Creation Video Series

While looking for worthwhile offerings at Netflix, Mrs. H. and I ran across a series of creation science videos. We decided to give them a shot.

While watching the first few minutes of the first video, we actually shut it off. We were disappointed. It wasn't really what we expected. The lecturer, Kent Hovind, was making a lot of wisecracks and doing tricks with kids in the audience. We were hoping for something a little more scholarly.

However, we gave it another shot, and we're glad we did.

The video is part of a series called: A Complete Creation Seminar From A Scientific Perspective. It is a series of eight DVDs of lectures given by Hovind in various locations accompanied by Powerpoint slides. After its initial slow start, and having gotten used to Dr. Hovind's quirky, at times comical style of presentation, we settled in and actually enjoyed his presentation of scientific evidence that supports the biblical view of a young earth.

Anyone who has seen Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed knows about the hostility that those who do not hold to the evolutionary theory (which is treated not only as fact, but guarded with the fervor of religious zealotry), as well as the suppression of evidence that does not fit with the current "orthodoxy" of scientific atheism.

We went ahead and bought the DVD set (it's $100). It comes with a limited copyright, meaning it can be copied legally for non-commercial purposes.

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (and I would say a vast majority of its pastors, teachers, churches, and schools) hold to a young earth understanding of creation, accepting the Genesis account as historically and literally true (and not mythical, allegorical, or tainted by human error). However, apart from a single elective course on Apologetics (which was outstanding!) taught by the late Rev. Prof. Kurt Marquart (who, though lacking an earned doctorate, may be the most intellectually-gifted person I've ever had contact with), we weren't given much by way of tools to make a good case from science for accepting the biblical account.

This is not to say Genesis needs support from science. Nor does it mean that anyone will come to faith based on fossils and theories about carbon dating. But we ignore the assault on the faith at our own peril in terms of those who avoid the Church in the misplaced notion that Christianity is anti-science, or that churches like the LCMS are knuckle-dragging flat-earth societies. And there is the additional problem we have of young people going off to college and losing their faith.

We need to do a better job in this area.

I wish we had more Lutheran resources, but there just aren't many. There is a group called the Creation Education Association which I understand has speakers and is doing some work in this area, but not only does this group lack a series of lectures on DVDs, they don't even have a website.

Hovind's lectures do refer to a couple of Lutheran resources - one of which is a book published by Concordia Publishing House called The Discovery of Genesis - which is an analysis of the written Chinese language which seem to contain primeval history corresponding to the Genesis account. Hovind also mentions a work by retired LCMS professor Erich von Fange - two of whose books were on sale at the Concordia Theological Seminary bookstore when I was a student.

I do recommend this DVD seminar. And like anything else, it has its strengths and weaknesses. I do want to address the negatives off the bat:

1) The lectures are at times overdone with jokes. They do improve greatly as you go through them, however. The videos at the end of the series are of much higher quality both in production and in content.
2) Hovind does address topics that are off-track. He is a Baptist, and has a limited understanding of, for example, Roman Catholicism. In fact, some of his statements are simply false, and unfortunately, he gets a lot of his information from books and pamphlets published by Jack Chick. At times, Hovind gets off onto tangents like world government, vaccinations, the sabbath, beer-drinking, the KJV-only debate, and also makes a lot of political jokes aimed at leaders of the Democrat party. Obviously, Dr. Hovind believes passionately in these issues, but when trying to present a seminar on scientific creationism, these things can be a distraction. They may also turn otherwise-receptive people off. And expect the "altar call" at the end of each lecture.
3) Hovind is not a scientist. He is a teacher. But he is a good teacher, lively, well-read, obviously a very bright individual. His doctorate degree (Ph.D. in Education) is from a Bible College that has no secular accreditation, and unfortunately, it sometimes becomes a distraction when he debates professors in academic settings who want to play degree one-upsmanship when the debate isn't going their way.

Having said all that, and keeping those things in mind, these lectures introduce the viewer to the fact that much of evolutionism is based on circular reasoning, is laden with unscientific assumptions, is built on tenuous evidence and, in some cases, outright fraud, is actually a religious faith-based system, is a dangerous worldview that is philosophically connected with racism and genocide, that there are a good number of accomplished scientists and scholars who disagree with the "orthodoxy" of the current academic paradigm.

Hovind presents a well-reasoned overarching Genesis-based theory that would explain things in a unified way, such as fossils, dinosaurs, the Grand Canyon, plate techtonics, the flood, micro-evolution, cosmological observation, the long lifespans of the patriarchs, etc. But unlike his opponents, Hovind presents his theory as a theory.

His treatment of dinosaurs is particularly interesting, especially as dinosaurs are so often used as a cudgel against Christians who believe Genesis to be true.

In short, there is another side of the story that most of us have never been exposed to.

I don't agree with every word Dr. Hovind utters. But that's okay. Science is about hypotheses, theories, examining evidence, debate, discussion, and following the evidence where it leads. Sadly, what passes for modern science begins with an unprovable premise, that the universe has no intelligent design - an assumption that not only violates the principles of science, but also runs contrary to the order and complexity of the universe.

And even if only a fraction of Hovind's argument is true, atheistic evolution would still be impossible.

