“Synod Sunday” in the WELS: Mission Closings, Membership Declines, and How the Gospel can Help

The Gospel used as Law to produce guilt and motivate righteous works. "Jesus has done this for you, now you must do that for Him!"

 

I just arrived home from a truly mournful Sunday morning. If it weren’t for the Liturgy, there would have been no spiritual profit in the exercise, at all. Once a year in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran synod (WELS), we endure what is called “Walking Together” or “Synod” Sunday – a day which should be one of celebrating our mutual Confession and the work we do together in the context of that Confession (i.e., the Lutheran Confessions as expressed in the Book of Concord, for those Lutherans under the mistaken impression that we merely confess the Bible, alongside innumerable non-confessional non-denominational Christians), but which has become a day of marketing the Synod to its members and of using Law to coerce financial contributions and using the anxiety it creates to motivate “outreach activities,” in order to “grow the Synod.” I’m sure that many church bodies in America have much the same sort of “day” which they inflict upon their own members and visitors. In our case, the Office of Church Growth, at Synod headquarters, distributed prayers, sermon outlines, and videos, to accompany the mandate of “Synod Sunday.” It was Church Growth schlock from start to finish.

The unsavory fact is, my own good and faithful pastor – a fine preacher and Confessional fellow – somehow got suckered into delivering this “Synod Sunday” Church Growth sermon, which prepared the congregation for a viewing of the accompanying post-service “Synod Sunday” video, replete with the heart rending boo-hoo’ing of missionaries in New York who are facing an uncertain future in their Vocation. I’m sure that hundreds of other fine pastors in our Synod were duped into preaching the same thing.

The Message of the Law: Are you doing everything to reach the lost?
That was the question which served as the climax of today’s “Synod Sunday” sermon. It was accompanied with a full battery statistics lamenting a decrease in giving, the loss of missions due to lack of funding, and the decrease in Synod membership supposedly as a consequence of bankrupt and closing missions. A Law imperative, hardly Gospel, it was used as the basis for suggesting that the deep dark sinner-in-the-pew reexamine how much he gives, whether his budget priorities maximize the ability of the congregation to reach out with the Gospel, and whether he himself “at all times and in every situation” is maximizing opportunities to share the Gospel. The organization is suffering uncertainty, and the sinner in the pew, of course, is the culprit – the unfailing failure who, because he can’t do “everything” as he should, is the cause of organizational distress.

Everything? Really?
Everything? Let’s examine the impossibility of even considering this question. It’s simple.

1. Hell will be populated. Vastly populated. We know this because the Bible is clear on this fact: The LORD is known by the judgment which He executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his hands... The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Ps. 9:16-17; cf. Re. 20:12-15 and elsewhere). The wicked, on account of their work, shall be cast into hell. “Everything” a person can think to do will not change this fact, neither for himself, nor for others. As a result, the Christian burdened with doing “everything” has no way of measuring if “everything” has been done in any given case to bring the lost to faith in the promises of Christ, or if “something more” will keep the lost out of hell.
   
   Moreover, no individual, no congregation, is guaranteed a harvest of any measurable sort. How would anyone know if “everything” has been done or not? No one can know, since unbelief abounds, since those in unbelief are still under sin (Ro. 1:18-25, 28-32; 3:9-10; Ga. 3:22), and since we know that there are those still in unbelief who suffer death and are lost for eternity as a result. If the task is ours, we can only conclude that we have not done “everything.” The question can only be answered in the negative. Thus, directing the thoughts of an individual to the question of whether he has done “everything” is not a question asked to provoke anything other than guilt – it makes the fate of the lost the fault of the imperfect evangelist, rather than the unbeliever’s own obstinacy, and places the impossible task of the Holy Spirit on the shoulders of the weak Christian, who is neither equipped nor expected to carry out His work.


2. Predestination is a reality. That’s right, we Lutherans believe in predestination (Ep. 1:3-14; Ro. 8:28-30). No one will go to hell, who, if only the guilt-laden Lutheran could have “done a little more” (or done “everything,” for that matter), would have otherwise gone to heaven. Everyone who is supposed to come to faith, and stay in faith, will come to faith – the Holy Spirit will see to it. Under the doctrine of Predestination, there is no cause for guilt whatsoever, if the individual has not done “everything” (whatever that is) to save the lost. None. After all, the Lutheran does not save the lost. The Holy Spirit does, through, and only through, the Lutheran's faithful use of the Means of Grace. It is impossible for the Lutheran to do “everything,” even to do anything, that contributes to his own salvation or the salvation of others. What’s more, the Holy Spirit does everything, and will do everything necessary to call those whom He foreknew into faith and to life everlasting.
   
   Arminians and others who reject the teaching of Divine Monergism, do not believe in the doctrine of Predestination. They object to the teaching of Total Depravity and require the ascent of man’s will to God’s gracious offer of forgiveness, life, and salvation through faith. Believers among them have the Gospel, and having it, the burden is theirs to share it. Under such teaching, the Gospel is shaped into a hammer, to beat the poor Christian into the obligation of sharing the Gospel. Love, no doubt, is part of this effort, but anxiety over the lost and guilt associated with the burden of “doing everything” to save them accompanies this love. By allowing themselves to fall under the influence of non-monergistic influences, our own Office of Church Growth seems intent upon ladling the same sort of guilt and anxiety on the members of our Synod, to work together, not for the truth, not really for the sake of the Gospel, but ultimately for the health of the organization.

“Walking Together” is principally not about sharing the Gospel, together, anyway
It is principally about the task of keeping the Gospel pure, together. The unfortunate thing about the entire tragedy of the “Synod Sunday” Church Growth program this morning is that only a minor aspect of one word in the phrase “Walking Together” was emphasized – the result of having the pure Word, of working to keep the Word pure despite the onslaught of heterodoxy that surrounds us, of being under the teaching of the pure Word, of benefiting from the Holy Spirit’s work through the pure word, such that individuals are motivated, not by anxiety, fear and guilt, but by Joy and Gratitude for what is their’s in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to share the Gospel. What was emphasized today was only the final result of "walking" in “togetherness”: sharing the Gospel. Being a horribly incomplete picture of “Walking Together,” it was grossly out of balance with what “Walking Together” really encompasses. Moreover, it was a calculated imbalance to coerce action in support of the Synod as an organization.

I repeat: regarding our supposed “Togetherness,” there was no mention of our Confessions, of our confessional Unity, of having pure doctrine nor of keeping it pure; there was no distinction given to our “togetherness” with respect to the “otherness” of the heterodox: and regarding our “walking” within this “togetherness,” again, there was no mention of keeping the word pure, no attention given to the preaching of this Word among our own, little to no mention of the role and work of the Holy Spirit through such use of the Means of Grace, no mention given to the consequent working of the Holy Spirit in the individual Christian, and no mention given to the internal motivation that the Gospel promises supply, according to the gifts one has been given. Only the result of all this was dwelt upon: sharing the Gospel. Not only was the entire “Synod Sunday” Church Growth program imbalanced and inadequate in its explanation of “Walking Together,” it was misleading and false, it twisted Gospel Joy into an obligation of Law, and laid the burden of this Law, without Gospel remedy, on the shoulders of the poor Christian in the pew.

Church Workers, and Uncertainty in One’s Vocation
In his commentary on the Book of Genesis, Luther states regarding the distinction of Vocations:

Because they persecute the Word, they are the enemies of faith. Shun them, and follow in the footsteps of the saintly men, who did not shrink from being associated with ordinary people and had no regard for their own ease but submitted to the common hardships of this life and had wives and families whom they supported by their diligence and labor, just as all sensible heads of households are commonly wont to do, even among the heathen.

“But are these ordinary works?” you will ask. Nevertheless, they are commended by Holy Scripture, which bears witness that man was created for the duties of the household and of the state. Hence these ordinary works are God’s order. What more glorious commendation are you asking for, or what clearer testimony? Hence when a maid milks the cows or a hired man hoes the field – provided that they are believers, namely, that they conclude that this kind of life is pleasing to God and was instituted by God – they serve God more than all the monks and nuns, who cannot be sure about their kind of life. Therefore set these accounts against the traditions and canons of men; for here there is the testimony of the Holy Spirit, who says of His saints that they lived in the faith, the Word, and the confession but were like the rest of men in all other respects. Thus Paul says to the heathen (cf. Acts 14:15): “We are men just like you”; that is, we are similarly affected. We grieve when there is trouble, and we rejoice if our affairs prosper in accordance with our way of thinking.

