Let the Bird Fly!

* 00:00 - Introduction * 09:46 - Scripture Narrative (Romans 10:13-17) * 11:14 - Free-for-All (Best and Worst Ad Campaigns) * 24:22 - Main Topic (The Divine Call) On episode FIFTY-SIX of Let the Bird Fly! the guys have a full house, with all four of them present, plus three guests. Fortunately, Wade invented them over to Rev. John Bortulin’s house (one of their guests) to record. Before getting going on this episode, Wade discusses the exciting news that Let the Bird Fly! has joined the 1517 Podcast Network. This has been announced on Facebook previously, but this is the first time on the podcast. If you’re not familiar with 1517., head on over to their website and check them out. And while you’re there, make sure to take a look at the other 7 podcasts in their network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy! A huge thank you to the 1517 Podcast Network for bringing us on-board and for the support they’ve already given us. We’re excited to be able to bring our conversation to an even broader audience. So, after a somewhat protracted introduction, Mike reads a few verses from Romans 10, which serve as a bit of a primer for our Main Topic: The Divine Call. Since we had 5 pastors (and two guys who flunked out of “pastor school”), we thought it would be good to discuss the calling process and how each of these pastors have managed it. We are thankful to Pastor Ben Zak (currently serving at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Milwaukee), Pastor Brian Doebler (currently teaching at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee), and Pastor John Bortulin (current serving  at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Mukwonago, WI) for joining us on this episode. And an extra thanks to Rev. Bortulin for opening his home to us to record, we won't forget it (what time next week, John?). And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: “The Last One” by

In March of 2018 Mike was invited to speak at Good News Lutheran Church in Mount Horeb, WI. We will be releasing that talk soon as a Bird's Eye View episode, but while he was there Mike was able to bamboozle Pastors Jonathan Bauer and John Stelter into recording this Wingin' It on Apologetics in the Local Parish. Rev. Bauer is the pastor at Good News Lutheran Church, where Mike's talk was held, and Rev. Stelter is the pastor at St. John's Lutheran Church in Princeton, WI. We are grateful to both of our guests for sitting down with Mike for the Wingin' It. We think you'll enjoy the conversation. At the beginning of the episode Pastor Stelter mentioned the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights, which Mike has discussed in the past. If you're not familiar with their work, do yourself the favor to become familiar. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 04:05 - Free-for-All (Something no one agrees with you on, but you know you're right about.) * 14:34 - Main Topic (Urban Education with Ben Clemons) On episode FIFTY-FIVE of Let the Bird Fly! the guys are pleased to welcome Prof. Benjamin Clemons into the studio to discuss urban educational ministry, something the Prof. Clemons has been thinking about and doing for many years. Prof. Clemons is currently a professor of Urban Ministry at Martin Luther College, in New Ulm, MN (yes, the very New Ulm that is home to this striking tribute to German heritage). Before taking up his current post as a professor, however, he served as a principal and teacher at schools in Milwaukee, WI, as well teaching for a year in China. Wade starts us off with something resembling a brief Scripture Narrative during the introduction, before the guys mostly flop in this episode’s Free-for-All. But their guest comes through and saves them in the main topic where they mostly avoid talking about Jolly Ranchers® (the wine candy)and instead allow Prof. Clemons to discuss how he got to where he is, a bit about his educational philosophy, and a whole lot about teaching across cultures. We think you’ll enjoy the conversation as much as we did. And a huge thanks to Prof. Clemons for joining us on this episode. And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License.

This Wingin' It is the fifteenth and final part in our series on the Divine Service. Mike and Wade get together one last time to discuss the Nunc dimittis and the Benediction. We hope that you have enjoyed this Wingin' It series as much as we've enjoyed producing them. If you have any ideas for series like this for us to tackle in the future, we'd love to hear from you. You can email us at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or find us on Facebook right here. And as a reminder, this is the final part in the series promised by Mike on Episode 33, which will cover various parts of the Western Rite. If you missed our previous episodettes on the Divine Service, you can catch up right here. And if you haven't listened to our full episode on worship, you can find that right here. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 02:00 - Free-for-All (What one language do you wish you knew?) * 10:22 - Main Topic (The Epistle to the Galatians) On episode FIFTY-FOUR of Let the Bird Fly! Wade, Mike, and Peter sit down to discuss Paul’s epistle to the faithful in Galatia. Since the main topic is something of an extended Scripture Narrative, the guys decide to skip that in the Scripture Narrative on this episode. Of course, they’d never skip the Free-for-All….who else is going to wrestle with all of these pressing questions? After some stimulating conversation about just how American they all are when it comes to languages, they move on to discuss Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. If you’d like to follow along in Luther’s Commentary on the Galatians, follow this link to the wonderful Project Gutenberg (seriously, what an amazing website). And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Image used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License. Image: "Saint Paul Writing His Epistles" by Valentin de Boulogne. This work is in the public domain.

