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(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America continues to push for a feminist understanding of God and a diminishing of God the Father in its December, 2021 edition of Living Lutheran, the official magazine of the ELCA. In an article entitled "A Gift of Ministry: Embracing mom–pastors and a mothering God" the magazine quotes from ELCA Pastor LeeAnn Pomrenke's book "Embodied: Clergy Women and the Solidarity of a Mothering God". She writes "When I began recognizing the mothering behavior of God in my own experience, it made me feel less alone...We have fallen into a rut in referring to God mostly as "Father" in the church..." One must ask: Was Jesus in a rut when He taught us to refer to God as Father? Never once did Jesus refer to God as "Mother." Are we in a rut praying regularly "Our Father", the prayer our Lord taught us to pray? Do the people running the ELCA know more about God language than Jesus Christ? Another article in Living Lutheran written by Karoline Lewis, preaching professor at Luther Seminary, talks about God revealing "God's self". It is normal to talk about God revealing "Himself," but that is too patriarchal so now a new phrase has been invented. Living Lutheran magazine regularly eliminates masculine pronouns for God, using "God...God...God.." instead of "God...He...etc." This de-sexing of God language has been going on for a long time in the ELCA, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, and the United Church of Christ, but at its last national assembly the ELCA voted to officially declare itself in favor of more "expansive and inclusive" language for God. The liberal mainline Protestant denominations are shrinking, and they should. Any denomination which is embarrassed by 'Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" language and desires to "expand" beyond it does not deserve to exist. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock 
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Bill Tesch is excited, as you can read in the below post about Kevin L. Strickland, an openly homosexual man (married to a man), becoming bishop of Southeastern Synod, ELCA. Calling the Holy Spirit "her." Below Rev. Bill Tesch writes about NOT being elected as bishop of the ELCA's South Dakota Synod saying "I had thought I might be called, but the Holy Spirit, in her typically messy way, has revealed that I am not." What about false religions? Politics? Check out the following by the ELCA bishop:
ELCA church Dreams and Visions and their hyped ELCA pastor Emily Scott is hosting "A Drag Queen Storytime Queer Christmas Celebration."
Living off the dime of a century's worth of Biblical Lutherans, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has turned it's back on God, God's Word and its foundation, and become an institution that mocks God and harms souls. If you haven't left the ELCA you have some explaining to do. 
The ELCA's Delaware-Maryland Synod Bishop Bill Gohl attended Dreams and Visions Queer Christmas Pageant last year. (See here)
A sign held by Cassie Hartnett read, "When Jesus Comes Back She'll Be Gay." Cassie Hartnett is a former vicar at an ELCA church in Maryland and she attended Union Theological Seminary. When ELCA leaders openly blaspheme Jesus it is time to leave and never set foot in an ELCA church again.  (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Today I turned on TV and again saw a worship service from St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. In a previous post (October 4) I criticized their program in which the preacher called Jesus’ response to the Syro-Phoenician woman “ugly” and wondered whether Jesus had made a mistake. That grieved me because years ago this congregation was known for being more biblical and evangelical than many in the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. But St. Andrew’s has chosen to stay in the ELCA and it shows. On the program today the pastor gave the closing benediction and she said “In the name of the Parent, and of Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. Did you notice? She got rid of God the Father and replaced Him with “the Parent”. Why? The ELCA at its last convention committed itself to using more “expansive and inclusive” language for God. This means avoiding masculine images for God and coming up with new images which feminists find less oppressive and patriarchal. So now some ELCA congregations worship “God the Parent.” I live across the street from a liberal United Methodist church and visited one Sunday. The pastor baptized the child “In the name of the One who makes all things, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” I talked about this with a Catholic priest who said “I’d rebaptize the child.” I think I would too. Jesus taught us to baptize “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:10) and we have no right to play around with that. This “de-sexing” of God language has gone on for many years in liberal denominations like the ELCA, Presbyterian Church USA, the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Episcopal Church. Back in 2006 the ELCA came out with its current hymnal in which all of the Psalms were de-sexed to get rid of masculine references for God. Some complained, saying we would stick with the Biblical language for God, but they lost. I pray that you attend a good, biblical church which unashamedly worships God the Father. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock  By Rev. Tom Brock (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Certainly Christians should oppose racism and white supremacy, but that is not the message of Advent. The word "Advent" means "coming" in Latin and refers to the four weeks prior to Christmas when Christians think about Christ's Second Coming at the end of time when he will raise the dead and judge the world. It is a time of self-examination and repentance from sin so that we may properly celebrate Christmas when it arrives. But in the Advent message below, liberal denominations have turned Advent into a time to fight racism. In the "Advent" message below, you will find no zeal for the salvation of the lost and bringing people to Christ before the 2nd Coming. The head bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has stated that she believes Hell, if it exists, is empty. You will also find no mention of repenting from the sexual sins of our culture like pornography, pre-marital sex, abortion and homosexuality because these denominations endorse abortion rights and homosexual relationships. You will also notice below, they don't talk about the "kIngdom" of God but the "kin-dom" of God. Feminism is big in the below denominations and some think the word "kingdom" is too male and oppressive so they have invented a new word. This contradicts the fact that Jesus repeatedly preached about the Kingdom of God. As we are now in the season of Advent, let us repent of racism, but let us also repent of our lukewarmness in bringing lost people to saving faith in Christ. And, yes, lost people do need to come to Christ to be saved. In Jesus the only Savior (John 14:6), Pastor Tom Brock From the website of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: ELCA presiding bishop and ecumenical partners address racism and white supremacy in Advent message 11/30/2020 1:30:00 PM CHICAGO — The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and leaders of The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada have joined together to offer the following Advent message: Churches Beyond Borders Advent Call to Address Racism and White Supremacy Read the rest of the ELCA article here. |
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
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