I impress these facts frequently and gladly, and I know that this is not done without fruit. Evidently this false notion is so deeply fixed in the hearts of all men that we admire only what is rare, strange, and unnatural. Let us rather remain pupils of the Holy Spirit and of Scripture, and let us imitate the lives and the deeds of those whom Scripture praises and presents as examples. Let us not bother about the fact that in accordance with a special call Abraham was a warrior and killed four kings. He did this by a special command. When God wants you to do something of that sort, he will give you a command to that effect, not indeed from heaven through angels but through the constituted authority. If this does not happen, refrain from extraordinary deeds, and keep in mind Abraham in his calling as head of the household. Even if, as the papists maintain, you do works of the laity, these are nevertheless truly spiritual, because of faith and the Word. (LW Vol. 3, pg. 321)

As we are all Priests in the Order of the Universal Priesthood of all Believers, the Vocation of the missionary is no more spiritual or necessary than that of the “layman.” In point of fact, Luther is said to have abolished the laity. All Christians are Priests, some serving in one capacity, others in another capacity, many in more than one capacity. Those with Divine Call are those chosen by God, through the congregation, to a particular Vocation on behalf of the Church.

Everything in this earth is transitory. Vocation is never secure. Those of us in the real world deal with this fact every day. Even union workers are getting a good taste of it these days. That we look for success “in accordance with our way of thinking” is natural, but it is a weakness of our limitations. It is further weakness to refuse to admit “failure” as it occurs “in accordance with our way of thinking.” Yet, in temporal matters, it is considered wise to recognize the end of a Vocation as it draws near – an orderly withdrawal from such tasks often eliminates unnecessary cost and disruption, and serves to position one for alternate work most efficiently. When the door is shut to us in our Vocation, it is time to move on. And it is shut for many causes. Sometimes it is financial. Sometimes it is a physical or geographical limitation. Sometimes we succumb to efforts of a competitor. Sometimes it is the result of a former friend’s betrayal. Sometimes we see it coming, other times we do not. That’s life.

In spiritual matters, however, this is not the case. The Holy Spirit never stops working – Providentially, to create situations where the Gospel message will be communicated, and Supernaturally through the Gospel message when it is communicated – and He will not leave His work undone. All those who are to come to faith, and remain in faith, will do so. No one will be left out. Though our work in a given Vocation may come to an end, the Holy Spirit’s work will continue. It is the Christian's privilege to be a part of His ongoing work, which he gladly enjoins apart from any command to do so, solely for the sake of Christ and His Gospel.

For the Christian motivated by what Christ has done for him, however, not by fear of eternal doom (whether his own or someone else’s) or anxiety wrought from unfavorable statistics, there will always be something to do, always be an opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with others – not of necessity, but of love. We serve others for the sake of the Gospel out of love for Christ, and for no other reason. The missionaries in New York featured in todays “Synod Sunday” video may well find themselves without their current Vocation in the near future. That’s too bad, as I’m sure they love what they do there, but that ministry is not necessary in the sense that someone will be lost without their effort. The Holy Spirit will seek and find those who are lost, and He will do so through Christians who are enabled, motivated and Called to do so. No guilt should be laid on an entire body of Christians because some missionaries are no longer able to do what they like to do, as if apart from that effort we are all guilty of someone else’s eternal damnation. Those who will suffer for eternity in such a way are under sin, they are themselves guilty of their own sin, and they will have only themselves to blame when they stand before the Righteous Judge on the Last Day. Our job is not to fret about this, but to hold tenaciously to the precious gift of faith which has been given to us. Having it, we can’t help but share it.

 

 

Una Sancta and the Liturgy

The True Visible church represents the Una Sancta

 

Returning again to JK’s comment, waaaay back in December (an off-topic comment he offered in response to my blog post, Global Warming: What is it all about?), he writes concerning use of the liturgy:

The liturgical church is still a man made entity. ...The caveat for me is when people cling to the liturgical church and say that this is the only way. Then this ceases to be worship and falls into the category of methods.

True enough – the historic liturgy that Lutherans follow, if it is “a way of doing something,” is also a “method.” The term “method” applied to CGM, however, has nothing to do with whether it is merely “a way of doing something,” but is a shorthand reference to “a way” which, at it’s root, (a) either replaces or is thought to augment the Holy Spirit’s work through the Means of Grace, (b) subverts the christocentric nature of the Divine Service in favor of anthropocentric priorities, (c) thoughtlessly corrupts the Marks of the Church, and (d) abrogates the practice of a distinctly Lutheran confession, replacing it with popular ecumenical expressions. Hence, in the discussion against CGM, the term “method” is not used in distinction to “no method,” as if methods are not allowed, but is used to highlight it’s negative impact on the Means of Grace, the Marks of the Church, the centrality of Christ in our corporate worship, and our Confessional stand against errorists. In point of fact, “methods” of some sort – where I must be careful to point out that the term method is used here in its broadest sense, as in “a way of doing something” – are a requirement of congregational worship: For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints... Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Co. 14:26-40). The “ways” which we agree to use, however, are not arbitrary, the order called for encompasses far more than just guiding a worshiper through a process, as if any old process will do. The Divine Service is the chief expression of the Church regarding who she is and what she does. This expression is Public in every respect, directed toward and occurring in the presence of God and before man. Rather than arbitrary anthropocentric “methods,” it is critical that the rites we choose to carry us through the Divine Service properly represent, teach and confess what the Church is, Her relationship with Christ and Her function in this world.

So why is it that “the way” Lutherans worship is the way it is? Why is it Historical? Why is it Liturgical? My brief answer: Chiefly Public Confession (which also teaches and represents). What follows is my long answer.

Practice Teaches, Practice Confesses: The Lutheran Confessions on the Liturgy
This is a subsection title of a post I published back in July 2009, Lutheran Worship and the Confessions: Adiaphora Bounded (Part 2). This series on Confessional worship practices started with Part 1 and culminated in a third part entitled Confessional Anthology: Why is the Lutheran Church a Liturgical Church?, which led off with a link to a very helpful and similarly titled essay by Rev. David Jay Weber (ELS): Why is the Lutheran Church a Liturgical Church? -- A Confessional Anthology.

In the subsection of Part 2, which I titled Practice Teaches, Practice Confesses, I emphasized the confessional nature of Lutheran worship practice, stating as follows:

In the quotations already cited, the idea that Practice teaches is interwoven into the substance of our Confession regarding Church practice: “that the common people might receive a sort of training” (AP XV [20]); “the children sing Psalms in order that they may learn,” and “the people also sing so that they may either learn or pray” (AP XV [40]). In addition, the Lutheran Confessions point our adversaries to our Practice as proof of our Confession, as stated above: “From this condition of the churches it may be determined that we earnestly keep Church discipline, godly ceremonies, and good Church customs” (AP XV [44]). But there is more.

In AC XXIV, the Confessions state directly, “For ceremonies are needed for this reason alone, that the uneducated be taught what they need to know about Christ” (3). This repeats the afore mentioned, that Practice teaches. Insofar as it teaches, it is not a matter of indifference – we are not free to teach falsely through Practice, and when we do teach, we are bound to make every effort to teach the whole counsel of God. The Historic Liturgy described in the series, Explanation of the Common Service, is an example of this.

Moreover, from this same reference in the Confessions, we see that Practice confesses. Leading to the above statement in par. 3, AC XXIV states, “Our churches are falsely accused of abolishing the Mass. The Mass is held among us and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved...” (1,2). From this reference we learn two things: (1) in the face of criticism, we not only assert our Confession, i.e., “Falsely are we accused...,” but (2) we point to our Practice as proof of our Confession, i.e., “The Mass is held... [and] nearly all the usual ceremonies are preserved.” Additionally, (3) we learn that inferring Confession from observance of Practice is legitimate, and that those whose Practice is confusing or offensive with respect to their Confession owe an explanation. But there is yet more...

