Steadfast Blog:
The following post will appear in the Concordia Seminary – St. Louis announcements tomorrow.
Small Groups TODAY!!!Well, first contemporary worship (the verdict is still out on that) and now small groups. There are ways in which these two things can be done in a Lutheran way but bringing them both onto the seminary campus in a matter of a couple of weeks really raises some questions.
Tuesday, September 28, there will be no daily chapel service. Everyone is encouraged to participate in a small group which will use the devotional tool SOAP: Scripture-Observation-Application-Prayer. Group lists and locations are posted on campus and shared are attached to the Daily Announcements today.
****IMPORTANT****
Attached to this email are the location and group listings in PDF format. Groups and Locations have been updated. Spouses, fiancées, and/or significant others should attend the same small group as their companion.
Dean Burreson (9/28/2010)
Detailed critique will need to wait until we hear more about this new program. For now I will say this. It looks like an attempt to break the so-called “ivory tower syndrome” in which pastors are accused by their parishes of being out of touch with things like feelings, relationships and the real world. I am not sure there is such a problem and even if there is, this does not seem like the answer.
One more thing, I am a St. Louis graduate, so don’t take this as biased. I really believe the recent curriculum changes at Ft. Wayne, where they divide the classes into study and mentor groups, is a much better adjustment to make to the seminary program in order to better form pastors. That program was just going into effect at the Fort when I was finishing up my D Min and it seemed to be received very well. I look forward to our readers comments and insights on these developments. It just does not seem right to me that the seminary Walther founded is dabbling in contemporary worship and small groups.
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GJ - We should expect Our Lady of Sorrows to turn to cell groups. The papist turned Calvinist Labadie kelmed cell groups from the Church of Rome. Spener kelmed cell groups (and denied it) from Labadie.
WELS/LCMS/ELS all kelm cell groups from Fuller and deny it.
The CLC (sic) kelms cell groups from WELS and...you get picture.
