Youth Groups Want To Know

John Parlow worshipped with the Babtists at Drive 08,
an Andy Stanley business.
Ski, Bishop Katy, and Tim Glende were there
with a total of 8 WELS workers.

About Transformational Discipleship | Transformational Discipleship:

About Transformational Discipleship

Jesus invited twelve unlikely people to spend three years watching and learning from him how to live life in the Kingdom of God.  They were truly changed – transformed from the inside out – their minds and behavior reflected a maturity of faith and purpose for living.

As they were with Jesus they received His coaching. They were mentored, encouraged, and challenged to develop a way of approaching the world from a Kingdom of God perspective. So much so, that when Jesus asked them to make disciples they knew what it was like to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and then train others – lead them, coach them – to be disciples also. Disciples becoming disciple-makers

This had a ripple effect in their communities. In fact, disciple-making became the strategy for the early church to reach out to people so that they too could not just hear but experience Good News of the Kingdom of God.

What if…a congregation intentionally built a strategy of leadership development based more closely on Jesus model?

What if…a small group of people committed to a process of training, where they are equipped – coached – to learn how to be disciple-makers in their everyday life; in their families, their congregations, and their communities?

Imagine what it would mean for the families in the local church and the community to have leaders guided by such a deep passion and have such clarity of purpose!

The Ministry Governing Board of St. Mark Lutheran Church, De Pere, WI, imagined it early in 2011. After studying it, they invited Thrivent Financial to imagine it with them. The response was so affirming that in August, 2011, Thrivent – as part of their Lutheran Grant Program – awarded St. Mark a grant of $50,000 to identify and recruit at least fifteen partners to engage in a two-year leadership development program calledTransformational Discipleship.

Living Hope Christian Counseling, Whatif Enterprises, and Synergy Strategies has been invited to lead this two-year leadership development program.

* * *

Transformational Discipleship is about the believer and the church growing in maturity in the faith. It is about the formation of our minds and our behavior.

 Transformational Discipleship understands and lives out the call of Jesus to produce disciples. This is a proactive approach in helping each person to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and then in turn, is able to train others because of what God is doing in each one.

Transformational Discipleship is a pursuit to develop a Kingdom worldview; enabling the church to interact with issues that are facing our culture as we form strategies to reach out to people; seeking to be truly missional.

'via Blog this'

---

What If?

What if, you had the perfect strategy to stop feeling frustrated and start achieving your goals?
What if, you could reach your full potential personally and professionally?
What if, you could clarify your inner purpose and direction and feel inner peace and happiness?
What if, an enlightened person could guide you to transform your life and fulfill your calling?

What do the most successful people do differently than everyone else?

They get a coach…

“Best Advice I ever got, ‘Get a coach!’.”
Eric Schmidt, Former CEO of Google

Transformational Performance and Life Coach, Business Coach, and Executive Coach Serving Michigan



Mark Freier is a highly-sought-after transformational personal coach serving a broad range of areas, including metro Detroit, Novi, Northville, Livingston County, Grand Rapids, and Michigan at large. He guides his clients along a path to realizing their inner-potential by teaching them how to be purpose-centered, inner-directed, other-focused, and externally-open to growth in the world around them.



With professional experience ranging from business to church ministry, and a global view shaped by helping people in different cultures and countries see their personal value and unique contribution to the world, Mark Freier brings a well blended mix of seeing value in every human being and coaching them to their fullest potential. Mark believes the greatest gift he offers people is his “own joy of living, his own inner peace, his own silence and solitude, and his own sense of well-being.” These values were not only learned from author Henri Nouwen, but also gained with wisdom through successes and challenges in his own life. This experience has given Mark depth and credibility in creating environments where he invites individuals to life-change in personal coaching sessions as well as inspiring and challenging groups of people in creative learning sessions; educators, corporate workgroups, business owners, non-profit leaders, students at Central Michigan University, and now as an Adjunct Professor at Cleary University.



Adopting Ken Blanchard’s view that “in today’s changing world people are looking for principles and philosophies that actually work” he tested his principles for five years as the general manager of a conference center where he was responsible for building a healthy culture, focusing on personal and team development.



A native of Michigan, Mark is a continual learner who holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and a Masters of Divinity, which provide a solid foundation for him as an accomplished teacher who communicates with passion and conviction and as a coach who carefully listens and genuinely guides his clients. He spends significant time each week in one-on-one conversations over a cup of coffee or on SKYPE and has dozens of engagements a year speaking to large audiences.



Mark’s people skills and speaking skills were honed over two decades of pastoring large churches to small turn-around and transition situations in Milwaukee, Florida, and southeast Michigan during which time leaders in the States and Mexico sought Mark’s counsel and afforded him opportunities to write curriculum, teach courses, train at conferences, and inspire teenagers at International Youth Rallies.



Mark lives in Howell, MI, with his wife and best-friend Deb; enjoying their relationship with three adult children and daughter-in-law. He enjoys reading, riding bikes, his HD television, a good cup of coffee, conversations over a cup of coffee, listening to music – especially classical and jazz, slow-walks through the parks, travel, water sports, and…a good cigar. Oh…and any location near water, especially Lake Michigan.


