AC V has left a new comment on your post "Downward Trends for Synodical Sinecures":
"Madison student chapel next?"
Looks like it's already coming down, crumbling that is...in Lutheran worship practice. At the chapel dedication service if it weren't for the gown Trapp is wearing, you'd think it was an E-Free congregation complete with praise band, screens, and without an altar and font:
Willowcreek's Little Chapel
Box on wheels pulpit. Check.
15 comments:
President Harrison reports that the LCMS received $5 million less than last year in undesignated funds (a 25% reduction), so they are cutting 40 staff positions, and that still doesn't balance the budget. Harrison reports that $2.6 million of the undesignated funds goes toward maintenance of a huge CUS debt (Concordia U System). Now, I wonder how many people know that money they give to the synod goes toward that? Also, nice pay and benefits explains why isn't that debt isn't paid off already:
President Harrison’s letter to President Meyer:
http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=14580
Nice pic and caption, but there's plenty of blue space in that picture for the first sentence of AC V, isn't there?:
"That we may obtain this faith, the Ministry of Teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments was instituted."
This was my test version. I am going to use it often. I will add the first sentence, very soon.
A total PS job takes some time, many adjustments and failures before it works.
"A total PS job takes some time,..." Did a double take on that one. Good job on the PSs. I always get a kick out of them.
Do not see evil where none is intended!
Photoshop is my hobby, fun and relaxing.
As you can tell, I am building up a graphics folder for all the regulars who comment.
UWM's "Point of Grace" (....Lutheran?.....Church?) version of Willow Creek:
Worship
Our Sunday morning worship service is at 6:30 P.M. (sic) We have our Choir practices (in season) before the 6:30 P.M. service. Prayer group follows the dinner after the 6:30 P.M. service. Our worship style is a non traditional one in the sense that there are no pews, rather table and chairs. We use guitar, piano and percussion and a variety of other insturments (sic) for our music along with video screen. The point of it all is to gather together for an opportunity of fellowship, confession, forgivness, (sic) encouragement, bible (sic) study and prayer. We hope that you will join us.
http://www.tpog.net/worship/
"A Statement Regarding Non-WELS Students in the College’s Choirs"
In response to inquiries regarding the WLC’s (Wisconsin Lutheran College) practice of including non-WELS students in its choirs, this statement was written in December 2002 to provide a rationale for the College’s practice within the context of the WELS’ doctrinal position on church fellowship.
Some choice quotes:
"We praise God for this blessing! The presence of non-WELS and non-Lutheran students on our campus provides us with many opportunities...to help them grow in their commitment to Jesus and in their desire to serve Him."
"Some non-WELS students even give more biblical, and more Lutheran, testimonies of their faith than some of our lifelong WELS students."
"We do not accept what may be
considered a 'one size fits all' approach in which a category of students is treated in the same way
one might treat a visitor to a congregation."
So, are these non-WELS students allowed to receive Holy Communion if/when it is offered on campus or at a local WELS parish? If not, then why not? According to the WELS "Unit Concept" of fellowship, requirements for receiving Holy Communion are the same for singing in a choir, whether in a church or on a college campus.
The "Unit Concept":
"Church fellowship should therefore be treated as a unit concept, covering every joint expression, manifestation, and demonstration of a common faith" (Doctrinal Statements of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 1970, pp. 51-52)
Non-WELS students singing in the choir at WLC - OK.
Same non-WELS students communing at the local WELS altar - NOT OK.
What gives? Sounds like "levels of fellowship" to me.
AC V,
Good point, sound like "levels of fellowship" to me too. Does WLC get away with this because they are not an official WELS college, but only affiliated with the WELS?
GJ?
Scott E. Jungen
Willowcreek's Little College is ganz-WELS when raising funds from Wisconsin Synod members, but independent when doing whatever they want, such as having Roman Archbishop R. Weakland as a featured speaker or ELCA member Martin Marty lecturing. WLC's real commitment is to Church and Change, with a Church and Change president, a Church and Change board, and a Church and Change educational agenda. No wonder some non-Lutherans know more Lutheran doctrine than WELS students there.
The WLC Two-Step perhaps?
Scott E. Jungen
Scott E. Jungen,
The problem is the WELS Unit Concept of Church Fellowship. Non-WELS students have been singing in WELS elementary schools for years. It has been excused as "outreach" or "the parents have put the children under the care of the church" or some other such excuse.
If according to the WELS "Unit Concept" it is a sin for a WELS member to pray (out loud) in a non-WELS worship service, then it would be just as much a sin for a non-WELS member to pray (out loud) in a WELS church service.
The statement "Church fellowship....cover(s) every joint expression, manifestation, and demonstration of a common faith" equates praying together with communing together. If receiving Holy Communion together is as much "church fellowship" as praying together, then the WELS church ought to have some kind of "closed prayer" announcement in its bulletin just as it does for Holy Communion. For the spiritual well-being of the non-WELS members in the WELS church service, the WELS church ought to warn the non-WELS members not to pray with it lest they pray "to their judgment" (just like Holy Communion) by praying (out loud) among Christians with whom they are not in fellowship.
The article "A Statement Regarding Non-WELS Students in the College’s Choirs" was published via WLC's CHARIS Institute, Inc. in 2002.
Keeping it together:
"At a special meeting on August 29, 2007, the Board of Directors of the Center for the Humanities, Arts, and Religion in Society (CHARIS) voted unanimously to continue the suspension of CHARIS' operations. This decision was made because the members of the Board were unable to agree upon CHARIS'' activities during the next year."
Dr. Mark Braun
Chairman, CHARIS Board of Directors
About ten years ago, an older woman who was divorced decided to re-marry a man who confessed that he did not believe in God. He would attend church with her, but refused to join. I questioned the pastor about the prudence in yoking two souls unequally in the covenant of marriage. His response was since he attended church and would be exposed to the Word there and through this woman on a daily basis, he had no problem marrying them; that he trusted the power of the Word and that he would come to faith eventually. The couple is still struggling for a unity in faith. The woman's son who was born and raised WELS and still confessed a unity of faith; even though he left WELS for another Lutheran body, was not allowed to sing in the service. How is that for duplicity?
True story re WELS wedding service: WELS pastor says, "It's OK for the Catholic friend to sing her solo RIGHT AFTER the benediction." I guess at that point the Unit Concept gets unplugged.
That's why at my former WELS congregation the pastors would rather do ten funerals for every wedding. How about we just ban solos from wedding services?
Scott E. Jungen
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