The reader can satisfy his curiosity by examining the rest of that blog post for himself. One critical point to understand with respect to our Confession regarding the Church and our relationship to it, is that the Reformers were accused by the Romans of being outside the One True Church, of being sectarian. To fully quote AC XXIV referenced in the second paragraph in the above quote,

[1] Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; for the Mass is retained among [2] us, and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved, save that the parts sung in Latin are interspersed here and there with German hymns, which have been added [3] to teach the people. For ceremonies are needed to this end alone that the unlearned [4] be taught [what they need to know of Christ]. And not only has Paul commanded to use in the church a language understood by the people 1 Co. 14:2-9, but it has also been so ordained by man's law.

it needs to be understood that by accusing the Reformers of abolishing the Mass, the Romans were principally accusing them of rejecting their catholicity. This is made abundantly clear in the Apology, where in defense of this article, Melancthon writes:

The fact that we hold only Public or Common Mass [at which the people also commune, not Private Mass] is no offense against the Church catholic... (6)

Moreover, it needs to be understood, contrary to what some modern commentators seem to think, that by the term Mass, the Reformers were not referring merely to the consecration and distribution of the eucharistic elements, i.e. the Eucharistic rite itself, but to the Sacrament together with the preaching of the Word and their supporting ritual apparatus. According to the Reformers, restricting use of the term Mass to the ceremony of the Lord’s Supper (as the Roman’s did) went hand-in-hand with restricting it to the sacrificial act of the celebrant, the benefit of which was derived merely from the act itself, opus operatum; but Mass properly understood, they insisted, is the sacramental benefit of the Lord’s Supper, the same benefit as the Absolution and the preaching of the Word, etc. – in other words, that of the service of God to Man by the ministrations of the Minister, through the Means of Grace, on account of which the ceremonies were established. The idea that the Mass was more than just the Supper was fixed by Luther by 1523, with the issuance of his first new liturgy, An Order of Mass and Communion for the Church at Wittenburg, in which he states, “...properly speaking, the mass consists in using the Gospel and communing at the table of the Lord” (LW 53:25). By 1526, the term Mass was used synonymously with the Divine Service, and Luther uses the two terms interchangeably in the preface and body of his Deutsche Messe (LW 53:49ff).

That these definitions are operative aspects of our Public Confession is represented clearly in article XXIV of the Apology:

Lord’s Supper is not ritual sacrifice, and cannot be separated from the preaching of the Gospel
[34] Another passage also is cited from Malachi 3:3: And He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness. This passage clearly requires the sacrifices of the righteous, and hence does not favor the opinion concerning the opus operatum. But the sacrifices of the sons of Levi, i.e., of those teaching in the New Testament, are the preaching of the Gospel and the good fruits of preaching, as Paul says, Ro. 15:16: Ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, i.e., that, the Gentiles might be offerings acceptable to God by faith, etc. For in the Law the slaying of victims signified both the death of Christ and the preaching of the Gospel, by which this oldness of flesh should be mortified, and the new and eternal life be begun in us.

But the adversaries everywhere perversely apply the name sacrifice to the ceremony alone. They omit the preaching of the Gospel, faith, prayer, and similar things, although the ceremony has been established on account of these, and the New Testament ought to have sacrifices of the heart, and not ceremonials for sin that are to be performed after the manner of the Levitical priesthood.

Entire Mass understood as Lord’s Supper together with preaching and ceremony
[35] They cite also the daily sacrifice (cf. Ex. 29:38f.; Dan. 8:11f.; 12:11), that, just as in the Law there was a daily sacrifice so the Mass ought to be a daily sacrifice of the New Testament. The adversaries have managed well if we permit ourselves to be overcome by allegories. It is evident, however, that allegories do not produce firm proofs [that in matters so highly important before God we must have a sure and clear word of God, and not introduce by force obscure and foreign passages; such uncertain explanations do not stand the test of God's judgment]. Although we indeed readily suffer the Mass to be understood as a daily sacrifice, provided that the entire Mass be understood, i.e., the ceremony with the preaching of the Gospel, faith, invocation, and thanksgiving. For these joined together are a daily sacrifice of the New Testament, because the ceremony was instituted on account of these things; neither is it to be separated from these. Paul says accordingly, 1 Co. 11:26: As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come. But it in no way follows from this Levitical type that a ceremony justifying ex opere operato is necessary, or ought to be applied on behalf of others, that it may merit for them the remission of sins.
(AP XXIV:34-35)

The terms Mass and Liturgy are synonymous, and refer to the entire Ministry of the Church in the Divine Service
[78] The adversaries also refer us to philology. From the names of the Mass they derive arguments which do not require a long discussion. For even though the Mass be called a sacrifice, it does not follow that it must confer grace ex opere operato, or, when applied on behalf of others, merit for them the remission of sins, etc. [79] Leitourgiva, they say, signifies a sacrifice, and the Greeks call the Mass, liturgy. Why do they here omit the old appellation synaxis, which shows that the Mass was formerly the communion of many? But let us speak of the word liturgy. [80] This word does not properly signify a sacrifice, but rather the public ministry, and agrees aptly with our belief, namely, that one minister who consecrates tenders the body and blood of the Lord to the rest of the people, just as one minister who preaches tenders the Gospel to the people, as Paul says, 1 Co. 4:1: Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, i.e., of the Gospel and the Sacraments. And 2 Co. 5:20: We are ambassadors for Christ, as [81] though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled to God. Thus the term leitourgia agrees aptly with the ministry... [82] Paul in 2 Co. 9:12 employs it for a collection. The taking of the collection not only supplies those things which are wanting to the saints, but also causes them to give more thanks abundantly to God, etc. And in Phil. 2:25 he calls Epaphroditus a ((greek)), one who ministered to my wants, [83] where assuredly a sacrificer cannot be understood. But there is no need of more testimonies, since examples are everywhere obvious to those reading the Greek writers, in whom leitourgia is employed for public civil burdens or ministries...

[87] But let us omit these trifles. For it is ridiculous that the adversaries should produce such trifling conjectures concerning a matter of such great importance. For although the Mass is called an offering, in what does the term favor the dreams concerning the opus operatum, and the application which, they imagine, merits for others the remission of sins? And it can be called an offering for the reason that prayers, thanksgivings, and the entire worship are there offered, as it is also called a eucharist. But neither ceremonies nor prayers profit ex opere operato, without faith...

[Here you can see what rude asses our adversaries are. They say that the term missa is derived from the term misbeach, which signifies an altar; hence we are to conclude that the Mass is a sacrifice; for sacrifices are offered on an altar. Again, the word liturgia, by which the Greeks call the Mass, is also to denote a sacrifice. This claim we shall briefly answer. All the world sees that from such reasons this heathenish and antichristian error does not follow necessarily, that the Mass benefits ex opere operato sine bono motu utentis. Therefore they are asses, because in such a highly important matter they bring forward such silly things. Nor do the asses know any grammar. For missa and liturgia do not mean sacrifice. Missa, in Hebrew, denotes a joint contribution. For this may have been a custom among Christians, that they brought meat and drink for the benefit of the poor to their assemblies. This custom was derived from the Jews, who had to bring such contributions on their festivals; these they called missa. Likewise, liturgia, in Greek, really denotes an office in which a person ministers to the congregation. This is well applied to our teaching, because with us the priest, as a common servant of those who wish to commune, ministers to them the holy Sacrament.

Some think that missa is not derived from the Hebrew, but signifies as much as remissio, the forgiveness of sin. For, the communion being ended, the announcement used to be made: Ite, missa est: Depart, you have forgiveness of sins. They cite, as proof that this is so, the fact that the Greeks used to say: Lais Aphesis... which also means that they had been pardoned. If this were so, it would be an excellent meaning; for in connection with this ceremony forgiveness of sins must always be preached and proclaimed...]
(AP XXIV:78-83,88)

The above lengthy quotations from Luther and the Book of Concord are necessary to establish the fact that our Public Confession proclaims, not by accident, that the term liturgy

1. is not a reference to just any old method, but is equivalent to the Public Ministry and the functions of the Public Minister in the Divine Service;
2. cannot be separated from the Means of Grace:
   • cannot be separated from the proclamation of the Gospel;
   • cannot be separated from the Sacraments;
3. stands as our chief form of Public Confession in Practice.

Regarding this latter point, what is that is confessed? Chiefly, that the local congregation represents the True Church.

Church in the First Sense
The One True Church, or, the Church Universal, exists only by the faith of the Saints, and is therefore Invisible.
I’m going to review what I am certain JK already knows about the term Church, and what we Lutherans confess regarding this term. The Scriptures use this term in several different ways. The first sense is what we refer to as the Church Universal. This is the One True Church, the Communion of Saints, or the Community of Believers. It includes all Saints now living and who have ever lived, who by faith have been incorporated into the Body of Christ, and it excludes all those without faith. Only by fellowship in the Church Universal can one obtain salvation, and only by faith does one enter this One True Church. This sense of the Church is referred to in Eph. 1:22-23 & 5:23-27, 1 Cor. 3:16-17, Heb 12:23 and elsewhere. Because it exists by the faith of the Saints (Saints being “all true believers”), and because only God can see faith, the Church Universal is invisible to the eyes of man, and is often referred to as the Invisible Church.

