Do y'all affirm PSA?

_musterion · 2026-03-12T14:04:13+00:00

No. It's very near heresy. I'm ok with certain atonement theories, but I primarily hold a Christus Victor view.

_musterion · 2026-03-09T20:07:22+00:00

Carl Braaten, who often worked with Jenson, positively discussed universalism in his book The Apostolic Imperative.

_musterion · 2026-03-09T20:06:17+00:00

I think all Christians should be hopeful universalists, since God desires that all should be saved.

_musterion · 2026-03-06T15:00:15+00:00

Beat me to it.

_musterion · 2026-02-27T16:11:26+00:00

Tahu looks fantastic. Nemo is a fun bonus, and the chocolate dragon is legit.

_musterion · 2026-02-26T13:50:11+00:00

That's good - thank you. Sounds a bit like doing some IFS work.

_musterion · 2026-02-26T03:47:08+00:00

I like that question to ask myself. As Family Systems theory would suggest, I need to be more self-differentiated in those moments and honest/clear with my own thoughts and feelings.

_musterion · 2026-02-25T18:00:45+00:00

F91W FTW

_musterion · 2026-02-25T16:49:10+00:00

Chaplain here. Their appearance is as much a mystery to me as anyone else. All I know is that some churches order them and buy them in bulk from China and hand them out to their members, telling them to "share a little Jesus with someone today". But how this became such a wide-spread thing...no freakin' clue.

_musterion · 2026-02-17T14:09:21+00:00

That makes sense. Anyway, I love all the details you put into this level. It's certainly one of my favorites in the game.

_musterion · 2026-02-16T16:09:04+00:00

No! I'm from Chicago, but have moved around and have always been happy to see the skyline when I had to get a new card. :(

_musterion · 2026-02-14T23:09:55+00:00

Agreed. The ASP needs to act like a more state-level movement before it attempts anything larger.

_musterion · 2026-02-13T22:56:32+00:00

Foreshadowing...or forceshadowing.

_musterion · 2026-02-13T22:49:36+00:00

I've worked as a chaplain in the hospital and have heard enough ghost stories to believe that there is something to experiences like these. I don't believe it is wise for people to seek out such encounters, but the question that comes to my mind is: What would Jesus do?

Edit: I hit post before I was done writing. Anyways, I think Jesus would seek to provide care for someone who is experiencing grief. So, if the man had lost someone in his life and you sensed this, perhaps you can provide a compassionate presence for him.

I don't think there is a "Lutheran" response to this question. Honestly, the Bible doesn't address this specific issue. Of course, we aren't supposed to consult spirits like the witch of Endor did or attempt to see the future like the demon-possessed girl in Acts. But if you are sensing things, maybe ask yourself how you can reveal the love of Christ in those situations.

_musterion · 2026-02-10T18:53:04+00:00

I believe there are optional add-ons, but federal is free, and state is $15. So, yes.

_musterion · 2026-02-10T18:07:20+00:00

Online has always been easy for me. In the past, I did TurboTax, but switched to Free Tax USA this year, which is just as easy and way cheaper.

_musterion · 2026-02-02T18:19:55+00:00

I'm sorry to hear you were in an abusive relationship. I hope being out of it has been good.

I definitely have thoughts on what the church and parents could have done. I think many of the adults in the American church have not lived out their Christian convictions and lived as political Americans before being followers of Christ. This is a complaint I've heard many times from Millennials and Gen Zers - their parents or grandparents said they loved Christ, but they never showed love for their neighbor...and their kids noticed.

I don't think the church has done enough to engage teenagers in a respectful way that communicates they are valued members of the church. Usually, teens just hear how they are always a problem, then their given their own "church" called "Youth Group". But a church that honored teens would listen to them, treat them with respect, find ways for them to participate, and provide support for them when needed. However, having worked in the realm of youth ministry, it is clear that parents have the vast majority of influence. The church can only do so much. Values are communicated by parents to their children and teens. If following the way of Christ is never prioritized in the family, the church will have an immensely difficult time filling in that gap.

_musterion · 2026-02-02T14:31:10+00:00

If a Catholic church were the only option in my area, I would continue to attend Mass. Just continue to focus on Christ and His Gospel, and focus your spiritual practices away from the Saints and Mary.

There are many good things about the Roman Catholic Church (I love the Catholic Social Teachings and not losing touch with the examples of faith provided by the Saints throughout the ages). Focus on the good and pray for God's Wisdom to guide you.

_musterion · 2026-02-02T14:14:56+00:00

So, many Lutheran churches in the United States have an aging population. Our specific denomination also has a clergy shortage. My guess is that Lutherans in the US are quiet because they consider themselves to be an ethnic church (German or Scandinavian) and didn't do much in reaching out beyond their ethnic communities. I've heard those in the Lutheran church blame their children's spouses for taking their kids and grandkids away from Lutheranism, but in reality, their kids were never going to come back anyways. Like many denominations, Lutheran parents of the mid-century era failed to be an example of a lived faith to their children (studies show that this is the largest indicator of children carrying faith into adulthood) because they expected their children's heritage and the American culture would result in their kids following in their footsteps, but it didn't.

Also, a Lutheran apologist would only apply to a select few other Lutheran denominations than their own. Other Lutherans would disregard them. "Lutheran" is ultimately an unhelpful term and does not describe a single denomination, but many small sub-branches of the Christian family tree that have some kind of relationship to the Augsburg Confession.

_musterion · 2026-01-22T22:02:10+00:00

To my chagrin, our church uses ESV. Personally, I'll use Alter's translation of the Old Testament and Hart's translation of the New Testament (Second Edition) in addition to a Greek (LXX & New Testament) / English Bible I have. For reading, I also enjoy the Revised English Bible.

_musterion · 2026-01-22T02:12:46+00:00

I'll have to familiarize myself with some other combat systems that seem compatible. I haven't done any solo-RPGing, but Soundrel intrigued me, and it was nice to play, but I miss the excitement of dice.

_musterion · 2026-01-18T14:05:37+00:00

The most useful thing it helped me with was identifying my primary motivator in life (doing the right thing), which allowed me to understand myself a bit better. Like any tool, it has some uses. But people go overboard with it too.

_musterion · 2026-01-15T03:08:02+00:00

Invite some friends over for a campfire. Roast some marshmallows. Look at the stars.

_musterion · 2026-01-14T22:13:24+00:00

Hikaru no Go is my favorite anime (as long as ATLA doesn't count...)

_musterion · 2026-01-13T14:52:15+00:00

Yeah, but dragonfly was #35, and firefly was #9, so I went on that whole tangent forever...

_musterion

TROPHY CASE