I Stand Sit Corrected
By Mitch Berg
Shawn takes issue with something I wrote yesterday.
Well, not too much issue…:
(This can be read in a sarcastic, slightly condescending tone, as I have a 1/2 of a brandy manhattan in me as I write this. I want to make it clear that I am a big fan of Shot In The Dark, Fraters Libertas, MDE, SCSUScholars, PowerLineBlog, Northern Alliance Radio Network, Dennis Prager, KSTP talk radio 1500 (“Direct Connection”) (well, anything pre-2002), Summit Beer, and the Minnesota State Fair. I am not a big fan of John McCain, Ed Schultz or Arne Carlson.)
Duly noted!
Mitch,
In today’s “Off the Handle,” you write: “In the summer of 1982, I was working at a little country station in Carrington,ND (pop 2,000). It was a Sunday afternoon. I was playing “The Lutheran Hour”, a recorded church service, around noon.”
The Lutheran Hour is NOT a recorded church service. The Lutheran Hour IS “the world’s longest-running, Christian outreach radio program. It proclaims the message of Jesus Christ to more than 1.2 million people each week over 800 radio stations across North America.”[1]
A recorded Lutheran church service would have hymns, an order of service including confession & absolution, readings from the Old Testament, New Testament and The Holy Gospel, a recitation of the Apostle’s or Nicene Creed, various prayers including the Lord’s Prayer. This all in addition to a sermon from the pastor. It would actually take about an hour. The Lutheran Hour, despite it’s name, is only 30 minutes long. (Think about that one for a little bit.)
The Lutheran Hour is, essentially, only the sermon part of a church service. There is an opening musical piece by a grand choir and/or organ, and a short music piece following the message. There is also a questions/answer session, and the Pastor leads the listeners in a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. But most of the other hallmarks of a Lutheran church service are missing.
Being a devoted listener to The Lutheran Hour, and an elder in my church, I just needed to set the record straight.
Well, to be fair (to me) it’s been 26 years since I’ve actually played the show.
He responded, so I’m gonna guess…he’s…
Oh, and if the above didn’t say so in so many words, yes, I am a member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Yep. Figured it!
Thank you. That will be all.
I regret the error.
Not as much as I regretted the original incident…
May 15th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Wow, hard to believe the board didn’t light up with calls from the 1.2 million listening to such a stimulating program. Maybe on that day everyone was tuned to the Listening-to-Paint-Dry station.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:38 am
LCMS is far more conservative than the larger ELCA. No aceptance of gay or female clergy. I’m convinced that this is because elders (like Shawn) have a large say in running the local churches — including budgeting. The ELCA is, I’m afraid, becoming another version of the UCC or the Episcopalians.
In the interests of full disclosure I confess to being a church-going member of LCMS.
May 15th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Clown,
hard to believe the board didn’t light up with calls…[m]aybe on that day everyone was tuned to the Listening-to-Paint-Dry station.
Er yeah – I did mention that it was a little 500 watt country station in a town of 2,000, right?
Terry,
LCMS is far more conservative than the larger ELCA. No aceptance of gay or female clergy. I’m convinced that this is because elders (like Shawn) have a large say in running the local churches — including budgeting. The ELCA is, I’m afraid, becoming another version of the UCC or the Episcopalians.
In the interests of full disclosure I confess to being a church-going member of LCMS.
I’d no sooner step into arguments between Sunni/Shiite, or Irish Catholics and Protestants, or ManU and Glasga fans, than I would between ELCA and LCMS adherents.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I’m an ELCA Lutheran, and I can assure you that congregational councils have plenty of say when it comes to running the local churches.