***

GJ - Mark Freier was one of many WELS pastors at CrossRoads in South Lyons, Michigan. During Mark's   tenure I asked a friend to visit. Mark had young women inviting visitors over to the swimming pool party afterwards.

Mark earned a nickname in WELS - "P-boy." That is not the complete nickname. It came from his ability to talk about one part of his body during his religious messages. I heard it myself at the Michigan youth rally. Many considered him a one-man wrecking crew, but WELS thought he was the bomb and invited him to speak at all the youth conferences.

Oh No! - Another Lulu Sale. 30% Off the Order. Feb 19th Deadline.

I just ordered some books on the current free shipping sale.

This new one appeared in email, so I ordered more at 30% off.

The banner ads do not cut into my revenue. Lulu offers the reductions to encourage new customers. Like many, I wait for the next offer to come along.

Free Martin Chemnitz Press PDFs are here, so you can look over each title first.

ELCA Pastor’s Re-naming Rite for a Transgender Church Member - Exposing the ELCA

http://photos.elca.org/keyword/nadia%20bolzweber/1/971860676_5vcLg#!i=971860676&k=5vcLg

ELCA Pastor’s Re-naming Rite for a Transgender Church Member - Exposing the ELCA:

The ELCA leadership loves ELCA Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber.  She is the face and voice of today’s ELCA.  Bolz-Weber pastors a church whose website states it is “queer inclusive,” “social justice oriented” and “irreverent.”

'via Blog this'

***

GJ - LCMS loyalists are fainting with joy over Matt Harrison's testimony in DC.

My question is: "Why are you still working with ELCA, if you have such scruples?"

I could not stomach copying more of the content of the renaming ceremony, etc. That is what ELCA leaders are promoting. It is not the fringe. The fringe is ELCA, yet WELS and Missouri work with them.


---

LPC has left a new comment on your post "ELCA Pastor’s Re-naming Rite for a Transgender Chu...":

LCMS loyalists are fainting with joy over Matt Harrison's testimony in DC

Indeed, marketing wise, that is called exposure and free advertisement.

LPC

---

LPC has left a new comment on your post "ELCA Pastor’s Re-naming Rite for a Transgender Chu...":

The Olde Synodecrats might hate the Pentecostals for their media attention but in reality they imitate their values, publicity is good.

LPC

Aardvark Alley: + Philipp Melanchthon +

Aardvark Alley: + Philipp Melanchthon +:

16 February AD 1497 – 19 April AD 1560

Philipp Melanchthon, a brilliant student of the classics and a humanist scholar, was appointed to teach along with Martin Luther at the University of Wittenberg in 1518. At Luther's urging, Melanchthon began teaching theology and Scripture in addition to his courses in classical studies.

In April of 1530, Emperor Charles V called an official meeting between the representative of Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism, hoping to effect a meeting of minds between two opposing groups. Since Luther was at that time under papal excommunication and an imperial ban, Melanchthon was assigned the duty of being the chief Lutheran representative at this meeting. Thus, he made the primary verbal and written defenses of the Evangelical (Lutheran) position. We especially remember and honor him as the author of the Augsburg Confession, which was officially presented by the German princes to the emperor on 25 June 1530, as the defining document of Lutheranism within Christendom. Following the Roman Catholic response, Melanchthon wrote the Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession.

'via Blog this'

Publishing Projects - Thanks to Helpers and Donors

I remember when publishing was entirely by mail. I submitted manuscripts by mail and waited for answers and checks by mail.

Here are some current publishing projects, made possible by extra help:
1. Lutheran hymns.
2. A new book on justification by faith.
3. Another new book on justification by faith.
4. A catechism.
5. Improvements in Luther versus the UOJ Pietists: Justification by Faith.
6. Apologetics mystery - in the future.
7. Moving all titles to Amazon.
8. Possibly a world missions version of Thy Strong Word.
9. I am writing a satire, which should be done soon.
10. Amazon e-books will be the new platform, but everything will still be available in print as well.

The moment I made all the Martin Chemnitz Press books easily available - free - from this link, a world missionary began using them.

Norma Boeckler attracted attention with her beautiful art. One person asked her to create an art book for everyone to enjoy. That is being produced now.

Although I "do not have a friend in the world," according to the Shrinkers, my 1400 Facebook friends enjoy Norma's Christian art, which is published almost daily on Facebook.

Exponential Conference: Orlando, FL. Will Team Don Patterson Attend Again?

Exponential Conference: Orlando, FL:

Bishop Katie and Ski went to Granger,
where they met former members of Mark Jeske's church.