The Church Universal in two categories
The Church Universal is spoken of in Scripture as a whole, as shown above, but it is also spoken of in parts. Two parts, to be precise. On the one hand, the true Church is recognized in terms of those who have died in the Faith, who, enduring in faith to the end, have gained the final Victory. These are the Saints now in heaven, awaiting the Resurrection, and, on the basis of Rev. 2:10 & 4:4, are referred to as the Church Triumphant. On the other hand, the true Church is also recognized in terms of those still living, clinging to faith in their battle against sin, death and the Devil, as the Church Militant. Scripture describes these struggles in Eph 6:10-11, 1 Jn. 5:4, Ro. 7:14-15, and elsewhere.

The One True Church: Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic
So the One True Church, the Church Universal, or the Communion of Saints, is referred to as the Invisible Church because it exists by the faith of the Saints, and is divided into the categories of (a) the Church Militant, and (b) the Church Triumphant. Heinrich Schmid, in his Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, describes it this way:

To the Church [Universal] belong all those who have the same faith and the same hope, however widely they may be separated one from another by space and time. The Church [Universal] embraces, therefore, not only those now living, but, as well, those who have died in the faith; and between both there is only this difference, that the latter have already reached the goal, the former are still striving after it (Church Triumphant and Church Militant, respectively). There is, therefore, only one such communion, because there is only one head to whom all are subject, and only one faith through which they can be saved. This communion we then call


holy because in it the Holy Ghost is operating, to sanctify it;
catholic, because, however widely the members of the Church are scattered, yet at all times and in all places the same faith is confessed;
apostolic, because its faith, resting upon that proclaimed by the apostles, has never, in the course of time, been changed.

Only those who belong to this communion are certain of their salvation, for the only way of salvation lies in the faith which is the faith of this communion. To this communion, moreover, the promise is given that it shall endure for all time, and it can never fall into error, because in the Word of God it possesses the eternal truth.

Schmid, H. (1889). The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (2nd ed. [C.A. Hay & H.E. Jacobs, Trans.]). Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society. (Original work published 1876). pg. 585 (pp. 598-599 in linked edition, above).

Church in the Second Sense

The True Visible church represents the Una Sancta

The local congregation, or the Visible church, being comprised of both true believers and hypocrites is not the One True Church properly speaking, but the Church Militant is among the Visible church.
In contrast to the One True Church – i.e., the Church Universal, the Communion of Saints, or the Invisible Church – a second sense in which we use the term Church is in reference to the visible organization of people called the local congregation. Sometimes people also mean the institutions of the Church on earth, to which local congregations are attached (like Synods). Either way, this is called the Visible church. The Visible church is not True Church, as both those with and without faith will be found in local congregations, but the Visible church will always strive to represent itself as a visible manifestation of the One True, Universal, or Invisible Church – holy, catholic, and apostolic.

Because of the presence of true believers in the Visible church, some refer to the Visible church as the Church Militant – but this is an error. The Church Militant is True Church, it is Invisible Church, being found only among those with faith. However, despite the presence of hypocrites in the Visible church (those without faith and on their way to hell, who yet feign trust in Christ by their public words and actions), the True Church, in the form of the Church Militant, is among the Visible church, and it is the mold of the Church Militant in which the Visible church seeks to cast herself – striving to hold on to the Truth, to maintain her orthodoxy.

Heinrich Schmid continues:

If, moreover, the members of this Communion are joined together by the like hope and the like faith, it is just as natural, as it is desired by God, that those who dwell together in the same place and at the same time, should combine in a closer, visible community; so that thus the one, universal Church should take the form of several particular churches (ecclesia universalis – particularis), and its actual existence be also externally recognized by such combination. It then becomes the duty of each such congregation to draw others also into the same saving fellowship with Christ, and for this end to employ the Means of Grace by which individuals can be gained. The particular church [or individual congregation] will then have to count all such as belonging to it, who unite themselves to it, though it be only by an outward profession... Concerning the particular church we cannot, however, assert so unconditionally, that it is a congregation of believers, i. e., of such as have received the saving grace offered to them; to it, therefore, the definition of the Church thus far given, viz., the Communion of Believers, does not apply, for in the midst of it there may be those who have not yet received the offered grace. While we count only those as belonging to the Church, as the Communion of Believers, whose treatment of the offered grace is what it should be, we must count as belonging to the particular church all those also who stand only in outward relation to and in connection with it. And thus we see ourselves driven to admit a twofold conception of the Church, viz.,

• the Church in the narrow sense, composed of only true believers [i.e., the Invisible Church], and
• the Church in the wider sense [i.e., the Visible church], a, by which we understand the congregation of those who have joined themselves together in the same confession in the use of the Sacraments (ecclesia stricte et late dicta)
.
We do not thereby assume two churches, antagonistic and standing alongside of each other; rather, the relation between them is this, that the Church in the narrower sense exists in the midst of the Church in the wider sense; but not so that the latter is numerically equal to the former, but that it contains, or at least may contain, members within itself whom we dare not count as belonging to the Church in the narrower sense.

Thus, every one will readily understand what individuals are to be counted as belonging to the Church in this wider sense, not, however, who of them belong to the Church in the narrower sense; and hence the distinction between the visible and invisible Church corresponds to that between the Church widely and narrowly considered. It becomes of the greatest importance, then, if these distinctions be made, not to transfer without ceremony the promises and predicates that are given to the Church in the narrower sense to the Church in the wider sense, which course might easily give occasion to false fear or to false hopes, and to self-deception. Concerning the latter it cannot be said, in the same sense, but only by synecdoche, that it is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, or that it cannot fail or err; rather, from the fact that the call reaches many who do not accept it, it already is manifest, that individuals in it often fail and err, and it is quite as possible that the evil may preponderate in the Church as that the good should do so.

The Church (in the wider sense) is further called a true or a false one, not in consequence of there being a greater or smaller number of believers or unbelievers in it, but just in proportion as the doctrines of the Gospel are preached in it purely or impurely, and just in proportion as the Means by which we attain salvation are more or less purely and liberally administered in it. The pure preaching of the divine Word, and the proper administration of the Sacraments are, therefore, the works by which we may recognize the Church as a true one.

Schmid, H. (1889). The Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (2nd ed. [C.A. Hay & H.E. Jacobs, Trans.]). Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society. (Original work published 1876). pp. 585-587 (pp. 599-600 in linked edition, above).

Practice marks the true Church as it exists among the Visible church: The Marks of the Church – Pure Doctrine preached, Pure Sacrament administered liberally
Minimalistic preaching of doctrine and administration of the Sacraments does not rise to the thresholds of purity and liberality (liberal in this context meaning, “often and/or in great amounts”). When a congregation is fully capable of offering the Lord’s Supper more frequently in the context of the Divine Service, but instead chooses to do so less frequently, both the liberality and the purity of its administration is negatively impacted – it’s liberality in the act of arbitrarily withholding it, and its purity in the consequent act of holding up something else, or nothing at all, as a satisfactory substitute. When the direct preaching of Scripture doctrine is supplanted by the preaching of object lessons, is riddled with homiletic comedy, or is reduced to conjecture, when the preaching of Law and Gospel gives way to preaching the third use of the Law, when preaching Sanctification overshadows the preaching of Justification, the purity of preaching is negatively impacted. Thus the Marks are judged obscured, and on this basis, the connection of the local congregation to the One True Church – that is, the connection of the Visible church to the Invisible Church – is judged less clear.

These comprise but a very short list demonstrating the result of giving in to the perspectives the Church Growth Movement (CGM), which direct the congregation to be “Real, Relevant, and Relational” – for the sake of the unchurched, no less! – because the pure doctrines of the Gospel, themselves, through the work of the Holy Spirit, and His work through the administration of the Sacraments, are somehow not as Real, not as Relevant, and not as Relational as man, through his own innovative augmentation, can make them. In giving in to CGM mandates, the congregation is seeking to answer one question modern folks are thought to have, “How does this apply to me?”; but by corrupting the Marks of the Church to do so, the congregation utterly fails to show her qualifications to authoritatively answer the question to begin with. When the perspectives of CGM are carried into practice, the Marks of the Church fall under attack, our understanding of, and identification with, the One True Church is weakened, and the confession we give to this truth in our practice is vacated. This is quite serious in and of itself, but does not even address the gravity of withholding the only operative Means from those who desperately need them. Christians looking for the One True Church will rightly pass by such congregations.

