Change in worship

The always insightful Pastor Weedon points out how “worship” in the LCMS has changed over the years and asks some pointed questions.

I thought about how the landscape has changed in my years of ministry and in my experience in the Lutheran Church. If there’s ONE thing that stands out, surely everyone will agree it is the changes to our worship. There was a time when you really could just about bet on either p. 5 or 15, and if you had a certain kind of parish, maybe Matins. But Lutherans didn’t obsess on liturgy; they just worshipped. They followed what was in the book (more or less – we’ve never been ones for liturgical straight-jackets).

And then enter the whole contemporary worship scene (which should really be called by what it is: the adoption of the liturgy of the Pentecostals and Charismatics). What has been the result?

Are our churches stronger in mission than they were when the liturgy was honored nearly across the board in our Synod? Do we send more or fewer missionaries? Are our people more united now than they were then? How about our support of Synod – stronger or weaker? Is our preaching better or worse? How about our catechesis? Our confessional commitment?

Now I’m just a layperson but having been one that wanted to see more contemporary worship at one time only to now desire the traditional divine services, I’d agree that all contemporary worship does is bring disruption and disillusionment (because the focus is no longer on the Theology of the Cross). So I think the answers those questions are worse and weaker.

Now if the point could just be driven home that to reverse course and make things better and stronger a return to divine worship and an elimination of “flavor of the month” worship in the LCMS is what is needed. We want the focus back on the “Theology of the Cross” because that’s what we need to hear every week.

Obama’s VP choice

Here’s what Barack Hussein Obama’s newly selected running mate had to say about him and about John McCain back earlier in the campaign season -

So much for that “new” generation of politics.

He picked a 35-year veteran of the Senate — the ultimate insider — rather than a candidate from outside Washington, such as Govs. Tim Kaine of Virginia or Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas; or from outside his party, such as Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska; or from outside the mostly white male club of vice presidential candidates.

As HotAir points out the choice of Biden also shows how inexperienced and desperate Barack Hussein Obama really is.

It’s an admission that Obama’s inexperience has finally begun worrying voters, and not just Democratic power brokers. There really is no other way to see an addition of Biden to the ticket. Obama can’t be worried about carrying Delaware, after all; it’s as safe a state that Democrats have. Nor does Biden have a natural national constituency, as his own flop of a presidential campaign proved this cycle.

The Biden choice is an act of desperation borne of a summer-long catastrophe. There isn’t any other reason for Obama to choose a 35-year veteran of the Senate with as long a history of gaffes and flat-out dishonesty as his second on the campaign for Hope and Change.

…

Now Obama, who supposedly represents a new brand of politics, has instead hitched his wagon to an old-time pol who has trouble coming up with his own words when he campaigns. That’s desperation, and what’s more, it’s obvious desperation. And in politics, just as in dating, desperation is not an aphrodisiac.

The choice of Biden also means bringing up John McCain’s age is out as is John McCain being part of the problem in Washington because he’s been there so long. And as Jim Gerhagty points out -

He voted for the Iraq War — which Obama touted as the most important decision since the end of the Cold War.

Biden supports a ban on partial-birth abortion. He supports deploying U.S. troops to Darfur in Sudan.

His mouth will be an absolute time bomb. Will he refer to Delaware as a “slave state” again? Will he discuss who’s behind the counter at 7-11s?

 Barack Hussein Obama has been known to throw people and positions under the bus for political gain.  With this VP pick it means politics as usual for Barack Hussein Obama.

“Hope and Change” have been thrown under the bus