The Greatness of Christ

Click here to read a beautiful sermon by Pastor Stuckwisch.  If pastors had trading cards, Pr. Stuckwisch's would be in high demand! :)  

Not Success, but Faithfulness

A good blog post by my friend, Rev. David Petersen (Redeemer, Ft. Wayne), was chosen by Jeff Scwharz as "Issues, Etc. Blog of the Week" on Friday.  You can click here to read the post and/or click below to listen to the segment on Issues. 


This is very good advice. Pastors are not called to be successful, but faithful. In fact, if we believe our Lord, pastors should expect to suffer criticism and ridicule if they abide in the Word of God. To proclaim the Law in its full sternness will not make the pastor very popular with many, for they do not want to hear that they are sinners. But, proclaim the Law the pastor must. To preach the Gospel in it's full sweetness will not win many friends either, for many want to play some role, however small or large, in their salvation. But, to preach the Gospel the pastor must. It will not do to pander to "felt needs." That's not the pastor's job and it doesn't work anyway, since everyone has different "felt needs." The old adage, "you can't please everyone," is true. You can't. But, it doesn't matter. Pastors are not called to please people, but to be the Good Shepherd's undershepherd; to deliver Word and Sacrament to God's people in Christ's stead and by His command. That's all - nothing more, nothing less. It is not our ministry, but Christ's; not our office, but Christ's; not our Word, but Christ's. We have no right to do our own thing. We have taken vows, were called and ordained, to do Christ's thing, not our thing.

Of course, all of that is easier said than done. Much easier to go with the flow and not cause any waves. Much easier to preach positive, motivational messages. Much easier to compromise by having different kinds of worship "styles" available, so that people can pick and choose the "style" they like best. Which is to say, much easier to follow the advice of our current synodical leadership. But, as Pr. Petersen notes, the easier way requires the pastor to sell his soul. Shooting for success comes at a great price!

So, pastors must strive not for success, but faithfulness. Doing so will bring suffering, but the faithful pastor is willing to endure, knowing that his reward will come later. And, if the pastor is faithful, the Word will do its work. Faithful Christians will be created and sustained by that Word. The pastor will not be alone, even though he may feel like it from time to time. There will be some who will love and support the pastor on account of his faithfulness and because they love Jesus.

So, away with all the advice to "just love your people" and "tend to their felt needs." The people need to be slain by the Law and made alive by the Gospel. The pastor who is faithful to his charge to give the people what they need, rather than what they want, truly loves the people he serves.

Strive for success or remain faithful? There is no choice for the pastor who serves under Christ. Besides, the faithful pastor is a successful pastor, not according to the world's standards for success, but according to the Lord's standards.

Pastor's prayer on Saturday evening

O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my Lord and my God, I humbly pray You to pardon all my sins.  Look not upon my unworthiness but upon Your great mercy, by which You have appointed me to be Your ambassador in Christ's stead.  Put Your Word in my mouth and tomorrow speak with my tongue.  Bring forth fruit through me, Your unworthy servant, and let not the preaching of Your Word be without effect among us.  May all that I utter be in accord with Your Word and the confession of Your Church, that Your name may be glorified, Your congregation truly awakened, and thus, through me, Your unworthy servant, Your Church be edified.

As You inhabited the praises of Israel, dwell in the praises of this our Church.  Let the sacrifice of our praise be acceptable to You, and preserve us from insincerity and thoughtless worship.

Incline Your ear to our prayer, O God of Jacob; hear the voice of our supplications and help us.

Preserve unto us Your holy Word that it may be joyfully and boldly proclaimed in its purity, and guard us in the right use of the Sacrament in accord with the institution of Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Restrain all who would destroy us and turn them to Yourself.

Be our God and our children's God, now and henceforth, and hear my prayer, O Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter divine.  Amen.  (Lutheran Service Book:  Pastoral Care Companion, p. xix)

Hang in there, Sparty!

