|
(The following article was written a few days ago by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) A student named Madeline opened the worship service by saying she uses "she/her" pronouns. Lace (who uses "they" as a pronoun) assisted during the service, as did Luther Seminary professor Amy Marga who is interested in "queer theologies and feminist theologies". The preacher was Austen Hartke, a "transgender person of faith" who is the author of "Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians". Instead of opening the service in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the service invoked the "Creator, Christ and Holy Breath" (some believe it is sexist to refer to God in exclusively masculine terms such as "Father" and "Son"). During the sermon, the transgender preacher talked about the persecution of transgender people because they often cannot use the bathrooms they prefer and "because those of us who are sex workers aren't legally protected." The preacher talked about transgender suicide caused by "religious intolerance and exposure to conversion therapy." The preacher bemoaned the "churches who teach that the white, Western gender binary is God-ordained...(and) the parents who believe that their child's soul is at risk if they transition..." Transgender people "are acting in Jesus' name by embracing the identity that God gave them." The preacher encouraged the seminarians to "correct the nurse who uses the wrong pronouns for a patient". He encouraged the seminarians to "begin the conversation about becoming LGBTQ+ affirming in your church." By "allowing LGBTQIA people...the opportunity to testify... you will find that God's new heaven and new earth are already breaking in." During the strange closing prayers (which sounded very New Age), it was stated that God "delights in every flourishing twirl...of gender expression...". When I attended Luther Seminary many years ago, I remember being taught that the Church is not to follow the "Zeitgeist" ("spirit of the Age") but the Holy Spirit since Christians are to be "in the world, not of the world." Today, Luther's namesake seminary shows itself to be both in the world and of the world as it follows the Zeitgeist wherever it leads. Since the ELCA claims to be open to both conservative and liberal voices on transgenderism, it would now be appropriate to balance the above worship by bringing in a chapel speaker like Walt Heyer who went through gender transition and regrets it (see his video at https://youtu.be/k9jC34sk_3I). But don't expect that to happen, the Zeitgeist at Luther Seminary will not permit any voice but its own. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock https://youtu.be/aHhepYaIbIk 
0 Comments
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Luther Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has this announcement for tomorrow's chapel service: 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 19 Transgender Awareness Week liturgy... Preacher: Austen Hartke, graduate of Luther’s Master of Arts program in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Studies, and author of Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians (2018), a book on theology and personal narratives. Then Thursday will be this: 11 a.m. Thursday, November 21 Transgender Day of Remembrance healing prayer and song vigil. I am sure the "healing" on Thursday will not be about helping those in sexual confusion live according their God-given gender, but instead helping them heal from "oppression" from those who believe transgenderism is contrary to God's will. This is yet another example that the radical take-over of Luther Seminary is complete. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock --- (See below or see here.) 
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, through its advocacy office, celebrated gay Pride Month this past June.
In most cases, some money given to ELCA churches makes its way to ELCA synods, which in turn distributes some of that money to ELCA Churchwide. ELCA Churchwide uses some of the money received to promote and advocate for things they believe in, decisions headed by the ELCA Advocacy division. Therefore money given by individuals pays for the ELCA's extreme and often unBiblical policies, beliefs, pastors and leadership.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) recently compared the Berlin Wall to the United States border wall with Mexico and the Israeli wall with the terrorist Palestinian entity.
The ELCA social media post (see below) says "Today is the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. As we celebrate this historic symbol of freedom, we also hold in our hearts those who are still divided by walls — in Palestine, at the U.S.-Mexico border and in all the other places we build barriers." This is disgraceful. Extreme liberals are running the ELCA. They proclaim their extreme ideas under the guise of Christianity while collecting their salaries from people who are tithing/giving to the Lord. It is time to either stop giving and attending churches that are part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America or help your church or the churches around you move out from under the leadership of the ELCA. 
(The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) Luther Seminary of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America recently held a chapel worship service based on Native American spirituality. A Native American woman burned a plant and waved a feather over it, explaining that smudging "releases the energies within yourself". She led the congregation to inhale and exhale "which cleanses you" (see minute 4:02 below). Prayers were made in the direction of the four winds, patterned after Native American religion. The preacher explained that her Christianity is an extension of Native American spirituality. She said "I am a hybrid" in that she practices Christianity and holds to native spirituality. She talked of her "natural fusion of Christian and Sioux spirituality". She spoke of "the foundational values of God's original covenant with Native Americans that must never be violated." A version of the Lord's Prayer was made to "the Great Spirit."