Here are the titles of the lectures:

1) The Age of the Earth
2) The Garden of Eden
3) Dinosaurs and the Bible
4) Lies in the Textbooks
5) The Dangers of Evolution
6) The Hovind Theory
7) Question and Answer Part 1
8) Question and Answer Part 2

As I said before, I found the first lecture to have gotten off to a slow start. But it does get better. And I believe the lectures themselves get better as you move through them in order. I believe the strongest and most convincing DVDs are The Hovind Theory and Question and Answer Part 1. The lectures get increasingly better - with the exception of the very last DVD - which is a Q and A session that, I believe, is just not very good. Hovind covers a lot of extraneous information on this lecture, and I think he drops the ball on a lot of his material. Much of the reason for this is Hovind's lack of training in Biblical Greek and Hebrew. It is clearly the weakest of the lot.

I encourage everyone to have a look. Hovind's organization, called Creation Science Evangelism, can be found here. They offer not only this seminar on DVD, but an entire library of videos and books. There are also youtube videos of many of Kent Hovind's academic debates - which are themselves quite interesting.

Also, I'm shutting off comments for this post. There is an entire industry devoted to bashing Kent Hovind (the viteol and its intensity are themselves telling), and I have no desire to attract profane and hateful trolling to my blog. If you think Kent Hovind, intelligent design, the Book of Genesis, and biblical creationism (or any of these) are wrong, you're entitled to your opinion just as I am to mine. Put up your own blog (though it is unlikely that you will get much notice, there are already hundreds of hysterical and intentionally crude anti-Hovind and anti-Christian sites out there). But if you have an open mind, and if you are interested in hearing both sides of the story, I recommend this video seminar - especially to fellow LCMS Lutherans - with the aforementioned caveats.

Elitism or Common Sense?

Here is an interesting and illustrative article that deals with French immersion education in Canada.

Although I'm not Canadian, I am outnumbered by Canadians in my house (unless one counts the non-human population). And though I don't teach in an immersion school, I do teach Latin to students of all abilities in a way that mimics some elements of immersion. But this issue in Canadian education isn't really primarily about language education at all, but rather seems illustrative of a cultural philosophy we share in North America: penalizing those who succeed, motivated by a warped view of "fairness."

The "problem" is that French immersion schools are attracting less students with discipline problems, learning disabilities, and those who don't perform well academically. French immersion is attracting bright kids who study hard and are academically gifted and don't cause discipline problems in school.

And the problem is...?

By definition, immersion education means learning all your subjects in a foreign language. That's a lot more work. It requires more thought. It requires more homework. It requires less interruption and more focus in the classroom. If an English-speaking student is already struggling with Math and Science when his classes are in English, how do you think that student would perform if you were to teach him the very same Math and Science, but only this time in French, Swahili, Russian, or Mandarin? Should this shock anyone that this is going to add to the difficulty and level of academic performance and commitment?

And why is it a problem for really bright kids to have a program that challenges them? Why is it a problem for the hard-working kids to not have to put up with as many discipline problems in the classroom?

I'm not against children who struggle. In fact, it would seem to me cruel to place a child who is already having a tough time in school, and then demand that he keep up with the gifted students by attending school in a foreign language.

But notice how the bright kids are nearly vilified in this article, and their parents are almost being treated as though they are doing something wrong! Children who are smart, disciplined, hard-working, interested, and ambitious shouldn't be held back by the ones who can't keep up - whether it is because the children who lag behind have some legitimate issue (e.g. dyslexia), or if they're just plain troublemakers.

This penalizing of the elite (and demonizing the encouragement of these kids at the top of their academic classes with the silly pejorative "elitism") is only going to discourage the very students who will likely (though not exclusively) grow up to be leaders and thinkers in society. This is the result of egalitarian thinking, and it drags everyone down to a lowest common denominator that is increasingly brutish, savage, and stupid. It leads to a society that devalues intelligence, achievement, self-discipline, and hard work.

What would make sense (at least to me) would be to encourage all gifted children (regardless of race, income, sex, religion, immigrant status, etc.) to take full advantage of these schools, and to push them hard, and to encourage their achievement. At the same time, to encourage children who (for whatever reason) don't have what it takes to succeed in an immersion program to accept that reality and enroll in a program that suits their own gifts and abilities (which may well not be linguistic).

Is this rocket science or something? Am I missing something?

And if you can read this, then throw me something, Mister: "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Now, that's living!

The couple performing the above impromptu recital (Fran and Marlo Cowan) in one of the lobbies at Mayo Clinic have been married 62 years.

Sermon: Jubilate (Easter 4)

3 May 2009 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 16:16-22 (Isa 40:25-31, 1 John 3:1-3)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Instead of another account of the Lord’s appearance after the resurrection, on this 4th week in Easter, our Gospel recounts our Lord Jesus giving the disciples a warning just before He goes to His cross.

Our Lord tells His followers in so many words: “The bad news is that you won’t see me for a little while. The good news is that then you will. The bad news is that you will mourn. The good news is that you will rejoice. The bad news is that you will have sorrow in the present, but the good news is that there will come a time when “‘no one will take your joy from you.’”

And even though our Blessed Lord gave this warning to the disciples before His crucifixion, and even though He was prophesying primarily about His crucifixion and resurrection, it applies to us as well today.

For as our Lord told St. Thomas as He allowed Thomas to touch His wounds: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Here we are twenty centuries after the disciples rejoiced to see the Lord again, and we have not placed our fingers into the holes made by the nails, nor have we touched the wound in our Lord’s side made by the spear. We have not seen as Thomas did, and yet we believe. Our Lord tells us that on this count, we are blessed. We share in this blessing with the apostles not based on what our eyes have seen, but rather on our faith. And that, dear friends, is miraculous.

