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(The following article was written last year by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and Twitter - here.)
Luther Seminary, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is advertising the May 2019 Festival of Homiletics with numerous liberal speakers like Brian McClaren, lesbian ELCA Pastor Barbara Lundblad, and ELCA Pastor David Lose who denies that Jesus died in our place to pay for our sins. Last year liberal senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren addressed the Festival participants. It is also offering yoga for attendees with this description: "Yogadevotion...is an organic response to a deeply profound experience of God’s Presence following a vinyasa yoga class. The experience of God’s Presence through the practice of yoga... Some call it a time of prayer, some a time of worship, some a time to simply be present to God in a new way, and experience an increased sense of God’s Presence in the midst of busy lives." As I have noted in previous posts, my alma mater Luther Seminary has embraced radical worship with chapel services featuring homosexual and transgender preachers, "deep breathing" meditation, and womanist/feminist worship, sometimes referring to God as "She" and "Mother". A few months ago President Robin Steinke of Luther Seminary announced that, due to financial problems, Luther is selling off a number of its buildings. There is no sign that Luther Seminary has learned that unbiblical teaching will not grow a seminary. Sadly, I can recommend my old seminary to no one. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock
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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.) I graduated from this seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America back in 1979. It was somewhat liberal back then and much more so now. In the below chapel service at minute 6:50, the preacher from Intertwine Church in Northeast Minneapolis talks about prayer as "listening to self" and then leads the seminary congregation in deep breathing, centering meditation. Later he preaches that secular people are finding the Spirit of Christ at yoga studios. His church is about "gathering around questions and not answers", they are about "how to be human together". I prefer a denomination which unapologetically sings "Jesus is the answer for the world today" and which does not incorporate non-Christian meditation and breathing exercises in its worship. It is one more reason I am glad I have left the ELCA for a more Biblical branch of Lutheranism and that many others have also left. The size of the congregation at the Luther Seminary chapel in the below video is way down from what it was when I was a student at Luther, just one more evidence of the shrinking effect of liberal religion. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org (The following article was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. At the end of Pastor Brock's article I have posted some additional information. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.) An ELCA Lutheran Church near me is offering "Holy Yoga" class with the below picture and this description. "I am teaching Holy Yoga at 11:00 this morning at Elim Lutheran...Before you run errands or head off to do some Christmas shopping, join me for some yoga and re-center yourself." The below picture is not from a New Age or Hindu website, it is the website of an ELCA Lutheran church. So what is wrong with Yoga? Isn't it just exercise and stretching? It can be in some cases, but in other cases (and originally) it is a Hindu practice "by which people and even gods gain immortality and supreme powers by its practice" (from Hinduwebsite.com). So what are Lutherans doing trying to re-center their lives through yoga? Don't we re-center our lives through prayer, Bible reading, Christian fellowship and Holy Communion? Don't we become one with God through Jesus Christ and not through this Hindu practice? This is called "syncretism", the mixing together of all religions. It is what got the ancient Jews in trouble when they tried to mix worship of Jehovah with worship of Baal and Asheroth. To which the Lord said "Thou shalt have no other gods." In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org  (see this post on the ELCA church's Facebook page here) At the ELCA's 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering, in front of over 30,000 teenagers, speaker Sarah Funkhouser said “…one of the most powerful ways in which I connect with God is through the practice of yoga. When I am surrendering to the breathing and relaxing into the postures I’m reminded to slow down, observe the sacred and the ordinal and trust God.” Go to the 2:17 hour mark on the video below to see more. (The following was written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
Ebenezer Lutheran Church, now called Herchurch, is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Herchurch worships God as "the goddess" and "Mother". At its upcoming Goddess Festival, here are some of the workshops: Mandala making (my note: mandalas are Hindu symbols) Sacred drumming Goddess painting Our Earth Mother, ourselves… Cleaning out and owning your queer identity: a healing guided meditation with healing priestess Yoga for ecstasy and healing (see here) If you are a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and this doesn't get you to leave, I ask you to ask yourself "What would?" ELCA leadership does not discipline this congregation and in the past has defended it. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org (The following two articles were written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org. You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)
