HOW ABOUT WE START TRUSTING GOD ENOUGH TO READ HIS WORD AND BELIEVE IT? sshhheeeeessshhh!!!!!!!!

Shrimp here: I want to emphasize a note from a Canadian friend who is asking that we all really, really, really pray about what's about to happen up there beginning in a few days:

"For those interested, there will be daily updates from the convention posted here


It is not the "official" news source of the ELCIC but a quick look at the site shows it to be run by individuals concerned about the drift of our church.

As well here is a site organized around a petition stating support for the traditional teaching of the church on sexuality. To date it has over 4,200 names (including 118 pastors) from over 200 congregations across Canada. Not bad considering our membership is roughly 188,000 with about 620 congregations and over 800 pastors."

Shrimp alert, shrimp alert (strobe lights, smoke machines, dancinf girls, the magician the Great Bishopini is slinking out on the stage to the Peter Gunn theme .... Get a load of this. This convention even comes with its own, "I know you are too demoralized to preach Sunday after we let the GLBT crowd loot our depository of Confessional truth, or perhaps you are way to angry and shouldn't be in the pulpit anyway, so here is a sermon prepared in advance telling people to just bend over and take it because if you want to be a Lutheran these days you just simply have to forget the concept of fixed truth." Heck of a sermon, folks.

Read a few lines?

"National Bishop Raymond Schultz has written a sermon suitable for use on
Sunday July 24, 2005. Many clergy will be attending worship that morning
at the National Biennial Convention in Winnipeg. Congregational leaders are
encouraged to use this sermon in their pulpits that day.

Bishop Ray's sermon is based on the following texts:

Genesis 29:15-28
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

And just to whet your appetite, here are a few excerpts:

In order for Paul to say what he does about love, he has to talk about
faith and hope first.

There has to be some dynamic to the relationship, something to keep
looking forward to.

Today's readings call upon God's people not to lose hope when things
don't happen the way they expect... No matter how crazy things get,
nothing can separate them from the love of God. "Keep your hopes
up!"Paul writes to them.

... what has happened to the church of today? How did we get so
cautious and self-concerned? When did we lose the faith to say to God,
"Not my will, but yours?"

...did we quit trusting God just because God is ready to move us
around a little?

...when we are silent enough to let God do the talking, God often
surprises us with new directions."

HOW STUPID DO THEY THINK PEOPLE ARE ANYWAY? PERHAPS THIS GUY JUST BOUGHT INTO ALL THOSE SERMON ILLUSTRATIONS ABOUT SHEEP BEING SO DUMB THEY WILL WALK RIGHT OFF THE HILLSIDE INTO THE AIR. HOW ABOUT WE START TRUSTING GOD ENOUGH TO READ HIS WORD AND BELIEVE IT? sshhheeeeessshhh!!!!!!!!

The sermon will be posted as a pdf file on the ELCIC website on July 18th.
You may also order it in print by phoning the National Office extension 173
or emailing your request to fschultz@elcic.ca.