Fish Fry for Pastor Maier
What a glorious event, to see so many people gathered at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lansing, Michigan for a benefit fish fry for our Senior Pastor David Maier. There were literally hundreds of people that came from between 5 and 7 p.m. for this excellent dinner and to support one of the best pastors in Lansing, let alone all of Michigan.
People came from as far as Chicago and Fort Wayne to support Pastor Maier and his family as he goes through his battle with lymphoma. Many of the pastors from the Lansing circuit came to join us, as well as special visit from the LCMS Michigan District President, Bill Hoesman and his wife, Barbara.
On the left is a picture of Dr. Walter A Maier II, Pastor Maier's father, Dr.Paul Maier, Pastor Maier's uncle, in blue Pastor Maier, and on his left is Walter A Maier III, Pastor Maier's brother. What a great moment to have them all together, great men of God, great leaders of the faith, and great prayer warriors. The church has truly been blessed by such men whose leadership exemplifies Christ's love for his people, teachers who have demonstrated a heart for their Savior and a joy in the Lord. We pray that the ministries of all four of these men will continue to benefit the church for many, many years to come.
A big thank you to all who showed up to support Pastor Maier and his family, and a thank you to the men and women who were very exhausted from working the Fish Fry, went home smelling like fish and got a good night's sleep, I am sure. The fish was excellent. (And I don't even like fish!)
[GJ - I met WAM II at Ft. Wayne and heard him speak. He was very sociable and always had that big grin on his face. I have a lot of regard for Robert and Jack Preus, but they really sandbagged WAM II on UOJ. Robert lived long enough to write a retraction - Justification and Rome. Someone should tell Rolf and Dan.]
People came from as far as Chicago and Fort Wayne to support Pastor Maier and his family as he goes through his battle with lymphoma. Many of the pastors from the Lansing circuit came to join us, as well as special visit from the LCMS Michigan District President, Bill Hoesman and his wife, Barbara.
On the left is a picture of Dr. Walter A Maier II, Pastor Maier's father, Dr.Paul Maier, Pastor Maier's uncle, in blue Pastor Maier, and on his left is Walter A Maier III, Pastor Maier's brother. What a great moment to have them all together, great men of God, great leaders of the faith, and great prayer warriors. The church has truly been blessed by such men whose leadership exemplifies Christ's love for his people, teachers who have demonstrated a heart for their Savior and a joy in the Lord. We pray that the ministries of all four of these men will continue to benefit the church for many, many years to come.A big thank you to all who showed up to support Pastor Maier and his family, and a thank you to the men and women who were very exhausted from working the Fish Fry, went home smelling like fish and got a good night's sleep, I am sure. The fish was excellent. (And I don't even like fish!)
[GJ - I met WAM II at Ft. Wayne and heard him speak. He was very sociable and always had that big grin on his face. I have a lot of regard for Robert and Jack Preus, but they really sandbagged WAM II on UOJ. Robert lived long enough to write a retraction - Justification and Rome. Someone should tell Rolf and Dan.]
Let's try that link again.
I have suggested that the Synodical Conference was weak in the area of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.
In his essay, efficacy and efficacious are not used at all for the Word of God. The "efficacious work of Christ" is mentioned twice.
The "Means of Grace" is mentioned twice.
The most devastating arguments against UOJ are the overlapping terms: efficacious Word, Means of Grace.
I need to spend more time on the essay to say more, but I do think my criticism fits many Synodical Conference efforts.
Luther, the Book of Concord, and General Council writings are very clear and consistent about the efficacy of the Word and the Means of Grace. Schmid's Doctrinal Theology is also clear about these terms.
The reason for the Synodical Conference vacuum may be this: Walther set himself up as the official dogmatician and chose Pieper to follow...in his steps. In His Steps - is a famous Pietistic novel. Walther liked to defend propositions. He was not a Biblical theologian.
