Just haven't been able to do it.
Don't know what's wrong.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Free Commericals for "QUIA" Confessional Lutheran Organizations
In the last year or so I have done several 30 second spots for the Brothers of John the Steadfast that run on Issues, Etc. I also did a spot for my congregation that ran on Pirate Christian Radio. A few weeks ago Cantor Phillip Magness contacted me and asked if I would do some spots for his side business Liturgy Solutions. I think they will run next week. I kind of like doing these spots. I am getting better at it.
Here is the offer: If you would like me to do a promotional spot for your organization or group contact me at jonvondetroit@gmail.com.The service is free for Confessional Lutheran Groups who hold quia subscription to the 1580 Book of Concord. No catch.
Check out some of the work in the music section of my Wittenberg Trail Page. http://wittenbergtrail.ning.com/profile/JonTownsend
Here is the offer: If you would like me to do a promotional spot for your organization or group contact me at jonvondetroit@gmail.com.The service is free for Confessional Lutheran Groups who hold quia subscription to the 1580 Book of Concord. No catch.
Check out some of the work in the music section of my Wittenberg Trail Page. http://wittenbergtrail.ning.com/profile/JonTownsend
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
LutherQuest
In more than a few forums, blogs etc., I have sometimes criticized LutherQuest for being too rough, harsh, argumentative whatever.
I take it all back.
No, it isn't a place for newbies. It isn't a place for the faint of heart.
I like it. I appreciate it more and more. It is refreshingly not nice.
I take it all back.
No, it isn't a place for newbies. It isn't a place for the faint of heart.
I like it. I appreciate it more and more. It is refreshingly not nice.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Not "Snark Free"
A few months back over on the Wittenberg Trail the concept of the "Snark Free Zone" zone was introduced.
Basically, some were fed up with sarcasm and biting commentary that is sometimes present in Lutheran Blogs and comments on Lutheran sites.
I too have seen the ugly side of the Lutheran Blogosphere. I have been ugly to be sure.
But - I like sarcasm. Sometimes it can be done very well. Luther was a master of sarcasm.
I think this trend and dislike of sarcasm is fairly recent. Back in my blogosphere golden age with Beggars All, it was heavy on the sarcasm and it was fun.
Some guy named "The Unknown Lutheran" whom I know like Peter Parker knows Spiderman made a stock in trade on satire and sarcasm.
I am going to put out the hypothesis that New Converts to Lutheranism are the most offended by the harshness of Lutheran polemics and debate. Care needs to be exercised, but man it doesn't hurt to shake things up and if you can do it with some humor all the better.
This is my blog. When I write for Steadfast Lutherans, my standards have to be higher, but here, if I want to be sarcastic and make attempts to be entertaining and humorous.... well, I hope not to go too far.
Basically, some were fed up with sarcasm and biting commentary that is sometimes present in Lutheran Blogs and comments on Lutheran sites.
I too have seen the ugly side of the Lutheran Blogosphere. I have been ugly to be sure.
But - I like sarcasm. Sometimes it can be done very well. Luther was a master of sarcasm.
I think this trend and dislike of sarcasm is fairly recent. Back in my blogosphere golden age with Beggars All, it was heavy on the sarcasm and it was fun.
Some guy named "The Unknown Lutheran" whom I know like Peter Parker knows Spiderman made a stock in trade on satire and sarcasm.
I am going to put out the hypothesis that New Converts to Lutheranism are the most offended by the harshness of Lutheran polemics and debate. Care needs to be exercised, but man it doesn't hurt to shake things up and if you can do it with some humor all the better.
This is my blog. When I write for Steadfast Lutherans, my standards have to be higher, but here, if I want to be sarcastic and make attempts to be entertaining and humorous.... well, I hope not to go too far.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Freeform
- As of late, I always have a concrete subject to write on - and as of late I mean the last two years or so. A couple of pieces for Higher Things - this was probably the highpoint for me. The last year or so topical pieces for The Brothers of John the Steadfast.... nothing free form, nothing too lazy. Today I am lazy, but not too lazy to write.
- I don't check out too many blogs the way I once did, with one exception, good ol' Pastor Weedon. When I get stressed I check out what is going on in Hamel, IL. I have to go there one day.
- Two bullets back.... Pr. Stefanski seems to be the person who has written the most text commenting on anything I have done for the Brothers. I wonder why that is?
- I just do not have the freedom to drive 9 hours to just outside of St. Louis. Going to the studios of Lutheran Public Radio is the road trip I have always wanted to take, but there is no way I could justify it in my life right now.
- Unterhopft. Look the word up. That is how I am feeling.