Sparty gave the Irish all they could today, but came up a little short (33-30).  After last week's loss to CMU, I was happy to see my team battle a good Notre Dame squad today.  It didn't look good early, but they hung in there and fought to the end.  Poor Cousins (MSU QB) - that kid had a heck of a game.  I hope he doesn't hang his head and is able to put the two errant passes in the last two minutes behind him (one that should have been a TD and an interception which ended the game) and get ready for next week.  Call me the eternal optimist, but I still believe we have a chance to contend for the Big Ten title.  Coach Dantonio needs to get the kids to put the nightmare of last week and the heart-breaker of this week out of their heads.  The season starts next week in Wisconsin.  If we're ready to play, we can beat the Badgers.  Then, that other team from our state, about which we do not speak around these parts, pays us a visit.  After we beat them, we'll be 2-0 in the Big Ten and on our way!  So, hang in there Sparty.  There is a lot of football left to play in this season!        

Prayer of thanksgiving for the congregation committed to the pastor's care

Glory and honor, praise and thanks be to You, God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for all the mercy and faithfulness You have shown to this congregation. Your Word has not returned void, but You have here gathered a people that knows You and fears Your name. Give me Your Holy Spirit that I may at all times see the good things in this congregation and praise and thank You for them. Bless Your Word in times to come that it may preserve the faithful in Your grace, convert those who do not yet belong to You, and bring back the erring and straying. Gather Your people as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and shelter Your congregation with Your love; for You live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Lutheran Service Book:  Pastoral Care Companion, p. xxv) 

Issues, Etc. Blog of the Week

So, I was catching up on the last few days of Issues, Etc. broadcasts this evening and was surprised to hear that Jeff Schwarz chose my blog as Blog of the Week, based on my post, "That's Too Catholic!"

How cool is that?!

Thanks, Jeff.  I am honored, my friend.

You can listen to the Issues, Etc. Blog of the Week segment below:

It takes all kinds of churches?

Pictured to the left is Pastor Greg Bearss of LakePointe Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Pastor Bearss happens to be a classmate of mine from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne.  I guess I missed the class that taught us to replace the altar with a drum set and lead the Service in our jeans.  Come to think of it, after visiting LakePointe's website, I guess I missed a lot of classes.  Either that or Pastor Bearss has decided to ignore what we were taught at seminary and is out there doing his own thing.  I'm inclined to believe that it's the latter.

Anyway, Pastor Bearss is quickly becoming famous in our synod.  About a year and a half ago, our synodical president, Gerald Kieschnick, in his monthly letter to LCMS pastors, mentioned Pastor Bearss and the congregation he serves, informing us that LakePointe was a "perfect example" of an Ablaze! Covenant Congregation.  Now, Pastor Bearss and LakePointe are back in the synodical news, as they're featured in this month's edition of The Lutheran Witness.  In the article, Rev. Yohannes Mengsteab, LCMS World Mission national director for new mission development, agrees that congregations like LakePointe don't sound like "typical" LCMS congregations and goes on to say, "It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people."

This way of thinking comes straight out of the Satanic "Church Growth Movement" playbook, where the Church is told that she must change and adapt to the culture if she is to survive and grow; that she must follow the principles of the secular business world and treat the Gospel as her chief product to be creatively marketed for the consumers she is trying to reach, namely the "un-churched."  "It takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people" is code for "the church must do whatever it takes to reach the lost."  I must have missed this at seminary, too, since I thought I learned that the lost were reached by the pure preaching of the Gospel and the faithful administration of the Sacraments according to Christ's institution, not by "whatever it takes."  This whole "whatever it takes" business runs contrary to everything I have learned in Holy Scripture and our Lutheran Confessions.   

LakePointe is a perfect example of a congregation that has adopted the principles of the Church Growth Movement.  I am happy to see that no one has yet forced them to include Lutheran in their name, 'cause they surely are not Lutheran.  But, that begs the question:  Why are they (and congregations like them that do not include Lutheran in their name and do not show any hint of being Lutheran in the public witness of their doctrine and practice) endorsed, promoted, and put forth as a "perfect example" of an Ablaze! Covenant Congregation?  I don't get it.  Someone please explain this to me.  Does Rev. Mengsteab mean to suggest that it takes all kinds of churches, even non-Lutheran churches, to reach all kinds of people in our Lutheran synod?  That must be what he means.  Where did he go to seminary?  What Bible is he reading?

