New Madrid Earthquake Fault

Today, while driving from Memphis, TN, to Saint Louis, MO, I passed the town of New Madrid on the highway and decided to stop and see the earthquake fault.

In 1812, a very powerful earthquake hit New Madrid, MO. The quake temporarily reversed the flow of the Mississippi River and created sand volcanos. You can read about it Here.




The New Madrid fault presents danger to both Saint Louis and Memphis. By some estimates, when the fault slips again the earthquake would destroy both Memphis and Saint Louis. Large quakes have occurred at New Madrid in 2350 BC, 300 AD, 900 AD, 1450 AD, and 1812 AD. You can read more Here.




A view from the observation deck.

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Buzz Off! LCMS Lutheran Malaria Initiative Song.

Rev. Fritz Baue wrote a song called Buzz Off! to support the LCMS Lutheran Malaria Initiative.

Minnesota Prairie

Yesterday, I visited Buffalo River State Park in Glyndon, MN. It is the largest remnant prairie in Minnesota.




Along the Buffalo River.




Flowers along the trail. There are over 200 species of wild flower on the prairie.



Panorama of the prairie. On the day I hiked on the prairie, the temperature was in the low 80s with wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph. Hiking 4 or so miles on the prairie helped illustrate how being the first settlers to this land would not have been easy. Life would be a struggle.



The settlers did not have a path of mown grass to walk across.




The Buffalo River got its name from the buffalo who would herd here for water and rest. Numerous buffalo skulls have been found along the river.




Boulders left behind by the glacier.




This enter region was once a lake that formed as the glaciers began to melt. The lake is known as Lake Agassiz.

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Location:13th Ave S,Fargo,United States

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - LCMS enters fellowship with church in Liberia

http://reporter.lcms.org/pages/rpage.asp?NavID=19975

LCMS enters fellowship with church in Liberia By Adriane Dorr LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison declared fellowship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia (ELCL) May 10. This declaration followed the Commission on Theology and Church Relations’ (CTCR) action on April 26 in which recognition of full agreement between the LCMS and ELCL was approved.

“To its great joy, the CTCR discovered that doctrinal agreement exists with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia,” said the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast, CTCR chairman and president of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. “It was our privilege to recommend that President Harrison declare fellowship with these fellow Christians.” In his official letter to ELCL Bishop Amos Bolay, Harrison wrote, “Church fellowship is not something created by us, but it is a gift from our Lord Jesus that our Lord uses to mutually encourage each of us.” Extensive theological discussions between the LCMS and the ELCL officially began in December 2011, when four LCMS representatives — the Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III, director of Church Relations; Dr. David Erber, LCMS missionary to West Africa; Dr.

Mike Rodewald, LCMS Office of International Mission regional director for Africa; and the Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer — visited Bolay and other ELCL church officials in the capital city of Monrovia, Liberia.

“The LCMS is in a position to help us bear witness to our nation,” Bolay told them. “We believe that the LCMS teaches the Bible correctly and holds to the Confessions. We want to have fellowship with the LCMS because we believe the same. If our teaching is not the same as the LCMS’, we seek correction and instruction.” The LCMS and ELCL have young but strong connections. LCMS missionaries first began witness and mercy work in Liberia in the mid-1970s. When the country’s first civil war broke out in 1989, the missionaries and many members and leaders of the ELCL were forced to flee the country, and the LCMS missionaries lost contact with the Liberian Lutherans with whom they had shared a Gospel-centered life.

During this time, however, Liberian Lutherans continued to gather together and also to share the Gospel with others. Four primary groups of Lutherans endured and even grew, despite the devastating effects of the war. These groups were formed when, due to the Second Liberian Civil War (1991-2002), Liberians were scattered about the region, coming into contact with other Lutherans and Christians from other backgrounds who also had been forced to flee their homes. The solid, biblical teachings of the Lutheran churches provided consolation and encouragement for their own members and for others who came to share their convictions.

(One of those new Lutherans was Bishop Bolay). After the fighting ceased, the amalgamation of these four groups formed the basis for the ELCL, which officially formed in 2009.

That church’s difficult start, however, has not been quickly forgotten. Recent media coverage of the trial of Charles Taylor, the former Liberian dictator, brought to light the suffering and persecution the people of Liberia experienced during the war.

Taylor was found guilty of committing war crimes against the Liberian people April 26, 2012.

