Pastor Dale Radke and Chapel of the Chimes at Wisconsin Memorial Park help "Low Sunday" in the Lutheran Church reach a new low, including:
- An invocation of prestidigitation in aluminum
- An amateur hour sermon of Henny Youngmanesque punch lines
To which the journalist describing it added his hearty, "Amen . . . or, rather, ba-da-bing!"
INDEED!!!
Ba-da bing! Ba
-da boom! Presto, chango, the Divine Service has become divine comedy, . . .
or is it human tragedy?
Lord, deliver us from this evil!
For the full story in all its ignominy go to http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=591498
5 comments:
I firmly believe in tasteful humor and I sometimes like polka music, but I am not fond of Polka Masses or Services-- or clowns in the pulpit.
Sanctity is sanctity; polkas are polkas; humor is humor; and clowns are clowns.
Is this what we are coming to? The Vice Pres participating in type of service? Is our church being led by clowns? This type of thing really hurts the confessional Lutheran.
No, it doesn't hurt the confessinal Lutheran -- except in the sense of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. Who it really hurts are those being decieved by such pseudo Lutheranism.
Oh, and Laughing Martin wants to know, the Vice (emphasis on vice) Pres. of what?
I got the impression that he was a vice pres of that particular district. Am I mistaken? By the way I love your blog.
Thank you kindly, Angus.
I went back, reread the article, and realized you must be speaking of Dr. Paul Maier. I think what confused me is that according to the article, no, he was not a participant in the service. However, it does say, "The [Joyful Noise] newsletter [of the Michigan-based Fellowship of Merry Christians] is endorsed by Paul L. Maier, an author, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University and **vice president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.**
I think that still leaves your final question open, and your conclusion valid.
Please come again and feel free to bring a friend.
Izzy
Post a Comment