Let the Bird Fly!

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 03:03 - Free-for-All (World Cup)

* 10:01 - Main Topic (On Reading "Unsafe" Authors - Part 1)

On episode SIXTY-FIVE of Let the Bird Fly! Wade was out-of-town, so the guys took over his office and invited back Rev. Dr. Mark Paustian. Dr. Paustian joined us back on Episode 60 to discuss communication, and we had such a great time we decided to get him back on, this time to discuss reading books and authors who have been deemed "unsafe." Our discussion centers around "theologically unsafe" authors, but we also discuss this concern in a slightly broader context as well.

This is a topic that the guys had done way back on Episode 4, which is entitled Stepping outside the Fortress. So if you're a new listener (or if you just skipped that episode), you may want to go back and give that early episode a listen as well (plus you'll get the added bonus of getting to hear us stumble through one of our early episodes, which is always entertaining). As it turns out there was quite a bit to talk about with Dr. Paustian, so we had to split it into two episodes. So if you enjoy this one, make sure to check out Episode 66 as well.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Shall We Sin? Responding to the Antinomian Question in Lutheran Theology by Jeffery K. Mann

Practice in Christianity by Søren Kierkegaard

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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 Attr...

This Wingin' It is the first is a series that Wade and Mike plan to record on Church History. Much like they did with the Wingin' It series on the Divine Service, the hope is that by taking a big topic in smaller parts they'll be able to get into a bit more detail than they would be able to do in a single episode. That said, these are still Wingin' It episodes, so they are far from scripted, (you've been forewarned).

They will be using Mark A. Noll's book Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity as the spring-board for their discussion. Rather than provide an overview of Noll's book, however, their intention is to use his structure as a rough guide for their conversations. With that in mind, this episode begins with the topic of Noll's first chapter: The Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. We hope you'll enjoy this new Wingin' It series. (And if you do, don't forget to share!)

We are happy to be a part of the 1517 Podcast Network. If you haven't done so, make sure to check out all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

You can find and share us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or TuneIn Radio. Or you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And if email is more your style, you can reach us at [email protected].

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

* 06:12 - Scripture Narrative (Acts 26)

* 09:55 - Free-for-All (Favorite Beer)

* 17:23 - Main Topic (Apologetics)

On episode SIXTY-FOUR of Let the Bird Fly! the guys once again sit down in Wade's backyard this time to discuss apologetics. Apologetics is something of a  reoccurring theme for the guys (we blame Mike), in fact back before Mike joined the elite ranks of co-hosts on the podcast, he was on as a guest to discuss this very topic. If you missed that episode, you can find it back at Episode 27: No Apologies, Apologetics. This episode's discussion is less organized (I know that may be hard to believe), but the guys just wanted to take some time to discuss something explicitly that they seem to keep bumping up against on different episodes. So we hope you'll enjoy (or at least tolerate) another discussion on apologetics.

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 03:10 - Scripture Narrative (Galatians 2:17-21)

* 05:48 - Free-for-All (Name Peter's Son)

* 17:23 - Main Topic (Let the Bird Fly!)

On episode SIXTY-THREE of Let the Bird Fly! the guys sit down in Wade's backyard to discuss the podcast. Yep, that's right another self-indulgent episode, but we hope you'll tolerate it. We've picked up a number of new listeners since joining the 1517 Podcast Network, so we thought this might be a good time to discuss what we hope to be doing with this podcast. In many ways this is a reboot of Episode 1, but with better audio quality and much less nervous hosts. We hope you enjoy and don't forget to email your votes for the name for Peter's son at [email protected].

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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 Attribut...

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 37:43 - Main Topic (Every Sunday Communion - Part 2)

On episode SIXTY-TWO of Let the Bird Fly! the guys continue their discussion about every Sunday Communion with Pastor Brian Doebler. If you haven't listened to the first part of the discussion, you may want to do so before listening to this one, as this is the second half of that conversation. You can find the first part on episode 61. Since we didn't have a clean ending from the last episode, this one begins with a bit of an overlap from the previous episode. And we don't have a Scripture Narrative or Free-for-All, so this one is just one big, long Main Topic. Once again we'd like to thank Pastor Doebler for joining us for this lengthy conversation. We hope you'll enjoy it.

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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.