Years ago when I was still in the ELCA, our Minneapolis Area Synod convention had participants pray toward the North, South, East and West. At that convention I got to the microphone to complain about the Native American worship. I said "I am German. My ancestors worshipped Thor and Odin. I hope we aren't going to incorporate Thor and Odin worship next." I shared this with my congregation and a Native American woman came up to me after church with tears in her eyes saying "They are trying to get us to return to the things that Jesus saved me from!" Luther's Christian/Sioux worship service is consistent with where the ELCA is heading. At the recent ELCA church-wide assembly, in the presence of representatives from non-Christian religions, the ELCA overwhelmingly passed an interfaith resolution stating that we don't know what God thinks of non-Christian religions. A delegate said that we indeed know since Jesus said He is the only way of salvation (John 14:6), but the delegate was voted down by 97%. Some time ago an elderly woman who has donated to Luther Seminary asked me if she should continue to do so. I said "Not a penny." One Luther chapel service brought in a transgender preacher who prayed "Our Mother in heaven". Another Luther chapel service had a feminist/womanist preacher tell the students to hold hands and imagine they were in "the pushy womb of God". Another chapel service observed National Coming Out Day for homosexuals. Another chapel service observed the Transgender Day of Remembrance. And now this smudging service (watch it below). Like I said, "Not a penny." Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock PS Luther Seminary is selling off 15 acres and some of its buildings because of the seminary's financial problems.
The Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held a youth gathering (see here) two weeks ago for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The person chosen to be chaplain for the middle schoolers was transgender ELCA vicar Atticus Zavaletta. (see here and below)
This is another example of how the ELCA continues to lift up transgender confusion and homosexuality to young people. People of God, please pray for God's will to prevail in the hearts and minds of those still worshiping in the ELCA and for ELCA leaders and those struggling with same-sex attraction and gender confusion to turn from sin and trust God and His Truth. Below are Facebook posts about the youth event by the Delaware-Maryland Synod, Delaware-Maryland Synod Bishop Bill Gohl and transgender ELCA vicar Atticus Zavaletta. 
Some years ago a family visited my church because their Lutheran congregation was allowing a practicing lesbian to teach their daughter Sunday School. That was before the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's 2009 decision to ordain active homosexual persons. I drove by that church in a Minneapolis suburb a few days ago and wondered "How liberal is that church today?" I looked at the church's website to discover now one of the pastors is a lesbian with a "wife". And who is that "wife"? She is a pastor serving another ELCA church in the St. Paul area. I have noticed this before, that when one homosexual pastor is serving a church, their "spouse" might also be serving an ELCA-- or perhaps a United Church of Christ-- congregation.
This is what happens when we give up the authority of Scriptures. Anything goes, God is mocked, and the congregations tend to shrink. The ELCA has been shrinking since it was founded in 1988, but the shrinkage has increased greatly since 2009. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock A Facebook post by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor Lura Groen refers to Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well as an attempt by Jesus to sexually seduce the woman. ELCA pastor Groen has rewritten the story to better reflect what she believes was really happening.  (Also see Rev. Groen's FB post here) This is heretical and demonic. The fact that Rev. Groen's view of scripture and Christ is allowed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America says all you need to know about the denomination. It is time for you and your loved ones to depart from the ELCA, and please consider sharing this with others who also need to know about the realities of the ELCA.
Jesus did not and would not invite worshipers of Baal into the Temple of God to worship their deity. But the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA proudly reports on one of their ELCA churches that invited Muslims to pray at their church.
A second Facebook post by the ELCA synod has the ELCA church's pastor saying they "Sometimes even pray with them." 
When Columbus Day rolls around each year, you can count on one thing: the ELCA will be denouncing it. So it was, yesterday, when Women of the ELCA (WELCA) published an article by an author whom WELCA says "...makes an argument for changing the name Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples' Day in every state." (See here or below)
It seems the ELCA's Northwest Washington Synod would like to rename Columbus Day to "Native American Day." (See below) If you would like to read a couple of healthy perspectives on the realities of the day and the man who is remembered and celebrated on Columbus Day, check out these articles: - Christopher Columbus: A Sinner With A Heart for Frontier Missions - Columbus was Awesome - Indigenous Peoples Day vs Columbus Day Below is the WELCA article being shared by the ELCA's Northern Great Lakes Synod: From a soon-to-be ELCA pastor: And from an ELCA pastor: (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.) The 65 bishops of the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, met September 26-30th. One of their actions was to "to give priority to this church's response to the global crisis of climate change." The bishops also underwent "A training session presented by Aubrey Thonvold, executive director of Reconciling Works, that focused on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression." Audrey is a woman "married" to a woman and Reconciling Works is an organization that promotes the acceptance of homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism in the ELCA. And now Reconciling Works is training the ELCA bishops. Not too many years ago, Lutheran bishops upheld the belief that sexual intercourse is only for a man and a woman in the context of marriage. Today, the bishops are being trained on how to affirm those engaging in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender behavior. How the ELCA has fallen. God's judgement on this denomination continues to be evident in the ELCA's membership and revenue losses. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock  The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a long history of advocating for measures that would harm the state of Israel. Again last month, according to ICN, Elizabeth Eaton, the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, signed onto a letter that said; "A truly viable peace can only be achieved by lifting the Gaza blockade, by ending the Israeli occupation of territories captured in 1967, through the realisation of Palestinian self-determination, the recognition of Jerusalem as a shared capital for Israelis and Palestinians and the recognition and fulfilment of the rights of Palestinian refugees. Such a peace can only be reached in consultation with leaders representing both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples." (See here) Notice that all of the ELCA leaders requirements for "viable peace" are Palestine talking points that require Israel to concede. They are measures that are destructive to Israel and require nothing of Palestine. This is a delusional position and the ELCA's motivation for it must be considered. (see more about the ELCA and Israel here) If you support Israel you should not be part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. 
