Data, doctrine, and a future we can’t ignore. An unflinching look at the numbers and the Scriptural and Confessional fidelity that will determine whether we drift into extinction.
1. Pastor Zehnder sure let you talk. He did not probe that much or offer a substantial counter point, just a generic, "We do not see eye to eye on everything."
2. Bivocational? Is Tim Wood a pastor? I was not aware of that.
3. Code switching. About a 3rd of the way in, Pastor Zehnder code switched. He started out with a manner of speaking that I would attribute to a mega church pastor and seemed to shift into a manner of speaking and cadence more like that of a Lutheran pastor. It is a subjective evaluation. He took on a more serious and somber tone and the ends of his sentences changed inflection about mid way through.
Opinion:
Huge LCMS Megachurches with a lot of members and money. A bunch of small LCMS congregations that don't have a lot of members, but have an electoral advantage and limited funds. Pastors educated in Lutheran theology who "code switch" to appeal to the masses vs. Pastors educated in Lutheran theology who lean more on what theologians wrote about the Bible than what the Bible says and in the end, the sheep are effectively shepherdless. It is not confessional vs. missional, it is a three way battle, but the third combatant hasn't fielded an army. But I kind of have the feeling Tim is collecting soldiers for it. We need to call both sides to repentance.
I struggled greatly to listen to Pastor Zehnder talk. My alarm bells always go off with that style of talking. I enjoyed Tim’s points as always. I have a sneaking suspicion that Pastor Zehnder would not count churches like peterson’s among his “growing” and “large” church thing. Happy to be wrong but it sounds to me like a constant browbeating of “we make line go up so listen to me!”. Anyway it’s was an enjoyable listen.
Sure! Your voice has a sing songy cadence (not super scientific I know but best description I can come up with) & sounds to my ears pitched to try and generate agreement (how you pitch your “we don’t agree” phrases specifically come to mind). I grew up around slower talking (the south) and I really only experienced that kind of cadence and tone from people who were throughly hostile to me (I don’t think you are just my history).
Regardless it was a good conversation and a perspective I do not hear often being throughly in the confessional side of things so 1000% was worth a listen and pondering what we need to do as a synod regarding these two vastly different perspectives.
Thanks for clarifying. I'm not 100% sure what to do with that, but I do appreciate it. I actually grew up in the south and had a very southern (think Tennessee) accent in my childhood until I moved to Nebraska in the midwest when I was ten. And for what it's worth, maybe I should know more than I do, but in your previous comment about Peterson's church, I don't know how to answer that because I'm not sure what church you are referencing. Blessings.
Wonderful. Praise God for this growing LCMS church! For transparency, I do not know if this pastor or anyone connected was a part of my survey or not. Blessings.
Observations:
1. Pastor Zehnder sure let you talk. He did not probe that much or offer a substantial counter point, just a generic, "We do not see eye to eye on everything."
2. Bivocational? Is Tim Wood a pastor? I was not aware of that.
3. Code switching. About a 3rd of the way in, Pastor Zehnder code switched. He started out with a manner of speaking that I would attribute to a mega church pastor and seemed to shift into a manner of speaking and cadence more like that of a Lutheran pastor. It is a subjective evaluation. He took on a more serious and somber tone and the ends of his sentences changed inflection about mid way through.
Opinion:
Huge LCMS Megachurches with a lot of members and money. A bunch of small LCMS congregations that don't have a lot of members, but have an electoral advantage and limited funds. Pastors educated in Lutheran theology who "code switch" to appeal to the masses vs. Pastors educated in Lutheran theology who lean more on what theologians wrote about the Bible than what the Bible says and in the end, the sheep are effectively shepherdless. It is not confessional vs. missional, it is a three way battle, but the third combatant hasn't fielded an army. But I kind of have the feeling Tim is collecting soldiers for it. We need to call both sides to repentance.
2. Not a pastor. He was referencing that I have a day job and a night job (Ad Crucem).
3. I think that's fair and it was responsive to some of my harsher statements.
Opinion: We are tracking, albeit slowly, to fix things that must be fixed before the plug has to be pulled.
I struggled greatly to listen to Pastor Zehnder talk. My alarm bells always go off with that style of talking. I enjoyed Tim’s points as always. I have a sneaking suspicion that Pastor Zehnder would not count churches like peterson’s among his “growing” and “large” church thing. Happy to be wrong but it sounds to me like a constant browbeating of “we make line go up so listen to me!”. Anyway it’s was an enjoyable listen.
Thanks for listening. For clarity, can you point more to the style of talking?
Sure! Your voice has a sing songy cadence (not super scientific I know but best description I can come up with) & sounds to my ears pitched to try and generate agreement (how you pitch your “we don’t agree” phrases specifically come to mind). I grew up around slower talking (the south) and I really only experienced that kind of cadence and tone from people who were throughly hostile to me (I don’t think you are just my history).
Regardless it was a good conversation and a perspective I do not hear often being throughly in the confessional side of things so 1000% was worth a listen and pondering what we need to do as a synod regarding these two vastly different perspectives.
Thanks for clarifying. I'm not 100% sure what to do with that, but I do appreciate it. I actually grew up in the south and had a very southern (think Tennessee) accent in my childhood until I moved to Nebraska in the midwest when I was ten. And for what it's worth, maybe I should know more than I do, but in your previous comment about Peterson's church, I don't know how to answer that because I'm not sure what church you are referencing. Blessings.
I might have misspelled his name. Redeemer in Fort Wayne is the church to which I was referring. https://redeemer-fortwayne.org/
Wonderful. Praise God for this growing LCMS church! For transparency, I do not know if this pastor or anyone connected was a part of my survey or not. Blessings.