For like St. Thomas and all of the holy apostles, we have gone “a little while” without seeing our Lord – at least not with our fleshly eyes. But, as our Lord promises many times in His Word, in a “little while,” we shall see Him again when He comes in glory.

And indeed, for the present, we must deal with sorrows in this life. We still dwell in mortal flesh, though our Lord, while dwelling in the flesh, conquered death through His death. We must still deal with the effects of sin, though our Lord took our sin upon Himself and became our atonement that delivers us from our many and manifold sins. We still wrestle with Satan, though our Lord crushed his serpentine head with His own bruised heel, winning victory as a Man for all men.

We do not yet have this joy that no-one can take away from us, but we have the promise from the mouth of Him by whom all things were made, from the lips of the one who spoke all creation into being, from the tongue of Him who commanded demons to depart, who declared sins to be absolved, and who recalled the dead back to life. For our Lord is the Word who speaks the Word, who caused the Word to be written, who impels the preaching of the Word, and who through the Word defeats all evil and by His Word makes all things new.

“A little while,” says our Lord, “and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

With our eyes, we see everything but our victorious Lord. With our eyes we see a world gone mad. With our eyes we see ourselves slipping into sin and constantly struggling with sorrow, illness, worry, stress, temptation, mourning, doubts, pain, and even death. With our eyes, we see our faith made sport of, mocked, denigrated, and reviled.

But in a little while, our Lord assures us, we shall see Him.

For the time being, we will “weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.” To be sure, we “will be sorrowful.” Our Lord is blunt with us. He is preparing us for difficult days ahead. So why should any of us be surprised when it seems that the entire world has lost its way, that evil is called good, and good, evil? Why should any of us have any delusions that the Christian worldview will always be the dominant worldview? Why should any of us be shocked when the Church seems defeated, when people leave the faith in droves, and when it appears that we have been overcome by evil?

And yet, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not defeated. We have joy to look forward to, because we have the promise of unconditional victory from the Lord Himself. For the agony of birth pangs give way to jubilation when the child is born. And the whole world can indeed “make a joyful shout to God” and “Sing out the honor of His name,” for the Child Himself has been born, and He has also borne all of our sins on His shoulders, shedding His blood to pay our unpayable debt.

For in spite of the Lord’s sober warning that tough times are in store for all of us, this week’s name in the church year is Jubilate: “Make a joyful shout” – because we have the promise of the One who made good on all of His promises. And the Lord’s promise today is: “I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no-one will take your joy from you.”

And when the burdens of life in this time of waiting seem too much, consider the Lord’s promise through the holy prophet Isaiah: “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” And, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary.”

It is hard for us to wait – for we want what we want, and we want it now. But let us pray for patience, dear friends. For as we pray to our Father in heaven every day in the Lord’s prayer: “Thy will be done.”

Even as the universe collapses around us, even as the world rants and raves and mocks and gloats, and while we continue to pray “Come Lord Jesus,” we have the promise. The Lord will come again in the fullness of time. And at that time, no-one will take away our joy, for our “joyful shout to God” will be eternal, unmarred by time and mortality.

For as the holy apostle also testifies: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and so we are…. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

For even as He spoke to us: “a little while, and you will see me!” Let it be so! Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Amen.

Bible Research by Michael Marlowe

I stumbled across a really helpful website of articles concerning biblical studies: Bible Research by Michael Marlowe. The site is self-described as being "for Bible students who are looking for detailed information on the history of the canon, texts, and versions of Scripture."

The site is attractive and very well laid-out. The articles come from a diverse range of sources from across the spectrum of Christianity. Marlowe is a theologically-trained layman, a writer, and is a conservative Presbyterian (with Lutheran and Baptist roots).

There are some real treasures here, and Mr. Marlowe's site is easy to navigate and easy on the eyes.

Gottesdienst Online

I posted at the New and Improved(tm) Gottesdienst Online blog. Check it out here.

Traditional Lutheranism

Thanks to my colleague Fr. William Weedon, click here for some magnificent pictures from the divine services for holy week and Easter conducted by Archbishop Janis Vanags at the Lutheran Cathedral in Riga, Latvia.

You'll notice the continuity from the pre-Reformation Church, as the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (with whom the Missouri Synod shares fellowship) has retained ancient practices such as: incense, foot-washing, the veneration of the cross, Easter Vigil, High Mass, and continues to worship in the ancient Cathedral in Riga - built in 1211. Apb. Vanags was consecrated as a bishop in apostolic succession - a form of church order preferred (though not required) by our Lutheran forefathers. The political situation in Germany made episcopal polity with apostolic succession impossible - though the Scandinavian Lutherans (and through them, the Russian, Baltic, and African Lutherans) were able to retain the ancient practice - whereas we in the United States have a form of apostolic succession in which all pastors hold the rank of bishop (which explains our extraordinary form of ordination in which we are "ordained" (as presbyters/priests) and "consecrated" (as bishops). As our confessions point out, the difference in rank or grade between "priest" and "bishop" is a human tradition, not something mandated by Scripture. And yet, Latvian Lutherans were able to hold onto the more ancient custom!

The Latvian Lutherans are true survivors.

Not even Communism was able to snuff them out. The courageous Latvians, under the faithful archbishop's leadership, have even been brought back from the brink of the apostasy that plagues many other state churches to this day that have been taken over by Communists and Socialists. Nearly all of these apostate "churches" are in the Lutheran [sic] World Federation.