Mark Beeson - Back in the 80s, adrenaline junkie and visionary Mark Beeson, and his wife Sheila, moved against all advice and counsel to Granger, Indiana with their young children. They didn’t have extended family or friends waiting for them, just a vision to start a church for people who didn’t go to church. They started in their living room with 10 people and, after 25 years, Granger has thousands of people meeting across two campuses and several online experiences. After all that, things aren’t slowing down and Mark’s focus hasn’t changed: people matter to God, even if they don’t know it yet. Well-known for his empowering leadership and gifted communication skills, Mark is motivated to encourage church planters and leaders with new vision and purpose in fulfilling the Great Commission.  He holds a B.S. from Ball State University, a Masters of Divinity (M.Div.) from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, and a Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min.) in leadership development from United Theological Seminary in Ohio. He blogs at MarkBeeson.com.

---

I thought Ski and Glende were transforming the world,
starting with various celebrity tarts.

Alan Hirsch - Alan is the founding Director of Forge Mission Training Network. He is the co-founder of shapevine.com, a ministry of Christianity Today International and an international forum for engaging with world transforming ideas.  Currently he shares in leading an innovative learning program called Future Travelers helping numerous mega-churches become missional movements.  He has also been part of the leadership team of Christian Associates, a missional church-planting agency with focus on Western Europe.  Known for his innovative approach to mission, Alan is a teacher and key mission strategist for churches across the western world. His popular book The Shaping of Things to Come (with Michael Frost) is widely considered to be a seminal text on mission. Alan's recent book The Forgotten Ways, has quickly become a key reference for missional thinking, particularly as it relates to missional movements. His book ReJesus is a radical restatement about the role that Jesus plays in defining Christian movements.  Untamed, (with his wife Debra) is about missional discipleship for a missional church, On the Verge (a process for missional movement for mega churches with Dave Ferguson), Right Here, Right Now (Everyday mission for anyone), The Faith of Leap (on the theology of risk).  His latest book, The Permanent Revolution is about apostolic ministry and the significance of Eph 4 for the church in the 21st Century. His experience in leadership includes leading a local church movement, among the marginalized, developing training systems for innovative missional leadership, as well as heading up the Mission and Revitalization work of his denomination. Alan is and adjunct professor at Fuller Seminary, George Fox Evangelical Seminary, and Wheaton, among others, and lectures frequently throughout Australia, Europe, and the U.S.

---

WELS and LCMS leaders trained at Willow Creek and Trinity, Deerfield.
Hybels trained at Trinity.
Common thread? - Pietism and doctrinal indifference.

Bill Hybels - Bill is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., and chairman of the board for the Willow Creek Association.

The best-selling author of more than twenty books, including The Power of a Whisper. Axiom, Holy Discontent, Just Walk Across the Room, The Volunteer Revolution, Courageous Leadership, and classics such as Too Busy Not to Pray and Becoming a Contagious Christian, Hybels is known worldwide as an expert in equipping and training Christian leaders to transform individuals and their communities through the local church.

Hybels received a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity College in Deerfield, Ill. He and his wife, Lynne, have two children and two grandsons.

---

Warren denied being influenced by Robert Schuller the Bankrupt.
But the epochal moment is preserved in history.
Lesson learned - "All Shrinkers lie."

Rick Warren - Rick is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, a Christian community that he and his wife began in their home in 1980, with just one other family. Today Saddleback is one of the most prominent churches in America with more than 20,000 members attending four campuses each week, reaching out through some 200 ministries. Rick is author of the wildly popular book, The Purpose Driven Life.


'via Blog this'

Drive Conference is taking a year off. | Drive Blog

Craig, "How long can we make this scam last?"
Andy, "As long as the grants last."

Drive Conference is taking a year off. | Drive Blog:

Andy Stanley, Babtist guru of Tim Glende, Ski, and various WELS pastors - Parlow, Buske, et al - you will be missed.

'via Blog this'

This is an obvious Photoshop.
Groeschel  would never pose with Ski.

Write-up of the Drive 08 Experience.

This is the photo of Stanley and Ski, posted in his blog,
which is still there on the Net.
Ski will take the blog down at the end of the 30 year plan
to make WELS a Lutheran sect.

Anti-Intellectualism Is American and Pietistic

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Hazing in WELS Affects Enrollment":

With UOJ, even academic sins are forgiven, it appears.

***

GJ - America's religion is Pietism. All the Lutheran groups began in Pietism, from the colonial Muhlenberg (Halle Unversity graduate) to the LCMS (Bishop Stephan - Halle student) to the Wisconsin Synod (Hoenecke - Halle graduate).

Pietists are allergic to sound doctrine, so they are also opponents of academic achievement. They still like to parade around with fake doctorates - the drive-by Doctor of Ministry, from various schools that will sell an easy degree to the gullible.

One sure sign of a Pietist is his claim to "heart religion versus head religion." They always say that with a smirk, as if their ignorance makes them more pure in their Christian faith. Although the Pentecostals love to use this phrase, WELS clergy also use it. Unionists teach one another the rhetorical tricks to prop up their pan-Protestant religion.

This policy allows the semi-educated to achieve positions that would otherwise be denied them if they had to qualify. Therefore, MDivs posture as if they are Doctors of the Church when they are not done learning (if anyone could be).

To be important in Lutherdom today, one only needs to parrot the themes of Holy Mamma Synod.

