Make Mine Extra Timid

Rick Johnson has left a new comment on your post "Bring Back the General Synod":

Please remove my blog from your listing in the sidebar. It's mostly family stuff and local church matters. Besides it's creepy that you decided to post a picture of my granddaughter and I think inappropriate. I would have emailed you privately but because of the anonymous nature of your blog, that is not possible.

Thank you
Rick Johnson

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

When someone publishes a blog, it is public, unless certain measures are taken. The favorite blogs list simply uses the URLs already available. The staff at Timid Lutherans did not post your granddaughter's photo. You did.

We find it creepy that you published her photo and tried to saw we did. Not so. Blog links pick up photos automatically, if coded correctly.

To fix your situation, change your post.

To make your blog private, talk to the blog host.

Rick, all the bigshots are behind me. You should be honored.

Bring Back the General Synod

I was hiding for a while, afraid someone would find out who I was.

I stumbled on the Wikipedia article about the General Synod.

Those were the days. Everything is falling apart, but I think the GS model would work today. In fact, it already is, thanks to all my backers and friends.

The idea is to call ourselves Lutheran while using all the cool ideas from the Reformed. We do not have to deny the Sacraments. We can just downplay them. Why lose potential members from having a communion service on Sunday?

Why call it communion? That irritates our prospects and they call it Catholic.

We always say the Lord's Supper, which can be understood correctly. I love that phrase.

The liturgy is an adiaphoron, so we seldom use that.

The Creeds are old and dusty, so I make things up or get them from the Net. I love copy and paste. If someone is offended, I act offended. Are you calling me a false teacher? That quiets them down fast.

The GS model allow us to study at any seminary we wanted to. We could worship with any denomination that suited us. And we could read any book that helped us.

In fact, we are already doing that. But don't tell anyone. Join the Timid Lutheran army. We work by stealth.

I Have Followers And Mail

I have 10 followers now, but they are not my famous ones. The influential ones and I form a mutual admiration society. They are not going to name themselves anymore than I will.

They are the synodical leaders, the District Presidents, the professors, the circuit pastors, and above all - the ones who demand respect. We are all working for the same synod, in case you need to know - the Me Synod.

Burn at the stake, like those dudes in Belgium? Sure, they inspired a hymn no one ever sings, but what else? Are there any library buildings named after them? Are there any other school buildings?

I know for a fact that a man can have a tootsie-wootsie on the side and still have a building with his name on it, while he is living. That is influence.

I want to thank all the Timid Lutherans for your support. You are my silent witnesses.

Finally - Common Sense from a Blogger

Words for Today

"If a cause be good, the most violent attack of its enemies will not injure it so much as an injudicious defence of it by its friends."
(Colton)

Now We Can Return To Mildness

This is my annual picture of Melanchthon, because I am obliged to call myself a confessional Lutheran.

I am glad that anniversary is over. The Augsburg Confession has some merit. It starts out with some clear concise statements.

Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for 2] Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. 3] This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4.

The best part is later, when many topics are discussed that are no longer relevant to us. That loses the vast majority of readers, so they forget about the Confessions and figure everything else is just as opaque, like reading the prospectus of a government bond issue.

I fear for that day when trouble-makers get them reading The Large Catechism or the Smalcald Articles. Both titles are bad marketing ideas. People do not want to study something much bigger than the Small Catechism, which they barely remember. And Smalcald? Find that on a map - or in a history book.

I really thought the Formula of Concord was a recipe for communion wine. Someone asked me about the Formula, and I said, "I'd like to try that some day." That got a puzzled look.

People who study the Formula annoy me. They knock me off my talking points, rather unfairly. Often I can look angry and say, "You are being harsh." That makes some of them settle down.

I can see that some opponents read my posts. They are probably looking forward to the next big Lutheran anniversary, such as 2017 and 2030. Not to worry, my friends. And do not gloat, my enemies. Lutherans always go mild for the big anniversaries. That is when Lutherans decide to cooperate with the Reformed instead of being so legalistic.

My hope is that we can make up with the Holy Father as well, offer our apologies, and stop Christian-bashing with terms like Antichrist and Whore of Babylon. I hope my circuit will invite a priest or archbishop to help create more understanding.

Born To Be Mild - Our Friends the Adiaphora

Philip Melanchthon tried to please everyone.
More should follow his example.

Mild Lutherans know how to use the adiaphora. I was pretty much asleep during seminary - eyes open, but thinking about the Bucks and the Packers. There was a lot of confusing details about the adiaphora, but I learned to use the term often.

Pretty much everything is adiaphora - meaning, we can do what we want. It is good to start with something obscure in the service, like the gradual, if someone objects. Do you use the gradual? Does everyone? Will I go to Hell for not using it? Of course not. After that explanation, whoopee!, if you know what I mean.

If someone insists on something minor, like the liturgy, I can make my eyes flash and talk about legalism and the adiaphora. That is a good way to turn away an annoying question. Instead of me being in trouble, the other person is a potential danger to sound doctrine. I like that.

To fit in, the goal is to blend all the opinions and create as many happy campers as possible. In fact, blended worship is one way to make it happen. A little this, a little that, and pretty soon - whoopee. It takes longer, but it is worth it. The legalists leave and the fussing stops.

I want to be a DP some day and get all that free help, which I will call "reaching out with the Gospel" instead of overhead. To reach my goal I have to be a chameleon so I do not stick out in any way.

Spener Brings Us Hope and Change

Spener is our guy, not that 16th century fanatic.

Everyone has a hero, and Spener is ours.

There are only two things people need to know about him.

One - He started small devotional groups, led by laity.

Two - He brought Lutherans and non-Lutherans together through charitable projects. Maybe his pally did more of that, but Spener got that going by being open-minded. He did not want doctrine to be divisive.

That gives us unity across denominational lines and power. We own the synods, but they do not admit it.

If anyone opposes us, we scream about "Christian-bashing."