The Marks and More: Christians in a state of Confession, Lutherans mutually agree to further restrictions in practice
True Lutherans, while united in Confessional stance, also vigorously stand distinct and separate from the heterodox, and prove this separation by putting their Confession fully into practice. Lutherans are orthodox, and so, regarding the Church, reject the notion that membership in the congregation (the particular Church, or Church in the wider sense, as Schmid puts it above) is equivalent to fellowship in the One True Church. Our participation in this Invisible, though very Real, Relevant, and by definition, Relational Fellowship, is by Faith Alone. Thus we stand separate from the Romans who equate the Visible church with the Church Militant, and who attach the necessity of works to man’s Justification. Thus we also reject the practical trappings associated with these false teachings, such as the sale of indulgences and the sacrificial (rather than sacramental) Eucharist, and have ourselves corrected various corruptions of the Western Rite that were introduced by Rome to reinforce and give expression to these false teachings. Lutherans are Evangelical, and so the preaching of the Word was made to predominate the Divine Service rather than Holy Communion, as was the sacramental aspects of our worship (God coming to us through Word and Sacrament) over the sacrificial (man offering before God his sacrifices of praise, thanks, adoration, intercession and petition). As a vehicle for the public use of the Means of Grace, the liturgy was made synonymous with the Public Ministry and the function of the pastor. The liturgy is principally God’s service to man, through the Means of Grace; and the liturgy defines the “method” used by His Called servant, the man who occupies the Office of this Ministry.

Despite our separation from Rome, however, we forcefully reject the notion that we are sectarian, and also reject those practices that are of sectarian signature. Rather, like the Romans, we Lutherans share the confession in Nicene Creed that we are both catholic and apostolic, and show forth these elements of our Confession by retaining the catholic Rites. Thus, the use of the Historic Liturgy (i.e., the Western Rite), rather than any old liturgy someone just makes up – also known as disposable liturgies. Apart from historic rites and hymnody, it is impossible to show forth our catholicity and apostolicity.

Historical and liturgical worship is retained and embraced by Confessional Lutherans because of our Confession regarding the Church and her Ministry. It effectively, and thankfully, separates us from sectarians and other innovators, by maintaining the catholicity and apostolicity of our Public Confession, and the dramatic liturgical reforms introduced during the Reformation (which were reforms, not “changes”) returned the liturgy to the status of evangelical and orthodox practice, and thus also those elements of our Public Confession. The Lutheran Church, on the basis of her Confession and confessional Practice, is the True Visible Church of God on Earth.

Just a Nice Theory?
So, I’ve just let loose with copious quotations from the Lutheran Confessions and reliable sources of Lutheran Doctrine, and followed them with a chain of explanation making it perfectly plain why, from the standpoint of Confessional integrity, the Historical Liturgy must remain the public practice of Lutheran congregations. I have not directly broached the important issues of positive Fellowship (expressions of Confessional Unity with other congregations who publicly declare the same confession we do), nor of the operative liturgical principle of lex orandi, lex credendi and the impact of teaching false doctrine through anthropocentric, or other poorly informed practice. The many discussions on these and related issues on Bailing Water through the latter half of 2008 and early 2009 covered these issues exhaustively. For a review, I think a good post to reference was my response to Ben, initially posted here. Otherwise, Click Here for a more exhaustive list of discussions I was involved in.

Nevertheless, the prime question on the mind of a sold-out CGM’er is, “Uhhh... okay. Well, um, does it, you know, like... WORK?” My answer: Yes – it succeeds very well in confessing what it was designed to. Here’s a bit of anecdotal evidence to back it up.

History? Reading? Doctrine? Confession? The Church? Hunh??? Ya but, uh, does it WORK?

The Church and Change
I know from experience that life among pop-church Evangelicals is a life of change. Of constant change. Every new “spiritual fad” that comes along is enthusiastically embraced, adopted and put into practice; and what came before is unceremoniously rejected, eliminated and forgotten.

“Society changes,” they say, “so we must change!”
“It’s all about meeting people where they are at!”

Not only practice, but words change as well. Catch phrases change, everything is expressed in the vernacular of “now.” Old expressions give way to new. Nothing is constant. The result is continuous turnover, not only of practice, but of the ideas that undergird those practices – and as the words that express those ideas change, so does the teaching that accompanies them. As the practices change, so does the teaching. Nothing older than, say, five years old is remembered, and even then “way back when” is a humorous pejorative for what passed by the wayside a couple years before. Christians of previous generation(s) are laughed at as “throwbacks,” cast as those having a “deficient understanding of the Scriptures,” who, at best, may have some interesting insight from time to time, but only in some archaic sense which needs correction or illumination by “contemporary, and therefore more sophisticated and more relevant, thinking.” There is no sense among them that true Christians existed at any time of history, other than the Apostolic era, and Christian history for them ends five years ago, because that is as far back as their changing practices and expressions reach.

However, once a pop-church Evangelical actually begins to read, the a-historical intellectual poverty, doctrinal vacuity, and outright chicanery of modern CGM-infected American Christianity is exposed.

Enter Knowledge of the Past, and Tears of Joy
There are only two times that I can recall shedding tears, as an adult, over spiritual matters. The first was upon discovering and reading Heinrich Schmid’s Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Leading up to this, though I had a conservative Evangelical upbringing – that was never too far from the conservative Lutheranism my parents were raised in – as a college student I nevertheless wandered as an essentially nominal Christian. Nothing new here. After a long period of experimentation with different ideas (a long story), I eventually resolved that Christianity was true, and being true was of significant consequence. I wound up with the pop-church Evangelicals in college – who were overtly and publicly Christian, in confession and works. There were no Lutherans that I could discern, though I later discovered that there was an active WELS Campus Ministry program there. Interestingly, most of the individual Christians I met among the pop-Church Evangelicals, who brought me back to the Christian faith through their own empassioned and convincing explanation and living out of it, were either LCMS, ELS, or CLC – as I discovered long after the fact. There were Pentecostals, as well – but they were mostly just weird. Moreover, as I also discovered long after the fact, this campus, having a nationally acclaimed School of Agriculture, has a student body with a religious representation that is in the neighborhood of 10% WELS.

I formally introduced myself to my future wife at a Bill Gothard Seminar – having recognized her from my family’s home church. I was a graduate student then, and she was just entering college, as I recall. Shame on me? -- Well, let’s just say that by then, I knew what I was looking for, and she was it. Her family had a similar church experience to ours, and that was of primary concern to me. A couple years later, we started seeing each other under the guidance and wisdom of our parents – a two-year courtship arrangement which we had elected to follow. During this time we desired to grow together in our relationship, and we sought to do this by growing closer in our relationships with God, together. For us, this meant studying the Bible together, worshiping together, praying together, etc. Throughout this period we came to recognize very clearly that the Visible church was rife with mutually-exclusive truth-claims regarding the doctrines of Scripture, so we decided on a close study of the Bible with respect to denominational differences on disputed points. In the end, we didn't care what we called ourselves, we just wanted to believe what the Bible taught and to join with Christians who believed the same thing. Given our backgrounds, we were familiar with many claims of various groups – Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Lutheran, etc. By comparing those claims to Scripture, it didn't take long before what we understood as Lutheran doctrine emerged as the true champion of Scripture teaching.

The Impact of Heinrich Schmid, and the Historical Teaching of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
It was about this time that I discovered Heinrich Schmid’s work, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, in the basement of an old used bookstore in Minneapolis that I would visit on my lunchbreaks (I didn’t have enough money to buy food in those days – not after spending money on books, anyway...). I found the title of this work striking. I hadn’t realized that there was such a thing as “evangelical” Lutherans. To me, the two words simply did not go together. I’d never met a Lutheran who struck me as “evangelical” in the slightest. More amazing to me was the fact that these particular evangelicals had actually worked out a theology! Amazing!, I thought. Considering it a real prize, I bought that book on the spot (overpriced though it was...), though saddened to think that these “evangelical” Lutherans had since long disappeared. I wondered what nuggets of theological perspective I could glean from this old book about the teaching of extinct Christians.