Someday, I would love to visit the Riga Cathedral and participate in our Lord's most Holy Mass where Christians have been doing for 798 years.

The Subversion of the Subversion

A tip of the hat is due to my "blogleague" in faith and in liberty, Greg.

Here is a post over at his blog: The Holy Cause promoting the weekly news program devoted to liberty and the Constitution: Freedom Watch with Judge Andrew Napolitano.

The show airs on Wednesday afternoons on the cable network FOX-News, and thanks to the wonders of the World Wide Web, you can watch it live or as captured on YouTube. Like Greg, I've included a widget here on Father Hollywood. Click on the widget for a replay of the latest program.

Freedom Watch is finally making a viewpoint heard that has been previously suppressed - even on FOX News - which in the past has not given this particular element of conservatism a hearing. That has finally changed.

I've labeled the widget "Subversive TV" - as according to Judge Napolitano's unrelated namesake, Janet Napolitano (the bumbling Secretary of Homeland Security [sic]), people like Judge Napolitano and those he has on his program are to be watched carefully by law enforcement personnel. I put that widget right under "Subversive Radio" - which is a link to Issues, Etc. - which is considered similarly subversive by certain people in high places of a certain Missouri-based church body.

Isn't it sad when advocating traditional Christianity and upholding the Constitution makes one some kind of "subversive"? We're only "subversive" because the world has been "inverted."

The English word "subversive" is from Latin (subverso) which means "to turn upside down." And indeed, that's what both of these programs are trying to do: to take that which has been inverted, and set it right again.

This "subversion of the subversion" is happening in both the kingdom of the Church and the kingdom of the State. The world has indeed been turned upside down.

Join the Subversives!

Sermon: Misericordias Domini (Easter 3)

26 April 2009 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 10:11-16 (Ezek 34:11-16, 1 Pet 2:21-25)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

It is a humbling thing to be called “sheep.” Sheep are flocking animals, they are gentle, they are vegetarian, they are tame and domesticated, and they rely on shepherds to lead them.

How different than the American ideal! For according to secular standards, we’re a proud people that revels in being self-sufficient, go-getter, tough-as-nails, red-meat-eating, sky’s-the-limit-type individualists. Our national symbol is, after all, the eagle.

Eagles and sheep don’t have a lot in common.

And yet, we Christians are routinely called “sheep.” Hardly a funeral goes by where we don’t recite: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” Isaiah says “we all like sheep have gone astray.” Ezekiel compares God’s people to sheep: “Behold I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.” St. John records our Lord’s words: “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” That would be us.

God does not call us lions, eagles, bears, tigers, or any other strong and mighty creatures that we tend to name our sports teams after. Instead, He calls us sheep.

Sheep cannot defend themselves. Sheep are prey for the predator. Sheep need to stay in a flock for safety. Sheep need a leader to make decisions for them. Sheep need a benefactor who will lay down his life in order to protect them. Sheep need grass and water. Sheep need a safe place to raise their families. Sheep need a loving shepherd who really cares about them – not a hired-hand or agri-businessman only looking to make a buck off of them.

And indeed, the Lord is our Shepherd! The prophet Ezekiel tells us of the work of our Good Shepherd: “As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out My sheep.” God Himself promises to be “among His sheep” – in order to gather them to safety. And our Lord goes even further, as the Shepherd becomes a Lamb in the course of his ministry as the Shepherd. Or as worded in the poetry of the hymnist: “The Lamb the sheep has ransomed: Christ, who only is sinless.”

The prophet continues: “I will seek out my sheep… I will rescue them…. I will bring them out from the peoples…. I will feed them…. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down…. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.”

For we, the sheep, always get into trouble. We always stray and wander. We always delude ourselves into thinking that we are safe from the wolf and the lion. Hear the Word of St. Peter: “You were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

And of course Ezekiel and Peter have the same Shepherd in mind, God Himself, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world, the one and only One who can say: “I am the Good Shepherd.” For Jesus Christ is indeed the Lamb who has ransomed the sheep, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls who lays down His life by taking up His cross.

The hireling sees trouble and flees. But by contrast, the Good Shepherd sees the attacker and fights, absorbing the blows Himself rather than see His beloved sheep devoured. The hireling sacrifices the sheep to save his own life. But our Blessed Lord becomes a sacrifice for our very lives. The hireling “cares nothing for the sheep.” But our Lord indeed cares for us. He is the One who loves us perfectly and selflessly. “For God so loved the world,” as the One who loved us and gave Himself for us testifies in His own Words.

Our Good Shepherd knows us, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. He knows us. And He knows the Father. We are not random pieces of cosmic matter and happenstance chemical reactions of carbon. We are the very sheep of His flock, under His care and protection, the ones for whom He lays down His life.

This is far more comfort than if our Lord puffed up our egos by telling us we were all eagles and lions, aggressive predators and the kinds of creatures who survive by killing others. Of course, those who live by the sword also die by the sword. The predator often becomes prey. The aggressive animals in the wild have no shepherd to watch over them, care for them, and even die for them. We sheep, though despised by the world, and maybe even a little ashamed of ourselves for being sheep, have the greatest life of all.

For we have a Shepherd. And not just a Shepherd, but a Good Shepherd. And not just a Good Shepherd, but “the” Good Shepherd: God in the very flesh who leads us to green pastures and still waters. We have a Shepherd who is also the Overseer of our souls.

What comfort that we have God Himself watching over us!