To face exile, simply question the infallible degrees of the Home Office. Or kick Thrivent its tender but greedy shins.

More Glende Plagiarism

Used in April, 2009 -
much funnier with my caption.

Tim Glende and his illiterate pals are creative only when they are copying somebody. If course, the poor boy has to copy this blog's name. He even has tried his hand at Photoshop. But the hand that rocks the kegger rocketh not the graphics department.

I have posted my graphic, above, from almost three years ago. The fake blog is trying the same thing, without wit, without effect, years later.

What can anyone expect from Groeschel's plagiarist, who copies everything from the Methodist screamer and denies it? The motto on the wall at The CORE sheep-stealer campus was directly from Groeschel. "We will do anything short of sin to introduce people to God."

Plagiarism is a sin. So is lying about it.

Hazing in WELS Affects Enrollment

One of their Church Growth stars told me
his brother never went to Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary - because of hazing.

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Good Description of WELS Hazing":

I've never heard even a rumor of any hazing at either Concordia seminary. I know that some students who wanted to escape hazing at Mequon graduated from Northwestern College and attended Bethany Lutheran Seminary in Mankato. Others skipped hazing altogether and attended Bethany college and seminary. Still others attended Bethany college to skip Northwestern hazing and then attended at Mequon for seminary. It's confusing, I know, but you can thank hazing for complicating the path to the ministry.

The details about Bethany students are a bit hazy for me. The "Bethany Bombers" referred to those who attended Bethany Lutheran College for ministerial courses, and then attended at Mequon for seminary, I think. Bethany Bomber does not refer to the reverse situation, i.e., to students who attended Northwestern College/MLC and then attended seminary at Mankato.

Also, I think it was rumored that Bethany Lutheran Seminary closed in the 1990s and sent all its ELS students to Mequon, but then word got around after a few years that Bethany seminary never closed. Also, another rumor was that Bethany seminary restarted after being dissatisfied with the seminary at Mequon. Maybe the truth was there was discussions about closing Mankato seminary, but nothing ever came of it. This page of Bethany alumni suggests that seminary never closed:

http://www.blts.edu/about/students/blts-alumni/ 

***

GJ - The Bethany Program students were still at Mequon when I was there in 1987. They were the ones who understood the problems with Church Growth. WELS ended the program shortly after. I thought, "Too many Lutherans getting to the ministerium."

Robert Preus was the first person to graduate from Bethany Seminary. His brother Jack was slower in moving over to the ELS. Later, they joined the LCMS.

Oswald Hoffman and Al Barry were both at Bethany.

Pope John the Malefactor (Moldstad, the ELS president) became a New Testament professor at Bethany without having a college degree. That caused a dust-up, so he hurried up and finished the college degree. No wonder they are impressed with an MDiv.

In most denominations, a certificate minister--who never finished his education--can never hope to leave the boonies for a good call. A faculty position? Ha! In the ELS, it is a fast-track to the presidency, as long as UOJ is embraced with fervor.

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Hazing in WELS Affects Enrollment":

Dr. Jackson set me straight on this on. The Bethany program in question that produced the Bethany Bombers was a two-year program for second career students to teach them Greek and Hebrew and other religion courses at Bethany Lutheran College before sending them on to the WELS seminary. They had the same program at Northwestern College running at the same time.

I don't know if they still have a shortened second-career program now at MLC, if they ever did after the college merger. These programs were started to fill pastor shortages, but there hasn't been a shortage for a long time, yet at least in the LCMS the SMP programs keeps going full speed ahead:

Steadfast Lutherans » SMP Program is “Mega-Death” for Lutheran Congregations, Jan 25, 2012:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/01/steadfast-lutherans-smp-program-is-mega.html

Good Description of WELS Hazing

This was at a private school:
"I think about it sometimes and I think about what it would have been like to be on the other side of that door. Obviously, this was not among the more sensational cases of kids hazing other kids. Some kids are killed in hazing rituals. Some kids are sexually abused in hazing rituals. There are worse instances of hazing in the world than what we did to Big Fun. And yet, all of it is hurtful and destructive."


***


GJ - The WELS hazing system is the culture of the Wisconsin Synod. The idea is to train a bully without a conscience. Sometimes the most picked on become the thugs later, since it is more fun to be on the giving end of the swagger stick.


In WELS, they called one student Moon-Job because he was overweight. 


The WELS clergry were horrified and furious when someone spread the story that I published their precious GA songs in Christian News.


They claim their secret hazing ritual - GA - has been shut down. (Like Church and Change? Hahahaha.) They had a GA initiation of six students this year.


One WELS pastor wrote this to me, "Every seminary has a hazing ritual."


Please, if you graduated from a Concordia or the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie, tell us all about your hazing ritual.

 ---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Good Description of WELS Hazing":

I've never heard even a rumor of any hazing at either Concordia seminary. I know that some students who wanted to escape hazing at Mequon graduated from Northwestern College and attended Bethany Lutheran Seminary in Mankato. Others skipped hazing altogether and attended Bethany college and seminary. Still others attended Bethany college to skip Northwestern hazing and then attended at Mequon for seminary. It's confusing, I know, but you can thank hazing for complicating the path to the ministry.