The ancient church father Tertullian wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The ELCL is proof of this, believes Collver: “The Liberian civil war, which brought much harm and evil, was used by the Lord for good. The dispersion of Lutherans during the civil war actually spread the church by putting people in contact with others.” The church now includes about 150 congregations, 16 schools and an estimated 5,000-6,000 members.

The relationship between the ELCL and the LCMS remained strong following the war — so strong, in fact, that Bolay explained, “We in Liberia feel we are a LCMS church. You ask why? You are the church that started us.” More recently, church officials in the ELCL requested that LCMS pastors ordain Liberian candidates for the Office of the Holy Ministry. “We were told that LCMS missionaries could not conduct the ordinations because we were not LCMS,” said Bolay. “This hit us hard because we thought we were LCMS. It was an awakening for us and made us desire even more to join the LCMS in partnership.” On behalf of the ELCL, Bolay then officially requested fellowship talks during his visit to St. Louis for the International Disaster Response Conference for Lutherans in October 2011. Those very discussions, which took place in December 2011 and concluded in January 2012, became the subject of an official report prepared by Collver and Lehenbauer. The report was presented to the CTCR at its April 26-27 meeting in St. Louis, and the commission voted unanimously to recommend that the LCMS enter into fellowship with the ELCL.

The process by which churches such as the ELCL can potentially enter into fellowship with the LCMS has changed substantially due to a bylaw amendment passed at the 2010 Synod convention. Instead of waiting for approval by vote at the next convention, a “small, formative, or emerging confessional Lutheran church body” may now request fellowship, and “after consultation with the Praesidium and approval by the commission [CTCR], such recognition may be declared by the president of the Synod subject to the endorsement of the subsequent Synod convention” (LCMS Handbook, 3.9.5.2.2c).

The CTCR, too, looks forward to working together with the ELCL for the sake of the Gospel. “We are excited to cultivate a sense of walking together and working together side by side,” noted Lehenbauer.

Harrison’s declaration of fellowship between the two churches was met with great thanksgiving by the leadership of both the LCMS and the ELCL. “This is joyous time for the Lord’s Church when unity of confession is recognized,” said Collver.

“This is joy unspeakable and full of glory,” agreed Bolay. “The church of Liberia had long desired this fellowship and wishes to extend grateful thanks to all of you who helped to make this possible.” Adriane Dorr is managing editor of The Lutheran Witness.

Posted May 11, 2012.

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Archive Date: June 11, 2012 Prepared by the Division of News & Information, LCMS Communications

FridayMay 11, 2012 Search Reporter




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Location:Summer Tree Dr,Ballwin,United States

Installation of Superintendent Marian Čop in Prague

Superintendent Marian Čop

On 29 April 2012, Rev. Marian Čop was installed as the Superintendent at the Slovak congregation that meets at Saint Michael's Church in Prague. Visitors from around Europe and the world came for the installation. One person in the congregation told me that this was the largest gathering in Saint Michael's since the beginning of the communist revolution. The LCMS was invited to attend the installation because of our connection to Pastor David Jurech in the Czech congregation, and because of LCMS Missionary, Rev. Tony Booker, who serves the English speaking congregation at Saint Michael's in Prague.

Dr. Collver Brings LCMS Greetings To Superintendent Čop

LCMS attendees included: Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations, Rev. Dr. Brent Smith, LCMS Eurasia Regional Director, and Rev. Tony Book, LCMS Missionary to Prague. Because the LCMS and the Slovak congregation are not in altar and pulpit fellowship, the LCMS attendees did not participate in the installation service, but were happy to bring greetings from President Harrison and the people of the LCMS. The attendance by LCMS people at the installation furthers to strengthen Lutheranism in Central Europe and helps to establish relationships that may lead to further developments in the future.

Bishop Emeritus Schöne Brings SELK Greetings

Bishop Emeritus Jobst Schöne brought greetings from Bishop Hans-Jorg Voigt of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) in Germany. SELK is a partner church of the LCMS.

The Roman Catholic Bishop Brings Greetings

Prague has had a long standing Papal Nuncio. Rome sent the local Bishop to bring greetings to Superintendent Čop.

Choir Singing at Installation

The service included several of Martin Luther's hymns as well as anthems by the choir. After the three and a half hour service, a reception was held at a nearby cafe. Blessings to Superintendent Čop.

Bishop Schöne and Sights of Prague

The weather in Prague was more like summer than spring. This gave an opportunity to take in some of the sights of Prague with Bishop Schöne after the installation.