Remember the good ole' days when congregations following the principles of the Church Growth Movement in our synod were simply tolerated.  We knew they were out there, but we pretended like they weren't and kept everything hush-hush.  In today's "not your grandfather's" LCMS, such congregations are not only allowed to come out of the closet, so to speak, but are praised as the wave of the future.  Our current synodical leaders are telling us that the future of our synod will be made secure by planting more and more non-Lutheran churches, since, after all, "it takes all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people." 

So, if the direction our current synodical leadership is taking us continues, what can we expect the future LCMS to look like?  Well, that's simple - it will look like a hodgepodge of "all kinds of churches" (some Lutheran, some Methodist, some Baptist, some Pentecostal, some non-denominational, and so on).  Come to think of it, the current LCMS already looks a bit like that, doesn't it?

One more thing:  Anyone have a clue what the heck a "Baptism Bash" is?  I know I never learned about that at seminary and I can't find it in any of the Service Books or Agendas I have.   

Father Hollywood . . .

hits the nail on the head in this post about grammar imitating life.  There have been a number of times since I've been a pastor when I've had other pastors ask about how things are going in the parish I serve.  Often, as the conversation goes on, the pastor I'm talking to will ask, "So, how many do you worship each Sunday?"  I have experienced great inward joy by always answering that question, "One God in Three Persons.  Why?  How many do you worship?"  I usually get the "quit being a smart-aleck, you know what I mean" look.  But, it's great fun.  What's scary is that sometimes the pastor who asks this question in this way is a solid, confessional Lutheran, and not of the "church-growth" ilk.  That's scary because it means that this faulty way of talking about worship in the church has become so common that even we who know better can find ourselves adopting this language.

In a similar vein, what also gets lost in the mix when we focus on how many warm bodies are occupying our pews is the truth that, when we gather together for Divine Service, the attendance is actually innumerable, since we are gathered together with all the saints, living and glorified, and all the angels and archangels.  Maybe next year when the synod sends us the form to fill out our statistics and updates (can't remember what the actual form is titled - shows you how much I pay attention to it), we should put, "Unknown (or, Known only by God)" in the blank after Average Sunday Worship. :)  Actually, I'm only half-kidding about this, since I think doing this would actually go a long way toward directing our focus back to where it should be when we talk about worship. 

Does time heal all wounds?

No, it doesn't.  Time may heal some wounds, but it doesn't heal all wounds.  It never heals wounds inflicted by the tongue.  Time can't take away the hurt feelings suffered by those who have been slandered or gossiped about behind their backs.  Time can't resolve conflicts between people.  Time doesn't repent and time doesn't forgive.  The advice to just give angry people space and time to get over whatever it is that has angered them is bad advice.  Not only will they not get over it, but they will inevitably infect others with their anger and inflict more wounds with their tongues.  Even if enough time passes and they seem to have gotten over it, they really haven't.  Whatever it was that angered them, if left unresolved, will always be there.  And, what of those whose names they have slandered and whose reputations they have damaged along the way?  Time can't take that away.  If the angry people seem to have gotten over it, but have not sought forgiveness from those they have damaged, nothing is gained.  A false peace results, which is always on the edge of erupting into conflict again.

Time does not heal all wounds.  The healing balm of forgiveness is the only cure for some wounds.  But, that healing balm cannot be applied when those in conflict refuse to talk.  Communication is the key.  Honesty, love, and the desire to be reconciled are pretty important, too.

What was it our Lord taught us?  "If your brother sins against you, give him enough time and space and hopefully he'll get over it"?  Um, no.  We are to go and show our brother (or sister) his (or her) fault.  Not later, but now, before things get more heated and ugly.  Time is not our ally in the conflict resolution process, but our enemy.  The more time that passes, the harder it will be to confront and deal with the issues that caused the conflict.