“Not Drunk” by The Joy Drops is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

Image: “Communion Table” by John Snyder is licensed under an Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 11:17 - Scripture Narrative (1 Corinthians 11:24-26)

* 16:35 - Free-for-All (Sophia's Questions)

* 37:43 - Main Topic (Every Sunday Communion - Part 1)

On episode SIXTY-ONE of Let the Bird Fly! the guys sit down in Wade's backyard to discuss the practice of celebrating the Lord's Supper every Sunday. They are joined by Rev. Brian Doebler (who you may remember from episode 53 and episode 56), who has a fair amount of experience implementing the practice of every Sunday Communion. The conversation goes more than a bit long, so it has been made into two episodes. We apologize for the abrupt ending to this episode, but you can pickup the rest of the conversation on episode 62. 

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 05:18 - Scripture Narrative (John 1:1-2)

* 09:04 - Free-for-All (Grad School Experiences)

* 29:09 - Main Topic (Communicating with Dr. Paustian)

On episode SIXTY of Let the Bird Fly! Wade and Mike welcome Rev. Dr. Mark Paustian from Martin Luther College in (wonderful) New Ulm, MN to discuss communications, theology, apologetics, preaching, and even story-telling. Before getting to the main topic, Mike discusses the prologue to the Gospel according to St. John, which ends with Mike having to cut-off Wade. In the free-for-all all three of the guys discuss their experiences in graduate school, and this segment also end with Mike cutting-off Wade (this almost seems to be a pattern, I wonder why?).

In the main topic Dr. Paustian discusses his area of expertise--communications. This leads to a conversation that ranges from St. Augustine and C.S. Lewis, to preaching and apologetics, and even a discussion about the importance of story-telling. If you're interested in the book Dr. Paustian referenced you can find it right here: Human Communication as Narration by Walter R. Fisher.

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 02:22 - Free-for-All (Summer Plans)

* 14:26 - Main Topic (God Is Not One)

On episode FIFTY-NINE of Let the Bird Fly! we welcome back Rev. Dr. Mark Braun, this time to talk about why all religions are not the same. The guys use Stephen Prothero's book God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World a springboard for their conversation. But before discussing world religions, they briefly discuss their plans for the summer (evidently recording during finals week makes college professor want to talk about summer for some reason).

If you're interested in any of Prothero's books mention in the episode, here are some links:

* God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World

* Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know-And Doesn't

* American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon

This was Dr. Braun's sixth time on Let the Bird Fly! as a guest and we are truly thankful for the time he has given us. If you've missed any of the previous episodes we had him on you can catch up right here:

* Episode 5: The Time Between the Testaments

* Episode 14: The Tale of Two Synods

* Episode 29: Black Geneva Piety

* Episode 43: The Book of Deuteronomy

* Episode 47: The Book of Judges

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], or visit our website at

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 05:04 - Free-for-All (Animal Fights)

* 21:51 - Main Topic (Preaching as a Means of Grace)

On episode FIFTY-EIGHT of Let the Bird Fly! all four of the guys sit down to discuss Preaching as a Means of Grace. In the May 2018 issue of Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology, Wade published an article on this topic, which serves as the basis for their discussion. So if the discussion piques your interest, make sure to get your hands on a copy of that issue of Logia (or better yet, subscribe).

Before getting to their main topic, however, the guys get the important stuff out of the way by discussing animal fights, how God's sense of humor is seen in the hippo, and whether or not a gorilla could make a shiv from a pine tree. (important. stuff.) 

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network (which, after the description above, we should mention we do not speak for....and who may soon be removing us from their network) and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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.

“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

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 01:51 - Free-for-All (Going to New York City)

* 12:50 - Main Topic (Names of Jesus)

On episode FIFTY-SEVEN of Let the Bird Fly! Wade and Mike sit down for a somewhat off-the-cuff episode. Wade and Mike were recently in New York, which gave them the idea to discuss New York City (because nothing sounds like a better idea than two guys who have been to New York a total of three times talking about NYC). After providing a comprehensive review of New York City, Mike and Wade turn their attention to a discussion of the names of Jesus.

If you haven't done so yet, make sure to head over to the 1517 Podcast Network and check all the other podcasts in the network; you’re sure to find something you’ll enjoy!

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 [email protected], 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: “