This Wingin' It is the fourteenth part in our series on the Divine Service. We're getting to the end of this series, and you may be wondering how Mike and Wade are going to spend 40 minutes talking about distributing the Lord's Supper....but that probably means you haven't heard Mike and Wade talk before. If you have heard them, though, you might be wondering how they kept it to around 40 minutes. Either way, we hope you enjoy! And as a reminder, this is the thirteenth part in the series promised by Mike on Episode 33, which will cover various parts of the Western Rite. If you missed our previous episodettes on the Divine Service, you can catch up right here. And if you haven't listened to our full episode on worship, you can find that right here. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 02:44 - Scripture Narrative (Matthew 7) * 17:44 - Free-for-All (Favorite Sports Uniforms) 25:32 - Main Topic (Teaching Theology to High Schoolers) On episode FIFTY-THREE of Let the Bird Fly! Mike and Wade welcome into the studio two theology teachers to discuss teaching theology to high schoolers. Mr. Josh Seeger and Rev. Brian Doebler both teach theology at Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, WI, and they join the guys to discuss what it’s like to teach high school students theology, as well as discuss their favorite sports uniforms. We are grateful to Mr. Seeger and Rev. Doebler for joining us on this episode and sharing their unique insights (not to mention for putting up with Wade’s and Mike’s kids). And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License. “Horses to Water” by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena “Gib laut” by Dirk Becker is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License. “Whistling Down the Road” by Silent Partner “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.  

In this Wingin' It, the thirteenth part in our series on the Divine Service, Mike and Wade discuss the Lord's Prayer, the Pax Domini, and the Agnus Dei. The talk the placement of these elements, the difficulty of praying various petitions of the Lord's Prayer, and even hypothetical paintings of the angel of death as a chubby cherub. Alright, they discuss more than just that, but you'll have to listen to find out what they say! And as a reminder, this is the thirteenth part in the series promised by Mike on Episode 33, which will cover various parts of the Western Rite. If you missed our previous episodettes on the Divine Service, you can catch up right here. And if you haven't listened to our full episode on worship, you can find that right here. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 03:16 - Scripture Narrative (Matthew 21:1-11) * 22:39 - Free-for-All (When Medical Professionals Fail You) 36:03 - Main Topic (Holy Week...(and Easter 2)) On episode FIFTY-TWO of Let the Bird Fly! Rev. John Bortulin joins the guys to discuss Holy Week...and Easter 2. Rev. Bortulin is an associate pastor at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mukwonago, WI, and was the first (adult) guest on Let the Bird Fly! That’s right, Pastor Bortulin was the first person to agree to be on this very podcast, way back on Episode 3 (which, as it turns out, was also discussing Holy Week). Rev. Bortulin was also a guest on Episode 16, so if you enjoy what you hear here, go check those two episodes out! We are thrilled to have Rev. Bortulin back for this episode to discuss Holy Week...and Easter 2. Our Scripture Narrative kicks off our Holy Week discussion with Palm Sunday, and then we take a quick excursion into the world of modern medicine. Wade mentions the Wingin’ It series that Mike has been spearheading on the Divine Service. You can find that entire series here, and Wade specifically mentions the episode on The Sanctus, which you can find here. Eventually we do work our way through a discussion of this holiest of weeks in Christendom. We hope that you enjoy the conversation, and if you do, please let us know at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com or on our Facebook page. And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music and Images used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.

This is the twelfth part in our Wingin' It series on the Divine Service, and Mike and Wade have finally reached the Words of Institution! We're getting close to wrapping up this series, but just as with the Divine Service, sometimes the best parts are saved until last. We hope you enjoy this installment, and if you do, make sure to share with your friends and family! And as a reminder, this is the twelfth part in the series promised by Mike on Episode 33, which will cover various parts of the Western Rite. If you missed our previous episodettes on the Divine Service, you can catch up right here. And if you haven't listened to our full episode on worship, you can find that right here. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 02:41 - Scripture Narrative (Reading from With My Own Eyes) * 06:13 - Free-for-All (Favorite Childhood Toys) 22:11 - Main Topic (With My Own Eyes) On episode FIFTY-ONE of Let the Bird Fly! Rev. Bror Erickson joins the guys once again via Skype to discuss the Swedish Bishop Bo Giertz. On the episode 50 Pastor Erickson joined us to discuss what led him to begin translating some of Bo Giertz’s works. This time he joins us to talk about one of those works in particular. Once again instead of the normal Scripture Narrative, Wade reads a selection from one of Rev. Erickson’s translations. This time it is from With My Own Eyes, which also serves as the main topic for this episode. They also find a way to talk about favorite childhood toys, which is sort of a metaphor for what the Free-for-All is anyway. If you are familiar with Bo Giertz, it is most likely through The Hammer of God. What you may not know is that Bo Giertz was a rather prolific author, but very little has been translated into English. Thanks to our guest, however, that has been changing. If you’d like more from Bror, you can check out his posts at 1517. The Legacy Project, as well as his personal blog and if you find yourself in Farmington, NM, you can find him pastoring at Zion Lutheran Church. Books translated or edited by Bror: Bo Giertz Then Fell the Lord’s Fire Romans: A Devotional Commentary The Knights of Rhodes With My Own Eyes To Live with Christ: Devotions by Bo Giertz translated by Richard Wood with Bror Erickson * Hermann Sasse Then Fell the Lord’s Fire * Witness The Journal Articles of Hermann Sasse edited by Matthew C. Harrison and Bror Erickson And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher,

