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March 2025
Dear Friends,
“In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His
bosom that transfigures you and me.”-Julia Ward Howe The Battle Hymn of the
Republic
The first Sunday of this month is The Transfiguration of Our Lord. This is a day
that celebrates the divinity of the Lord Jesus being revealed in stark display
to Peter, James and John and to every reader/hearer of this sacred text. The God
incarnate was momentarily unveiled to appear as He truly appeared and for a
moment the disciples were awestruck and extremely afraid. Moses and Elijah had
appeared with Jesus yet when the disciples looked up they were gone and Jesus
only remained. This lesson is a powerful one; apart from Jesus the Law and the
Prophets cannot save. They can only point and foretell; Jesus only is the
substance. Only through Christ’s atoning work can humans be saved. Jesus did not
reveal Himself to us as He truly appears because we couldn’t handle that, so He
came in flesh so that we could look upon Him without fear and even more that we
could see Him and be saved. The Transfiguration shows us how deeply God wanted
to save us. He would even come in flesh so that we wouldn’t be alienated by Him
but rather that we would come to Him as one of us.
Jesus only. These words provide the theme of a sermon by Henrik Schartau the
Awakener of Lund. Schartau powerfully uses the redundancy of these terms to
hammer home his point. It is Jesus only, the Christ for all of fallen Adam’s
race, who shows the true desire of the Father. His desire is to save, even if He
must personally fulfill the requirements of His own regulation, even if He must
pay the price in full for Adam’s transgression passed down through many
generations, even if He must offer the atoning sacrifice and indeed be
sacrificed, He will do it and indeed has. Schartau depicts this as a gigantic
cross overshadowing the world promising redemption to all those who would come
to God. It is Jesus only and no other, Jesus only minus all the vain imaginings
of humans, Jesus only apart from even the most holy of religious constructs. It
is Jesus only, He is the Son with whom the Father is fully satisfied. Hear Him.
Hear Him we shall and do whenever one dares to take up the Word and boldly
declare the message of Jesus only. Yet this message always leads to incredible
opposition. People may often choose to hear Jesus together with Moses and
Elijah, Jesus together with the old regulation, Jesus interpreted by the Old
Testament instead of the Jesus who fulfills the original covenant in totality
and now provides a new and living way; a New Testament in His blood and no
other, Jesus only who takes away the sin of the world. Still nothing else
provides satisfaction to God and nothing else will ever do. It is Jesus only or
nothing. There is therefore no other option but to proclaim Jesus only and so by
God’s grace we will endeavor to do so and by God’s Spirit succeed. So that, as
Julia Ward Howe indicated, we would all be transfigured in Him. All for Jesus
only.
God’s Peace,
Jay Weidner
DONATIONS RECEIVED...
In memory of Anna Ojanpera Somero
From David Kangas
In memory of Melissa Dahlmeier Roeser
From Steve & Marilyn Dahlmeier
In memory of Peter Sandretto Sr.
From Donna Gustafson Flaherty
In memory of Vieno Stalo
From Donna Gustafson Flaherty
In memory of Edward J. Puumala
From James & Laurene Mattinen
UPDATE ON STUDENT PROGRESS
We are very proud and excited for our “senior” students. Scott Seppala completed
his studies this past December and has started serving as Pastor of the Eastwood
Apostolic Lutheran Church in Negaunee, MI. For Michael Mattinen and Caleb Maunu,
the spring semester will be their last one at the seminary. Beginning this
summer, Michael will be doing an internship at Esko Apostolic Lutheran Church in
Esko, MN and Caleb will be doing an internship at Eastside Apostolic Lutheran
Church in Greer, SC. A graduation ceremony is planned for Sunday, May 18, 2025,
at Zion Lutheran Church in Hancock, MI.
