Comments on: Are We A Small and Arrogant Oligarchy?

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:34:04 +0000

Me as the arrogant oligarchy (and since we’re already talking about book-pushing): I self-published a book, made it available online to purchase through this company, offered a free PDF of the book online, mentioned it on my blog and other online forums, etc. I then congratulated myself on being so cyber-friendly and getting word out there.

Today I got an email from our church body’s office: a PDF of a scanned, handwritten note from an elderly gentleman who had happened upon a reference to my book in a recent church magazine. He says, “I’d like to get this book, but I don’t have a computer and have no way of getting in touch with this person to order it.”

Humbling!

By: Rev. Joseph Eggleston

Rev. Joseph Eggleston — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:21:52 +0000

Thank you Pastor McCain for another blog post that I’ll use to launch a Sunday morning discussion. The last one (actually the post about Pastor Harrison’s new book) went very well.

By: Rev. Joseph Eggleston

Rev. Joseph Eggleston — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:18:44 +0000

@ptmccain And especially one's that aren't even available through Amazon yet!

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:01:05 +0000

Someone once defined tradition as the living faith of the dead, and traditionalism as the dead faith of the living. It seems to me that both traditionalism and the conceit of the present are best avoided. “Test everything. Hold on to the good.” 1 Thess. 5:21 (NIV)

The way 1 John 2:12-14 speaks to 3 generations draws an interesting picture of how each relates to the Gospel: The first receives, the second achieves, the third perceives.

By: Rev. Matthew Lorfeld

Rev. Matthew Lorfeld — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:55:26 +0000

Good post… and lest we forget… thunderstorms still threaten and kill (ie Katrina, Rita, and the thunderstorm that knocked out power for half a million around St. Louis back in ’06).

By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 06:51:48 +0000

You said “Scriptures becoming viewed as a text to be analyzed, sliced and diced, parsed and diagrammed, dissected and put under a microscope to the point that it is regarded more as an artifact to be scrutinized, than as the Word of the Living God.” That is truly the demise of the modern seminary. And this is the opportunity of the LCMS Churches. Preach Christ and him crucified. Matt Harrison was a guest at my church a few weeks ago and admired our large crusifix above the altar and he said, “This was that way all Lutheran Churches were 80 years ago….’They preached Christ the crucified One!” Please pastors don’t give us your prospective on “The Text” rather proclaim Christ for us and use the Word to deliver the promises. Both the Law and Gospel. Then stand back as your Fathers did and let God do the work.

And that was a good reminder for me to order Matt Harrisons new Book..Logging on to cph.org right now

By: ptmccain

ptmccain — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:15:15 +0000

I can’t believe how some people use the Internet to push their books.

By: Matt Harrison

Matt Harrison — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:10:47 +0000

PTM, My answer to your question is found on pp. 1-830 of “At Home in the House of My Fathers.”

By: ptmccain

ptmccain — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:58:36 +0000

Pr. Simojoki, I share your feelings on this point. I have become profoundly skeptical of the ultimate utility of “modern rules of exegesis.” I believe that such “rules,” developed in the academy by the guild of scholars have contributed, frankly, in large measure, to the Scriptures becoming viewed as a text to be analyzed, sliced and diced, parsed and diagrammed, dissected and put under a microscope to the point that it is regarded more as an artifact to be scrutinized, than as the Word of the Living God.

By: Stuart

Stuart — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:54:41 +0000

@Tapani Simojoki How True!