In this, the eleventh part in our Wingin' It series on the Divine Service, Mike and Wade are joined in the studio by Rev. Dr. Paul Lehninger to discuss the much ballyhooed showdown over the Eucharistic Prayer. The guys have some slight technical difficulties toward the end of the episode, but nothing that causes too much of a problem. A big thanks to Dr. Lehninger for joining us on this Wingin' It. We hope to have him back again for a full episode on one of his areas of expertise. And as a reminder, this is the eleventh part in the series promised by Mike on Episode 33, which will cover various parts of the Western Rite. If you missed our previous episodettes on the Divine Service, you can catch up right here. And if you haven't listened to our full episode on worship, you can find that right here. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 01:58 - Scripture Narrative (Reading from Then Fell the Lord’s Fire) * 09:59 - Free-for-All (Favorite Hobbies/Pastimes) 26:16 - Main Topic (Bo Giertz, In Translation) On episode FIFTY of Let the Bird Fly! Wade and Peter welcome Rev. Bror Erickson via Skype to discuss the Swedish Bishop Bo Giertz. Pastor Erickson is the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Farmington, NM and has been translating works of Bo Giertz (as well as others) for a number of years and sat down with the guys to discuss the famous Swedish Bishop, in what we hope is a bit of a primer for future episodes where Rev. Erickson will discuss specific works of Giertz’s that he has translated. Instead of the normal Scripture Narrative, Wade reads an ordination sermon of Giertz’s that is translated by Rev. Erickson in Then Fell the Lord’s Fire. In the Free-for-All we find out that Wade and Peter are far more boring than Bror (which may surprise exactly zero regular listeners), but Wade does hatch a plan to take over Mike’s garage, so it wasn’t a total loss for the guys. If you are familiar with Bo Giertz, it is most likely through The Hammer of God. What you may not know is that Bo Giertz was a rather prolific author, but very little has been translated into English. Thanks to our guest, however, that has been changing. We hope to have Rev. Erickson on again to discuss some of the specific works that he’s translated, but in this episode we ask Rev. Erickson to introduce us a bit to Bo Giertz, and himself. (And if you’re looking for a glimpse at Bror’s kokopelli that Wade mentions during the episode, you can sneak a peek on the video he has on his Amazon author page.) If you’d like more from Bror, check out his posts at 1517. The Legacy Project, as well as his personal blog. Books translated or edited by Bror: Bo Giertz Then Fell the Lord’s Fire Romans: A Devotional Commentary The Knights of Rhodes With My Own Eyes To Live with Christ: Devotions by Bo Giertz translated by Richard Wood with Bror Erickson

This is the tenth part in our Wingin' It on the Divine Service. Mike and Wade are back to discuss the Prefaces and the Sanctus. (Stay tuned for what they promise will be a battle royale over the Eucharistic Prayer next time.) Mike clarifies that they do know the proper distinction between the Propers and the Ordinaries (despite having switched them around in a previous episode). And that distinction proves to be important when discussing the Prefaces. As the second part of the Divine Service begins, we find a new address (in the Prefaces) and a renewed confession of the Triune God (in the Sanctus). Give it a listen, share with a friend, and let us know what you think! And as a reminder, this is the tenth part in the series promised by Mike on Episode 33, which will cover various parts of the Western Rite. If you missed our previous episodettes on the Divine Service, you can catch up right here. And if you haven't listened to our full episode on worship, you can find that right here. Thanks for listening! Attributions for Music Used in this Episode - "Slow Burn" by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. - “Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

* 00:00 - Introduction * 02:06 - Scripture Narrative (Ecclesiastes 3) * 15:04 - Free-for-All (What would you do if you weren't a pastor/professor?) 35:34 - Main Topic (On Happiness) On episode FORTY-NINE of Let the Bird Fly! Wade and Mike find themselves abandoned by Ben and Peter and somehow decide to talk about happiness. (I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.) After a discussion of Ecclesiastes 3, considering careers as political speech writers and as garbagemen, Mike and Wade find their way to happiness...or at least they talk about it for a bit. Their conversation ranges from Epictetus’ The Enchiridion, to the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, touches on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, and of course Wade can’t be happy without bringing up the Beastie Boys’ Paul's Boutique. Some of the books mentioned in this episode: * Oliver Burkeman’s The Antidote: Happiness for People who Can't Stand Positive Thinking * Epictetus’ The Enchiridion * Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics * And here’s a link to the issue of Logia in which Mike’s article appeared And as always, if you are enjoying the show, please subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And, of course, share us with a friend or two! If you’d like to contact us we can be reached at podcast@LetTheBirdFly.com, or visit our website at www.LetTheBirdFly.com. Thanks for listening!   Attributions for Music and Images used in this Episode: “The Last One” by Jahzzar is licensed under an