I wonder why this is so hard for Christians to understand.  Actually, I should rephrase that:  I wonder why this is so hard for Christians to practice, for surely all Christians know that the right thing to do when they are upset with a brother or sister is to go and talk things out, seeking reconciliation, which flows from their desire to forgive, love, and be at peace with one another.  And yet, having spent almost 20 years in various leadership positions in the church (the last four-plus years as a parish pastor), rare is the occasion when Christians actually practice what our Lord preaches.  Far more often, when they become upset with someone or something in the congregation, rather than confronting the matter and seeking after reconciliation, they harden their hearts, find like-minded people with whom they can gripe and complain, and even look for ways to get even or to punish their brothers and sisters (or the congregation, in general).  Time doesn't help.  Usually, if enough time passes and there has been no attempt at reconciliation, the final act of "showing those people" (or, "that congregation)" from these people who have grown angry for this, that, or the other reason is to leave.  "Let's see how they get along without us," they think.         

One wonders how such people can pray the Lord's Prayer with a clear conscience.  They can't really mean it when they pray, "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us," can they?  They are not willing to forgive.  They are not even willing to talk, so how can they be ready to forgive?  After all, forgiveness is not something we feel in our hearts, but something we give, by way of announcement, to others, on the basis of the forgiveness we have received from the Lord.

Of course, there is guilt on the other end of this equation as well.  Those who recognize that there are angry people in the congregation and refuse to confront those people in love and with the desire to restore them gently have failed to practice what our Lord preached as well.  It may be easier to simply ignore those people and let them stew, but the right thing to do is to confront them with the honest desire to try to understand where they're coming from and why they're upset.  Sometimes, this is impossible, as the angry people refuse to talk, but it is just as sinful not to try to reach out to these people as it is for these people to refuse to seek reconciliation and allow forgiveness to reign.  Mom was right, after all, "Two wrongs do not make a right." 

Anyway, the whole point is that time definitely does not heal all wounds.  Time can't repent and time can't forgive.  Time won't heal conflicts within the church.  Only Gospel-motivated faith and love for one another, which shows itself forth in a willingness to seek reconciliation and a desire to forgive can do that.   

Patience may be a virtue, but it's also a PAIN

I am doing my best to patiently wait for our copies of the hardback edition of The Lutheran Study Bible to ship, but it ain't easy, especially when I have to read about people all over the internet who have received their copies and are so excited about it.  I realize that the good folks at CPH are extremely busy these days and that I should just be patient, since all good things come to those who wait, and so forth, but I broke down today and gave them a call.  I'm glad I did.  The very nice lady on the phone didn't know why our hardbacks hadn't shipped yet and assured me that they will be shipped out today.  So, we should be receiving these sometime this week.  The larger print and leather editions won't be in until the end of the month, so we'll have to remain patient on those.  But, hopefully we'll have the hardback TLSB's in our hands by the end of the week.  If not, I'm getting in the car and driving down to St. Louis to get a copy myself! :) 

Pastor Weedon posted some insightful thoughts on his blog the other day, highlighting the fact that we Lutherans are very blessed to live in a day and age when so many extraordinary Lutheran resources are making their way into print.  I could not agree more.  With all the troubles we face in American Lutheranism today, even in our own synod, our publishing house (CPH) is doing a fabulous, and unprecedented, job of furnishing us with tremendous resources:  Lutheran Service Book (and all its companion volumes), Treasury of Daily Prayer (the absolute BEST prayer book ever produced!), Concordia:  The Lutheran Confessions (the BEST edition of our Lutheran Confessions in the English language yet, by far), and now The Lutheran Study Bible (which I can say with confidence is the best study Bible ever, even though I haven't seen it yet).  And this is not to mention the plethora of theological works which have been released of late, or will be released soon, including additional volumes of Luther's Works.  It truly is a most blessed time to be a Lutheran! 

Private confession and absolution . . .

will be offered to all those who have even the slightest hint of satisfaction over Michigan State's loss to CMU today.

I'm still in shock.  Can't we play a little defense?  What the heck?  The only thing that will lessen the sickness I feel in my stomach right now is to see the Irish beat Michigan.  But, as satisfying as that would be, I doubt that it will take away the weeping and gnashing of teeth going on in the Messer house today!   

