I never thought of this before.

October 16, 2009 by RevLurch.

From Lutheran Core-News and Discussions

I’m glad I’m willing to read stuff from people smarter than me.

One of the questions, often raised by those in disagreement with an institution or entity that they previously have supported, is whether or not it is appropriate and faithful to use the redirection of financial support away from that institution or entity as a means to influence policy.

And where did the answer to this question come?

Going all the way back to the 1999 social statement on “Economic Life - Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All,” the ELCA has been clear about the need to maintain the connection between financial decisions and faith perspective, saying: “We commit ourselves as a church and urge members to … integrate social values into our investment decisions.”

And so:

As an expression of good stewardship, congregations should seriously consider whether the institutions, organizations and ministries they support through their benevolence dollars are in harmony with their local congregation’s faith perspective. If a congregation finds itself in conflict with the values of an institution, that congregation has an obligation to redirect its support to the needs of ministries that better share its own social values in faith.

Read the whole post.  With denominational offices in the United States increasing out of touch with reaching out with the Gospel and more in touch with politics, maybe we as congregations should heed their advice.

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If Judge Sotomayor is such a good nominee…

July 13, 2009 by RevLurch.

Why are there already threats from her supporters

Graham spoke after Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, praised Sotomayor in remarks that opened confirmation proceedings in a packed Senate hearing room. “She’s been a judge for all Americans. She’ll be a justice for all Americans,” he said.

Leahy likened Sotomayor to other judicial pioneers, citing Thurgood Marshall, the first black justice on the high court, as well as Louis Brandeis, the first Jew, and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman.

“Let no one demean this extraordinary woman,” Leahy said in a warning to committee Republicans to tread lightly in the days ahead. [emphasis mine]

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One Split Second Decision…..

July 11, 2009 by RevLurch.

affects 100s of people.

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The empty chair

May 28, 2009 by RevLurch.

Pastor Jeffery Clements from the Northern Illinois Synod got me thinking:

In recent years I have noted two contrasting things happening simultaneously. As the roles of the presiding and assisting ministers in Holy Communion have become better defined in LBW and ELW, a number of worship leaders have apparently abdicated their roles as leaders.

I was recently the guest preacher in a congregation outside of our synod. I asked the pastor where he wanted me to sit during worship. “Oh, just sit wherever you want. You can go sit with your wife.” So, I sat in about the fourth pew where my wife was seated. The other pastors sat in different sections. As the worship began I wondered who was in charge.

I understand a pastor’s desire to be part of the congregation. I understand the need to be a worshiper in the assembly. However, I think we too easily diminish the role to which the congregation has called the pastor. I have been left wondering if we (both lay and clergy leaders) are afraid to lead, even in worship.

Is he right?  Are we afraid to lead?  Why are we afraid to lead?  I have some ideas banging around in my head but I want to reflect a bit before I commit to cyberspace what I am thinking.  Feel free to comment to help the process.

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Double Duty

May 24, 2009 by RevLurch.

Thanks to brother firefighter Dave Schnitker for this timely blog:

I’m not quite sure what my inspiration was to write this, but the more I thought about it I thought to myself, as Firefighters we are really good at remembering our countries veterans and we are really passionate about remebering our fallen brothers ans sisters in the Fire Service but, I haven’t seen much where we really truly honor those who are our nations True Heros, Those who serve “Double Duty”.

Make sure you read the whole thing and add names of those you know serving “Double Duty.”

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Celebrate Your Marriage

April 13, 2009 by RevLurch.

Every year, Rachel and I make the commitment to each other and our marriage to spend a couple days at the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island, Michigan.

Learn more here.

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Is this what’s coming?

April 6, 2009 by RevLurch.

Stumbled on this on hulu.com.  I never watch Saturday Night Live because I just don’t watch that much network TV anymore but by the wonder of the internet I saw it.

Living in an area that is very much affected by the drop in manufacturing in the US, I wonder if complaints about the unfair treatment of the domestic automakers during the bailout phase will lead to something like this. I mean, this video is a joke, right?I’m reminded of this poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.Then they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out for me.

I’m sure somebody is going to accuse me of calling President Obama a Nazi, but I’m not.  I’m concerned because we are allowing our government to take over privately owned companies because we’re mad about losing money in the stock market and we’ve bought into the class warfare that has been simmering over the last several years.  Rich people (whatever that means) have become the enemy.  Since most people don’t see themselves as rich they feel comfortable making those “other” people into the demon.  I get that.  It’s human nature.

