Jack’s Winning Words 2/27/18
“Every dogma has its day.”  (Anthony Burgess)  In seminary we’d comment on our Dogmatics professor’s lecture cards that were yellowed with age…the same lectures every year.  Dogma… the basic teachings of the Church never changed.  But it’s a different day.  Dogma is now open to question.  Not that beliefs have to change; students just want them to relate to their world.  How has your thinking about God and religion changed since you were younger…or has it?  ;-)  Jack

FROM ST PAUL IN MESA:  Jack,  we also had an Andy Burgess at Luther Sem at one time.  did he teach in both places?  or was he "on loan" to us for a time.  and was he not also very interested in world missions?  opps,  now that i think about it,  it was Andrew Burgess.   wonder if they were related.   brothers perhaps?   also,  i used the word Dogma in a high school English class one day  in Livonia,  Bentley High School,  and the teacher had never heard the word before in her life.  i had to look it up in a dictionary to prove to her that i was not making it up!====JACK:  Pastors have their own lingo (pause...while I look up source of lingo).  We must keep that it mind when we're talking to the laity...and make sure that they understand our specialized language.  Educators use terms that might be confusing to the hoi poloi, such as blogish.====PAUL:  i recall Billy Graham once saying that he never like to use words with more than 3 or 4 syllables.  he wanted to speak to the "common man" and he did.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Just look at how writing style has changed from wordy, detailed, somewhat formal, and with precocious vocabulary, to concise, direct, even simple, and to the point...The Dogma of church is unchanged but the ways of evangelism and communication are much more diverse and tailored to different regions and peoples. Our culture is so much more informal, don't you think?====JACK:  The Dogma of the Church might not have changed, but the understanding and interpretation has changed, so, in that sense, it's really not the same dog.  BTW, my sister now has a new phone and is learning to text.  She says that she has trouble with punctuation and upper and lower case.  In her working life she was a secretary where that stuff was important.  I've told her that there's a new world out there.

FROM ANNE McC:  Interesting you should ask.  I spent last Thursday evening in a group listening to a review of the dogma on Mary, Mother of God.  I loved the program.  Great review.  Thoughtful presentation.  Although I have been a church member for 88 years, catholic schools for twelve, I  am always learning and need to review the teachings of the church.  I have deepened my relationship with Christ. Not so busy and put Christ first.  Choices we make.  I am more compassionate but still religious.  I always trust in God but am more aware, more trusting.  I was never a huge worrier and I worry much less now.  I live each day.  Forgiveness is so key to holiness, simple holiness.  I have fear of God and love. More aware of sins of pride.  God is good and love.====JACK:  Anyone who's spent a lifetime as a Catholic and has been trained by nuns should be an expert on Dogma.

FROM STEVE ON THE FARM:  My New Yorker Magazine subscription comes with online access to 10 articles per month with no additional charge, but if I try to open 11, it costs extra.   I get WW every day of the month, keeping me up to date on the important takeaways for each day. God is always there in relationship so we can live. For free! :)====JACK:  Each year I get a tear-off calendar with a daily New Yorker cartoon.  I "get" most of them.

FROM GDJ IN WISCONSIN:  Two things to share. 1) Since I've retired, for me, the Church has become smaller and God has become bigger.  2) As I began to pack up my office I asked my Associate if there were any books of mine she would like. She had graduated from Luther a few years before. She chuckled (kindly) and said all she wanted was my DSM-iv. That was the only relevant book I had on my shelf. Indeed, dogma was either passé or was organic and growing. I'm not sure which.====JACK:  YOUR ANSWER TO TODAY’S WINNING WORDS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.  ONE SUNDAY I PUT SOME OF MY “BEST” BOOKS ON A TABLE IN THE CHURCH NARTHEX FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE…IF THEY WANTED.   VERY FEW WERE TAKEN.

FROM TARMART REV:  I suppose my answer is colored by the generation and era I was taught in-- "But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever!"====JACK:  In our seminary it was not out of the ordinary for students to challenge accepted belief, not necessarily to dispute the, but to get a better understanding.  I would surmise that in an AG seminary, that would not be the case.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  No it has not changed in any great way. Just do your best every day and pray for help every day! But how the world in which we live has changed!====JACK:  I don't know if it's considered dogma, but the Roman Catholic interaction with non-RC churches certainly is different now than it was in the old days in Moline.  A priest preached in my church on Reformation Day and invited me to speak to his congregation during a service.====SHIRL:  My mother thought it was good for me to go to all churches when growing up It was a great experience from the Full Gospel to the tent holy roller church and various Lutheran churches and many others which I don’t remember

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Things are always changing...we change it.  But the Bible doesn’t change even when people don’t like what it says and change or ignore certain passages.  My faith has grown much stronger as I age.====JACK:  How about newer translations of the Bible?  Or, do you prefer reading the Greek and Hebrew?====JUDY:  I would love to be able to read both but thankfully the pastors at the Church we attend do know both languages or look it up, I’m not sure and they explain the words we have in our Bibles and the old translation..

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  I think so.  ELCA is different than Missouri Synod.  More "open."====JACK:  Women can be pastors in the ELCA.  Not permitted in LCMS.  Communion in the LCMS is generally is for LCMS members, where the ELCA invites all Christians who wish to participate