Christian Growth

Rev. Paul McCain, of CPH fame, had a fine post over at Cyberbrethren last week, which dealt with the subject of Christian growth.  This got me to thinking, and I offer some additional thoughts:

The Christian can grow in his/her faith.  Lutherans are often accused of teaching otherwise, which is quite absurd.  What we Lutherans believe, teach, and confess is that the Christian can never reach perfect sanctification in this life.  We Christians will remain sinners until we breathe our last breath here on earth.  But, that doesn't mean that we cannot grow in faith. 

But, how does such growth occur?  Not in the manner many believe, for many posit that Christian growth is fostered by motivating the Christian to think more highly of him/herself; to stop thinking of him/herself as a sinner and start concentrating on the good in him/her.  This way of thinking is prevalent among popular TV and radio "preachers" out there today.  If you watch and listen closely, you will notice that they almost never talk about sin.  For that matter, you will also notice that they rarely mention Jesus.  If Jesus does happen to make it into their motivational messages, it is to put Him forth as an example to follow, or a "life-coach" to heed, not as the Savior we so desperately need.  In their way of thinking, Jesus did His part for us 2,000 years ago and now it is up to us to do our part.  The focus is on leading the Christian to "become a better you" and to "live your best life now" (which happen to be the titles of both of Joel Osteen's books - Osteen is the most popular "preacher" in America today). 

What these "preachers" put forward will not help the Christian grow in his/her faith in any way, shape, or form.  In fact, quite the opposite will happen, for as the people who heed the motivational messages of these false prophets earnestly struggle to "become better thems" and "live their best lives now," they will need Jesus less and less, if at all.  Why is Jesus needed when the key to Christian growth and happiness lies solely within them?  Why is Jesus needed when they are no longer sinners in need of a Savior? 

No, my friends, true Christian growth happens through continual and honest self-examination in light of God's Holy Law, for it is only through such that Christians will recognize their sinfulness and desperate need of a Savior.  You want to grow in your faith as a Christian?  Get in touch with your sinfulness.  The more you realize how sinful you are (and, by the way, YOU are!), the more you will be led to fall upon your knees and plead for mercy, and the more you will learn to appreciate and cling to God's answer to your plea - His Son, your Savior, Jesus Christ, who lived the perfect life you can't live and died on the cross for every single one of your sins.

I know it sounds backwards, but this is the true way to Christian growth.  The Christian life is a life of daily repentance and faith.  That never changes.  We never move beyond the need to confess our sins and we never move beyond our need to rely solely on Jesus, the answer for our sins.

None of this is to say that the Christian lays around, day after day, lamenting his/her sins.  Not at all.  Ours is the victory in Christ.  We are free to live; free to serve; free to love.  It is because we know that our sins have been taken away by the Lamb of God that they need not haunt us.  We need not wallow in the mire of our sins, but are free to live as those redeemed by Christ the Crucified. 

It also must be stated that we do not simply throw in the towel concerning our sinfulness.  We strive to defeat sin.  We battle sin.  We crucify our flesh and its sinful desires.  We don't willingly and knowingly repeat the same sins with the attitude that it doesn't matter because Christ has died for them.  To do that is to turn the Gospel into "cheap grace."  No, we strive against sin.  And, when we fail, even when we fall into repeating the same sins over and over again, we approach the throne of grace with sorrow and repent, with the desire to amend our sinful ways.  Then, upon hearing the Good News that we are forgiven in Christ, we depart in peace, not to go out and do as we please, but to fight the good fight of the faith, which includes the ongoing battle in which we must be engaged with our sinful flesh.

The point of all of this is that true Christian growth is not marked by complacency and comfortable satisfaction.  It is certainly not fostered by encouraging an inflated self-esteem within the Christian.  Rather, it is marked by an internal struggle within the Christian, who is never content this side of heaven, but longs for the day when the struggle with sin will be ended.  That is to say, true Christians are not intent on becoming "better" thems, but "more faithful" thems; they are not concerned with living their best lives "now," but struggle through this life always with an eye on the "life of the world to come."  True Christians realize that the earthly lives they live are nothing more than pilgrimages in the wilderness of this sinful world on their way to the Promised Land.  Realizing this, true Christians love the habitation of their Lord's House, the place where His glory dwells.  They return regularly to the Divine Service, where their Lord meets them to absolve their sins, fill them with His Word, and feed them with the Heavenly Manna of His true Body and Blood, that they may live in His forgiveness and be strengthened and preserved in the faith.

