Rev. Tucher

For those who have ever heard of the Indianapolis 500, you know those famous words.  They are sung by Jim Nabors (aka Gomer Pyle) every year. 

We just returned to Indiana for a vacation following our PALS meeting in Estes Park, CO at the YMCA of the Rockies.  It was a very nice trip (though driving through Roosevelt Forest wasn’t fun).  If you ever get a chance, I would recommend that you visit the Park and the YMCA.  The view was breath-taking and there were a plethora of things to do and shops to visit in downtown Estes.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to do a whole lot since I was in meetings all day Monday and Tuesday.  Maybe if we get a chance, we’ll go back and really experience Estes. 

Sunday marked an interesting day up in Canada: Canadian Catholics have “ordained women.” Five women and a married man, all Roman Catholics, have been ordained as priests and deacons by a female Catholic bishop.

The Vatican has already said that they will not acknowledge their ordinations nor the group who performed the ordinations: Roman Catholic Womenpriests. The “presiding bishop” was Bishop Patricia Fresen, one of the most well-known figures. It’s interesting to note, however, that she is not listed on the Roman Catholic Womenpriests website.

Three women were called to the priesthood by Bishop Patricia Fresen at an ordination ceremony at West Hill United Church in Scarborough on Sunday afternoon. Two women and one married man were called to the diaconate, and will eventually become Catholic priests.

I came across a very interesting article on the Indianapolis Star, the newspaper from my hometown. It appears that a national gay advocacy group, Faith in America, leased space on 22 billboards around Indianapolis last week to spread messages like “Jesus affirmed a gay couple” and “Jesus said some people are born gay.” Unfortunately, this is a true story, there is no making this stuff up.

If you look at the picture, you see Matthew 8:5-13 quoted as the place where Jesus affirmed a gay couple. Below you can read exactly what Matthew 8:5-13 says.

The Faith of a Centurion

5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But
the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my
roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For
I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to
one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my
servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while
the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that
place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.

Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t see anywhere in the text that says Jesus affirmed a gay couple. I don’t even see anywhere in the text where it says what the sexual orientation of the centurion or his servants is. It sounds like the Jesus Metropolitan Community Church, the sponsors of the billboard campaign, is trying to take Scripture and twist it into what it wants Scripture to say.

Earlier this morning, I posted the comic for Easter Sunday 2007 from the comic, B.C. As I was checking my email, I came across a rather saddening story: B.C. creator Johnny Hart passed away on Saturday from a stroke, according to his wife.

Links
Cartoonist Hart, creator of ‘B.C.,’ dies
About Johnny Hart

On Madonna’s latest world tour, “Confessions,” during her song Live to Tell, she is mounted onto a cross while wearing a crown of thorns. As far as she is concerned, there is nothing wrong with it.

“It is no different than a person wearing a cross. My performance is neither anti-Christian, sacrilegious or blasphemous…I believe in my heart that if Jesus were alive today he would be doing the same thing.”

I’m sorry, but I can’t see Jesus condoning the actions of Madonna. The crucifixion of Jesus was not for show; it provided mankind salvation following the fall into sin.

Her antics have caused protests outside of some of her venues. She says that this is helping raise awareness for AIDS and provides an opportunity for her audience to donate for that cause. In reality, she is making a mockery of everything that Christianity teaches: namely, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ’s crucifixion brought forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Madonna’s “crucifixion” brought about $193.7 million.

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A sad day has occured for all of The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Rev. Dr. Kurt Marquart has passed away following a long fight with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He died early this morning in his home in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Prof. Marquart was a former professor of mine at the seminary. He was a man who was truly a pastor at heart. Everything he said was spoken with great care and the Gospel. His teaching was Gospel-orientated and has given many pastors solid, Lutheran doctrine and teaching which we are, in turn, able to give to our people. Prof. Marquart was one who never minced words. He called things as he saw them. If it was wrong or if the doctrine was confused, he would never be afraid to call it as he saw it: “Rubbish!”

Prof. Marquart is a man who will be missed by many. To God alone be all the glory for the faith and conviction of this man!

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Laura VanRyn’s body was exhumed from the northern Michigan cemetery where she was laid to rest more than five weeks ago after being mistakenly identified as a college classmate. Reburial will be in Graceland Memorial Park in Kent County’s Grand Rapids Township.

Wednesday, the family who was slain to death in Indianapolis on June 1, was laid to rest at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. The funeral mass was standing room only, with over 630 people attending. Two men have been arrested, and Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi announced Tuesday that he would seek the death penalty against one of them.

The mis-identification of the two girls involved in the Taylor University crash was not due to Taylor University officials. In a press statement Friday from University, President Eugene B. Habecker said that university officials believed that IDs would be rechecked.

“We are not experts in forensics, law enforcement or emergency response techniques. It was not the understanding of the university officials when they were invited to participate that they were performing an official identification.”

It was also revealed on May 18 by VanRyn’s roommate that she didn’t think the woman she had visited at the Fort Wayne hospital was VanRyn. University officials asked for coroner’s files but did not reveal as to why they wanted. If you want more information about this story, one only need turn on the tv or read a newspaper.

Additional links:
Taylor officials thought IDs would be rechecked (6/3/06)
Taylor University press conference (6/2/06)

Another story making national headlines is a slaying of seven people on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis.

Police were called to the 500 block of North Hamilton Avenue about 10:15 p.m. after neighbors reported hearing screaming and several shots.

Police said the victims were shot to death execution-style, which typically means the victim is bound and shot in the head. However, it was unclear what Indianapolis Police Department investigators found at the scene.

The shooting occured in one of the rougher parts of Indianapolis. The last time a crime of this proportion occured in Indy was in 2000 when a woman in Morgan County deliberately hit another vehicle head-on, killing seven people. The driver was convicted of seven counts of murder and sentenced to 215 years in prison.

Victims include Alberto Covarrubias, 11; David Covarrubias, 9; Luis Albarran, 5; Flora Albarran, 22; Emma Valdez, 46; Alberto Covarrubias, 56; and Magno Albarran, 29. Indianapolis Police Department has identified a suspect, Desmond Turner, 28, who was on parole. IPD is seeking any information about Turner or his whereabouts.

Additional link:
Police ID suspect in family massacre