When I brought the book home and began to read, I was brought to tears. After years of struggling to develop my own personal theology from my own diligent study of Scripture (which at one point I had to admit was more philosophy than theology, forcing me to start over), I discovered that the Evangelical Lutherans had worked out a very rigorous theological system that descended directly from the very words of Scripture. It was not passed through philosophical preconceptions in order to reach reasonable conclusions, but concluded only what the Scriptures stated directly. It was exceptionally well articulated, solving many of the problems I had struggled with – original sin and the nature of man, traducianism, the essence and attributes of God, the union of the two natures in Christ, the nature of the Church and its relation to other earthly institutions, etc. The inklings I had developed on my own regarding the tough doctrines of Scripture had been fully worked out by Christians who had gone before me – not five years ago, but five centuries ago. And the more I studied the more I learned that they relied heavily on the orthodox teachers that had preceded them, as well, going back to the apostles. I wept because I knew that the burden of trying to understand and articulate the true teaching of the Scriptures had been lifted – it had always been known, and for the most part, been well articulated. I just needed to hold on it, and confess it. I was no longer alone in a sea of irrelevant “relevancy,” trying to find my way in a doctrinal fog. I wanted to be a Lutheran, to find what was left of these “old evangelicals,” and join them.

I shared the book with my then (still) future wife. I’m not sure that she found Schmid quite as compelling – romantic, even – that I did. But she agreed. By the time I proposed (a few months later), we both knew that we wanted to be Lutheran, and six months later when we were married, I gave away copies of Schmid to my groomsmen. Our challenge throughout this time was to find a Lutheran church that believed its own doctrinal claims, and which preached from the Scriptures. That search lasted through our fourth Sunday as a married couple, which was the first Sunday we visited a WELS church.

The Impact of the Historical Liturgy
This was the second occasion that I can recall shedding tears, as an adult, over spiritual matters. We trembled as we walked into the WELS congregation. We had read their This We Believe. We were unnerved with the use of the word “reject” in the antithesis section, thinking that this carried over into their treatment of visitors. It took ten seconds, however, to realize that they were really nice folks – as nice as the Lutherans featured in the stories of Lake Wobegone, only more intelligent, and more intentional about what they believed and how they expressed it.

We had a few litmus tests. Preaching needed to stick to the text. It needed to include elements of doctrinal teaching, and evidence of exegetical effort (he needed to explain Hebrew/Greek words and concepts and how they applied to the meaning of the text). Equally important, the Order of Service needed to keep us focused on the Object of worship, not on us. That meant no attempt to use music or other devices to manipulate our emotional state. We were hoping for liturgy and hymns, but didn’t quite know what that meant other than, “a conservative and dignified order of service,” as opposed to what the pop-church evangelicals were dishing up every Sunday morning.

Our criteria were met. The text was Psalm 51 – the perfect Law & Gospel text if there ever was one, and the pastor not only clung to the text for dear life, he fired straight Law & Gospel from it like a machine gun, supplying a bit of doctrinal instruction along the way, explaining the difference between sin, iniquity, and trespass, and providing a brief etymology of those words as they are used in the text. We were delighted! But of course, this was icing on the cake, for we had already fallen in love with the congregation on the basis of their liturgical worship.

At first, we were impressed with the formality. People behave formally when in the presence of someone important, and we understood the presence revered by such formality to be that of Christ Himself – the King of kings. It wasn’t hard to conclude this, as all of the language uttered by the Pastor or chanted by the congregation was focused on Christ, either speaking to Him, or about what He had done for them. It was clear to us that this congregation fully believed that Christ was with them through the Service, and that on account of this fact, they were eager to behave accordingly.

The tears flowed, however, with the singing of the Psalm – Psalm 51. Not the words, but the form: Plainsong. We immediately recognized it as an ancient form, and were just as immediately united with the ancient Christians in worship – believing the same doctrines they did, we were singing the same songs they did, the same way they did. Expressing catholicity and apostolicity for the first time, we were unable to remain composed enough to complete the Psalm with the congregation. Up to that point, for us, everything had been fad and fashion, with no history older than five years, no true Christians existed other than those with us today. At that point, we understood that we were one in faith with all true Christians who had gone before us, who sacrificed dearly to maintain pure teaching through the ages and to express it in the Church’s practice. We joined that congregation.

Not just us...
We weren’t the only ones moved by the historic teachings and liturgy of Lutheranism. Serving in that congregation from that point forward for nearly a decade, as Chairman of the Board’s of Education and then Evangelism, in that time the numerous people that joined were almost all by profession of faith, either new Christians or former evangelicals -- and the significance of our worship practice was no small factor. In a discussion with one, now former pop-church evangelical, family, the husband joked, saying, “If you would have told me two years ago that (a) I would be regularly participating in liturgical worship, and (b) enjoying it, I would have laughed in your face. Today, I couldn’t imagine anything else. This is heaven.” Likewise, a conversation with a visiting family revealed that they were keenly interested in joining our congregation, having found us after a long search for a Lutheran church that preached and practiced historical doctrines and liturgy. In another case, after numerous failed attempts to get our services on the local radio station over the years, I finally called the station myself to inquire about the cost of purchasing a time slot on Sunday morning. The response was initially cool. Upon followup two weeks later the response was an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Why the difference? In the interim, the owner of the station visited our congregation to see what would be aired from their station. When I followed-up, it was explained to me that their enthusiasm stemmed from the worship experience and sound preaching: “You are real Church,” I was told. They had no time for pop-church, equating it with Sunday morning entertainment: "We can do better than that," they said, "We air the Packer game every Sunday." We were given the best time slot on Sunday morning, just before the Packer games, and members of that individual’s family have since joined that congregation.

These are only a few examples, and I could go on; but this is sufficient. Practice confesses, and this is no mere theory -- and what Historic Liturgical Lutheran Practice confesses, is quite compelling. By comparison, what faddish sectarian practices confess is neither transcendent nor permanent nor profound nor, in the end, spiritually satisfying, leading us to ourselves and our own fancies, instead of to Christ and His Church.

 

 

The Dire Need for Reformation in the Modern Church: The New 95 Theses for Reformation Day

In an admitted lack of creativity, I have absconded with someone else's entire blog post, below. It was posted on the Reformation Day 2008 blog entry of Chris Rosebrough's Extreme Theology. I'm even embedding his Fighting for the Faith interview on these New Theses with Rev. Bill Cwirla (LCMS). Like them, I'll play the role of the Gutenberg Press operator, reprinting these Theses, and of the literate peasant who had read the original 95 Theses, passing along these issues for consideration and discussion. When I read these "New Theses" last year, I thought they capsulized today's issues in greater Christianity quite well -- particularly as these issues continue to besiege us Confessional Lutherans.

As Rev. Cwirla reads from the "New Theses," below, Cancer and crabgrass both grow rapidly, as does the church without the Gospel. To cut out the cancer, we must first identify it -- and to do so we must maintain regular study of the Scriptures and the Confessions. But once identified, we must still muster the courage to actually use the knife, no matter how much we think we may miss the diseased flesh once it is discarded -- and we will never have such courage apart from the Holy Spirit's work through Word and Sacrament. As joyful as the positive aspect of Fellowship is (that is, unity in doctrine and practice), the negative aspect of Fellowship (or, the rejection of and separation from falshood and false teachers) should be equally joyful.

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The New 95 Theses
In honor of Reformation Day and due to the present crisis in American Christianity I am passing along the New 95 Theses. These theses are for discussion and debate.

Along with these New 95 I'm posting my radio interview with the Rev. William Cwirla and our discussion on these new theses.



If you'd like to download a pdf version of The New 95 Theses then click here

Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, the public bulletin board of his day. In like manner, we, Athanasius and Chrysostom, post these 95 theses on the door of the internet. Like the original theses, these are debatable, for we believe that it is through vigorous debate that the spirits are tested and truth is revealed.

In publishing these theses, we do not intend to foment division, but to expose those who are creating division within the body of Christ. We are not addressing any particular church body or person, but invite all who love the Gospel of Jesus Christ to engage in this debate. We do so in the spirit of the great Reformer, Martin Luther, as we implore the mercies of God upon His Church, for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Church and Bishop of our souls.

1. When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said “Repent,” He willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance.

2. To “repent” means to be contrite for one’s sins and to trust Jesus Christ and solely in His completed work for one’s forgiveness, life, and salvation.

3. Those who describe the Christian life as purpose-driven deny true repentance, confuse the Law and the Gospel, and obscure the merits of Christ.

4. Impious and wicked are the methods of those who substitute self-help and pop-psychology for the Gospel in the name of relevance.