In sum, to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18) is not a matter of building your self-esteem, but a matter of increasing your reliance upon the Christ.  Such reliance comes only through continuous self-examination and faithful reception of the means of grace (Holy Word and Sacraments), through which the Holy Spirit works to sustain and strengthen the faith of repentant sinners.      

On Being Lutheran

While I was cleaning up my work space this afternoon, I ran across the Summer 2009 edition of Thrivent magazine, which was given to me some time ago by one of our members.  It was opened up to page 10, where an article titled "On Being Lutheran" appears.  Included in the article are responses from readers to questions asked in the previous edition:  "If you grew up Lutheran, are you still attending a Lutheran church?  Why or why not?  And if you didn't grow up Lutheran, why are you now attending a Lutheran church?"  The responses are more than a little interesting:

Response #1:  I have been Lutheran all my life, praise the Lord!  I would not trade the truth of the Gospel - salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, based on Scripture alone - with anything another religion has to offer.  None can come close to this comforting truth!

This is a good response from someone who actually knows what Lutheranism is and why he is a Lutheran.  The only error in the response is that the phrase "in Christ alone" should have been inserted between "through faith alone" and "based on Scripture alone."  But, I think we all meant what this gentleman knew. :)

Response #2:  I grew up as a Lutheran but am no longer attending a Lutheran church.  My wife and I left our longtime church home following a change in pastors.  While we looked briefly at other Lutheran congregations, we ended up attending both Presbyterian and Methodist churches.  While there are differences in church teachings and governance, I found these issues to be relatively minor.

Obviously this person (couple) was not properly catechized, or didn't properly pay attention to the catechesis he(they) received, since the differences between Lutherans and Presbyterians and Methodists are huge.  One wonders what it was about the new pastor that drove this couple away.  Whatever it was, it surely wasn't worth giving up the very Body and Blood of our Lord in the Supper (or the correct doctrine of justification, etc.).

Response #3:  I was raised Lutheran, attending a church school through grade eight.  Having a firm foundation to build your life upon is a major blessing.  After attending a Lutheran church in Rochester, Minnesota, for 20 years, we switched to a large independent church.  Faith in Jesus as God's son, forgiveness of sins through His resurrection, and the Holy Spirit guiding our lives are nondenominational. 

The foundation this lady received was obviously not as firm as she thought.  "Forgiveness of sins through [Jesus'] resurrection"?  I thought He won forgiveness for us on the cross.  Hmmm . . . sounds like she joined one of them thar "evangelical" congregations that is full of "Easter Christians" and not "Good Friday Christians."  You know, the whole, "we gotta stop focusing on a dead Jesus and celebrate the alive Jesus" thing at work.

Response #4:  I grew up Lutheran and will always consider myself a Lutheran, but there is only one God and we don't have the sole rights to Him.  I am very thankful for everything that God and the Lutheran church have done for me, but I really don't think that God is going to check on which church we belong to on Judgment Day.  He will be interested only in our belief in Jesus as our Savior.

This lady expresses a very popular belief out there today, namely that it matters not where we go to church, so long as we believe in Jesus.  Many people extend this even further, declaring that we don't even need to belong to a church.  "I don't need no stinkin' church!  I believe in Jesus and that's all I need!"  Well, not really.  I mean, if you really believed in Jesus, why in the world would you deliberately stay away from His Church?  Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what true faith is, for it is not merely the possession of intellectual knowledge of Jesus and His salvific work (even the devils believe, and shudder for it!), but rather full trust in Jesus, which shows itself forth in the continual reception of His gifts via Word and Sacrament.  Besides this, the lady here shows forth another common misconception among many Christians, namely that there are many churches.  Um, no.  There is only one church.  On Judgment Day, you either belong to that one church or not.  What I think she means to say is that Lutherans are not the only Christians who go to heaven.  That's true.  There are Christians who belong to other denominations who will make it to heaven.  Only God knows who truly belongs to His Church.

