The return of Issues, Etc

The Lord has answered the prayers of many -

 

“Issues, Etc.” is returning to the airwaves.

I highly recommend checking out the following links for analysis & great comment discussion regarding this wonderful news for Confessional Lutheranism:

Pastor Asburry

Pastor Weedon

Necessary Roughness

Augsburg1530

Laymen With Issues, Etc 

Christ-Centered, Cross-Focused programming – exactly what the world needs.  Praise be to God that such programming is returning to the airwaves.

Not this time

Well Ken Kratz has decided not to run for the 6th Congressional District seat currently held by Tom Petri.

Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz said Wednesday he’ll run for re-election this year rather than challenge Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac, for the 6th Congressional District seat.
Kratz gained a high profile last year as the special prosecutor in Steven Avery’s trial for the death of Teresa Halbach.

He had formed an exploratory committee to look into running for Congress and said Wednesday he was still interested in an eventual bid for that post. But he said the timing is not right now.

At this point it means that the least conservative Republican in the Wisconsin Congressional delegation will not have a primary challenge. 

Update – So when should we expect this to show up on the FDL Reporter website, since Fond du Lac is in the 6th District?

Fred speaks

on Fox & Friends about a number of things.

Best line refers to the “perfect” candidate no longer being in the race.

Top 10 List

Although I’m still learning, I think it’s a safe assumption that this is a top 10 list of things you wouldn’t hear any Confessional Lutheran say.

10. “I sold my copy of Testing the Claims of Church Growth on eBay.”

9. “That Rob Bell is one heck of a theologian.”

8. “Deeds, not creeds.”

7. “I got Leonard Sweet to autograph my copy of SoulTsunami!”

6. “In truth, last summer the LCMS had its most positive and unified convention in years.”

5. “Jerry and I have a tee-time tomorrow at 9.”

4. “I never question the COP.”

3. “IE was canceled for business and programmatic reasons, and that’s final.”

2. “I’m sick of all this incessant internal purification.”

And the number one thing you’ll never hear Scott Diekmann say:

1. “Oh rats, I forgot to wear my Ablaze!^® bracelet.”

Great FOCUS material.

He’s baaaccckkk

Fred Thompson that is.  Discussing the fundemental principles of conservatism at TownHall Magazine.  Here is today’s commentary.

Spending some time on the campaign trail has confirmed a couple of thoughts I’ve had before I entered the Republican primary race.

First, conservatism is alive and well in America; don’t let anyone tell you differently. And by conservatism, I don’t mean the warmed-over “raise your hand if you believe …” kind of conservatism we see blooming every election cycle. No, I’m speaking of the conservatism grounded in principles based upon enduring truths: an understanding of the importance of human nature in the affairs of individuals and nations. Respect for the lessons of history, the importance of faith and tradition. The understanding that while man is prone to err, he is capable of great things when not subjugated by a too-powerful government. These are the principles that inspired our Founding Fathers, and resulted in a Constitution that delineated the powers of the central government, established checks and balances among the branches of government and further diffused governmental power by a system of Federalism.

Second, change – whether it “real change,” “bold change” or the “change we can believe in” variety others are selling – isn’t itself an innovative policy or a particularly strong leadership stance. In fact, from Burke to Buckley, there has been an acknowledgement that change in the political arena is inevitable and necessary, and we in the U.S. tend to experience it in regular, 2, 4 and 6 year intervals, so 2008 is hardly our first rodeo. The challenge for conservatives is calibrating whether the change being proposed is consistent with our principles and our philosophy, and whether that change is appropriate.

Our nation has some serious issues to work through for today … and for the next generation. Now isn’t the time for conservatives to be looking for a tailored message or a politically expedient route to victory if the end result is going to be the inevitable slide toward the liberalization and secularization of America, and the growth of government and loss of freedom that inevitably ensues. For us conservatives it must be about principles and policies that are grounded in freedom, free markets and the rule of law. That’s what I’ve been talking and writing about for the past few years, and that’s what I want to talk write about here on Townhall and in the new Townhall Magazine.

I joined Townhall and am writing exclusive commentaries for Townhall Magazine because I see them elevating the discourse on issues based on these principles — smaller government, individual liberty, standing for common values that have become all too uncommon, a strong national defense and, most of all, an optimism and belief in America.

I’m glad to be back here in familiar territory, and we’ll be talking to you soon.

Lakin for Senate

I’ve been meaning to post this for a few days.  Tim Lakin has a campaign website up and running.

Lakin for Senate

I’ll have more after I have an opportunity to check it out in detail with regards to positions and such.

Red and blue states

Despite the statements put out there continue to be “Issues” resolutions passed by Pastoral Conferences.  The latest calls internal document release.

Resolved, That the Southern Region of the Rocky Mountain District-LCMS requests, for the sake of trust and unity, that Mr. David Strand and the Board for Communication Services make public all internal documents and memos concerning this cancellation, including any documentation of not just radio listenership, but also about podcast downloads across American and around the world, and, in addition, allow for a complete, independent, and publicly documented audit of KFUO finances, including directly comparable financial performance of all of the station’s programs;

The Wyoming District resolution last week asked a number of questions.