The problem, as I see it, is that by doing things like bailing out failing companies we are doing that which we say we don’t like–namely, enriching the few at the expense of the many.   Look, if these companies took foolish risks they should pay for that risk when it fails.  Let these failing companies fail.  It’ll hurt for a little while but the free market system won’t allow a vacuum for long.  Someone will step in at some level if there is money to be made.  It happens everyday.  Does no one else get the foolishness of propping up a failing business model  in the name of “rebuilding the economy?”  If the government props up these failing businesses for political reasons, how can we trust it to make the right choices with other sectors of the economy?

It seems that our culture of get it now without pain or work has caught up to us.  We can no longer, as a society, tolerate pain or failure.  We need everything to be comfortable.  We have become soft.  We blame others for where we are in life.  If we continue down this road we will eventually be left on our own to face our own demise.  Eventually, we will not have any choices left  because someone else will have decided for us what is “good for us.”  We the people are the boss of the politicians; they are not our boss.  It is time that we the people retook our rightful place in our country.

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It isn’t about me!

April 4, 2009 by RevLurch.

A member of Grace Lutheran Church was there this evening getting ready for worship tomorrow and took this pic with her cell phone.

I thought it was pretty cool to see as I have been anxious about Holy Week preparations.  Makes me realize it isn’t about me and my stuff it’s about Jesus and His stuff.  I couldn’t plan this picture and I can’t save the world; only Jesus Christ can.

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I thought the science was settled…

March 16, 2009 by RevLurch.

I usually try to stay out of politics on my blog but this one goes right to the heart of caring for God’s creation.  Apparently, researchers at UW-Milwaukee have a different take on Climate Change then I’ve been hearing lately from denominational higher-ups and politicians

Scientists at the university used a math application known as synchronized chaos and applied it to climate data taken over the past 100 years.”Imagine that you have four synchronized swimmers and they are not holding hands and they do their program and everything is fine; now, if they begin to hold hands and hold hands tightly, most likely a slight error will destroy the synchronization. Well, we applied the same analogy to climate,” researcher Dr. Anastasios Tsonis said.Scientists said that the air and ocean systems of the earth are now showing signs of synchronizing with each other.Eventually, the systems begin to couple and the synchronous state is destroyed, leading to a climate shift.”In climate, when this happens, the climate state changes. You go from a cooling regime to a warming regime or a warming regime to a cooling regime. This way we were able to explain all the fluctuations in the global temperature trend in the past century,” Tsonis said. “The research team has found the warming trend of the past 30 years has stopped and in fact global temperatures have leveled off since 2001.”The most recent climate shift probably occurred at about the year 2000.

The article goes on to ask the question about just how much human activity affects this shifting climate.  Sounds to me like climate researchers are not quite as sure as Mr. Al Gore.  If climate change is detrimental to humanity but we are not the cause, how does that change the current vein of environmentalism that seems to have captivated mainline Christianity?  Have we gone down the wrong path and lost our way caring for God’s creation?

Upon further reflection:  Why am I so worried about this being political when it should be a scientific and theological discussion about caring for God’s creation and how best to do that?

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He will be missed–William Davidson Dec 5, 1922-March 13, 2009

March 16, 2009 by RevLurch.

He was a sports owner.  I did not know him.  I only rooted for his teams.  But he made his investment. Built his own arena without public money and made a lot of money doing it.  By reports, “He was the most normal billionaire you would ever meet.”  He also ran a world class organization that was respected throughout the sports world.  He was quiet and did his job with honor and respect unlike many other owners.   He will be missed.

Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News

Consider how many remarkable things we know about the man, without really knowing the man. Davidson owned the Pistons since 1974, led them through two glorious eras, winning three NBA titles. And when you list the names most attached to the success, they range from Isiah Thomas to Jack McCloskey to Chuck Daly to Joe Dumars to Bill Laimbeer to Vinnie Johnson to Dennis Rodman to Ben Wallace to Chauncey Billups to Larry Brown to Rip Hamilton and back to Dumars.

And yet, before there was Joe D the winning player and executive, there was Mr. D the pioneer, one of the first owners to finance his own state-of-the-art basketball arena and to supply his team with its own jet. All the while, he expanded his holdings from an internationally successful glass company, Guardian Enterprises, to an entertainment empire that includes The Palace of Auburn Hills, the WNBA champion Detroit Shock and the DTE Energy Music Theatre.

For all that public success, there was a private nature about Davidson that he never relinquished, for himself or his wife, Karen, and grown children, Ethan and Marla. His legacy is reflected in the leaders expected to continue on, with president and CEO Tom Wilson in his 32nd year with the organization, and Dumars in his 23rd season with the Pistons.

It’s funny, but Detroit (or Auburn Hills) never has been a preferred destination for basketball players. But once they get here, it’s usually pretty hard to leave.

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