Our Creator is also our Redeemer. Moreover, He is our Protector. He gathers the sheep of His flock into a gathering, into an assembly, into a Church. And in the safety of the Church, he waters us with Baptism, He feeds us with Holy Communion, and he calls us by name, absolving us, proclaiming the Good News to us, giving us the very Words of Scripture that proclaim Him to be our Shepherd – week after week as the sheep gather here in this sheepfold, we who know His name, the name into which we have been baptized, the name into which we gather again and again: the name of the Holy Trinity.

And He knows all of us by name, not merely as a conglomerated flock, but as individuals who have been baptized one by one into the flock, as distinct creatures who were made for a specific purpose.

And no, we have not been created to chase down weak animals and devour them, and we have not been designed to soar above the clouds seeking smaller creatures to attack and eat, and we were not made to be hunting machines with lightning-fast reflexes and keen killer instincts. On our own, we are helpless. But as the Psalmist reminds us: “Our help is in the name of the Lord.” On our own, we are weak. But as the apostle reminds us, when we are weak, we are strong. And our voices are not impressive roars or fearsome calls. No indeed. For we are sheep, peaceful creatures who graze and bleat softly and gratefully, as we gaze upon our good, kindly, and loving Shepherd.

And as the hymnist reminds us, our Good Shepherd bids us to pray:

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!

Amen.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Amen.

Closed Communion Cone-size Catch-22?

We Missouri Synod Lutherans have traditionally practiced the biblical, catholic, and ancient practice of only admitting people to Holy Communion who are in fellowship with us, who believe the same doctrine.

Most people are familiar with this in Roman Catholic churches, for instance, where it would be odd indeed for a Baptist or a Pentecostal to wish to take the sacrament that the priest has just consecrated, knelt before, and pronounced to be God in the flesh while only appearing to be bread. Most Protestants would consider this idolatry.

Similarly, Roman Catholics would not typically wish to take part in a communion at a Baptist or Pentecostal church in which the bread and wine (or even grape juice) is seen only as a symbol, and is not consecrated by a priest in Roman Catholic orders.

Historically, churches are "in communion" with each other based on doctrinal agreement.

In 1054, Greek-speaking and Latin-speaking churches broke off communion with each other due to many factors. One of those factors is a difference of opinion about the authority of the pope - not a minor issue. To this day, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians don't take communion together. This is not to say they are at war, and to be sure, they recognize one another as Christians and they are trying to work out their differences - but it would be disingenuous to just pretend there is no disagreement when that's just not the case.

During the Reformation, the reform-minded Catholic churches that adopted the Augsburg Confession (churches which have since come to be known as "Lutheran") were no longer in communion with the Roman Catholic churches that remained loyal to the pope. The Lutherans, like the Eastern Orthodox, are not in communion with the pope and his churches. Again, this is not to say we don't recognize our fellow Christian - nor even deny the validity of their sacraments - we're just not in a state of communion with each other.

The Reformation saw further splintering over many issues, and so there are many Protestant groups that are not in communion with the Lutherans either.

And, to complicate matters, various Lutheran churches have adopted doctrines and practices that are incompatible with one another. So to this day, ELCA Lutherans, by virtue of some pretty important doctrinal differences, are not in communion with LCMS Lutherans. That is the sad reality that can't be changed by ignoring it any more than a Baptist could just overlook his important doctrinal divisions with the Roman Catholic Church and come forward to receive the sacrament.

So, this is why we have "closed communion" - which, again, is the traditional and ancient practice in the Church. "

If a Roman Catholic were to commune at a Lutheran altar, he would be making the public declaration that he denies the pope as the head of the Church. According to Catholic canon law, he is excommunicating himself from the Catholic Church.

If a Missouri Synod (LCMS) Lutheran were to take communion at an ELCA altar, he would be making the public profession that he agrees with the positions of that church body - many of which are at odds with the Missouri Synod.

There are, in fact, a couple dozen or so church bodies worldwide in communion with the Missouri Synod. For example, a member of the Lutheran Church - Canada congregation is in communion with the LCMS, and so we can commune at one another's altars.

But practicing this doctrine is no fun - especially for pastors. We like nothing more than to give people the body and blood of Christ - but we are called to be faithful. There are exceptions, to be sure, but exceptions are by definition rare. There are simply times when we must withhold communion from people - not out of malice or hatred, not because we feel we are "better" than anyone, and not because we don't recognize the person as a Christian - but because that is the way it is.

There are times when I have to look like the heavy because I won't give communion to those who are not in fellowship with the LCMS. Unfortunately, there are area pastors who will commune Roman Catholics, Methodists, non-LCMS Lutherans, and others who are not in fellowship with the LCMS. Their lack of backbone makes it hard for us who are trying to do the right thing.

But interestingly, one area pastor has articulated that this is not a case of "open" (vs. closed) communion running rampant in our district and synod. In fact, there is not a single instance of "open communion" in our district. Not even one.

Here is how he gets around the obvious and turns black into white, and closed into open without even checking in with George Orwell:

According to this man (name withheld to protect the absurd), all LCMS pastors practice "closed communion." It's just that some of us have "bigger cones" than others. No lie, this is exactly what this fellow says. It's all about the size of the cone. (Doctor Freud, please pick up the white courtesy phone in the lobby...).

In other words, one pastor might have a "small cone" and only commune LCMS congregants (and those in communion with the LCMS). Another pastor's cone may be a little bigger, and he may commune anyone who believes Jesus is really present. Another pastor's cone may be still larger, and he will commune any baptized Christian.

So, you see, we all practice "closed communion."

Clever, huh?