Other full-time students are Travis Fredrickson (Calumet, MI) and Tyler Johnson
(Taylors, SC) along with part time students, Ken Helmes (Finland), Rev. Chad
Kyler (West Falls, NY) and Ed Hulkonen Jr. (Nisula, MI). Gwen Fredrickson
(Calumet, MI) and Cindy Koivu Bermudez (Alhambra, CA) are taking classes in our
Deaconess Program.
Also, there are many participants in the Monday night class on the General
Epistles and Hebrews which is offered in person or on Zoom. It’s not too late to
join in. Please email cilseminary@ilseminary.com if you are interested in doing
so.
Please keep ALL our students in prayer!
THRIVENT FINANCIAL
CHOICE DOLLARS PROGRAM IN 2024
THANK YOU to those who made contributions through Thrivent Financial Choice
Dollars Program. The seminary received $1,935 in the calendar year 2024. For
more information about Choice Dollars, visit http://www.Thrivent.com/thriventchoice
or call 800-847-4836 or contact your local Thrivent Financial representative.
2025 SPIRNG CLASS SCHEDULE LINK
https://ilseminary.org/classchedule.htm
ATTENTION: SUPPORTERS
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT THE SEMINARY.
CHOICE DOLLARS DETAILS: Eligible clients with membership can recommend
where Thrivent distributes some of its charitable grant funds. These
recommendations are shared by directing Choice Dollars to enrolled nonprofit
organizations, including churches.
Eligibility requirements: To be eligible to direct Choice Dollars as part of
Thrivent Choice®, you must be a client with benefit membership. Individual
eligibility is also based on at least one of the following:
• Having $750 or more in annual billed premiums of qualifying life and health
insurance products.
• Having $20,000 or more in contract value of qualifying life insurance and
annuity products.
Eligibility is determined monthly and reevaluated on an annual basis.
Minimum and maximum Choice Dollars designations: Eligible clients will be
designated a minimum of 25 Choice Dollars and a maximum of 5,000 Choice Dollars
per eligibility period (Jan. 1 to Dec. 31).
Choice Dollars expiration date: Choice Dollars designated during the calendar
year can be directed until March 31 of the following year.
For more information about Choice Dollars, visit http://www.Thrivent.com/thriventchoice
or call 800-847-4836 or contact your local Thrivent Financial representative.
THRIVENT CHARITABLE IMPACT & INVESTINGTM
The Inter-Lutheran Seminary has established an Endowment Fund through Thrivent
Charitable Impact & InvestingTM (formerly InFaith Community Foundation). All
earnings of the endowment will be used for the seminary’s needs thereby ensuring
the continued existence of this funding source. This is the preferred method
used by many non-profit entities, especially ongoing religiously focused
organizations such as seminaries. To learn more about this organization, go to
www.thriventcharitable.com.
We would love to grow our endowment into a major source of ongoing seminary
support. Although the seminary still needs the financial ongoing regular
contributions of our supporters, please consider the endowment fund for your
planned giving needs. For more additional information, please contact Kirk Otto,
Jr. at (715) 821-8574 or Cheryl Hendrickson at
(906) 482-3337.
ANOTHER OPTION FOR GIVING – PayPal
Online giving is as easy as clicking the DONATE button on our website: https://ilseminary.org.
Simply go to the How to Contribute tab and tap the yellow DONATE button to
begin. There are options for credit and debit card donations and even the option
to help the seminary cover the PayPal processing fee. (Note we are charged 1.99%
+ $.49/transaction fee). As always, we are thankful for your continued support!
**PLEASE NOTE**
If you are receiving this newsletter in error or would prefer to be taken off
the mailing list, please complete the form below and mail to: P.O. Box 449,
Hancock, MI 49930.
Or call 906-482-3337 or email: cilseminary@ilseminary.com. Thank you!
Date:_________________
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I wish to be removed from the Inter-Lutheran Seminary’s mailing list.
Inter-Lutheran
Theological Seminary
James Weidner, President
P.O. Box 449
Hancock, MI 49930
administrator@ilseminary.org
Phone: 906-482-3337
FAX: 906-482-0694