Mission Observance: Luke 24:44-53; Romans 10:11-17 https://youtube.com/live/fsZ595T7bPU

This is my politics.

The Rich Young Ruler—Mark 10:17-31 https://youtube.com/live/6mbm-3lJ0UY

### Recent Use of Continuing Resolutions (CRs) in the US Federal Budget Process Since the last full, on-time budget (all 12 regular appropriations bills enacted by October 1) was passed for fiscal year (FY) 1997, Congress has relied on continuing resolutions (CRs) in **every subsequent fiscal year** to avoid government shutdowns. CRs are temporary funding measures that extend prior-year spending levels for some or all federal agencies until full appropriations are completed. They have become a routine workaround, often chaining multiple short-term CRs per year. "Recently" can vary by context, but focusing on the post-2010 era (a common benchmark in analyses of modern budget dysfunction) provides a clear picture of the frequency. Below, I'll break down the data based on nonpartisan sources like the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Bipartisan Policy Center. #### Total CRs Since FY 2011 (Through FY 2025) - From FY 2011 to FY 2022: **47 CRs** enacted (ranging from 1 day to 176 days each). - FY 2023: **4 CRs** (a "laddered" approach extending funding incrementally before full appropriations). - FY 2024: **4 CRs** (similar short-term extensions leading to a minibus package). - FY 2025: **3 CRs** (September 2024 through December 2024; December 2024 through March 2025; March 2025 full-year CR through September 30, 2025). - **Grand total since FY 2011: 58 CRs**. This averages about **4.8 CRs per fiscal year**—aligning with the broader post-1998 trend of ~5 per year (138 total CRs from FY 1998–2025). | Fiscal Year Range | Number of CRs | Average Duration per CR | Notes | |-------------------|---------------|--------------------------|-------| | FY 2011–2022 (12 years) | 47 | ~30–60 days | Includes shutdown threats in 2013 and 2018; full-year CR in 2013. | | FY 2023–2024 (2 years) | 8 | 30–90 days | "Laddered" CRs for partial funding; led to omnibus packages. | | FY 2025 (1 year) | 3 | 45–180 days | Culminated in a full-year CR due to partisan disputes. | | **Total (15 years)** | **58** | ~45 days | No full on-time budget; CRs funded government for ~4 months/year on average. | #### Why So Many? Key Drivers - **Structural Issues**: The 12 appropriations bills are due by October 1, but partisan gridlock, elections, and competing priorities (e.g., debt ceiling fights) delay them. Since 1997, zero fiscal years have met the deadline. - **Full-Year CRs**: These count as one CR but fund the entire year at prior levels, stifling new programs. They've occurred 4 times since 1997 (FY 2007, 2011, 2013, 2025). - **Impacts**: CRs create uncertainty—agencies delay hiring, contracts, and R&D (e.g., Pentagon readiness dips). A GAO study found they add administrative burdens and inefficiencies costing billions indirectly. For FY 2026 (starting October 1, 2025), early CR proposals (e.g., H.R. 5371) suggest the pattern will continue unless reforms like automatic sequestrations are enforced. If you'd like details on a specific year, full-year CRs, or potential fixes, let me know!

Confess Christ, Take Up Your Cross, Follow Him—Mt. 10:32-39 https://www.youtube.com/live/9EmxTRPVTOQ

And when He gives us Himself, He frees us. He frees us to live differently. Not in fear. Not in bitterness. Not always guarding what is ours. But in charity. In truth. In love. Because we know that nothing we give up is ever lost in Him. Because we know that nothing taken from us can rob us of His kingdom. Because we know that every insult, every slight, every injustice we endure for His sake will be made right in His resurrection.

The Fall of Man into Sin—Genesis 3:1-8 https://youtube.com/live/H6-ryamJfy0

Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard—1 Kings 21:1-16 https://www.youtube.com/live/PIPmzoF7zgQ

St. Michael and All Angels—Matthew 18:1-11 https://youtube.com/live/Wp025GNtZaI

Sometimes we refuse to acknowledge the truth because the consequences are horrifying. The lie is easier and more comfortable.

The Office of the Holy Ministry: Thesis XI part one— September 28, 2025 Thesis IX — To the preaching office there is due respect as well as unconditional obedience when the preacher uses God’s Word. Yet the preacher has no dominion in the church. Therefore, he has no right to introduce new laws or arbitrarily to establish adiaphora or ceremonies in the church. The preacher has no right to inflict and carry out excommunication alone, without the preceding knowledge of the whole congregation.

You cannot serve God and mammon. One gives death, the other gives life. One enslaves, the other frees. One deceives, the other tells the truth. One ends in the grave, the other opens the grave to eternal life. So do not despair. Do not lose hope. The world may cling to mammon, but Christ clings to you. He is not letting go. He has fought for you, He still fights for you, and He will not stop until you are safe in His kingdom. And in the end, that is all that matters.

Have You Herd? In this episode, we continue our reading of The Captivation of Will, discussing the problem of God, the death-ride of morality, scandalous election, the dilemma of sin and freedom, and the singular calling of Christ’s preachers.

Christians well-versed in the Scriptures aren’t shocked by anything. There is nothing new under the sun.

Step 1: Prepare the environment by spreading Theory (prepare) Step 2: Wait for or manufacture a precipitating incident (activate) Step 3: Polarize the environment (divide) Step 4: Insert demands and push them (conquer)

"Democracy" today means rule by a self-identified elite, or people endorsed by that elite. As Sam Francis wrote back in 2004, "What they mean by 'democracy' is nothing more than the system of dominance that came to prevail in the United States and the Western world in the last half of the last century. That system has nothing to do with elections, opposition parties, civil and political rights, or 'liberty,' nor does it have anything to do with political theory, ancient or modern. 'Democracy,' as the neocons and the President and most others who are enthusiastic about it use the word, means the centralized leviathan state under the firm and unqualified control of the managerial bureaucracy and those political forces able to influence it."

Jesus Prays for His Enemies—Luke 23:33-43 https://youtube.com/live/5scdj_WE49A

So when Jesus touches the leper, He gives a preview of the cross. There, He Himself will become the leper. He Himself will be numbered among the unclean. He Himself will be cut off, forsaken, and condemned. He will cry out, not “Unclean!” but “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And in that moment, He bears your uncleanness so that you may be clean. That is what He gives you even now. Jesus still reaches out and touches you. He does it in the means He has appointed—His Word and His Sacraments.

St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

"Oh, for the touch of Jesus! For you, it means forgiveness!" Wednesday of Trinity 14 2025 — St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church

So when Jesus touches the leper, He gives a preview of the cross. There, He Himself will become the leper. He Himself will be numbered among the un...

Bless Those Who Curse—Matthew 5:33-45 https://youtube.com/live/__DbxxInG14