Hello everyone!
Reflections: Election Season is upon us. About twenty Democratic Presidential Candidates have declared their candidacy for President of The United States of America and they all want to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020 Presidential Election. However, now we turn our focus to the 2019 Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Presidential Election. I have held The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) in high esteem for many years and during September 2018 I became a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS) and The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. I was a member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church (ELCA) and The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) until last year. I applied for candidacy to become an ELCA pastor and I was planning on attending Luther Seminary in the Fall of 2019, but I was rejected by The ELCA, because I am too pro-life and too conservative for The ELCA in general, so my friend and current pastor, Reverend Mike Phillips, of Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS), suggested, that I try The LCMS. The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a very conservative Lutheran church body.
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) is holding the 2019 Presidential Election on June 22, 2019. Qualified voters will vote via the web. More information about the election and candidates can be found at lcms.org. I will post links to the candidates' campaign material in my June blog. The President of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) is, what The Holy Bible calls a bishop. We shall look at the requirements of the office of bishop in a little bit. The three candidates running for President of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) are the incumbent The Reverend Doctor Matthew Harrison and his two challengers The Reverend Doctor David P.E. Maier (President of The Michigan District of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) and Reverend Timothy Klinkenberg (Senior Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Orange, California).
President Harrison is the current President of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). I will not lie to any of you; I'm a Harrison man all the way. I love Reverend Harrison's sermons and his monthly reflections on YouTube, which he discusses monthly themes within The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). Reverend Harrison's sermons have really been a great source of encouragement for me. 2016 and 2017 were real rough years for me and his sermons were really just what I needed to help me get through those two bad years. Reverend Harrison is an Orthodox and Confessional Lutheran within The LCMS and he is a global leader within Orthodox and Confessional Lutheranism. Bishops, church presidents, and pastors from around the world are mentored by Reverend Harrison. Reverend Harrison handles "Law and Gospel" better than most Lutheran pastors in his sermons. Reverend Harrison declares God's Law in a compelling way, which challenges us to get out of the Way of Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and he declares God's Gospel in such a comforting way, which lifts up everyone's spirits. He does both things brilliantly in every single sermon. Reverend Harrison is proud of the fact, that he made Nancy Pelosi mad. I proudly endorse Reverend Harrison for another three year term as President of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod ( LCMS).
Reverend Maier is the current President of The Michigan District of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). Reverend Maier wants to be promoted from District President to Synod President. This type of promotion would be similar to a Catholic bishop or Anglican bishop becoming an archbishop. His Grace Archbishop James Ussher went from Deacon to Priest, from Priest to Bishop, and then from Bishop to Archbishop in Ireland in the 1600's. Ussher was an Anglican clergyman for most of his life. Reverend Maier wrote some things in 2016, when he challenged Reverend Harrison and was defeated Reverend Harrison in 2016 for the President of The LCMS, which make him sound like a liberal ELCA pastor. I don't really know him, but my pastor, Reverend Phillips, does feel, that Reverend Maier is as liberal, as he sounds. However, Reverend Maier sounds, as though he wants to soften The LCMS's teaching on marriage. Granted I could have misinterpreted his campaign material from 2016, but that is the way in which I interpreted his campaign material.
Reverend Klinkenberg is the current pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Orange, California. I sadly do not know much about him, but my pastor, Reverend Phillips, was a classmate of Reverend Klingenberg's at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where I would like to attend sometime next year. Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Pastors usually and perhaps always attend Concordia Theological Seminary either in Fort Wayne, Indiana or in St. Louis, Missouri. Both campuses of Concordia Theological Seminary are fine and conservative seminaries.
St. Paul wrote about the qualifications of a bishop in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. St Paul wrote thus,
"3 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil" (KJV 1611). Reverend Harrison fits all of the requirements of a bishop and Reverend Maier and Reverend Klinkenberg might also fit these requirements.
May Book Signings: I will be having two book signings in May 2019 and I’ll be signing copies of my Christian romance novels The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2 and my Greek and Roman Mythology book A Survey of Classical Mythology at both of these signings. I will be having a book signing at The Dam Store at 204 N. Main Street in Columbus Grove, Ohio on Saturday May 4, 2019 from around 10 AM to 5 PM. My Columbus Grove book signing will take place during the 2019 Columbus Grove Community Garage Sales. I will be having a book signing at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles on High Street in between Circle K Gas Station and Zion Lutheran Church (NALC) in St. Marys, Ohio on Saturday May 11, 2019 from around 10 AM to 3 PM. My book signing at The Dam Store will be cash only and the books will be on sale for $10 each. Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles is typically a cash only store, but, if I have no technical difficulties, then you’ll be able to pay with either cash or cards at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles for my new books during the book signing.
Fun Facts: I live in Shawnee Township in the Lima Area, so it takes me 25 minutes to a half hour to drive to either Columbus Grove or St. Marys. Plus every single time I have a book signing at Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles in St. Marys, Ohio, some really slow driver gets in front of me, so please be patient and check out my booth #162 with both the new books, which I write and publish, and the used books, which I sell for my second business called Ohio Book Mart and More (OBM&M). At Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles only, you’re able to buy one of my new books, which I’ve written and published, for $10 and you can get a used book priced at a dollar or less for free.
Other Stores: My new books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, the Lima Hallmark Stores on Elm Street and out at Eastgate Plaza, Wagner’s IGA Grocery Store in Minster, Ohio, and of course here on the Shop page of this website.
OIL Press News: My goal is to have my next Christian romance novel published in time for the 2019 Christmas in July celebrations. I’m hoping to have some book signings in July to debut The Rising of The Moon Book 2: Faith, Hope, and Love. This Christian romance novel will have a similar cover as both The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1 and The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2, because the story in Moon Book 1 Part 1 flows into Moon Book 1 Part 2, the story in Moon Book 1 Part 2 flows into Moon Book 2, and I want to save money on the cover design. Just read the front covers and you’ll be able to figure out, which book is which.
Easter Blessings!
James W. O’Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press)