5. This impious disregard for the Gospel wickedly transforms sacred Scripture into a guidebook for living, a pharisaic sourcebook of principles, and sows tares among the wheat.

6. Relevance, self-help and pop-psychology have no power to work true contrition over sins and faith in Jesus Christ.

7. Like clouds without rain, purpose-driven preachers withhold the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins won by Christ on the cross and enslave men’s consciences to the law which they cleverly disguise as so-called 'Biblical Principles'.

8. By teaching tips for attaining perfect health, debt-free wealth, and better sex in marriage, the purveyors of relevance undermine true fear, love and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

9. They are enemies of Christ, who distort the Word of God by tearing verses from their original context in order to use them as proof texts for their self-help, pop-psychology agendas.

10. Injury is done the Word of God when it is used as a source book for practical, relevant “life applications.”

11. In the name of relevance, our Lord Jesus Christ is reduced to a life-coach whose “gospel” assists and motivates people to achieve the objectives of their self-centered delusions of grandeur.

12. Apart from the Holy Spirit, the seeker cannot understand the things of God for these are “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).

13. The natural man does not naturally seek the Gospel. “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Is. 65:1)

14. The true Seeker of men’s souls is our Lord Jesus Christ who came to seek and to save the lost by His death on the cross (Lk. 19:10).

15. The truly “seeker-sensitive” church proclaims God’s wrath against our sin and His mercy for Jesus’ sake.

16. The preaching of Christ crucified is a stumbling block to purpose-driven pragmatists and foolishness to church growth consultants.

17. The true gold of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

18. But this treasure is a stench in the nostrils of fallen and sinful men because it exposes man’s complete lack of ability to save himself by his own religious efforts.

19. On the other hand, the fool’s gold of self-help is preferred by sinful men, for it creates the illusion of moral progress and a life that is pleasing to God apart from repentance.

20. The gold of the Gospel is the net by which Christ would make us fishers of men.

21. The fool’s gold of self-help is a snare by which purpose-driven purveyors of relevance attempt to capture the riches and approval of men.

22. The church is holy sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd.

23. How can sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd when false shepherds preach self-help and pop-psychology?

24. Purveyors of purpose-driven relevance are not shepherds of men’s souls but wolves in sheep’s clothing.

25. Purveyors of relevance claim that self-help, life-applications and biblical principles are the means to reach the unchurched because they meet people’s felt needs.

26. Yet a person’s greatest need is one he does not by nature feel, namely the need for the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

27. The true means by which fallen sinners are reached is the preaching of Christ and His sacraments. (Ro. 10:17)

28. The true need that mankind is seeking but does not know is justification by grace through faith for Christ’s sake.

29. Since justification is through faith and not through works, natural man neither seeks it nor desires it.

30. Therefore, the teaching of justification by grace through faith is neither seeker-sensitive nor relevant to a world that naturally seeks self-justification.

31. To be in the church is to be union with Christ through faith.

32. Regardless of the number of people in attendance, the church does not grow unless men are granted repentance and faith by God through the action of His Word.

33. Scripture clearly teaches that the means by which God grants faith are the the hearing of the Word of Christ (the Gospel) and the water of Holy Baptism.

34.Therefore, even if a congregation, through their own marketing methods and business prowess were able to draw 100,000 people every Sunday, if the Gospel is not heard and the sacraments are not administered according to the Gospel there is no church and the true Church of Jesus Christ has not grown by a single soul.

35. If numerical growth is a measure of God’s approval, then we must conclude that God approves of Islam and the Mormons.

36. If financial success is a measure of God’s approval, then we must conclude that God approves of pornography and gambling.

37. Cancer and crabgrass both grow rapidly, as does the church that obscures the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

38. The purveying of purpose-driven relevance is the theology of glory; the preaching of Christ crucified for sinners is the theology of the cross.

39. The theologian of glory says that the kingdom of God is visible now in buildings, people, and dollars; the theologian of the cross says that the kingdom of God is an article of faith.

40. The theologian of glory asks “How much?” and “How many?”; the theologian of the cross preaches Christ regardless of how much or how many.

41. The theologian of glory prepares people to receive health, wealth, and happiness; the theologian of the cross prepares people to suffer and die in faith.

42. The theologian of glory preaches that God wants to grant you favors; the theologian of the cross preaches the favor of God for the sake of Christ crucified.

43. The theologian of glory proclaims 40 days of purpose; the theologian of the cross preaches daily dying and rising in Jesus.

44. God established the Church to be a “mouth house” of forgiveness not a madhouse of activity.

45. Christ wills that His voice be heard in His Church and not the voice of man when He says, “He who hears you, hears me.” (Lk. 10:16)

46. Purveyors of purpose-driven relevance obscure the voice of Christ and so draw the sheep away from the Good Shepherd.

47. Christ saves from sin and death not through the motivation of the sinner to do good, but through baptismal death and resurrection.

48. The mission of the church is not to transform the world but to disciple the nations by baptizing and teaching (Mt. 28:19-20).

49. Anyone who preaches a vision and demands allegiance to it sets up a new papacy among the churches.

50. A synod or church body is a human institution that exists by the will and consent of its member congregations and pastors.

51. A synod or church body is not merely an affiliation of churches that agree on a common purpose.

52. A synod or church body is not the Church, properly speaking, but a fellowship of churches sharing a common confession of faith and practice.

53. Synods are not of the church’s essence (esse) but for her well being (bene esse).

54. Synodical leaders are not lords over the churches, but servants of the churches and stewards of their common possessions.

55. Synodical leaders are not called to promulgate visions but to execute the collective will of the synod’s churches.

56. The old papacy arrogated the Church’s treasury of merits; the new papacy arrogates the Church’s treasury.

57. The old papacy said, “As the coin in the coffer clings, so the soul from purgatory springs.”

58. The new papacy says, “As the coin in the church coffer clings, so another program out of debt springs.”

59. The old papacy counted plenary indulgences; the new papacy counts money and people.

60. The old papacy suppressed the Gospel through canon law; the new papacy suppresses the Gospel through constitutions and by-laws.

61. The old papacy was a friend of Caesar; the new papacy is a friend of Mammon.

62. The old papacy bound a man’s conscience for the sake his wallet; the new papacy binds a man’s wallet for the sake of his conscience.

63. The old papacy promulgated infallible dogma; the new papacy promulgates undebatable visions.

64. The old papacy claims to sit on the seat of Peter; the new papacy claims to sit on the mandate of the majority.

65. The old papacy reserved the right to judge doctrine and practice; the new papacy judges doctrine and practice by commissions and committees.

66. The old papacy issued “bulls;” the new papacy issues task force reports.

67. The old papacy had a college of cardinals; the new papacy has high-priced consultants.

68. Just as popes and councils have erred in the past, so synodical leaders and synodical conventions err in the present.

69. A synod that is concerned for the true unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace does not excuse unionism and syncretism.

70. Unity in doctrine and practice means discernible interchangeability in teaching, preaching, and practice.

71. Unity in doctrine and practice does not consist in signing confessional statements, but in word and deed.

72. Worship is doctrine put into practice.

73. As one worships, so one believes.

74. As one believes, so one worships.

75. Christian worship consists in God’s service to us through His giving and our receiving in faith the gifts of Christ’s Word, Body, and Blood, and our service to God by our prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.

76. Worship that is focused principles for Christian living obscures the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His gifts and is detrimental to faith and salvation.

77. While Christian liberty allows that worship forms need not be altogether the same in every time and place, unity in faith and practice requires that worship forms must not be altogether different in every time and place.

78. Worship forms serve as identifying banners in the confessional field of battle.

79. Peculiar and novel worship forms obscure the unity of the churches and extol the creativity of the worship leaders.

80. In matters neither commanded nor forbidden in the Word of God (adiaphora), the churches of God are free to change ceremonies according to circumstances, as may be most beneficial and edifying to the churches of God. (Epitome, Art X.4)

81. Such changes must avoid all frivolity and offenses, particularly with regard to those who are weak in faith (Epitome, Art X.5).

82. Where the Gospel is at stake, concessions in ceremony must not be made so as to suggest unity with those who deny the Gospel (Epitome, Art X.6)

83. Therefore, it is contrary to the doctrine of adiaphora to hide the substance of Lutheran doctrine behind a non-Lutheran style of worship.

84. To create and sustain saving faith, God established the office of the holy ministry in the church to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments according to our Lord’s institution.

85. No one may publicly preach, teach, or administer the sacraments in the churches without his being called and ordained.