Response #5:  I was raised a Presbyterian but have been a Lutheran since 1952.  My son was an avid watcher of The Howdy Doody Show on TV.  Every Friday, the host, Buffalo Bob Smith, said, "Now remember, boys and girls, go to the church or the synagogue of your choice this weekend."  My 5-year-old son kept repeating those words.  We sent him to the Lutheran church, and the pastor invited the whole family to attend.  We did and found the services very satisfying.  Thus we became Lutheran.   

Buffalo Bob Smith obviously had some serious theological issues, but I am glad that his influence played a role in bringing this family into the Lutheran church.  Not sure what this person means by "the services were very satisfying," but I hope what is meant is that they were fed on Word and Sacrament.  I'm gonna go ahead and make a ruling here that that's what this reader meant. :)

Response #6:  I was baptized Lutheran when I was 3 months old, and I still attend church.  I like the rich tradition of our liturgy, as it holds great meaning for me.  And I like the fact that most congregations now celebrate the Eucharist weekly.  

This is a man after my own heart.  Great response!  I'm not sure he's correct that "most" congregations now celebrate the Eucharist weekly, but he is right in noting that there has been a resurgence toward weekly Eucharist lately, which is a very blessed thing, indeed, since, well, we Lutherans confess that we celebrate the Mass (Divine Service with Holy Communion) EVERY Lord's Day (Sunday) and on feast days (cf. AC XXIV and AP XXIV).

Response #7:  My wife and I were raised Lutheran and were members of Lutheran churches for more than 50 years.  When we moved to our current community, in 1999, there was no Lutheran church in the area, and the closest one was a 25-minute drive away.  We became members of the nondenominational First Christian Church.  We found that while the style was very different from most Lutheran churches, the substance of truth remained the same.  

Ah, the ole' "style does not affect substance" argument!  Um, no, you cannot separate style from substance.  It doesn't work.  If you worship like methobapticostals and non-denoms, you is gonna eventually believe like them.  Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (literally).  If this couple really understood the difference between the actual substance of confessional Lutheranism and this nondenom congregation, they would be more than willing to make the 25-mile drive.

That's Too Catholic! - Part 2

Just in case you're interested, what inspired the last post was my running across these words again from our synod's first president, C.F.W. Walther.  It seems that he was already fighting the "that's too Catholic!" accusations in his day.  Go figure.  Here's Walther on this:

Whenever the divine service once again follows the old Evangelical-Lutheran agendas (or church books), it seems that many raise a great cry that it is "Roman Catholic": "Roman Catholic" when the pastor chants "The Lord be with you" and the congregation responds by chanting "and with thy spirit"; "Roman Catholic" when the pastor chants the collect and the blessing and the people respond with a chanted "Amen." Even the simplest Christian can respond to this outcry: "Prove to me that this chanting is contrary to the Word of God, then I too will call it `Roman Catholic' and have nothing more to do with it. However, you cannot prove this to me." If you insist upon calling every element in the divine service "Romish" that has been used by the Roman Catholic Church, it must follow that the reading of the Epistle and Gospel is also "Romish." Indeed, it is mischief to sing or preach in church, for the Roman Church has done this also . . .Those who cry out should remember that the Roman Catholic Church possesses every beautiful song of the old orthodox church. The chants and antiphons and responses were brought into the church long before the false teachings of Rome crept in. This Christian Church since the beginning, even in the Old Testament, has derived great joy from chanting... For more than 1700 years orthodox Christians have participated joyfully in the divine service. Should we, today, carry on by saying that such joyful participation is "Roman Catholic"? God forbid! Therefore, as we continue to hold and to restore our wonderful divine services in places where they have been forgotten, let us boldly confess that our worship forms do not tie us with the modern sects or with the church of Rome; rather, they join us to the one, holy Christian Church that is as old as the world and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. (Der Lutheraner, July 19, 1853, issue, volume 9, number 24, page 163, translation by Paul McCain)

That's Too Catholic!