- Just a word of advice for anyone who wants to take it: The Blogosphere is a really bad religion teacher.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Lutherische Kultur im Exil
In what almost seems like a former life now, I worked for a professor who wrote a book called Literarische Kultur im Exil : Gesammelte Beiträge zur Exilforschung. Literature and Culture in Exile : Collected Essays on the German-Speaking Emigration after 1933 (1989-1997). The man’s name was Dr. Guy Stern and he was one heck of a story teller – and he had stories to tell. His family sent him to the States in the late 1930’s while they all died at the hands of the Nazis. He returned to his homeland as an American soldier, interrogating those who persecuted his people. He went on to become quite the literary expert, especially on the figures that became exiles from Germany during the Nazi period and their work. He is still a most distinguished professor and is the interim director the Holocaust Museum in Metro Detroit (last time I checked…)
One day while faxing copies of sections of his book to his editor for fact checking and “editing” he started to tell me a tale about Bertholt Brecht that was related to him by Lotte Lenya. For those of you who do not know, Brecht was a famous author and playwright who wrote The Threepenny Opera (“Mack the Knife” is the famous song from it) and Lotte Lenya was the singer/actress who performed in it and was also married to Kurt Weill who wrote the music for Brecht’s text. So now that you know some basic late Weimar Republic theatrical history, I can continue on with the story… Brecht was a good communist, (or maybe he really wasn’t, now discuss!). According to the story given to me which was given to Dr. Stern by Lotte Lenya, Brecht would regularly be seen with a copy of Das Kapital by Karl Marx. This is pretty much the Communist Bible and Brecht wanted people to see him carrying it. But, Lotte Lenya knew a secret; Brecht would regularly wrap the book cover of his copy of Das Kapital around whatever novel he was currently engaged in reading.
Here is where I come clean – I am as bad as Brecht. I pretty much carry around a copy of the Book of Concord but I don’t read it too often. I gave my brother a copy as a Christmas gift and he had the Luther seal from one of the pages tattooed on his arm, but we don’t discuss its content as we should. I have a copy of The Treasury of Daily Prayer that is in my computer bag and goes everywhere with me, but I only manage to read and pray it when I travel for business. Other things always seem to crowd out what truly are the first things.
My own attempts to read for myself have fallen short of my intent, but I am now getting a weekly dose from our Confessions. During Lent, our Pastor started a Matins service on Thursdays at 6 am. We sing a brief portion of the Matins order from Christian Worship (the WELS hymnal for those who do not know it), Pastor reads a chapter from one of the Epistles and then he reads to us from the Book of Concord. As of late he has been reading to us from Luther’s Large Catechism. This has become our Confessions Reading Group in a way, only he is the one reading to us. This may be my inner, lazy self speaking, but I have found that hearing the Book of Concord between prayers, scripture, psalms and hymns is a near perfect way to digest it.
As the title of this article suggests, I believe that Lutheran culture is in a period of exile right now. There is little room for those who hold to traditional, liturgical, confessional Lutheranism within the realms of power and influence within Lutheranism. The blogs we frequent and interact within are examples of a literary exile from the public face of our Synods. Does one see the wonderful, deep, theological expositions of the Confessional Lutheran Blogosphere on official synodical websites or magazines? No. We are on the margins of the prevailing culture. We are Lutheran Culture in Exile.
Sometimes I feel the weight of this exile: When I hear a Christless, crossless sermon; when I read of church growth, when it just seems the proper distinction between law and gospel amongst the ordained is lost. The weight is being lifted however. The “mutual consolation of the brethren……and the prayers and the breaking of the bread”, these things lift the weight and make the concepts of culture and exile non factors. Not only have I gone to the early Matins service, but also to the chapel service for the children from our school. On the one Wednesday I attended, I found a rather-semi-famous-lutheran-internet type also there – and he has no children in the school. We sat together and listened to our Pastor preach to the children and to us and sang “Father We Praise You, Now the Night is Over (Christe Sanctorum)”. We talked sometime afterwards and our common experience was one of peace; peace from hearing the Gospel and continuing our own catechesis through the liturgy and from the readings and preaching given to us by our Pastor.
It is important to create more opportunities like the Matins service I have been attending. Maybe only a few people show up, but it does strengthen the weary – and I must add – it just plain feels better than internet interaction. A few years back I had a chance to attend a weekly gathering at Zion in Detroit called “Catechesis in Liturgy”, when Fr. Fenton was still the pastor there (and still Lutheran). On Friday nights a few people gathered in Fr. Fenton’s living room and discussed theology and the liturgy. This was just pure fun for theology geeks. The Confessions Reading Groups that are promoted by the Brothers of John the Steadfast are also something that needs further encouragement and promulgation. The opportunity to return from exile exists in the real world “speaking and hearing” of God’s Word.