The details about Bethany students are a bit hazy for me. The "Bethany Bombers" referred to those who attended Bethany Lutheran College for ministerial courses, and then attended at Mequon for seminary, I think. Bethany Bomber does not refer to the reverse situation, i.e., to students who attended Northwestern College/MLC and then attended seminary at Mankato.

Also, I think it was rumored that Bethany Lutheran Seminary closed in the 1990s and sent all its ELS students to Mequon, but then word got around after a few years that Bethany seminary never closed. Also, another rumor was that Bethany seminary restarted after being dissatisfied with the seminary at Mequon. Maybe the truth was there was discussions about closing Mankato seminary, but nothing ever came of it. This page of Bethany alumni suggests that seminary never closed:

http://www.blts.edu/about/students/blts-alumni/ 

UOJ Is Not Consistent or Biblical

Woods was a super-star young Calvinist when he translated Knapp from German,
and Knapp was already a long-established professor at Halle University.
However, we are expected to believe that double-justification is
both Lutheran and orthodox!
Biblical and Corcord-ish!

Reply to Steven Goodrich, from Lito Cruz, PhD:


Steven,

My points...

A.)
You said Therefore, Lito is incorrect when he construes Preus's phrase "a righteousness which already exists objectively" as "Jesus was already righteous before he came to earth and his sacrifice would have availed nothing to God if he were not righteous in the first place

Preus makes use of terminologies like Jesus' essential righteousness and the like. I did not use those terms. When I said the statement above, I was alluding to the concept taught in the Bible that Jesus was the second Adam.

Adam was born innocent, he lost it at the fall when he disobeyed the command of God regarding eating of the tree. Adam then lost his innocence and became guilty.

Likewise so teaches Scripture, that when Jesus came, he was also the Second Adam, innocent. But unlike the First Adam, Jesus retained his righteousness for though being tempted by the devil to violate the will of God, he did not fail, unlike the First Adam. He retained his righteousness.

This retention of his righteousness present in his life, in the end, he offered to God as payment for the sins of the whole world.

You may correct me in my language above and I appreciate that,but the correction is moot to my point.

The point is that in Footnote #75, Preus at the very minimum, did not mean, a righteousness that has already been declared to the sinner before he believed, ala LC-MS Brief Statement (of Faith) Article 17a. In fact it contradicts or cannot lend support for it.

That is my point. Correct me as you will, the correction is besides the point, Preus did not mean a declaration of righteousness the sinner has, before he was born or before he has faith.In fact you agreed with me when you said Preus is talking about Christ's righteousness. Therefore Preus is not talking about the LC-MS UOJ doctrine in Footnote #75.

B.)
Then you said this Declaring is not the same as imputing righteousness; it is the acquisition of righteousness. In Theses on Justification, clarifying document put out by the CTCR of LCMS, we read,"God has acquired the forgiveness of sins for all people by declaring that the world for Christ's sake has been forgiven".

Steven, please note we are not being nasty when we are charging UOJers of sophistry. Here you succumb to that. Note that here you have produced two contradictory statements and are modifying the usual meaning of Justification in the Biblical context. In the Epistle to the Romans, Justification is the declaration of righteousness and happens only upon faith in person and work of Christ at the Cross Romans 3:21-25.

For God to declare the sins of anyone forgiven is for God to justify the person, declared righteous. That is the same in the Confessions.

If God declared the sinner righteous already, then what God declares is true. If God declared the whole world righteous already according to LC-MS before they could believe, then what is the need of any righteousness to be imputed, since the declaration has been made already? None, it is superfluous.

You have detached the Biblical understanding of Justification from the imputation of Christ's righteousness to faith.

The reason why God declares a believer righteous is because the believer is hanging on to the righteousness of Christ - Phil 2:9.

The criticism leveled against you by anti-UOJers who have come before me are correct-- UOJers indeed believe in 2 justifications, one at the cross or at the resurrection of Jesus depending on who you are talking to, and the other when the sinner believes the first justification.

I will quote Walter Maier II, your LC-MS exegete...
Yet Scripture teaches only one justification; namely, the one by faith in Christ, Romans 3:28. (Walter A. Maier II, A Summary Exposition of The Doctrine of Justification By Grace
Through Faith)


C.)
The Papists believe that the Justification Lutherans believed in is "legal fiction", i.e. not real. Preus' book was an argument against that. I suggest he also wrote the book to give the Lutherans a positive understanding of Justification. This is the reason why he took pains in showing the objectivity of the Lutheran belief of Justification. He wanted to counter the criticism of "legal fiction". That book, if he wanted to set forth UOJ was the perfect vehicle, yet he did not do that. In fact he did not even use the term Objective Justification.