The Rev. Jes Kast is coming to Augustana University this month. Rev. Kast is an minister in the United Church of Christ and "serves on the Planned Parenthood Clergy Advocacy Board."
Rev. Kast has been asked to speak at the Augustana Chapel of Reconciliation as well as give a lecture titled, "Won't You Be My Neighbor? Friendship and Solidarity Across Religious Differences," which is sponsored by Augustana's Department of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, Augustana Campus Ministry and the Thomas Staley Foundation. (See here)
Augustana Campus Ministry shared the event on their Twitter page:
The following Tweets are from Rev. Jes Kast:
Rev. Jes Kast retweet the following:
Pacific Lutheran University is holding their Ninth Annual Lutheran Studies Conference, which they call "Naked and Unashamed: Sex, Shame and Faith." Pacific Lutheran University's website says:
"The conference itself provides tools and national experts on religion, churches and current political landscapes that influence our discussions of sexuality and identity. A session will review one church tradition, the ELCA, for its social statements on abortion, sexuality and gender justice. We will also explore ways spirituality and religion may heal or hinder a healthy sense of sexuality." See here.
Nadia Bolz-Weber, an ELCA pastor, will be the evening speaker for the conference. Rev. Bolz-Weber is widely known and embraced by the ELCA despite her heretical teachings and disgusting words and actions. (See here)
Another speaker at PLU's conference will be Dr. Mary Streufert, the ELCA Director for Justice for Women from the Office of the ELCA's Presiding Bishop. Dr. Streufert reportedly once presented images of a female Jesus during the "Faith and Feminism – Womanist – Mujerista Conference" (see here) held at the goddess worshiping ELCA congregation known as "herchurch." The title of Dr. Streufert's presentation was "Jesus Christ Beyond the Divide: A Christian Feminist Proposal."
Dr. Streufert as well as Dr. Mary Lowe, from Augsburg University, will collaborate, presenting "Gender Justice and Faith: 2019 ELCA Social Statement.” The description of this presentation indicates, "...they will introduce three themes in the statement: sexism as sin, intersectionality as an approach to the problem of sexism, and the ELCA’s ongoing effort to view sex and gender in non-binary ways." (See here and below) 
Opening remarks of the conference will be by Dr. Marit A. Trelstad, PLU Chair of Lutheran Studies and Professor of Constructive and Lutheran Theologies at PLU. (See here) Pastor Jen Rude, of PLU Campus Ministry, will be speaking at another session. She is openly gay and the former program director for Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. (See here)
The morning of the conference there will be a pre-conference where the "Focus of this time will be to review the content of ELCA Social Statements on Abortion (1991), Human Sexuality (2009) and Gender Justice (2019) and to discuss their implementation/impact and current issues congregations are facing in terms of gender and justice in their congregations...We may also have representatives from Extraordinary Ministries and Reconciling Works present as ELCA-focused ministries." (See here) Extraordinary Ministries and Reconciling Works are pro-LGBT organizations.
Below is an article by our friend Rev. Tom Brock with more details about the conference:
Bill Gohl, bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officiated the wedding of a transgender person (who is a vicar at an ELCA church and an ELCA seminary student) and well known ELCA pastor Emily Scott. Rev. Scott was a keynote speaker at the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering. (see here beginning at 2:23:20 and read more about her here)
Are there any Biblically led leaders in the ELCA anymore? 
|
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.
Give online by clicking the "donate" button below: Categories
All
Archives
November 2019
 Exposing the ELCA is on Facebook 
Follow Exposing the ELCA on Twitter
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
|
RSS Feed