And I suppose if a pastor would commune a Muslim, that would still be closed communion, as long as he only communes monotheists. And if another pastor (with a bigger cone) communes Hindus, he too practices closed communion so long as he denies the Sacrament to those who believe in no gods. And a guy with a yet bigger cone still practices closed communion by communing atheists, as long as he withholds the sacrament from dogs and cats. But then again, the fella with the massive cone may well commune dogs and cats while withholding communion from heads of cabbage and dandelions.

See? We all practice "closed communion." "Open communion" simply isn't done in our synod. Not an issue. No doctrinal disagreements here. Nothing to see here, folks. Please move along.

Of course, the "cone theory" could equally be applied to the abortion controversy. Actually, there is no controversy or disagreement over abortion. For, you see, we're all pro-life. Some pro-lifers just have bigger cones.

A "small-cone" pro-lifer will not allow abortion at all. A pro-lifer with a bigger cone will make an exception for the life of the mother. Those with still bigger cones will make exceptions for incest and rape, and even bigger cones will limit abortion on demand to the first trimester. But we're all pro-life, right?

Pro-lifers with still larger cones will allow for partial-birth abortions, but as long as he is anti-infanticide post-partum, he is still a pro-lifer - just with a bigger cone, of course. Now, Princeton "Ethicist" Peter Singer argues for post-birth abortion - so long as the child is not self-aware. And I suppose Peter Singer would not advocate abortion for, say fifteen year olds, so he is, just like most Missouri Synod members, a pro-lifer - albeit with a really big cone.

Hitler had a pro-life Mega-cone, while Stalin could only be described as giga-cononically pro-life.

Have you ever heard such nonsense? Isn't it easier to just have integrity and just say you disagree with the doctrine of closed communion rather than create an elaborate intelligence-insulting logically-fallacious absurdity like this - and peddle it to LCMS pastors with a straight face?

Joseph Heller would be proud.

D.C. Math

For once, the media didn't just toss Gibbs a softball. However, when Gibbs replied that he wasn't joking, the reporter should have asked him about the smirk on his face. Listen to the flapping about.

Translation: Washington is beyond clueless.

How about we do the math since the administration doesn't want to?

Okay, so we have a proposed $3.6 trillion dollar budget. That's $3,600,000,000,000.00. And the president is "tightening the belt" by $100 million. That sounds like a lot of money - until you do the math. That proposed savings is about .003% of one percent of the budget.

Now that's some "belt tightening." A "medium" sized man's belt is 42 inches. Okay, so let's see how much belt tightening Mr. Obama is proposing. 42 inches X .00003 = 1.3 thousandths of an inch. The width of a human hair ranges between 17 and 181 micrometers. So (if my math is right), that means our "belt tightening" converts to 33 micrometers - the size of a rather small human hair.

Wow, better suck in that gut, America!

Or for some more real numbers exposing the silliness of this proposed "frugality", check this out.

I guess it really is in the government's interest to dumb down the education system - especially when it comes to math.

Maybe Obama and his smirking lackey need to learn that we aren't joking.

Has Dr. Paul been reading Lew Rockwell? ;-)

Don't you feel safer?

That'll show those terrorists: zero tolerance in matters of toilet compliance.

Maybe a few years of cooling his heels in a federal penitentiary will teach this felon (and his colon) a thing or two about America, and how we don't take any you-know-what from anyone.

What would we ever do without our brave men and women of the TSA and the remarkably intelligent bureaucracy that "keeps America free"?

Sermon: Quasimodo Geniti (Easter 2) and Baptism of Kaesyn Lee Walker

19 April 2009 at Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA

Text: John 20:19-31 (Ezek 37:1-14, 1 John 5:4-10)

In the name of + Jesus. Amen.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia.

The Latin name of this week in the church year is Quasimodo Geniti – from St. Peter’s first epistle, as we sang right after little Kaesyn was baptized: “As newborn babes desire the pure milk of the Word.”

“Quasimodo Geniti” means “Just like newborns.”

And what could be a more appropriate passage to sing just after Kaesyn’s second birth by water and the Spirit?

Some people might hear the word “Quasimodo” and think of the baby hunchback left at Notre Dame Cathedral on Quasimodo Geniti Sunday in the famous novel by Victor Hugo. And while Kaesyn is blessed to be in perfect physical health, she did enter this church building spiritually broken – just as all of us did, being born into a fallen world burdened with sin. But by the grace of God, by the death and resurrection of our Blessed Lord, and by the “pure milk of the Word,” Kaesyn was given the gift of faith that overcomes sin, death, and the devil.

“For everyone who has been born of God,” says the holy apostle, “overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Little Kaesyn has come into this faith, this “pure milk of the Word" by virtue of “water and blood.” For even as Kaesyn was surrounded in water and blood in the maternal womb of her first birth, she was given a second birth from the maternal womb of the Church, by the water and blood of Jesus Christ, which flowed forth from his side on the cross, and which flowed over Kaesyn’s head at the font. “For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.”

Indeed, these three agree, just as these three: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, into whose holy name this child of God has been baptized and given new birth, new life, a resurrection from the dead – all by faith alone.

What a wondrous miracle!

And yet how humble this miracle seems: simple water imposed upon a helpless baby. But this is indeed the “pure milk of the Word” that is desired by “newborn babes.”

