their perversions of the gift of sexuality.
Hanson IS an Obama worshiper.
I’ve seen better messages in Christmas cards.
Two Nativity encyclicals from Orthodox archpastors:
Metropolitan Jonah:
http://oca.org/holy-synod/statements/metropolitan-jonah/nativity-of-christ-2011
Archbishop Demetrios:
http://www.goarch.org/news/archiepiscopalchristmas2011encyclical-en
Metropolitan Jonah’s is by far the finest Christmas message I have read from any prelate this year. Too bad there is no Lutheran liturgy option within the Orthodox Western Rite.
Compare and contrast with this freshly issued message by North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Bishop John Bradosky:
Christmas Message from Bishop John Bradosky
Dear Pastors and Lay Leaders:
This past year has been filled with difficult struggles for many in our midst. Some have asked, how do we prepare for Christmas in the midst of uncertainty, issues of trust, volatile emotions, worry about what others will think and laboring to discern God’s will through it all? The struggle for people of faith today is no different than it was at the very inception of Christianity, the birth of Jesus. There is no better way to deal with our struggles than to turn to the Christmas story in the Gospel of Luke and journey with Mary and Joseph in the midst of their struggles. I encourage you to take a few moments to read Luke 1:1 - 2:20.
Following the will of God does not prevent struggles but produces them. Consider Mary’s struggle in accepting God’s plan for a Savior. She could not see into the future or know how it would all turn out. She knew she would become pregnant and bear a child. What would Joseph think? What would he do? Joseph had every right to have her put to death, but he decided to quietly remove himself. He too is confronted by the will of God and conforms to that will, in spite of what family, friends and the community might think.
The journey to Bethlehem was certainly not a joy ride. They arrived in a strange place with no friends or family, feeling alone and displaced. There was not even a decent place to stay. A barn would have to do. The birth itself was no less traumatic. Mary had no experience. She was young, and this was her first. The struggle, pain and sense of hopelessness would have been overwhelming. Will this ever be over? Will these contractions that overwhelm my whole being ever lead to life? Mary’s questions are our questions in the life of the congregation.
Luther writes, “Think, women, there was no one there to bathe the baby. No water, no fire and no light. The mother was herself midwife and maid. The cold manger was the bed and the bathtub. Who showed the poor girl what to do? I am amazed that the little one did not freeze. Do not make of Mary a stone. It must have gone straight to her heart that she was so abandoned. She was flesh and blood and must have felt miserable — and Joseph too — that she was left in this way, all alone, with no one to help, in a strange land in the middle of winter ... She was not a stone.” Luther captures the struggle of their circumstance.
It is into this very struggle that the Creator of the universe takes on human flesh and becomes one of us, entering into our world and our experience. His birth reminds me that, prior to receiving the complete joy of embracing Him, we must embrace the struggle. There is no easy way to receive Him. It is a part of the transformation process necessary for life. Going through the struggle prepares us to embrace Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It prepares us to receive all that He offers us, His love that is eternal, far more powerful than any of the difficulties we face.
Luther writes, “Look upon the baby Jesus. Divinity may terrify us; inexpressible majesty will crush us ... He took on our humanity that with love and favor he would console and confirm. See how God invites you in many ways. He places before you a baby in whom you may take refuge. You cannot fear him for nothing is more appealing than a baby. See how great is the divine goodness that seeks above all else that you should not despair. Trust him and believe that he is come not to judge you but to save you!”
The transforming power of the Holy Spirit was at work in the lives of Mary and Joseph as they believed! Believing moves us from passive observers to active participants. They believed, trusted, and received faith that produced in them a joy that nothing could remove. The struggles remained but paled in comparison to their life with Jesus. That same truth and experience is ours.
Thank you for your faithful witness and competent leadership even when the journey is difficult. May every struggle you face find its resolve in the manger of Bethlehem! Have a blessed Christmas season.
Bishop John Bradosky
North American Lutheran
This is how a Lutheran Bishop should write.
What a pity that the NALC Constitution has neutered the office of Bishop by having the damnable “conscience clause” thrust on the ELCA by Word Alone which requires that a Seminarian who does not want to be Ordained by the Bishop MUST have their objection sustained.
And what a tragedy that the most recent e-newsletter of the NALC has plastered at the top of the page a picture of a Texas Pastor so irregularly Ordained.
What’s the matter with that picture-—”where’s the Bishop?”
This is how a Lutheran Bishop should write.
What a pity that the NALC Constitution has neutered the office of Bishop by having the damnable “conscience clause” thrust on the ELCA by Word Alone which requires that a Seminarian who does not want to be Ordained by the Bishop MUST have their objection sustained.
And what a tragedy that the most recent e-newsletter of the NALC has plastered at the top of the page a picture of a Texas Pastor so irregularly Ordained.
What’s the matter with that picture-—”where’s the Bishop?”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.