The Nihil Rule

"Adiaphora is not a license for the human will to do what God never intended." Asking "what is lawful" (that is, what can we get away with) is a form of legalism. Instead, we should be asking "What is beneficial?"

  "I Come O Savior To Thy Table" - all 15 verses - Karaoke. 

  "Shall we despond, draw back, and give our names to the rapproach of the generations to come because the burden of the hour seems to us heavy? God in his mercy, forbid! If all others are ready to yield to despondency and abandon the struggle, we children of the Reformation dare not." -Charles Porterfield Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and its Theology .

  "Likewise, when there are useless, foolish displays that are not profitable for good order, Christian discipline, or evangelical practice in the Church, these also are not genuine adiaphora, or matters of indifference." (FC SD X 7) 

  Rev. Mark Surburg - The Rite of Confirmation: Teaching Lutherans to be Lutherans for Life? Three theses 1. Confirmation has emphasized the subjective appropriation of faith. 2. It has taught the non-sacramental life to those who usually have to wait until 8th grade to receive the Sacrament of the Altar 3. It is a terminal event, heavily weighted with cultural importance, that marks the end of catachesis, and teaches youth that they are done learning about the faith. Watch the whole thing ... includes the origin modern confirmation rite as Melanchthonian, not Lutheran (let the reader understand).... Erasmian influence and thus humanist in nature... the rare proof of Chemnitz' fallibility (!) ... Spener's endorsement as a "renewal of the baptismal covenant"...  Rationalism's replacement of baptism with confirmation... functional Arminianism...

https://fb.watch/fqjIeCNl5S/ The cardinal sins of the WELS are well encapsulated in this bible study led by Rev. Jim Behringer, Directory of the WELS Special Ministries. One Form of Worship Two minutes in: "When I was growing up there were no service folders, and as a result you used the same liturgy every Sunday... there was one liturgy... now that you have a service folder, we can now be creative with liturgy." Perhaps Rev. Behringer should consult the preface to the small catechism to revisit Luther's thoughts of various forms and creativity in worship. What makes creativity a virtue? Novelty in forms of worship is divisive. My grandfather had a stroke but knew the TLH liturgy by heart and a good core of hymns that were regularly sung. When CW was introduced in the mid-90's, he could no longer worship the new liturgy and novel hymns. Creativity was divisive. Going on visits to members with Alzheimer's, they can seem comatose and unresponsive until you start quo

...

If your WELS pastor likes the NIV11, ask him his thoughts on Acts 6. If he sees nothing wrong with the rendering of Acts 6 in NIV11, ask him if he approve of women voters? Intrepid Lutherans: NIV 2011: A brotherly debate Kinda sus.