the Lutheran 'not'

okay, i know that, in person, the stories i tell get kind of long, convoluted, and troublesome to listen to.
but i just heard the worst story ever, from my dad.
we were in the car, and he was talking about an old pastor/professor friend of his from Luther Seminary. the story was something about how the pastor was misquoted by a newspaper article one Easter, decades ago.

Dad: "He was talking about Easter and the resurrection, and what happened was, they left out the 'not'. So when we read it, we knew it sounded unlike anything this professor would have said."

Me: "How? What did the paper say?"

Dad, smiling in excitement for his story: "They didn't put the 'not' in, so it was totally different than what it should've been."

Me: "...What are you talking about? What was the quote?"

Dad: "Well, i don't remember it anymore, i just know that they left out a 'not,' or put a 'not' in where it didn't go...or maybe it was a 'no,' or a 'not,' added. Or a 'no' or a 'not' accidentally left out. I don't remember exactly anymore, but it made the statement inconsistent with Lutheran theology."

Me: "WHAT 'NOT?'"

Dad: "I don't know, but it changed the whole meaning of what he said, and it didn't sound Lutheran anymore."

at this point, the wind had gone out of his sails, and he realized the irony, or whatever it was, in this story was not getting through to me. it was great how he said, 'i don't remember exactly.' i wanted to say, 'dad, you don't even remember abstractly at this point. you should never tell this story again.'

the thing is, i KNOW he's tried to tell me this before, a number of years ago. and still The Lutheran Not evades me. and my dad.