Stone Choir

Stone Choir
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Stone Choir

Two Lutheran (LCMS) laymen bring a theological lens to the world, and relate the state of the world back to theology. Topics are timely, challenging, and fearless. We'll probably make you nervous, sometimes make you angry, but never leave you bored. We are the stones who cry out.

  1. Justice and Retribution

    4 DEC

    Justice and Retribution

    Hosts Corey J. Mahlercoreyjmahler.com@CoreyJMahler Woeaka Eschatologuy@treblewoe Retribution is the debt that man owes to justice. Modern society would attempt to mislead you into thinking that rehabilitation or distribution or restoration or mercy are part of justice, but they are not. God is clear in His Word that justice is a matter of punishment of those who do wrong. The prince does not wield the sword in vain, and he will be judged by his faithful or for his faithless execution of his office. In the coming years, and particularly in the coming year, there will be many who will attempt to conflate the mercy that God has shown us in the right-hand kingdom with the justice that He commands must be done in the left-hand kingdom. Clerics of all stripes will scream and cry that we must show ‘mercy’ and ‘forgiveness’ in the political realm instead of doing what is right and just — these men will be using their collars to spread lies, and God will judge them for their wickedness. Christian men must know how to rightly divide these matters and how to distinguish the voice of God from the lies of Satan — both our souls and our nation depend on this. Show Notes The 2024 Stone Choir Challenge Coin is still available. If you place your order by the 13th, it will arrive in time for Christmas. See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

    1h 56m
  2. Persecution and Perseverance

    20 NOV

    Persecution and Perseverance

    We often think of persecution as a matter external to the church, as something inflicted on the church; however, persecution is often — and these days most often — a matter within the church — the persecutors, the goats and the wolves, claim outward fellowship with the sheep. Persecution has almost always been a part of the Christian life, even if it has waxed and waned over the centuries (and some who lived under Christendom enjoyed relative peace). Today, we are faced with a period of increasing persecution; in fact, it is already in full swing. If we, as Christians, are not prepared to face persecution, to persevere in the face of it, then we will almost certainly fall away from the faith when the persecution rises in intensity. There is a great apostasy that has been underway for decades, and now the world and the devil are earnestly seeking to persecute and destroy what remains of the Church on Earth, and they are aided in this by goats and wolves posing as sheep. The persecution of today, as has been the case with so much of the persecution of the past, comes largely from within the church, not from without her. And yet persecution is not a cause for despair or even for worry — it is a reason to act. If we are to persevere, to run the race successfully, then we must spend time in the Word of God, be confident in our faith, and secure in our knowledge that God is always true to His promises, not least of all: ‘Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” Show Notes Acts 7 Romans 8 Hebrews 11–12 See Also Further Reading Germania by Tacitus [Amazon] Parental Warnings None.

    2h 14m
  3. Honor and Loyalty

    13 NOV

    Honor and Loyalty

    Honor and loyalty are closely related concepts — even nearly, but not quite, identical. In this third (and final) part of our series on honor, we address the matter of loyalty — what it is, what it is not, when it is due, and, perhaps most importantly, when it is not due. To God and nation, a man owes absolute and unconditional loyalty; to family and country, man owes a high degree of loyalty; to all else, man owes only a conditional loyalty (if any at all). Further, a teacher, particularly a teacher of the Word, is not personally owed loyalty because he teachers the word; rather, it is the Word to which one’s loyalty is owed. A teacher who was once true, but has become false, must be deserted and abandoned, as the higher duty to God always trumps. A corporate entity — whether a baker, a school, or a church — is generally not, in and of itself, owed any duty of loyalty at all. Many attempt to exploit man’s sense of loyalty, but it is incumbent on the Christian man to know to whom loyalty is owed and to whom it is not owed. Romans 13:7 (ESV): »Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.« Show Notes See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

    1h 1m
  4. Honor and Shame

    6 NOV

    Honor and Shame

    Honor was once something that was taken deadly seriously in the West. It was not a matter about which one joked. A man would go to great lengths to maintain his honor, and a woman would go to great lengths to defend hers. In our modern culture, honor has been all but forgotten by the bulk of the population — it has become something so foreign, so alien that most men no longer even know what the word means. But honor is necessary to maintain civilization, and so are shame and guilt. Unto the one who conducts himself according to the Moral Law and conforms his behavior to the norms of his civilization we bestow honor, and upon the one who falls short of these standards we heap shame to add to the guilt of his conscience. Together, honor, shame, and guilt form part of the foundation upon which society and civilization rest; without these, no civilization can long endure. As Christian men, we must endeavor to restore these things to our society, before it is too late and we have fallen too far. Show Notes Bible Hub: kalós Bible Hub: timé Bible Hub: kalós OpenBible: Honor OpenBible: Shame See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings There is some discussion of chastity, et cetera, but nothing explicit.