Erin Strybis is an associate editor for Living Lutheran. She is an "avid yogi" and a member of an ELCA church in Chicago. She writes at the ELCA website: "The closest I’ve felt to God, as of late, was not in church. It was on my yoga mat last Wednesday." (see here) There is a Lutheran Church in the Twin Cities that advertisers yoga classes on a sign on its front lawn. I went to the church's website and saw a picture of a yogi in a seated position. You would have thought it was a page from a Hindu website. This is what got the ancient Jews in trouble. They kept worshiping Jehovah God, but added other pagan spiritual practices. In the end God judged them by bringing in the Babylonians. You cannot worship God and Baal. I recently visited a Missouri Synod Lutheran congregation (the Missouri Synod is much more conservative than the ELCA). Even this congregation was advertising a "Christian yoga" class led by one of the members. I wrote the pastor an email sharing my concern but got not reply. I am reminded of the song from Oklahoma "I'm just a girl who can't say 'No'". Sadly, pagan practices are making their way into Christian churches because some pastors do not have the backbone to say "No" to parishioners who may mean well but are deceived. May each of us this day keep the First Commandment: to worship no other gods than the one true God. In Jesus our Savior, Pastor Tom Brock pastorsstudy.org -- The Lutheran magazine promotes yoga In the latest edition of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's official magazine, we are encouraged to do yoga. Yoga is a Hindu practice that has to do with becoming one with the Ultimate. It has nothing to do with Christianity, but that doesn't keep the ELCA magazine from promoting it. "Syncretism" is the belief that one should take aspects of all religions and mix them together. This is precisely what got the Old Testament Jews in trouble when they tried to worship Yahweh alongside Baal and Ashtorah. You can read the whole sad story below. Sincerely in Christ, Pastor Tom Brock Pastorsstudy.org http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=12931 The San Francisco Conference of Lutheran Churches, ELCA has a disturbing blog detailing their involvement and participation in non-Christian religious activities.
This conference of ten ELCA parishes along with three affiliated outreach ministries celebrated “Pluralism Summer” last year. Here is how they describe it. “As we approach the final third of our 'Pluralism Summer,' I’m reminded of how much I still have to learn. Our guests have fed us with such a rich banquet of information, personal stories and experiences: from chanted Baha’i prayers to a Wiccan guided meditation to a Sufi’s reflections on Ramadan – and more. And there’s still good stuff to come: Sufism Reoriented, Hindu, Secular Humanism, Sikh, as well as a woman extraordinarily ordained as a Roman Catholic priest. At the end of the summer, we’ll go off on a congregational retreat to Mercy Center, where one of their specialties is a program of East/West meditation. We’ll get to spend some time with Fr. Greg Mayers, who is both priest and Zen master. Some people may see this venture as a slippery slope into relativism, but I would heartily disagree.” (see here) One of the churches involved also hosted a “goddess craft sale” and "goddess Harvest Festival” last fall. Among the many activities was a workshop conducted by Mz Dionne Kohler, Drumming Priestess. Mz Kohler writes - “I am guided by Gaia and the rhythms of Our Mother Earth. As the Spirit Moves you...please join us, Nov. 16th & 17th.” Another workshop was titled, “Energize, Renew and Uncoil Your Divine-ness with Kundalini Yoga” (see here) Below are the 10 parishes that are part of the The San Francisco Conference of Lutheran Churches, ELCA Christ Church Lutheran, ELCA Pastor Steven P. Sabin Website:http://www.christchurchlutheran.org/ Ebenezer/herchurch Lutheran, ELCA Pastor Stacy Boorn Website:http://www.herchurch.org/ First United Lutheran, ELCA Pastor Susan M. Strouse (Dean, San Francisco Conference of Lutheran Churches) http://www.fulc.com/index.htm Pastor Susan’s Blog at http://progressivechurch.wordpress.com/ Grace Lutheran Church, ELCA Website: http://www.gracesf.com Lutheran Church of Our Savior, ELCA Interim Pastor David Rohrer St. Francis Lutheran Church, ELCA Website: http://www.sflcsf.org/ St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, ELCA Pastor Elizabeth Ekdale Website: http://www.stmarks-sf.org/ St. Mary and St. Martha Lutheran Church, ELCA Pastor: Stacey Siebrasse Website: http://www.smsmlutheranchurch.org St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church of San Francisco, ELCA Website: http://www.stmatthews-sf.org/ Saint Paulus Lutheran Church, ELCA Pastor Dan Solberg Website: http://www.saintpaulus.org/index.html ELCA magazine, The Lutheran had an article about the 2012 ELCA National Youth Gathering in their September 2012 issue. They report that “Philip Ciulla, an adult chaperone from Saddle Creek, N.J., said he and his congregation's youth were pleased that the gathering addressed concerns such as the environment. ‘I think it's becoming more progressive,’ he said. ‘Our kids ... are pretty much on board with this stuff.’
