Preaching

Two items about preaching:

First, Issues, Etc chose my sermon from this past Sunday (Advent 1) for their "Sermon critique" segment on Monday. Happily, they did not equate it to something from Joel Osteen! Besides being quite humbled and honored at their selection, I think even more it shows that it must have been a slow weekend for sermons being posted . . .  :-)

Second, check out this post by Pastor Hans Fiene. He addresses the topic of predictability in preaching. Is predictability good or bad? His take is quite interesting. Take a look and post a comment.

Issues, Etc - Advice

Yes, Issues, Etc was back on the air yesterday after (as they phrased it) a prolonged "Spring Break!" Welcome back! I post here only to give some advice: if you are going to try to listen to the live online streaming audio, log on early! Connect during the first hour (3 pm ET) because so many folks tried to connect for the second hour that the limited bandwidth they have right now couldn't handle it. Hopefully they will be able to add to their capabilities in the near future. I was able to listen yesterday, and it was good to hear them back. I look forward to listening as I am able.

An Peek at the Synod's Finances

Interesting reading . . .

Who's more in debt?

How are we paying for it?

Synodical Inversion

President Kieschnick has weighed in on the Wall Street Journal article about the discontinuation of Issues, Etc. You can read his response here. Pastor David Peterson has written a good piece about this response here. Please read these.

I simply want to add one point to all of this: while President Kieschnick points to unity in the Ablaze™ movement as evidence of our unity, our synod was founded on an entirely different unity: unity in doctrine and worship. Mission work did not have to be unified, but it is precisely here that a congregation could exercise flexibility, depending on its situation. But in our synod today it is exactly the opposite. We are being urged to uniformity in missions (i.e., Ablaze™) and disunity in worship. How sad.

Here is a good article explaining this understanding about the reasons for the founding of our synod.

Bring Back Issues Etc Blog

For all the latest news and information about the cancellation of the popular Issues, Etc. radio program, and what is or isn't being done to bring this program back, see a new blog set up for this purpose. I have also added the link to this site in the "required reading" section on the left column. Go read some of the entries! Especially surprising is the support being received by those who are not Lutheran and who did not always agree with the doctrine of the program.

Issues, Etc.

Many or most of you are already aware that the Synod's popular and theologically sound radio show "Issues, Etc." was suddenly canceled and pulled off the air on Tuesday. No real reasons have been as yet forthcoming. I have not blogged on this (though I am dismayed) because there is much on the blogosphere on it already (for example here and here), and this being Holy Week, I already have too much on my plate.

However, I do want to bring to your attention a petition for you to sign. Please pass the word about this. Many things will be said and done over the next weeks concerning this, but here is something we can do now.