According to Jack Cascione, Preus said this Nor is objective justification "merely" a "Lutheran term" to denote that justification is available to all as a recent "Lutheran Witness" article puts it – although it is certainly true that forgiveness is available to all. Nor is objective justification a Missouri Synod construct, a "theologoumenon" (a theological peculiarity), devised cleverly to ward off synergism (that man cooperates in his conversion) and Calvinistic double predestination, as Dr. Robert Schultz puts it in "Missouri in Perspective" (February 23, 1981, p. 5) – although the doctrine does indeed serve to stave off these two aberrations. No, objective justification is a clear teaching of Scripture, it is an article of faith which no Lutheran has any right to deny or pervert any more than the article of the Trinity or of the vicarious atonement.

Preus at the very least, then contradicted himself in JaR book, I will go for that assertion at a minimum.

For if he truly believed that OJ is not just a term but the very teaching of Scripture, an article of faith as he said, he should have done it in JaR and used it to prevent Lutherans from sliding to Romanism. He did not do it.

For the Papists are not only synergists of all sorts, they are Pelagians too. JaR is the most appropriate tool for laying out the sedes doctrinae. If he wanted to teach me, a would be reader, about UOJ he did not do it or at the very least managed to confuse me about it based on what I know now about UOJ.

D.) Lastly, UOJ is not established by anything any person says or is shot down by anything any person says, it can only be proven in Scripture first and foremost and then by the Confession (at least this is what I know about Team JBFA). For me, the Preus argument is only a side argument, it is not the strongest argument to Team JBFA's contention that UOJ is an un-biblical concept. Team JBFA's criticism stems from Scripture witness first and foremost seconded by the Confessions.

I perfectly understand what you are trying to do, you are LC-MS after all, so good luck to your efforts,

LPC

Two of Walther's chosen seminary professors joined the Church of Rome.
Edward (aka Eduard) Preus wrote the Stormtroopers' favorite UOJ book.

Rescue Dogs - A Good Investment in Love

Photoshop by Norma Boeckler

***

GJ - I am not sure whether Sassy is more German Shepherd or more heeler in personality. Both breeds are very smart. I missed Sacket so much, after she died of cancer, that we got Sassy. Sacky was  all-heeler and typically a shy, one-person dog. She slowly accepted Chris and was very loving toward her, but she did not welcome any stranger approaching her.

Heelers are super-smart, interactive, and independent. They are top dog, no matter what breed is around. Sassy yields to bigger dogs, even to her little Sheltie fur-sisters. However, she does rule the bed and barks when T-Girl gets an invitation to jump up.

German Shepherds look solemn but they are gentle, loving, and protective.

Here are some Sassy characteristics, which make her the star of the dog park:

She loves everybody and just wiggles with delight when people want to pet her.
She catches her ball in spectacular fashion, grabbing balls out of the air when a a man with a baseball glove would have trouble.
She saunters back with the ball when a crowd is gasping and applauding.
She can roll the ball to a stop at my feet or place it in my hands, depending.
If she likes someone, that person gets to throw her ball.
She asks to meet all the dogs in the next fenced-in area, so we often switch so she can make more friends.
She manages me so much that children look at me and say, "That is a bossy dog."

At home:
Sassy always has a front or back leg over Chris during jewelry time on the bed.
Sassy asks for hugs many times during the day.
One trick is to stop my writing by holding down my right arm.
She may knock the mouse away.
Switching to my left arm, away from her, does not work, because she reaches over for that one too.
When I laugh about her persistence, Sassy laughs and rolls over for a tummy rub.
Coming back from the dog park, Sassy listens to the latest stories about her.
She helps me with all my chores, supervising whatever I do.
As a heeler, she follows me and bumps me every few seconds, to make sure I know my place.

The Mormons (Latter Day Saints) Remind Me Of the Olde Synodical Conference

When I read in Christian News about a Mormon facing the facts about her religion's actual history and claims, I thought of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Synod, and the Little Sect on the Prairie. The micro-minis are far worse examples of the same tendencies.


Each group has faithful ministers and pastors, but everyone is kept in ignorance about the group's actual doctrine and history.


Like Mormons, they go into shock when they learn the truth. Like Mormons, the ones who know the facts are forced to submit or they are driven away.


Both religions love-bomb people into the group and hate-bomb them out.


They keep going with secrecy and corruption. When I mentioned the WELS missionaries who went Pentecostal, possibly in Taiwan, I was told, "Never speak about that."


Most Lutherans realize that Mormons are not Christians. But the singular tenet of the Synodical Conference is not Christian either. Do Lutherans really believe they are born forgiven? Do they imagine that all the head-hunters, Buddhists, atheists, and Mormons are already saved? The WELS evangelism banner said that, "You are saved, just like me."


Joseph Smith and Bring'em Young were pathological, lying polygamists. Bishop Martin Stephan was, too, and the Saxon leaders knew it, too. Smith denied the truth, and so did Stephan, but the leaders knew the sordid truth in both cases. The public records and histories of the LCMS have extensive evidence of the colony's knowledge of Stephan's adultery before the trip to Perry County and prior to the Walther-organized mob. Court records. Testimony from Mrs. Stephan. House arrest of Stephan. Obvious meeting with young ladies. Groupies in Europe in America.