For Kaesyn was born into a fallen world, a desert of death, a valley full of dry bones. All of us who surround this little girl, her father and mother, her sponsors, her relatives, and all of us, her brothers and sisters in Christ, are like those skeletons Ezekiel saw bleaching and decaying in the heat of the sun. But the pure milk of the Word, proclaimed by the prophet according to the Word and will of God, brought those dry bones to life.

Sinews, flesh, and skin covered the bones. The corruption of death and decay ran in reverse. But amidst the rattling and enfleshing of these skeletons, there was no life in them. But once the breath of the Word of God was blown into them by the mouth of the prophet, the bones stood up “on their feet” and became “an exceedingly great army.”

We have been raised from our graves by the Word of God, by the blood, by the water, and by the Spirit. We have been born again by water and the Word, and like those once-dead bones, our formerly hopeless and lifeless flesh has been revivified.

It was our Risen Lord who breathed on the disciples after He Himself stood on His own revivified feet and walked out of His own grave. The Lord Jesus “breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

And by virtue of this ordination and gift of the Holy Spirit, the disciples were sent out to preach the gospel, and to forgive the sins of the penitent and to withhold forgiveness from the impenitent. They were also charged to make new disciples of Jesus by “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

For this baptism and this preaching of the Word of God is for a specific purpose: “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”

Life. Life from death. Life in glorious abundance. Life that has no end. This, dear friends, is the life we “newborn babes” have in Christ by virtue of the “pure milk of the Word” through the forgiveness of sins, through faith, all by the grace of Him who died and rose again for us.

Today, Kaesyn gets a new birthday and everlasting life. Today she has risen from death like bones in the desert. She has risen up to join our mighty army of the redeemed, infused by the very breath of Christ, washed by the water from His side, and redeemed by the blood He shed on the cross.

For listen to the promise, brothers and sisters: “I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.”

The victory of the cross, the victory of the empty tomb, the victory of the One who declares: “Peace be with you,” the victory of St. Thomas’s belief over doubt, is also our victory. It is Kaesyn’s victory as well. For “this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”

And this faith, this victory, this life is given to us as a gift – not because we want it, not because we understand it, not because we deserve it, not because we have the intellectual capacity to grasp it – but rather it is given to us “as newborn babes,” as nursing infants, as helpless little children driven by hunger.

For there is a little Hunchback of Notre Dame in all of us. We, who were disfigured by sin and deemed of no value by the world, were brought to the Church. We were baptized. We were forgiven. We were given the “pure milk of the Word.” And it is in the gift given to us by Christ through the ministry of His Church that we indeed “believe in the Son of God” and have “the testimony” in ourselves, believing that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing [we] have life in His name,” the name in which we baptize and are baptized, the name at whose command the dead walk and sins are forgiven.

Let us never forget this, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us always remember how we were given life, how we were redeemed, how we were raised to be part of an army. Let us joyfully remember our own baptism as well as the resurrection of Him who gave us life through that baptism. And let us never let little Kaesyn forget this either. Let us pray for our dear sister, teach and catechize her, and continue to give her the “pure milk of the Word,” for her whole life long, as a newborn babe, quasimodo geniti, born again to life everlasting through Him who died and rose again. Amen.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Amen.

Tea, anyone?

Like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, the Hollywoods enjoyed a tea party this past Wednesday. "Tea party" (wink wink). Nothing subversive about sipping a little Darjeeling, eh wot? Nothing to see here, Miss Napolitano.

Anyway, our local festivities were held at Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. There were literally thousands of people crammed into the neutral ground (though on that day, the ground was anything but...), as cars and trucks poured by the busy boulevard laing on their horns in support.

Here are pictures.

And like every such gathering in our environs, there was even a brass band and an improptu "second line" parade. It was a "party" after all. But it was a party with a serious reason.

The crowds were so overwhelming that it was hard to hear the speakers, and unfortunately, we did have a few politicians speaking, trying to glom onto the spontaneous citizen outcry. But overall, it was an inspiring time, a wake-up call for big-government politicians and bureaucrats who have forgotten for whom they work and the law which they are bound to obey.

The tea parties all over the country were a great blessing and at least demonstrate the idea that Americans haven't rolled over in their defiance. However, there are a few things to be watchful about, and here is an excellent analysis of the tea party phenomenon.

And here is an illustration of how messed up the country has become. Notice how the protester invokes Lincoln (the cornerstone of Big Government and centralized Washingtonian control), and notice how the "reporter" picks a fight with him (amazing!), openly defending a political position, and then concludes that this is an "anti-CNN" demonstration.

Don't flatter yourself, lady. CNN is a joke, and she proved it by this kind of "coverage." This is about something far bigger than her insignificant job.

The tea parties used the federal tax deadline as a convenient day to rally. But this is not primarily about taxes. The government will not be able to tax enough to cover its expenses. It will resort to the printing press - especially when China stops buying our increasingly worthless treasuries. And what good is this "reporter's" laughable $400 tax credit when the government is destroying the value of the dollar and putting generations into debt?

Another canard is that this is about "losing an election" and that the American Revolution involved only "taxation without representation." It demonstrates how few people have actually read the Declaration of Independence - which enumerates a litany of reasons for the separation - many of which are being done to us today and in far greater numbers - not by George in London, but by George and Barack in Washington.

These tea parties are not about the Republicans vs. the Democrats (as both are culpable for where we are today). This is about the need for the government to be severely curtailed and limited by the Constitution and by the need for both parties to renounce Socialism and to embrace free markets, free thoughts, and free people.

The press and the politicians don't get it yet. But hopefully they will. A free America has much to offer not only her own citizens, but people all over the world. But a fascist and imperial America will be as destructive as any other tyranny in history.