The Glory of Yahweh

This crucifix on the St Charles Bridge bears the inscription, "Cavod YHWH," which means the Glory of Yahweh. Indeed, the cross of Jesus is the glory of Yahweh, hidden.

View of Prague from Petrín Hill

-- Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations

1 May 2012

Sermon from East Region Pastors' Conference of the Mid-South District

Sunrise at Fall Creek Falls.

I am at beautiful Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee, located between Knoxville and Nashville. The Conference is themed Witness, Mercy, Life Together. Dr. Albert Collver spoke on WMLT, and Dr. Adam Francisco spoke on Islam. Below is the sermon on Witness from last evening.




Some of the pastors from the Mid-South District.

I.N.I.
Luke 24:48 and Acts 3:15
Pastor Albert Collver
Third Sunday of Easter – 23 April 2012 East Region Pastors' Conference Mid-South District

Dear Friends in Christ,

“You will be my witnesses.”

A better text could not have been chosen for a Pastors' conference that has the theme of Witness, Mercy, and Life Together. Yet this text was not chosen to fit the Conference theme, but rather is the appointed text for The Third Sunday of Easter. It gets even better than that; the reading from Acts also speaks about being a witness. Jesus tells his disciples, “You will be my witnesses.” What does this mean?

At first glance, one might think that this is a mission text par excellence. Yet in terms of modern missio Dei thought, this text barely registers. You see, being a witness is too passive. It does not have enough sending. Yet in the context of the Gospel reading, the witness borne by the Apostles is accompanied by Jesus sending his Apostles into the world to bear witness to him.

Indeed, the Apostles were eye-witnesses or martyrs of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This conforms with the legal, court room usage of "witness" in Greek. The Apostles testified and bore witness to what they saw. Saint John speaks this way when he says in 1st John, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us." Saint John goes on to say that this "witness" is proclaimed so that "so that you too may have fellowship." (1 John 1:3) The witness of Jesus Christ creates fellowship, koinonia, and gives us a Life Together with God the Father, and His Son, Jesus.

This "witness" original came from the Apostles, who were eye-witnesses. You see, eye-witnesses had a credibility in Greek society that others did not. This also is in part why the majority of Apostles were martyred. Those who did not believe, those who hated the church, needed to eliminate the eye-witnesses. Their testimony was silenced. Yet in the process of being martyred, the Apostles bore witness to Jesus.

What precisely did the Apostles bear witness? The reading from Acts provides the answer, "you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." (Acts 3:15) The Apostles always bore witness to the death and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, through out the Book of Acts, the word martyria (witness) most often appears with the resurrection. Without the resurrection, there is no witness. Without the resurrection, our faith is in vain.

Although during this Easter season, it may seem blatantly obvious to say the cornerstone of our faith is the resurrection of Jesus, unfortunately, it is not. We as preachers of the Gospel frequently are tempted to move beyond the basic, elemental teachings of the faith and more onto something more advanced. Yet preaching without the resurrection of Jesus as the center is not a witness.

Recently, on a trip to Geneva to meet with representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), I mentioned that since I was in Geneva I would like to visit the grave of Jean Calvin out of interest in Reformation history. A person from the LWF replied, "it isn't much to see, just a little stone with the letters J.C. On it. We hope it is the grave of Jean Calvin and not Jesus Christ." The witness of the resurrection of Jesus is constantly under attack by the devil, the world, and our sinful nature. The only reason the Apostles could endure martyrdom is because they believed and witnessed to the resurrection of Jesus. Because Jesus rose, they too had hope of the resurrection.

This brings us to the other usage of "witness" in the New Testament, a person who bears witness, who testifies, who confesses what he believes to be true. The Apostles also were this kind of witness, for they testifies to what they believed, that Jesus rose on the third day. Since we were not eye-witnesses to Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, this is where we link up with being a witness. We witness and testify to what we believe, chiefly that Jesus rose from the dead. This also makes the church a witness to the truth, and a martyr in this world.

Jesus' words in the Gospel reading is a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophesy. In Isaiah 44, the Lord declares, "You are my witnesses." In Isaiah, the Lord not only delivers his people, but he knows them before they are even born. The Lord's people, Israel -- his holy church, is witness to all the mercy that the Lord bestows on his people. The witness is to what the Lord has done. Unlike the people who worship idols made with hands and out of wood, the Lord's people testify and bear witness that the Lord is God and that He is merciful. You see, the Lord has made his people witnesses and he gives them the content of their witness. Confession and witness go together.