    1h 46m
  5. Sanctified Image of God

    23 OCT

    Sanctified Image of God

    All men are made in the image of God. Not all men are in the image of God. These two statements may seem contradictory, but they are not, because they reference different aspects of what it means to be an image of God — and what it means to be regenerate (i.e., to be on the path we call Sanctification). The regenerate man is in the image of God in a way that the unregenerate man is not, because the regenerate man is justified and is being sanctified. This distinction is key, and is often conflated (both accidentally and deceptively) in modern, Christian (at least seemingly) discourse. A helpful way to think about the distinction: Last week, we went over the image of God with emphasis on image; this week, we go over the image of God with emphasis on of God. Show Notes Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Art. II — Original Sin Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Art. I — Original Sin Colossians The Ten Commandments The Large Catechism, Preface See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

    1h 38m
  6. Image, Idol, and Symbol

    16 OCT

    Image, Idol, and Symbol

    Man was made in the image of God. This certainly sounds good — even impressive —, and it is frequently used by modern (supposedly) Christian commentators to justify all sorts of things. But what even is an image? If you do not know what an image is, how can you expect to even begin to understand an image of God? In this episode, we lay the groundwork for understanding what precisely it means for man to be the image of God, what it means for us, and what we should do with it. Show Notes Hurricane Relief Links https://www.givesendgo.com/gdepe https://gofund.me/4cdc61f5 https://x.com/Unitedcajunnavy https://x.com/Culture_Crit/status/1821621420591317323 (episode image) See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

    1h 51m
  7. Truth and Lies

    25 SEPT

    Truth and Lies

    When Christ says that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the word used for “truth” is ἀλήθεια, which includes within its lexical scope ‘uncovering’ or ‘revelation’ (it is a negating word, like “innocence” in English). That which covers, distorts, or perverts the truth is contrary to God, for God is Truth. As Christians, it is our duty not only to believe and speak the truth about matters written in God’s Word, but also to believe and speak the truth about matters written in God’s Creation. When Christ stood before Pilate, Pilate asked Him: Quid est veritas? What is truth? (Veritas is the Roman goddess of truth, Aletheia the Greek.) His inquiry may very well have been in earnest, for truth was certainly a core pursuit of Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman philosophy — something with which a statesman was expected to have some familiarity. Little did Pilate know (at the time) that it was Truth Himself Who stood before him. The modern world would seek to reduce most things to matters of opinion, and, even in those cases where an admission is made that what is at stake is truth, the modern world will often pick the lie. The Christian is not permitted to concede such territory, for God is Truth and all Truth is One. To deny the reality (i.e., the truth) of Creation is, ultimately, to deny the Creator Himself, which is blasphemy or even apostasy. It is meritorious and dutiful to defend the truth, but we must be willing to defend all truth, not simply those that are acceptable in the eyes of society or do not come at a personal cost. The truth, like the Law, is absolute — cursed is the man who does not keep it whole and undefiled. Show Notes The Three Universal/Ecumenical Creeds See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

    1h 41m
  8. Land, Place, and Territory

    18 SEPT

    Land, Place, and Territory

    The connection of mankind to the earth, to the soil is not accidental. It was from the dust that God formed the first man, Adam, and it is to dust that we shall all one day return. We must not treat the earth as accidental or incidental. We were each born in a place — on a particular piece of land. A nation cannot exist without a territory over which it exercises exclusive dominion. We cannot be fully human without connections to places developed over the course of our lives. It is God Who sets the times and the boundaries of the nations — He gives certain lands to certain peoples for certain spans of time. Those who are faithful are blessed and continue into the future; those who are faithless are cursed and cease to be a nation through the loss of their territory. Land is not incidental; it is a matter of life and death, blessing and curse; and the occupation or usurpation of land by aliens is no trivial matter, for it is genocide. Show Notes See Also Further Reading Tragedy of the Commons Tragedy of the Anticommons [Read the linked PDF.] Parental Warnings The word “rape” is used once in the closing monologue.

    1h 46m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Two Lutheran (LCMS) laymen bring a theological lens to the world, and relate the state of the world back to theology. Topics are timely, challenging, and fearless. We'll probably make you nervous, sometimes make you angry, but never leave you bored. We are the stones who cry out.

Information

  • Creator
    Stone Choir
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    91
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Stone Choir — 2022–2024, Some Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    Stone Choir

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