By Larry Beane
This LCMS pastor uses a term that I looked into translating into Latin: "off the chain." Well, I think "non catenis vinctus" is the best way to pull that off - as this refers to a dog that has escaped his leash - which seems to be the origin of the term. Classical Latin has a similar idiom.
"Non catenis vinctus" can also be rendered "not bound." It seems to fit the context here. I think this could be a helpful neo-Latin liturgical term that could find a lot of utility in LCMS circles.
"The real f-word," uh, not so much...
An LCMS pastor who calls the back deck of his house his "sanctuary" and says it is where he goes "through and seeking God", can in no way be considered Lutheran.
ReplyDeleteAnd "we are going to talk about sex life, imagine that, it is gonna be good." Great, I'm sure the children will appreciate this.
I also see that while they practice immersion for Holy Baptism, the water is not applied three times as our rubrics indicate. Interesting. It would have been good to hear what is said at such baptisms.
Also, in the 2nd video, we are told over 70 people committed themselves to Christ. Arminius jumps for joy.
But only 50 were baptized. So does that mean 20 weren't really so committed as to be baptized too? Or does that mean 20 were already baptized (perhaps as infants), but needed to commit themselves to Christ to finish the job?
DeleteJust goes to show what a great hothouse of crazy evangelicalism CTSFW is! I believe this guy was at the seminary about the same time as Pr. Beane himself. I remember him from my time at the place ten years ago. He must have imbibed Dr. Just's 'Lutheran Worship' classes like, I daren't think what.
ReplyDeleteWhat is it you guys say? "Conform and graduate"? This guy did.
He's just before me in the (alphabetical) facebook for 2004. I do not recall ever meeting him. It may be that our vicarages put us out of synch, or it may be that we took different professors. I took a lot of David and Peter Scaer, William Weinrich, Kurt Marquardt, and Tim Quill. But I can't imagine any of our CTSFW profs would have supported an approach to the ministry along these lines. This certainly is alien to the way I was formed as a pastor at the very same institution.
DeleteOn prayer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4aixpmP6t4&NR=1
ReplyDeleteOn stewardship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrEsLFvclpk
ReplyDeleteI may need correction on this, but according to my information, this LCMS pastor's church planting ministry gets $250K + from Mid South district in order to cull candidates from St. Louis for intentionally short-term "calls," "further train" them, and send them out to start a bar "ministry" or café "ministry," etc., usually wherever there's already a regular LCMS church. Since his is a mission, it's not required to divulge numbers or expenses. I believe he also might sit on the district church planting committee which allocates funds to the mission. This is the church that gained noteriety for hosting an MMA fighting tournament in their parking lot as an outreach event.
ReplyDelete"Hey man...how ya doin', man. Yeah, man...prepare for Holy Week, man..."
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. But I couldn't get past the 30 second mark in the fist video and I won't even open up the second one.
He'd fit right in around these parts. 'Cool pastors' are all the rage.
No thanks.
Larry, rest assured, my tongue was firmly lodged in my cheek.
ReplyDeleteNever a doubt!
DeleteOh, and another reason to rest a little easier: go to YouTube and have a look at the viewing figures for these videos. Then subtract all the Gottesdienst folks. It's not exactly viral stuff.
ReplyDeleteA small crumb of comfort, true, but still.
I have long posted these videos on my own blog and brought them to the fore in various Lutheran internet forums. It is nothing new and that is said not to excuse it or calm anyone down. There are LakePointe like missions in nearly every District of the LCMS. In the Mid-South this has become the mission model (though that is now changing thanks to a good, wise, and faithful new DP) for many, many years. Check out places like The Alley in MNS. We have than all over the place. Guess who is associated with LakePointe? Good old former first VP of the LCMS and former DP William Dinkelman. So that gives you a clue to the Kieschnick connection as well. It was a long time in coming and it will take a long time to address and root it out. It starts by taking this from the premier mission model into the fringe aberration of Lutheranism that it is.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, there was a Roman Catholic preacher in South America who would invite bikini girls to get blessed with holy water that he chucked at them from buckets. That must be their own Off The Chain guy...
ReplyDeleteThe one word I never heard in the first video: Jesus. (Although I only watched once)
ReplyDeleteAnd while the second video had a video clip depicting the crucifixion, I'm not sure it mentioned Jesus either.
A lot about forgiving yourself, though...and God turning my weakness into power.
This is infuriating (as a former American Evangelical from my youth) and disheartening (as a confessional Lutheran now).
ReplyDeleteThis rubbish being portrayed as Lutheranism does not surprise me yet it confounds me.
I don't believe there is any identity on the website that it is "Lutheran" or even affiliated with the LCMS. At one time that used to frustrate me, as these places always take synod's money. But now I am glad they don't confuse people, giving them reason to expect an ego-centric experience everywhere in the synod.
ReplyDeleteThe way this guy talks about forgiveness: You need to forgive yourself! You need to forgive others!
ReplyDeleteThis is the polar opposite of Lutheranism.