It seems that some "mission" sermons focus on what you need to do. You need to go out. You need to witness. The Gospel text portrays a different picture. Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses." You see, Jesus makes you into his witness. You have heard the Gospel. You have received the gift of Holy Baptism. In the Lord's Supper, you receive Christ's body and blood. In the fellowship, participation, or Life Together of his body and blood, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. You are his witnesses.

Live in the resurrection of Jesus. Witness to the resurrection as the Apostles did. Jesus has made you his witnesses.

Go in peace.

Amen.

- Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations

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Location:Unnamed Rd,Spencer,United States

Reformation in Geneva

The Reformation in Geneva was not of the Lutheran type, but was based upon the teachings of Jean Calvin. In fact, Martin Luther was seen by Calvin as only beginning the Reformation. Some in the Reformed Church referred to Martin Luther as a half-papists, indicating that he retained too many Roman Catholic practices, such as vestments, liturgy, et al. The photo tour below does not represent the history of the Lutheran Church, but of the Reformed Church, which provides the theological foundation for most other Protestant Churches (Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, et al).



At the Mur des Réformateurs (Wall of the Reformation), William Farell, John Calvin, Theodore Beze, and John Knox are pictured at the center of the wall (pictured in top panel above). Off to the left when facing the Wall of the Reformation, a carved stone with Luther's name appears. Off to the right when facing the Wall of the Reformation, a carved stone with Zwingli's name appears. From the perspective of the Reformed Church, both Luther and Zwingli are given credit for beginning the Reformation. However, the Reformed Church does not believe Luther or Zwingli, properly reformed the church, hence the need for Calvin, Beze, and others. This is why Luther and Zwingli are represented by stones but not carved into the wall. the Reformation Wall was constructed in 1909 for the 400th birthday of Calvin.



To the right (ordered from left to right) are 3 m-tall statues of: Roger Williams (1603 – 1684), Oliver Cromwell (1599 – 1657), Stephen Bocskay (1557 – 1607)?




To the left (facing the Wall, ordered from left to right) of the central statues are 3 m-tall statues of: William the Silent (1533 – 1584), Gaspard de Coligny (1519 – 1572), Frederick William of Brandenburg (1620 – 1688).



"The Wall is in the grounds of the University of Geneva, which was founded by John Calvin, and was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Calvin's birth and the 350th anniversary of the university's establishment. It is built into the old city walls of Geneva, and the monument's location there is designed to represent the fortifications', and therefore the city of Geneva's, integral importance to the Reformation." (From Wikipedia, http://bit.ly/Hnjk1r) The Reformation Wall is 100 meters long.



Not too far from the Reformation Wall is St. Pierre Cathedral. Before the Reformation, it was a Roman Catholic Cathedral whose origins date to the 4th century AD.



The inside of the cathedral is rather stark. The pre-Reformation ornamentation is gone, "reformed" away under Jean Calvin's instruction. Calvin preached here regularly until his death.



Rev. Ralph Mayan, President Emeritus of the Lutheran Church Canada (LCC) and interim-Executive Secretary for the International Lutheran Council (ILC) descends to the archeological dig beneath St. Pierre Cathedral.



The Baptistry dates from the 6th century AD.



Dr. Collver stands outside the hall where Jean Calvin lectured.



The marker identifies the location of the cathedral. The green area titled, "Les Bastions is the location of the Reformation Wall. To left is the location of Calvin's grave in Cimetière des Rois.




Outside the cathedral is a sign to the Reformation museum.



At the Reformation Museum, you can become Jean Calvin.



On the way to Calvin's grave, we passed the Great Synagogue (La Grande Synagogue), officially known as Synagogue Beth-Yaacov de Genève. It was built between 1857 - 1859.



The grave of Jean Calvin.



Close up of the plaque. Jean Calvin born 1509, died 1564.



The simple marker with the letters, J.C.

Geneva is not Wittenberg. The Reformed are not Lutherans, even if some views are held in common. Nonetheless, the Meeting between the ILC and LWR in Geneva provided the opportunity to visit some historic Reformed Reformation Sites.

- Rev. Dr. Albert Collver, Director of Church Relations
Posted in Geneva on 30 March 2012

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Location:Rue des Alpes,Geneva,Switzerland