Other young people highlighted the ELCA's stance on acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community as a positive change.” (read here) The article also points out that yoga was offered as an activity for the youth at the gathering. Yoga is controversial. Many believe this is not an activity Christians should participate in because of its eastern religion origins and because it is a pagan religious practice that taps into the spiritual realm. (Read here and here) How often do we have to see and hear the ways the ELCA is indoctrinating the youth before more parents will protect their kids and get them out of the denomination? And it’s not just the youth. Almost every issue of The Lutheran contains articles and reports that are meant to sway the reader’s viewpoint to a progressive, non-Biblical worldview. Want some more evidence? The Lutheran printed an article by Rev. Andrena Ingram (see here), which lifts her up as a leader in the ELCA on the issue of AIDS/HIV. What the article does not tell you is that Rev. Ingram passed out condoms during a HIV Testing Event/“community meal” held at her church, or that Rev. Ingram wrote, “This is my body, given for you. … this is a condom, given for you. Use it!” (see here) Rev. Ingram was also a keynote speaker at the 2012 ELCA National Youth Gathering. I don't know about you but "progressive" may be one of the nicest ways to describe the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. An ELCA e-Advocacy Network email was sent out recently calling on us to “Ask President Obama to Act on Climate Change.”
Here is an excerpt of this email: “What are we asking him to do?. . . - Ensure adequate assistance to poor countries that are already suffering most from the impacts of climate change. - Guarantee climate justice for all: a transparent, participatory agreement that ensures the voices and interests of all are addressed.” “Join other people of faith in asking President Obama and other leaders to commit to an agreement that will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and protect the most vulnerable from the impacts of a changing climate that we can no longer avoid.” ----- Does the ELCA really want to encourage the sleeping with someone to whom you are not married? ELCA publication, The Lutheran, under “Staff Blogs” has a story by the Web Manager / Associate Art Director, in which she says “Last month, my fiancé James and I went on vacation in Isle Royale National Park. One night we camped at South Lake Desor… I awoke at midnight to the sound of branches breaking. I woke James and said: ‘I think there's something outside our tent.’ I often wake James when I hear noises, which usually turn out to be birds or squirrels. ‘You're imagining things again,’ he said and went back to sleep.” (see here) ----- “Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.” (see here) Seems that Yoga is popular with staff at ELCA headquarters in Chicago. “Two days a week, churchwide employees carry yoga mats for Lunchtime Yoga at the Lutheran Center.” (see here) ----- Alcohol is being sold by an ELCA church. Pastor Gretchen Mertes "works as one of the bartenders." “When you belly up to the bar. . . You wont find a Bible.” “Oh heaven’s, no!” (see here) Don’t miss out on their “wine specials.” (watch here) Luther's Table, the bar/cafe, is a mission start of the ELCA (see here) Pastor Mertes "salary is funded for the most part by grants from the ELCA and NW WA Synod." (see 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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Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
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