If one looks around at the Lutherans in North America it is clear that Lutheran liturgics, preaching, sacramental theology and hermeneutics are in exile. But, take heart. Gather together more than on Sunday morning, if possible. Hear God’s word with your fellow strangers here. Sing praise to our Triune God. Forget the internet and pray and listen together. The night will soon be over.
One day while faxing copies of sections of his book to his editor for fact checking and “editing” he started to tell me a tale about Bertholt Brecht that was related to him by Lotte Lenya. For those of you who do not know, Brecht was a famous author and playwright who wrote The Threepenny Opera (“Mack the Knife” is the famous song from it) and Lotte Lenya was the singer/actress who performed in it and was also married to Kurt Weill who wrote the music for Brecht’s text. So now that you know some basic late Weimar Republic theatrical history, I can continue on with the story… Brecht was a good communist, (or maybe he really wasn’t, now discuss!). According to the story given to me which was given to Dr. Stern by Lotte Lenya, Brecht would regularly be seen with a copy of Das Kapital by Karl Marx. This is pretty much the Communist Bible and Brecht wanted people to see him carrying it. But, Lotte Lenya knew a secret; Brecht would regularly wrap the book cover of his copy of Das Kapital around whatever novel he was currently engaged in reading.
Here is where I come clean – I am as bad as Brecht. I pretty much carry around a copy of the Book of Concord but I don’t read it too often. I gave my brother a copy as a Christmas gift and he had the Luther seal from one of the pages tattooed on his arm, but we don’t discuss its content as we should. I have a copy of The Treasury of Daily Prayer that is in my computer bag and goes everywhere with me, but I only manage to read and pray it when I travel for business. Other things always seem to crowd out what truly are the first things.
My own attempts to read for myself have fallen short of my intent, but I am now getting a weekly dose from our Confessions. During Lent, our Pastor started a Matins service on Thursdays at 6 am. We sing a brief portion of the Matins order from Christian Worship (the WELS hymnal for those who do not know it), Pastor reads a chapter from one of the Epistles and then he reads to us from the Book of Concord. As of late he has been reading to us from Luther’s Large Catechism. This has become our Confessions Reading Group in a way, only he is the one reading to us. This may be my inner, lazy self speaking, but I have found that hearing the Book of Concord between prayers, scripture, psalms and hymns is a near perfect way to digest it.
As the title of this article suggests, I believe that Lutheran culture is in a period of exile right now. There is little room for those who hold to traditional, liturgical, confessional Lutheranism within the realms of power and influence within Lutheranism. The blogs we frequent and interact within are examples of a literary exile from the public face of our Synods. Does one see the wonderful, deep, theological expositions of the Confessional Lutheran Blogosphere on official synodical websites or magazines? No. We are on the margins of the prevailing culture. We are Lutheran Culture in Exile.
Sometimes I feel the weight of this exile: When I hear a Christless, crossless sermon; when I read of church growth, when it just seems the proper distinction between law and gospel amongst the ordained is lost. The weight is being lifted however. The “mutual consolation of the brethren……and the prayers and the breaking of the bread”, these things lift the weight and make the concepts of culture and exile non factors. Not only have I gone to the early Matins service, but also to the chapel service for the children from our school. On the one Wednesday I attended, I found a rather-semi-famous-lutheran-internet type also there – and he has no children in the school. We sat together and listened to our Pastor preach to the children and to us and sang “Father We Praise You, Now the Night is Over (Christe Sanctorum)”. We talked sometime afterwards and our common experience was one of peace; peace from hearing the Gospel and continuing our own catechesis through the liturgy and from the readings and preaching given to us by our Pastor.
It is important to create more opportunities like the Matins service I have been attending. Maybe only a few people show up, but it does strengthen the weary – and I must add – it just plain feels better than internet interaction. A few years back I had a chance to attend a weekly gathering at Zion in Detroit called “Catechesis in Liturgy”, when Fr. Fenton was still the pastor there (and still Lutheran). On Friday nights a few people gathered in Fr. Fenton’s living room and discussed theology and the liturgy. This was just pure fun for theology geeks. The Confessions Reading Groups that are promoted by the Brothers of John the Steadfast are also something that needs further encouragement and promulgation. The opportunity to return from exile exists in the real world “speaking and hearing” of God’s Word.
If one looks around at the Lutherans in North America it is clear that Lutheran liturgics, preaching, sacramental theology and hermeneutics are in exile. But, take heart. Gather together more than on Sunday morning, if possible. Hear God’s word with your fellow strangers here. Sing praise to our Triune God. Forget the internet and pray and listen together. The night will soon be over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
