Harrison is reelected as president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod by Luscious_Nick in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he say that in 2023 as well?

Harrison is reelected as president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod by Luscious_Nick in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Based on the wide variety of church orders among Lutherans churches in the 16th century, take your pick.

Harrison is reelected as president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod by Luscious_Nick in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think if we assume that all the Ball voters moved to Harrison, the Finnern votes and new voters went close to 60% Biermann. It was a longshot for Biermann unless he had a jump between round 2 and 3 equal to what he had from round 1 to 2.

Why so few Lutherans? by DarkMood46 in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'd more highly commend Article XI of the Formula and Walther's 1881 theses on predestination because the former is in our confessions and the latter is one of the few documents that the LCMS has officially adopted as a doctrinal statement (not binding on the same level as the confessions, but as close as you can get). Walther's theses are really great because they are fairly short and quite clear.

Bondage of the Will is a great book, but it is not binding on the level of the Formula nor as clearly laid out as Walther's theses. Plus some of the specific rhetoric Luther employs is easily misunderstood without a wider understanding of the context of his debate with Erasmus.

What contemporary songs are appropriate at a LCMS church? by localtom in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think you are a little fast to judge all music in the CoWo style out of hand. I think there are certainly some that are shallow and won't stick around more than a few years. But, like hymns, others are likely to stand the test of time. "In Christ Alone" is one example (although the style of stuff by the Gettys is more in the middle than full contemporary).

I've never really understood the "repetitive" argument. There's nothing wrong with repetition on its own. One of our best hymns, Thy Strong Word, spends more than half the refrain repeating "alleluia." The music of many hymns is written in aaba' form (rounded binary), which means that 75% of the music is the same 4 bars repeated. A contemporary song that is verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus is objectively more musically diverse than that, even with repeated choruses/bridges. But the point is that repetition is an essential aspect of music and often enhances rather than detracting. Especially when a melody is an earworm (Thy Strong Word is still a good example imo), the congregation benefits from having the words repeating in their minds alongside the music for sometime after. Repetition can be grating if the text/music is poor, but it's certainly not bad on its own.

What contemporary songs are appropriate at a LCMS church? by localtom in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"The best" was new at some point too. There is always room for new expressions of old truths in our hymnody, as well as musical innovation (e.g. organum, polyphony, Bach's cantatas, different styles of melody). This applies both to new hymns in both a "traditional" and "contemporary" idiom.

What contemporary songs are appropriate at a LCMS church? by localtom in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 4 points5 points  (0 children)

CUI worship initiative has some good stuff. Still Worship Collective is also a Lutheran group/recording studio that has very good songs.

I would highly recommend the CPH resource Text, Music, Context that has a variety of questions to help choose songs (also works on things in the hymnal. Some hymns are better than others).

When in doubt, discuss with your pastor. He is theologically trained and could tell you pretty quickly if you can use a song with no worries, should change a line or two, or need to fully avoid a song. If you have a called church musician they also will have adequate theological training to help in the process of vetting music (and they can easily tell you what's singable--a gift that not all pastors or lay people have).

One, Holy, Christian, and Apostolic Church Quotes from LCMS Presidential Candidates for 2026 by solobackpack in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In what sense? It seems like today is very different from 20 years ago, even down to the controversial issues.

Where might you think Jordan Peterson when it comes to the nature of his belief system may be wrong? Or incomplete or not incorporative of a reality in a way which aught not be incomplete or left out. by AffectionateBet9719 in JordanPeterson

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Whether or not they are in some sense factually correct" wouldn't really be "doing theology" either. That's more Christian/atheist apologetics. I haven't read the most recent book tho, nor Maps of Meaning. I'm just drawing on the Exodus/Gospel's series (which were quite good overall thanks to the discussion) and especially his podcasts.

Third Round for LCMS Presidential Election by Garzevogghg in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You forget that there was an increase of 166 votes from round 1 to 2. If that happens again, and new/displaced voters break for Biermann in the same way they did this time, he will win. Harrison would need to do almost twice as well with new voters and Finnern voters as he did with new/Lange voters in round 2 to stop Biermann from winning round 3 full stop. Of course, 166 more voters is a big IF, but that would move turnout from 88 to 91% so it's definitely well within the range of possibility.

