University Lutheran Chapel (University of Minnesota) to be sold

[Michael Slusser]

There is no "primacy" of vocation Wil. All vocations make equal demands upon us. I know that Wingren says that.

Would you say that your member's jobs are their "primary" vocation over being a "spouse"?

There actually is a priority of vocational obligations. Conflicts, rare as they may be by God's mercy, have to be resolved by priority. That may be why RC priests are hardly ever ordained from among the married, because of the priority claims a spouse and family have on a man.

In the case of students, we know that the NCAA Division I doesn't recognize that being a student is the priority obligaton for students. The church can join the NCAA if it really wants, but hardly on evangelical grounds. Individual students find themselves with a challenge to minister to their fellow students, and that is OK-- but we must not tell them that is their priority calling. We have no right.

Peace,
Michael

[Weedon]

Do you mean, Pr. Messer, that the students who attend ULC might be doing that and more WITHOUT the District benefiting from a $3.2 million dollar windfall.  Well, how utterly rude of them!

[pastormesser]

Do you mean, Pr. Messer, that the students who attend ULC might be doing that and more WITHOUT the District benefiting from a $3.2 million dollar windfall.  Well, how utterly rude of them!

 

[mmeyer]

I just watched a Campus Evangelist "Sean the Baptist" street preach his semi-pelagaistic nonsense to jeering MSU-Mankato college students - sick of being beaten over the head with the law from this man. There comes a point when you get beaten with the law so much that you turn a deaf ear and strike back.

I wonder if all the press that's been heaped upon the BOD of MNS through various media outlets might have similar results.  Looks like there's no turning back on the rhetoric now.  Someone's going to win - someone's going to lose... 

[Buckeye Deaconess]

Can anyone, ANYONE, familiar with and supportive of the aforementioned model of campus ministry explain how students are actually funneled into a Word and Sacrament ministry?  I've asked this question about 3 times now I think, and have not received a clear answer as of yet.

So: you have a floor of guys & girls. All mixed up, as they are these days — both on the floor and mentally. You have a peer minister — maybe a girl, maybe a guy — and they are organizing a clean-up at a local house of some grandmother. They invite their friends to participate in this event that is sponsored by their campus Lutheran activity.

Hey, who doesn't want to help out? Plus, they have lunch. So guys & girls go.

Next month, they are headed to the battered women's shelter's transitional housing. Once again, why not, let's help out. But by now, they know one another, they can talk about faith issues, about what they believe/don't believe.

So, the peer minister says "Look, my pastor leads a Bible study at the local bar. Want to come?"

There you go. Could happen any other way as well. Maybe peer leaders have the Bible study; maybe they invite the friends to church; etc. Any number of ways.

This isn't rocket science. It is exactly how ordinary, non-student people get connected to W&S ministries as well. It is just that they don't all live on the same hall...

OK, I get that, thanks for the example.  Now tell me who the rocket scientist is that determined it takes $3.2M to put this model into action.  I hope I made my point that this is what we're all doing any way.  I see some major stewardship issues if it takes $3.2M to train people to do what the Bible already instructs us to do.

[Buckeye Deaconess]

Someone's going to win - someone's going to lose...

God wins; Satan loses.  Every time! 

[Weedon]

Good grief, Pr. Meyer.  Can't you see that there are NO winners here.  The question is can the board actually give us something to hold onto so that we CAN keep the 8th commandment.  We need help with it, because as of right now, there doesn't appear to BE a best construction, save lunacy.  Help from them would be greatly appreciated:  EXPLAIN their rationale on this.  PLEASE.

[Sandra]

So, the peer minister says "Look, my pastor leads a Bible study at the local bar. Want to come?"

There you go. Could happen any other way as well. Maybe peer leaders have the Bible study; maybe they invite the friends to church; etc. Any number of ways.

This isn't rocket science. It is exactly how ordinary, non-student people get connected to W&S ministries as well. It is just that they don't all live on the same hall...

Wouldn't this work just as well (maybe even better) if that "peer leader" could invite the friends to church right on campus, where they meet regularly for Bible study and then go and grab a beer at a nearby bar, or they could could drop in any time during the week to chat with Pastor, or to have a quiet place to study or hang out together?

I just don't understand why this model requires that ULC and CLC need to be eliminated in order for it to work.

[Weedon]

I just don't understand why this model requires that ULC and CLC need to be eliminated in order for it to work.


Sandra,

That's the $3.2 million dollar question...

[John_Hannah]

Immanuel.  Was that where Ray Schulze (sp?) served.  He was another fine preacher.  If that's the one I'm thinking of, the altar sported several statues, including a curious one of Moses?  Ah, you guys are bringing back "old memory" days for me.

Yes, that one. 88th and Lexington.

[jtpless]

Steve,

Thanks for your wonderful testimony to the significance of ULC for your and Kathy. For those who have ears to hear, your note speaks volumes as to why ULC is worth saving. As time allows I plan to write up a little more detailed account of my time at ULC which I think will shed more light on the current attempts to destroy the chapel. In the meantime, I give thanks to God for you and numerous others who were (and in some cases still are) part of the congregation: "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be read and known by all" (II Corinthians 3:2). The chapel may well be demolished and that would be a tremendous loss but the work of God's mighty Word done there will remain. That is my consolation.

JTP+

[mmeyer]

I still think the idea of building a worship area on the 1st floor of that complex would be a nice compromise to a difficult situation. 

[mmeyer]

For what it's worth, I just received an email from the district office with a FAQ page on the sale of the campus properties.  I assume it was sent to everyone in the MNS district...

I just found the link to the actual letter I received. Here it is...

http://mns.lcms.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Vq-gxLbP3os%3d&tabid=206&mid=791

[Buckeye Deaconess]

I still think the idea of building a worship area on the 1st floor of that complex would be a nice compromise to a difficult situation.

What is the likelihood that a secular developer would share this sentiment?  Perhaps you could suggest that this requirement be written into the purchase agreement with the developer, with an additional rider designating this space for the sole use of LCMS campus ministry.  (Then watch them laugh all the way to the bank.) 

[swbohler]

I am having trouble getting to the CCM opinion that is mentioned.  Can someone post it?