Gottesblog

Beware, Lutheran! Caspar Hedio sees you sneaking up on him and he is itching for a fight.

The rebirth of confessional, catholic, orthodox Lutheranism continues in the North. The Harrison administration has been very hands on with the ILC and these emerging and reforming bodies. I'll be eager to see what they have to say about this group. For example - where do they stand on women's ordination? Which confessions do they subscribe to, etc?

I was sad to see Google's announcement that Google Reader will be going offline in July. I have found it a very convenient way to keep up with various blogs and I know that many of our readers use it to access GO. I am trying out a third party application that promises to provide the same service: Feedly. It's available for all the major browsers.

One of the things that continually shocks me about the contemporary Roman Church is the complete loss of bearings regarding the Jews. Take the Bible passage quoted above and toss in a little Talmud, say Sanhedrin 43a. and 107, and the conclusion are not hard to come by, among them: the sons of Abraham according to the flesh who reject our Lord Jesus Christ are not our brothers, do not know our Father, and need praying for not with. Spirit of Vatican II, indeed. 

I can't keep up. I just got an email from Concordia Seminary-St. Louis inviting me to a workshop on "Sharing Christ with Your Muslim Neighbor." This was the introduction to that invitation:

My District President, upon his first ascending to that office, took in hand a personal visitation of all his pastors. This was a low key affair - a devotion, a prayer, and a brief discussion of "how are things." It was a kind and, knowing the man, a heartfelt gesture. Toward the end he asked what the district could do for me, what I saw as a profitable role for the district in my parish's ministry.

There is a rhyme and reason to traditional church architecture. It's no mistake that Joel Osteen's church is just a stage with a couple ferns. Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and traditional Anglican churches are built as they are because those are the folks who believe that the Sacrament is really Jesus' body and blood.

Breaking news from the Vatican. It won't be that hard to get into Gottesdienst - Chicago on May 14. Save the date and watch this space for more breaking news.

A very thoughtful piece by Prof. Stephenson. We are not likely to see another pope with such a great understanding of and appreciation for the Lutheran confession. For our part Ratzinger's greatest legacy must surely be the promise of dialogue with specifically confessional Lutherans.