The time for talking has passed. The time for confessing is at hand. Division has been thrust upon us. No more time can be wasted trying to convince “hard cases.” Upon such hardened hearts only the Word of God can be effective. So I will declare the sweetness of the Gospel (“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes” Romans 1:16) into the depths of their error, announcing to them that our Lord Jesus Christ has forgiven them their sin. With that preaching of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit will “call, gather, enlighten, sanctify and keep them in the one true faith” —which is Jesus Christ, OR God will continue to harden their hearts so that they may be bound to the consequences of their sin and thereby know the wrath of God (“Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” Romans 1:24-26)
A Call for Repentance and Faith
Whereas
The ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)—by its actions during the 2009 Church Wide Assembly (CWA) and by the actions of previous CWAs— has
· Made itself different “from the historic Christian tradition and the Lutheran Confessions.”[i] It is now heretical and heterodox; and
· Ceased to be “church” as defined by Article VII of the Augsburg Confession.[ii] It has “unchurched” me and all confessors;[iii]
· Confused Law and Gospel. It now “binds the loosing and looses the binding;”[iv]
· Changed the Sixth Commandment and altered the order of marriage, thereby denying the God who gives commandments and orders creation. It is now “Apostate”—outside of the faith handed down from the Apostles;
Therefore, I say
· to the voting members of the ELCA’s 2009 CWA who voted in the affirmative for the “sexual” issues;
· to the ELCA’s institutional leadership who have through the years promoted the agendas that have brought the institutional ELCA to such heterodoxy, unchurching, confusion, and apostasy;
· to the members of the ELCA—pastors and lay—who support and celebrate the success of those agendas;
YOU ARE WRONG!
Repent and Believe!
Your sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son+
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Timothy J. Swenson (signed)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 19, 2009
"Lord Have Mercy!"
You were brave in 1976 to marry me; you are braver now to "ex communicate" the church you vowed to protect and teach and serve. Were I to break the vows we stated to each other, I would expect as much strong action in order to save us.
ReplyDeleteCarry on. I am with you, my husband. Dale
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDick Iverson (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 19, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Janice Iverson (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 19, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Glenn Aamodt (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 21, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Julienne Aamodt (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 21, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Josh Paulson (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 21, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Jim Cross (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 21, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Lacey Madison (as per telephone request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 21, 2009
Trinity Lutheran Church
Alexander, North Dakota
Sharon Norstog (as per email request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 22, 2009
My prayer for the church (ELCA) may be found in the Lutheran Book of Worship - pastors' addition:
"Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ, your Son out Savior." AMEN.
Konrad Norstog (as per personal request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis December 29, 2009
Ann Fisketjon (as per mail request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis January 7, 2010
Myrna and Larry Nelson (as per Email request)
ReplyDeletein statu confessionis January 7, 2010
You and Dale are truly a "light" in an otherwise dark time that the ELCA has allowed to happen. We know that God is still in control, but it is so very encouraging to see that an ELCA pastor has taken a stand for truth for the sake of the Gospel.
Myrna Nelson
Garden Lutheran Church
Watford City, ND
Larry & Myrna Nelson
Glenn Sopfe in statu confessionis. However I fear that whith what I have been reading I do not know if the ELCA will come back to the word of God. As I told our Bishop in Michigan God can make bad things into good. I feel the good comming out of this is for those of us to read our confessions of faith so we know who we are. I never did that before this. I can see what the ELCA is doing as being condemed in the Bible and against our confessions. Good work Pastor Swenson May God continue to Bless You!
ReplyDelete