Walther has this tidbit about the bishop he pledged to obey - Mrs. Stephan was the cause of their problems. And that was passed on, as a private explanation, in Suelflow's hagiography. Cults slander the innocent, but many readers know that already.


The turning point for the Stephanites was the spread of syphilis among the young women in the cult. The dramatic confession story--launching the mob scene-- was a lie, as acknowledged in their defense of Walther against the charge of violating the confessional. Everybody knew about the adultery - 'twar no secret. Stephan brought his main mistress over, but left his sick wife and syphilitic children behind.


Mormons and Lutheran intermarriage in the early days made telling the truth about origins...awkward. Every secret was a family secret. Ludwig Fuerbringer's mother was also married to CFW Walther's brother - and she knew about the kidnapping and mob that no one ever discussed.


The Lutheran and Mormon leaders are all obsessed with money and use their religion to feather their own nests in the Name of the Lord.


Mormons and Lutherans would rather look at shadows of puppets on the wall (Plato's Cave Analogy) than be dragged to the entrance of the cave and forced to face the sunlight.

http://humanitiesartlit.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/platos-cave/

Mega-church downsizes, cuts non-essential members - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News

"Wolves are those people who resist our claws and fangs.
They are a danger to the Kingdom, we swear by our Father Below."

Mega-church downsizes, cuts non-essential members - LarkNews.com - A Good Source for Christian News:


WINSTON-SALEM — Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” — or worship elsewhere.

“They basically called us freeloaders,” says Julie.

“We were freeloaders,” says Bob.

In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, bellwether mega-church Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked “non-participating members” to stop attending.

“No more Mr. Nice Church,” says the executive pastor, newly hired from Cingular Wireless. “Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission.”

“Freeloading” Christians were straining the church’s nursery and facility resources and harming the church’s ability to reach the lost, says the pastor.

“When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.

Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and “freebie events” but never volunteer, never tithe and do not belong to a small group or other ministry. The church estimates that of its 8,000 regular attendees, only half have volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.

“Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return,” says a staff member. “That’s changed. We’re done being the community nanny.”

Surprisingly, the move to dis-invite people has drawn positive response from men in the community who like the idea of an in-your-face church.

“I thought, ‘A church that doesn’t allow wussies — that rocks,’” says Bob Clark, who admires the church more since they told him to get lost.

He and Julie are now tithing and volunteering. “We’ve taken our place in church life,” he says. •


'via Blog this'

---

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Mega-church downsizes, cuts non-essential members ...":

Behold the true face of the Theology of Glory. It is in your face, complete with lots of Law pounding. The mega-churches began to feel the crunch a couple of years ago when the economy went sour. Their business model is fickle and transient. Now, they are trimming the fat. So much for the care of widows and orphans. Does the recent transplant from Cingular Wireless make house calls?


***

GJ - Yes, Schuller, the founder of Church Church, lost his church building to the Roman Catholics, and he wants members to bring food so the limo can take it out to the palatial Schuller mansion.

Lutherans do not need to look too far to find the same attitude.

Long Before the Concordia St. Louis Student Paper, Ichabod Had the Scoop on the Tuition Scandal

Irrelevant but funny.

The Concordia Seminary, St. Louis student journal picked up on the statistics and commentary from this blog. In short, students are being robbed instead of robed, while the administrators build bigger palaces for themselves to adore.

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Walther Became a Pastor After a Four-Year Rational...":

Here are some of the more memorable LCMS seminary cost posts, which sketch excludes many minor posts and comics:

Fake Pastoral Shortage in the LCMS, Friday, August 8, 2008
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2008/08/fake-pastoral-shortage-in-lcms.html

Maybe Because Bruce Church Told the Truth about Sky-High Tuition and the 600 Empty Parish Lie, 9 Sep  2010:
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2010/09/maybe-because-bruce-church-told-truth.html

The Seminary Question, 14 Sep 2010
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2010/09/seminary-question.html

The Boomers Got Their Cheap Seminary Education, Only To Stick the Next Generations with Harvard Costs and Mudville Quality, Saturday, October 2, 2010:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2010/10/boomers-got-their-cheap-seminary.html

LCMS Seminary Costs, 28 Dec 2010
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2010/12/bruce-church-httpsbruce-church.html

Lutheran Seminary Fraud: Students Are Bankrupting Themselves To Provide an Easy Living for the Profs. "No Call for You" Threat Stifles Dissent, 16 May 2011

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2011/05/lutheran-seminary-fraud-students-are.html

LCMS Seminary Cost Scandal: Fabulous Costs To Support Posh Professor Salaries, September 17, 2011

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2011/09/lcms-seminary-cost-scandal-fabulous.html

LCMS Seminaries - Where the Money Is. Ultra High Tuition and Salaries, December 8, 2011

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2011/12/lcms-seminaries-where-money-is-ultra.html

Walther Became a Pastor After a Four-Year Rationalistic Degree from Leipzig and Cell Group Revelations. Now It Takes Eight Years, Feb 13, 2012:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/02/walther-became-pastor-after-four-year.html 

Missouri needs another Walther,
a leader who will steal to solve the financial crisis.

