I have Issues too.

I've posted a lot of links, videos and whatnot, but I've hardly said a personal word about the cancellation of "Issues, Etc.". The reason being, I'd never listened to it, at least not live. I'd only listened to archives, and only on the Zion Marshall website. I had never even heard of KFUO. I found out about Issues, Etc from Pastor Weedon, whose blog is one of the first I started following.

If you've looked back at my very limited blog entries, you know that I'm a new Lutheran. Discerning which blogs are trustworthy is a harrowing job , but I was able to tell early on that Pastor Weedon was the real deal, and that Pastor Cwirla is pretty darn fantastic as well. I can't remember anymore where I first read that Issues, Etc. was canceled, but the news exploded across the blogosphere in about a hour.

All the synod politics are totally mind-boggling to me. I have been a rostered LCMS member since 1997, but I've only really been a Lutheran since last year. I had always believed that the synod was in favor of liturgy, tradition and pure doctrine. I thought the Willow-Creeky mega-church stuff was on the outer edges of the LCMS norm. Now I'm finding out that the confessionals seem to be the underdogs, and that the leadership is all purpose-driven instead of gospel-driven. Where is the accountability? How did these clowns get into positions of leadership? I'm totally confused.

Of course, I had a handle on what was going on with "Issues" from the beginning because Weedon is the man. Once there was talk about a protest, the first thing that came to my mind was a petition. To me, protests and petitions go hand in hand. I tossed out the idea on Weedon's blog hoping that somebody would run with it. Nobody bit, but Weedon gave the idea his blessing. I waited a while longer for somebody to catch the vision and start a petition, but nobody did. So... I bit the bullet. I had no idea who to address, or what specifically to ask for. It was already clear that KFUO wasn't going to put the show back on the air, and even if they would, I doubted that Todd and Jeff would return. But, I didn't know what else to ask for so I did my best (spelling errors and all). So, even though I was starting a petition that seemed to have no hope of accomplishing what I was asking, I still felt it had a purpose.

[Edited to add: I have been getting phone calls and emails from reporters, pastors and the grammar police. People have been asking me where to send money and how to get more information, and who to contact as well as asking me to fix the petition request. Meanwhile, I have had my first ever allergy attack that sent me to the doctor and at the same time my daughter got sick and had to be hospitalized. I told one reporter, "I'm just a stay-at-home-mom with a headcold". I'm nobody special. I'm not a deaconess or a pastors wife, or even a seminary professor's daughter. I'm just a gal who had an idea.

A petition would join our voices in a chorus of support and outrage. As individuals, I can't see your email to President K., and you can't see my phone call to Mr. Strand's office. A petition was a rallying point; an online protest; a virtual vigil. It tallies our voices so that the numbers cannot be ignored. We can see all the denominational lines that were bridged, all the nations that were reached. We see the lives that were touched.

If you haven't signed the petition, I highly recommend that you do so. We're sending a message to the decision makers. We're exposing a much deeper problem. This is no longer just about Issues, Etc. and Todd & Jeff. It's about the corrupt politics and the polluted purposes that are driving the synod away from the gospel. It's about not being Mr. & Mrs. Pewsitter, but getting involved. Part of getting involved means staying informed. Here are a few sources for staying in the loop as things unfold:
www.weedon.blogpsot.com
www.bringbackissues.blogspot.com
www.augsburg1530.wordpress.com (join their yahoogroup)
www.wittenbergtrail.ning.com (join everybody!)

There will be an informational blurb added to the petition website as the information becomes available to me. So keep visiting the petition and read the comments. Some of the stories are very moving.

Do email David Strand and President Kieschnick and ask them for answers.
David.Strand@lcms.org
president@lcms.org

There are many reasons to financially support Todd and Jeff during this time.
The best way to support them is by sending a check to:
Saint Paul Lutheran Church
P.O. Box 247
Hamel, IL 62046
Put "Wilken/Schwarz Fund" in the memo line.

http://augsburg1530.wordpress.com/ is the best source for Protest/Vigil information. I'm not sure who yet, but someone will be presenting the petition to... Well, I don't know who is receiving it either, but I know that it will be taken care of by someone who knows the proper recipient(s).

There are many MANY other websites, articles and blogs that I could list here, but I'm sticking to the basics... the need-to-know info. Thanks for listening.