We're at a crossroads in our history.

Tea anyone?

Gretna Statue Honors Mel Ott

I know this report is quite late for the old blog, but that's how it goes sometimes. The following is based on my article in the April Renaissance, the newsletter of Salem Lutheran Church.

On March 7, 2009, the City of Gretna honored Mel Ott , Gretna’s most famous hometown hero, by unveiling a life-size statue at 4^th Street and Huey P. Long Avenue.

Mel Ott was a member of Salem, and his 1909 baptism is recorded in our oldest book of records. He was also well-known by several current members of Salem. He went directly into the major leagues at the age of 16, playing for the New York Giants for 22 seasons until retirement in 1947. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951 having compiled a lifetime batting average of .304 and hitting 511 home runs.

In spite of his extraordinary accomplishments, he remained a “Gentle Giant” according to Dr. Alfred Martin of New Jersey, Mel Ott’s biographer, who was the main speaker at the statue unveiling. According to all who knew him, he remained a genuinely humble Christian gentleman until his untimely death in a New Orleans traffic accident in 1958.

The weather was beautiful for the unveiling ceremony that featured major league baseball luminaries and Gretna officials, a bugler, a color guard, and even a singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” amid red, white, and blue bunting. The event was attended by people from all over the United States, and many members of Salem were on hand. I was honored to give the invocation:

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord God, Heavenly Father, we give thanks to you for the gift of Mel Ott. For You are the Creator of all men, and You are the source of all we have and are, in body and soul and all things.

You give us the gift of athletic competition, which not only provides us with joy, but also serves to remind us to discipline ourselves bodily so that we might strive for physical health and excellence in all things. Your servant Mel was not only such an example of athletic prowess to the people of Gretna and people around the country and the world, but he also served as a model of sportsmanship, humility, and gentleness as he was called to do as a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We ask that this monument may be a blessed reminder of Mel Ott, to us and to future citizens of Gretna, who affectionately remember him as an athlete and as a gentleman. We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, with whom You live and reign with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The statue is the work of nationally-known sculptor William Binnings, and is right in front of the railroad car at the Gretna Visitor’s Center three blocks from Salem’s 4^th Street entrance.

It is a beautiful tribute not only to a great athlete, but a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ who learned the faith from Pastor Eugene Schmid and from his brothers and sisters in Christ at Salem Lutheran Church.

For more photos, click here. For the story in the Times-Picayune, click here. For the City of Gretna's article, click here. And for some archival footage of Mel Ott, click here.

And here is the location according to Google Maps, before the statue...

View Larger Map

Fr. H. on Lew Rockwell

Here is my seventh article to be published on Lew Rockwell.com tomorrow (April 18, 2009) : Is Secession Anti-American? Lew Rockwell is the president of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

My previous offerings (in reverse chronological order) are:

• O Death, Where Is Your Stimulus? (Jan 26, 2009)
• Insects and Bureaucrats (Jan 21, 2009)
• Every Empire Tries It (Jan 5, 2009)
• Voting and Freedom (Feb 18, 2008)
• Dishonest Scales (Jan 28, 2008)
• Mothers Wearing Army Boots (Nov 1, 2006)

Needless to say, I heartily recommend reading LRC on a regular basis - in spite of the fact that Lew likes to humor me by publishing my stuff. If you are interested in defending individual liberty, conservative/libertarian constitutional principles, limited government, peace, and free markets, you won't be disappointed browsing around LRC. You will even find entire books on economics, some of them rare and hard to find, available for download at no charge.

If "Liberty" in America ever becomes once more something greater than a meaningless word carved on nearly-worthless coins, it will certainly be due in part to Lew Rockwell and the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

The Institute's motto Tu Ne Cede Malis says it all: "Do not give in to evil."

Another young international freedom-fighter

Hat tip to Rev. Mike Keith of Saskatchewan.

The "human rights" commissions and tribunals in Canada are an odd, Orwellian extra-judicial imposition against liberty, through which the state attacks human rights in the name of human rights. It was a similar commission that fined a Christian pastor in British Columbia for nothing more than quoting Scripture in a newspaper ad.

Ezra Levant is a Jewish conservative/libertarian magazine publisher and blogger who courageously published a controversial cartoon that was offensive to some Muslims. His opening remarks to the commission both eviscerate the proceedings and strike a mighty blow for liberty.

This is just Mr. Levant's opening statement. Several other portions of the proceedings are posted on YouTube, though his opening statement is the best part.

The charges against him were eventually withdrawn. But these tyrannical structures still exist in Canada, and their very existence among civilized people is an affront that crosses borders. I hope freedom-loving Canadians will rally around Ezra Levant and call for their abolition.

Watch Simon's eyes fall out...

Check out this 47-year old "frumpy church lady" stunning Simon Cowell (plus two other judges and a studio of skeptics) on a British talent program. Good stuff. Read more here. Everyone loves an underdog. Go Susan!

We Told Y'all So...

States' Rights is not just a Southern thing, it is a Freedom thing. The Tenth Amendment is for all the people of all the fifty states. Save the Union by supporting the Tenth Amendment and by ending Federal tyranny and oppression by simply appealing to the document through which We The States created our servant, the Federal government.

Bully for Gov. Perry, for the Great State of Texas, and for the growing worldwide movement for liberty and self-government.

Our founding fathers knew what they were doing when they included this simple amendment into the Bill of Rights:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Deo vindice.