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - ELM GROVE, WI: Anglican Parish Retaken by Episcopal Diocese Lays (sic) Empty

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - ELM GROVE, WI: Anglican Parish Retaken by Episcopal Diocese Lays Empty:


For 65 years, four generations of priests have faithfully preached the gospel to 3,400 Episcopalians at St. Edmund's Episcopal Church. It has been no small achievement. Elm Grove is not one of the highest density populations in America, but its bucolic setting in Waukesha County has a population of some 6,500, most of them Christians of one denominational stripe or another.

On January 31, the congregation's world came to a shattering end. The priest, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Scheibler was removed from his church buildings at 14525 West Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove, by judicial order. It was a shattering moment for the priest who has served the church for more than 3 years.

The Episcopal Church has taken a theological and moral turn for the worst and advocates a gospel that is no gospel at all, as well as a sexual pathway that this and many Episcopal churches across the country find totally unacceptable. They have declared themselves in broken communion. Hundreds of churches have left The Episcopal Church along with tens of thousands of parishioners. It has been a journey without end.

The Rt. Rev. Steven Andrew Miller, the eleventh bishop of Milwaukee, completely bought into The Episcopal Church's liberal positions and was not prepared to negotiate for the property. Today the church stands empty.


'via Blog this'

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - ELM GROVE, WI: ...":

The bit about the church being large in a rural setting is of course dated. It was that way when the church started up 65 years ago, but now Waukesha County has 400,000 people in it: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/55133.html

Elm Grove, WI, is only 19 miles west of the conservative Episcopalian Nashotah House Seminary, Delafield, which is near Oconomowoc: http://g.co/maps/hqf2s

Nashotah is in the Anglo-Catholic tradition, and the Elm Grove Episcopal church nearby probably is, too.

The kicked out Episcopal congregation is meanwhile worshiping at the Elm Grove Lutheran Church, an LCMS church:

http://www.stedseg.org/ournewhome.htm

http://www.egl.org/  

***

GJ - Bruce, do you get the impression that those Eastern liberals do not know much about fly-over country?

My good friend from Notre Dame taught at Nashotah House (Episcopal Seminary). Gaylin Schmeling, the president of the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie, earned an STM there.

I wanted to see how many students were there. I was shocked to see one photo labeled as studs2011.

studs2011

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - ELM GROVE, WI: ...":

Yes, Bethany Seminary only has five students at the seminary taking classes, but six vicars out in the field. They only graduate between zero and six students per year. They are one of the few seminaries in the world with a 1:1 teacher-student ratio:

http://www.blts.edu/2011/08/2011-2012-school-year-begins/

The seminary enrollment this year numbers eleven. There are six vicars, three seniors, no middlers, and two juniors.

The teaching staff for the seminary this year is as follows: Thomas Flunker, Adolph Harstad, Thomas Kuster, Michael Smith, and Gaylin Schmeling.


***

GJ - They seem to have far more students than calls. And yet the future reminds me of a quip from Bainton, when the graduating class from one liberal seminary married the graduating class from another liberal school.

Walther may get his pan-synodical seminary yet.

Emmaus Conference, 2012. No False Doctrine Was Harmed in Any Way. Matt Harrison. Mark Schroeder. John Moldstad.

• Justification without faith. Check.
• Cell group Pietism? Mmmm. Oh yeah.
• False teachers welcomed as ministry gurus. Of course.
• Kowtowing to a business in exchange for money. Naturally.
• Liturgy. An adiaphoron.
• Coffee shops. Evangelism tools.
• Emergent Church. Definitely.
• Hide the altar. Hide the font. Hide the paraments. Hide the cross. Brilliant.
• Open Communion. Demi-semi-Open Communion. No Communion. Yes.
• Women teaching men. Definitely.
• Women usurping authority over men. Sure.
• Eighth Commandment. Our best weapon against legalists, trouble-makers, and bloggers.

WELS Is Casual about Sects. AC V - On Women Pastors.

Dipping a cross in a cup of coffee is
only one step above p___Christ,
a supposed work of art.

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Father Hollywood: Girls Gone Wild, WELS Edition. S...":

There's no problem with Kristen Koepsell being the "Minister of Worship" at WELS St. Andrew, Middleton, WI because there is no Lutheran worship there. Notice that under her job description "Music is the largest part of the worship ministry at St. Andrew." What, no sacraments? No preaching to deliver the forgiveness of sins?

As Staff Minister of Worship, Kristen is responsible for planning and implementing all worship opportunities at St. Andrew. She also oversees the large corps of worship volunteers who serve in many and varied capacities each week. Music is the largest part of the worship ministry at St. Andrew, but the worship ministry also includes lay readers, dramatic and visual arts, hospitality ministries and audio/visual tech support. Kristen works with Pastor Hunter to study biblical worship principles and practices, (they're not reading the Lutheran Confessions obviously) evaluate current worship practices at St. Andrew, and define future directions for St. Andrew's worship ministry.

http://www.st-andrew-online.org/Staff.aspx#worship