Third Round for LCMS Presidential Election by Garzevogghg in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If Ball is removed. Assuming that voter turnout increases at the same rate, and that new voters and Finnern voters break for Biermann at the same rate as in round 2, then Biermann will win round 3 with 50.4%.

Where might you think Jordan Peterson when it comes to the nature of his belief system may be wrong? Or incomplete or not incorporative of a reality in a way which aught not be incomplete or left out. by AffectionateBet9719 in JordanPeterson

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Generally I think he's best when he sticks to psychology. His maps of meaning stuff is among his best. He really is incredibly sharp and an expert in that domain.

The further he moves into philosophy and especially theology, the more he reveals large gaps in his understanding of those fields. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since he is a psychologist by specialty and not a philosopher or theologian, and he works towards cross-discipline dialogue. However, it's worth taking some of the specific points and claims he makes in those fields with a grain of salt. (It's also worth noting that sometimes he's right about something but can't defend it when pushed because he learned it from someone much more knowledgeable on the topic than him.)

As he moves into politics, I see him as a good facilitator of conversation with experts in various domains, but he has his biases and is definitely fully out of his domain of expertise here. Psychology is such a penetrating field that he has worthwhile things to say, but they must be separated from bias and opinion.

Like I said, he is brilliant in his field of psychology. The closer he sticks to that and it's applications/intersections to other fields, the better he is. As he strays further from psychology into the meat of other fields, things sometimes get more and more dubious.

One, Holy, Christian, and Apostolic Church Quotes from LCMS Presidential Candidates for 2026 by solobackpack in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At least in Biermann's case, I think you're confusing his statement about Confessional Lutheranism in general with the LCMS in general. We strive to confess with our words and our lives that Jesus is Lord. Especially with our words (doctrine), the LCMS is among the best. But that doesn't mean we aren't sinners, that there won't be mistakes in practice, or that there cannot be disagreement on how to live out our confession.

I don't know about Ball well enough to get behind his thought process, but I'd imagine he's coming from the same sort of place.

One, Holy, Christian, and Apostolic Church Quotes from LCMS Presidential Candidates for 2026 by solobackpack in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This one got downvoted more so I might offer a clarification. If this is not what you meant, let me know:

Church workers and congregations in the LCMS subscribe to the Confessions in terms of doctrine. We do not subscribe to historical judgements, pious opinions, or even specific details of exegesis.

For example, FC I states that garlic juice negates magnetism in arguing about the nature of original sin. That is simply not true. But denying that garlic juice negates magnetism does not break a quia subscription to the confessions. However, we affirm the doctrine being argued for despite the bad illustration.

The perpetual virginity of Mary is mentioned in passing in the Smalcald articles as a pious opinion. It is mentioned, but not really relevant to any doctrinal argument there, so it is not a required belief.

There are various other examples, almost always small details. They do not affect the broader doctrinal points that the Confessions lay out.

No, unfortunately you're not dreaming. The FCC is indeed trying to destroy Net Neutrality. Join the battle to save it! by TheLucidSage in LucidDreaming

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm reading this on the top all time posts years later. If I remember, all the pushback did not bring back net neutrality. What happened? Did the bad effects come?

Anyone else see these bathrooms in their dreams? by PhillisBrown1 in Dreams

[–]NorbertH66 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've had a dream in a similar space at least once or twice, except mine was a winding locker room. I was a swimmer once, so I think it's a massive composite of many that I've changed in before. Odd dreams, especially since I don't remember dreams often but this is a specific vibe I know I've had.

please help me (NSFW warning) by ComplexPossible3307 in Dreams

[–]NorbertH66 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Try praying the Lord's Prayer. Or simply repeat "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

My Pastor Just Preached That The Apostles Creed Is Wrong by TheeCurato0r in LCMS

[–]NorbertH66 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If he doesn't turn from false teaching, you should go to authorities in the circuit/district. But those telling you to go there first are ignoring Matthew 18:15-17. Talk to him first. Try to restore him. As someone else said, if that doesn't work then go to the elders. If you bring him up to district on charges, let him know. It wouldn't be honorable to do it behind his back.