An Evangelical Lutheran Presence: A Retreat for Congregational Elders by G. Mark Steiner.

[Jeff Shapiro writes:] What can we say about opposites?  That they attract?  That one is right and the other is wrong? That one is good and the other is bad? With Solomon and Jonah as models of opposite motivations and behaviors, we see how both words in a set of paired opposites can be wrong, bad and dysfunctional.  In this companion document to "Even Unto Death," you will see how Liberal/Conservative, Inclusive/Exclusive, Open-minded/Close-minded and other dyads of the "language of the world" can push congregations away from the truth of the gospel.  Designed primarily for elders, this treatise will demonstrate that the distinguishing characteristics of the Evangelical Lutheran Church represent gifts of God for us to go forward in words of faith, rather than words of fear.  The discussion questions in each chapter will aid in congregational self-analysis.

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