Resolved, that the Wyoming District Pastor’s Conference, gathered at Rock Springs, Wyoming, in order to help resolve the ongoing controversy in our Synod, submits the following questions to the President of Synod, the Board for Communication Services (BCS), and the Council of Presidents:

1. The Council of Presidents and Executive Director of the BCS both released statements which claim that the terminations were handled in a Christian and Compassionate manner. How is it an exercise in Christian Compassion to terminate two individuals who had served in this capacity for nearly a decade, on such short notice, and during Holy Week?
2. How does summarily firing a man who was not simply an “at will employee” but also one who had a Divine Call reflect a confessional understanding of the Office of the Holy Ministry?
3. If this decision was made, as has been stated, for purely stewardship and programmatic reasons, why was the Treasurer of Synod (stewardship) and the full BCS (programmatic) not consulted?
4. Given concerns for the 8th Commandment as we deal with issues such as these, why was the decision to discontinue “Issues, Etc.” and the consequent firing of Rev. Wilken and Mr. Schwarz no immediately followed by a statement which clearly indicated that such termination was in no way related to their job performance or any other personal issues with these faithful men?
5. In light of the admitted “anxiety, worry, and consternation” which this decision has caused, and in light of synodical bylaw 1.5.1.3 that “all staff of corporate Synod and every agency of the Synod shall be sensitive in their activities to taking or giving offense, giving the appearance or impropriety, (or) causing confusion in the Synod…” what actions has Dr. Kieschnick taken or does he plan to take to remedy this situation by reversing actions of Synod staff which have broken this bylaw according to his mandate in bylaw 3.3.1.2.c, “He shall call up for review any action by an individual officer, executive, or agency that, in his view, may be in violation of the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod.”?

Those would be questions not satisfactorily addressed by the recent Q&A.

For a complete recap of resolutions check out Scott’s map. 

 

Light blogging

Blogging has been light due to new job responsibilities and training.  Still tracking the important issues though.

Disgusting situation

This is downright disgusting.  Wonder what the defense will be?

A sheriff’s deputy discovered the remains of a 90-year-old woman on a toilet in a house she shared with a woman and two children, authorities said Friday.

Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth charged 35-year-old Tammy Lewis and 57-year-old Alan Bushey (pronounced “boo-SHAY”) with two felony counts of being a party to causing mental harm to a child. Lewis was also charged with obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor.

“I believe that we’re looking at a cult-type situation where fraud was enacted by the leader of this cult in order to obtain money,” Southworth said.

By Friday night, the children had been placed in foster care, both adults remained in custody and an autopsy had been done but results won’t be available for some time, said Sheriff Brent Oleson.

“At this time we don’t know what the cause of death was,” he said. “Quite frankly it might have been natural causes.”

He described the one-story home in the town of Necedah as in decent repair, although the residents had been using “makeshift” toilet facilities because of the situation in the one bathroom.

“It’s a sad case and we’ll continue to investigate it and try to ascertain just what occurred up there,” Oleson said.

Fondy High Principal retires

Due to a serious yet undiagnosed medical condition Mary Merwin has retired as principal at Fond du Lac High School.

Fond du Lac High School Principal Mary Fran Merwin announced Friday morning that she will retire.

“It has been an absolute honor to be able to be involved with the Fond du Lac School District, the community, our families, and their precious children,” Merwin said.

The 58-year-old principal has undergone two brain surgeries in the past month at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. She told family members she wanted to focus solely on healing and spending time with them, according to a press release from the family.

Merwin’s condition is not yet diagnosed, but she is showing what her family describes as “remarkable improvement.” She continues to recover and undergo rehabilitation at Froedtert.

“My mom is the strongest and most vibrant person that I know,” said Merwin’s daughter, Kate Hareid. “There has never been a doubt in my mind that my mom would overcome this obstacle. Her spirit and love of life continue to pave the path of what I hope to emulate in my lifetime as a mother, daughter, wife, sister and friend. My mom is the definition of a role model. Whatever this is that is hindering her — we will beat it.”

On April 8 Merwin experienced an excruciating headache and elevated blood pressure. CT scans taken at St. Agnes Hospital showed large and dangerous brain bleeding and she was rushed to Froedtert. Following another CT scan and MRI on April 10 Merwin underwent a life-saving, image-guided brain surgery.

A second surgery took place after more bleeding was found on April 29.

Following advice from Merwin’s neurosurgeon, Merwin and her family will contact doctors at Duke University for a review of her case. Duke is world-renowned for its cancer research and conducts a number of clinical trials, which Merwin may be eligible for, depending on her final diagnosis.

The Merwin family has high hopes and is very motivated to work with the country’s top neurologists and neurosurgeons to determine the best plan possible for Merwin’s treatment. They look forward to her strong recovery.

It was Merwin’s sincere hope to return to Fondy High. However, she has made the decision to retire from the Fond du Lac school district so she can fully concentrate on her recovery and her family.

The family said it is grateful for the love and support it has received from the community and is maintaining a positive outlook on her recovery.

“My mother is an extreme believer in faith, God, and hope,” said Maggie Merwin. “She has an unbelievable spirit and is a positive influence in all who come across her path. We are extremely grateful for her warrior spirit. Please pray for my mother in her time of recovery and for her courage — as well as ours — in the journey ahead.”

Merwin has served as high school principal since 1999.

Keep her and her family in your prayers.