Where Have All the Bishops Gone?: It's the 2nd week of January. Do you know where your Bishop is? On January 10, our ever-vigilant network of correspondents sent this entry from the ELCA Calendar of Churchwide Events:
Jan 8 - 13, 2008 Conference of Bishops, Bishops' Academy, location unknown at this time
Our army of diligent fact checkers scoured the ELCA web site and discovered one page that put the Conference of Bishops in Itasca, Il where there's a nice country club (golf is a winter sport, isn't it?) and another that located the meeting in Chicago where there are a couple of ELCA churches with ELM pastors.

Guidance on Golden Compass: The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) has waded right into the debate about the film of Philip Pullman's book The Golden Compass. The LCMS web site carries not one, but two reviews of the film by Dr. Joel D. Heck professor of religion at Concordia University, Austin, TX and Concordia Publishing House has prepared a 10-page study guide to help people respond to the anti-Christian perspective of the book and film. You really should read the guide for yourself, the answers are longer than we can reprint here, but among the questions are:
Should Christians read works by unbelievers? (Yes. We should.)
Should I see the movie? ("It is difficult to make a one-size-fits-all directive about things like this and we should always be hesitant to bind the consciences of others.")
Is Pullman's work a Threat? (Yes and no.)

Confirmation Course On-Line: From our vast network of reporters, their fingers ever on the pulse of the contemporary Zeitgeist, we received an announcement of a new online Confirmation Course for students in the Lutheran tradition to be offered in Lent 2008.
The course is designed "primarily to supplement the confirmation ministry offered in the local congregation as well as provide adolescent[s] with a positive experience with online faith formation resources."
Over six weeks (Feb. 10 through March 22), students will encounter topics including baptism, worship, the church, the bible, discipleship etc. During the course, students will be online two to three times a week, for no more the one hour total each week.
Cost is $20.00 per student though the fee can be waived. Pastors or other adult advisors should submit the name and email address of prospective students no later than January 25, 2008.
The course was created by and will be facilitated by

The Rev. Paul Lutz, Pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church.

Manly Men in Mission: Coming of Age (It's a book, it's a conference, it's a movement!) is the theme of this year's Lutheran Men's Gathering in Omaha, August 1-3:
...men of all ages will gather in Omaha, NE, under the same theme verse as the founders, "your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." (Acts 2:17).
We will celebrate 20 years of ministry and launch the next great step. Lutheran Men in Mission will continue to grow and become a financially self-reliant, separately-incorporated ministry of the ELCA. Lutheran Men in Mission will COME OF AGE. More importantly, generations of men will come together in Jesus Christ. We will serve, we will play, we will learn, we will worship, we will encounter God - and each other - and we will grow! Bring your son, bring your friend, and bring your dad - join us!

Hearts on Fire: The Biennial Assembly of Lutherans Concerned/North America will be held July 3-6 in San Francisco. The theme for this assembly is Hearts on Fire:
We'll worship together, using a rich variety of traditions of the worshipping community. We'll provide a blend of the familiar and the unique drawing on our Lutheran heritage and the wealth of liturgical practice in the area. We'll network with one another, hear stories of joy and frustration, and make decisions together about the future direction of Lutherans Concerned / North America.

Congress on Lutheran Confessions: The Association of Confessional Lutherans (ACL) will host it's 19th national free conference A Congress on the Lutheran Confessions 2008 March 25-27 at the Ramada Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. The theme of this year's congress is Pastoral Theology: In Light of the Lutheran Confessions

FRIAR TUCK WOMEN'S SHELL BLOUSE SALE: Pastor Sophie promised us an item this week, but then she was distracted by email from Augsburg Fortress:
Beginning JANUARY 14, four colors of the Friar Tuck women's shell blouses will be offered at a 40% retail discount. Available in royal blue, moss green, taupe, and winter white, these blouses will be discontinued when sold out. If you love these blouses, visit www.augsburgfortress.org today!
Taupe, moss green discontinued? What were they thinking?

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