One of the most frustrating things for the 21st-century, confessional Lutheran pastor to deal with is the oft-repeated accusation that this, that, or the other thing is "too Catholic!"  Those who make these accusations really mean to say that what they're witnessing is "too Roman Catholic!"

Firstly, this charge is made by those on the outside looking in, who really haven't the first clue about what distinguishes Lutheran doctrine and practice from Roman Catholic doctrine and practice.  They see similarities between the two and conclude that they're the same.  I've heard it more times than I can remember:  "Oh, you're a Lutheran.  You're just like the Catholics, then."  This misunderstanding is certainly understandable, since such people are basing their conclusion simply upon what they see, and haven't taken a single moment to dig into matters more deeply.

Secondly, this charge is made by many life-long Lutherans who were brought up to believe that many ancient and laudable customs in the church were to be avoided because they were "Roman Catholic."  Making the sign of the cross is a case in point.  Other examples include chanting the liturgy, wearing Eucharistic vestments, elevating the Body and Blood of Christ at the Consecration, genuflecting, private confession and absolution, and observing the Feast Days of saints.  It doesn't matter for many that it can be easily proven that none of these customs originated in the Roman Catholic Church, but were already in existence long before it ever came into being.  They have been taught that these things are "Roman Catholic" and they'll hear nothing more about it, thank you very much.  I have met some life-long Lutherans in my day who are so convinced that these things are "Roman Catholic" that I am quite certain that the apostle Paul himself would not be able to convince them otherwise.

What is so frustrating about this is that the truth is so readily available to anyone who is in the habit of playing the "That's too (Roman) Catholic!" card.  A Lutheran need only read his/her copy of the Book of Concord to learn what truly distinguishes Lutherans from Roman Catholics.

What is also frustrating - and very telling - is that you almost never hear the cry, "That's too Baptist! (or Methodist, or Pentecostal, or whatever)"  The truth is, whether some want to admit it or not, that Lutherans have never been nearly as defensive concerning Protestant practices, especially since their coming to America where Protestantism has flourished.

This goes a long way toward explaining why American Lutheranism finds itself in such a mess today.  In our zeal to protect ourselves from the big, bad, wolf of Roman Catholicism, we have left ourselves unguarded from allowing Protestant influence to chart our course.  It is no surprise that we see many Lutherans mimicking the practices of Protestants today, for Lutherans have been caving in to Protestant influence for many years.  It is also no surprise to see many Lutherans making an easy transition from Lutheran congregations to Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, non-denominational, and other congregations, for they don't see the many major, doctrinal issues at stake.  "Protestants are our friends, after all.  We're okay, so long as we avoid Roman Catholicism." 

But the truth is (brace yourselves, Lutherans!) that we share much more in common with Roman Catholics than we do with modern Protestantism.  I know, shocking, isn't it?  But, it's true, nonetheless.  The Reformation, led by Blessed Dr. Martin Luther, was not about starting a new church, or even a new "version" of the church.  It was about reforming the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church and restoring the Gospel to the center of all the church is, says, and does.  Our Lutheran forefathers were very adamant about the fact that they were not interested in dumping the ancient customs and traditions, but were intent on reverently keeping, and religiously defending, them.  They dropped some things that were contrary to the Gospel and reformed other customs and traditions to bring them in line with the Gospel, but simply kept in place all those things that served the Gospel and the piety of Christ's Church well.

None of this is to say that we don't have major differences with the Roman Catholic Church to this day.  We do - MAJOR differences!  But, here's a newsflash for ya:  We have MAJOR differences with Protestants, too!  To think that it is okey-dokey for Lutherans to adopt Protestant practices, while avoiding anything that looks, smells, or sounds Roman Catholic, is to completely misunderstand what Lutheranism truly is.

There is a cure for that, you know.  Read and study the Book of Concord for yourself.  You might be surprised at what you learn.  If you are diligent in your study, I am confident that you will see why it is frustrating for those of us who have studied what we Lutherans believe, teach, and confess to hear people claiming that many of the beautiful, ancient, Gospel-serving, pre-Roman Catholic customs and traditions are "too (Roman) Catholic!"