86. Those who introduce novelties into the church are the true agents of division.

87. The ordination of women is a novelty that has caused great division in the church.

88. The introduction of worship forms not held in common by the churches is a cause of division and a stumbling block.

89. The church belongs to no man but to Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, and Lord of the church.

90. Woe to the false prophets who cry, “Unity, unity” when there is no unity.

91. Again, woe to those who say, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.

92. Again, woe to those who say, “Gospel, gospel,” when there is no Gospel.

93. Blessed are those who say, “Cross, cross,” when there is no cross.

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through all suffering, death, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven through many trials and tribulations, rather than through the assurance of outward peace, unity, and happiness.

 

Thoughts and Highlights from the 2009 WELS Convention

The 60th Biennial Convention of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), convened Monday, July 27, adjourned today, Friday, July 31. It was held at Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS) in Saginaw, MI. I figured that I would offer some thoughts regarding what I think are highlights of the week:

• Full Funding of Ministerial Education and Missions
  It was reported on Wednesday that the Floor Committee on Finance had developed a Budget Option C, retaining full funding of both Missions and all four Ministerial Schools, and would be presenting that to the Convention, Thursday. I quote from an observer:
  
  I am more than happy that the floor committee on finance kept the full funding of the four ministerial education schools and the full funding of world and home missions, both with some minor exceptions in both. The delegate of the finance committee with whom I was in contact agreed well in advance of the convention that the complete ministerial education and mission budget had to be retained to the exclusion of all else. Now I just hope it passes on Thursday.
  
  Indeed, on Thursday morning, after hours of debate, the resolution to accept Option C, which sought, instead of Options A and B, to target cuts in administration, travel, and in areas that could be most easily replaced once funding became available, passed. One commenter in the budget debate stated it well (and I paraphrase): "If we lose MLS, have no illusions, we will never get it back again. The cost is too great." A prep-school is not easily replaced. The message sent by the Convention was clear: Let's have no more talk of closing schools.
  

• Synod-wide Theological Study
  Given evidence of declining theological acumen among the laity, and an apparent growth in disunity in doctrine and practice as a result, the Ad Hoc Commission recommended a Synod-wide study of Theology, to address both Doctrine and Practice. The Ad Hoc floor committee presented a resolution to accept this recommendation, and it was passed by the Convention. This study will come directly from the Seminary to the congregations. Suggested studies over the next four years includes:
  
  
  1. Efficacy of the Means of Grace (not methods)
  2. Vocation, Church, and Ministry (i.e., everyone is not a minister in the context of the congregation, but are ministers in the context of Vocation)
  3. Care of Souls (Church Discipline, dealing with error in the congregation)
  4. The Sacramental Life (not just the Gospel in the Word, but the Gospel in the Sacraments)
  
  As background, this resolution seems to follow from the January meeting of the CoP, to charge the Ad Hoc commission to study these issues, as follows:
  
  
  5.D.03 Establishment of "non-traditional" ("new style") congregations. We feel that the underpinnings of this "non-traditional" type of worship cannot be ignored. We also feel that the issue is extremely complex and will take great care to be careful to walk the "narrow Lutheran road" between legalism and ignoring and failing to admonish where practices are contrary to or a danger to the principles of gospel proclamation and the efficacy of the means of grace. We move that an ad hoc committee be convened that can study and address this issue and produce a study document that can be shared with circuits and also congregations for study and careful evaluation of practices in worship, sacraments, outreach, organization, music selection, etc. Motion carried.

• Board for Parish Services "restructuring"
  Also on Thursday, the Board for Parish Services was reduced from Board status to Council status, now reporting to the Council of Presidents (CoP). It is no longer an official area of ministry in WELS.
  
  This is a good thing. The BPS had been a real and growing concern among Confessionals in WELS, as it had been staffed over the years principally by known Church Growth advocates, had designated itself as the Board having "primary responsibility for carrying out the goals of the Synod's Mission-Objectives-Vision Statement" (according to Manthey's Fifteen Years under the MOV), and in the execution of this responsibility, had, since the early 1990's, been associated with the dissemination of CGM materials directly to WELS congregations and had directly advised WELS congregations according to CGM principles. In addition, there is currently a strong connection between the former BPS Administrators and the controversial group "Church & Change".
  
  Constitutionally and organizationally speaking, this resolution brought the functions of the former BPS under the jurisdiction of the District Presidents, who are responsible for Doctrine and Practice in their own districts, making the new Council of Parish Services accountable to the District Presidents for the materials and advice they disseminate to the congregations. In addition (as I understand it), this resolution strips authority from the CPS to issue Divine Calls to Administrators (consultants) who serve it, placing that responsibility where it belongs, with the CoP.
  
  As one elated commenter on Ichabod put it:
  
  
  Perish Services has been totally decimated. Rather than a Board with an Administrator and a Chairman and decision making power, with many sub-boards and sub-administrators, Perish Services now consists of only 3 sub-administrators who report to the Conference of Presidents and are called by the CoP.
  
  President Schroeder slapped them down for trying to go around his authority and destroyed them and their support of the CG movement. Now there's not much left of Perish Services, and what is left can't do a thing without the CoP knowing about it.
  
  Indeed, the BPS advocates complained bitterly during deliberation, especially regarding the loss of power they would suffer by being made a Council, and changes were made to accommodate their reasonable and pragmatic appeals. But in the end, the intent of the Ad Hoc committee, which recommended elimination of BPS, was honored by the Convention.
  

• President Schroeder Wallops the Church Growth Movement
  On Monday morning, setting the tone of the Convention, Synod President Mark Schroeder issued his report. The first 42 minutes, or so, were directed specifically at the Church Growth Movement (CGM) in our midst, along with Contemporary Worship (without naming these things or naming individuals), emphasizing Scripture and the Confessions, and of maintaining a unified Lutheran Identity under them. He delivers a blister-boiling spanking to advocates of CGM. IMHO, his report (at least the first 42 minutes) is well worth a congregational study. Rick, another WELS layman who maintains a blog called Light from Light, offers an excellent summary of SP Schroeder's address. So rather than duplicate his work, I'll send you to his blog (above), while providing the embedded video, below:
  
  

  The text of President Schroeder's report can be downloaded, here.

• Professor Brenner Continues the Walloping...
  If you enjoyed SP Schroeder's Report on Monday, you'll certainly enjoy Professor Brenner's Convention Essay, Christ's Love: The efficacy and power of the Means of Grace, that was given Tuesday morning (click this link to view his presentation). It was the first of two Convention Essays covering the Synod theme, Christ's Love, Our Calling. The undercurrent of this entire Convention, from the standpoint of its execution, very strongly seems to address the errors of CGM, which have been creeping in over the past three decades. Following Schroeder's rather direct walloping of CGM positions on Monday, Brenner continues this walloping in his Essay. Here are some brief summary notes:
  
  

  The text of Professor Brenner's essay can be downloaded, here.

  
  
  • The Holy Spirit does not work immediately, but mediately, that is, through Means.
  • No one will be saved apart from the use of the external Word -- the Word spoken or read.
  • The preaching of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments are the only Means through which one can come to faith and remain in faith.
  • The Means are always and exclusively efficacious, even though the Holy Spirit may be resisted, whether we see evidence of their working or not. This is how God works, mediately. When God works immediately (i.e., Creation of the World), He cannot be resisted.
  • Sometimes the proclamation of God's Word leads to visible decline in numbers. Examples: Elijah's flight (he thought he was the only one left) and Jesus' abandonment by all but the Twelve as a result of his hard teaching. Sometimes the proclamation of the Word brings about dramatic increase. Example: Pentecost, and the Baptism of 3000 in one day. Faithfulness to the Word of God, and maintaining the centrality of the Means of Grace, not an increase in number, is the measure of success for Lutherans.
  
  This gets us about halfway through the Essay. Thesis 8 of Brenner's Essay begins at about 44 min:
  
  
  • The Means of Grace cannot be made to be more effective by anything that we do (including outreach programs, contemporary worship, blah blah, etc.)
  • In a culture of American pragmatism, where Advertising, Marketing, and Business Models are seen to be the means to success, Christians are tempted to think that the Gospel is a product to sell, rather than a powerful message to be proclaimed. Sectarians confuse these methods with means.
  • "Does it work?" is not the question a Lutheran asks regarding methods.
  • The Means of Grace work supernaturally, but not magically. The Word must be correctly handled, the Sacraments rightly administered. This requires training.
  
  Finally, after the Essay, from the Q&A section, at about 88min, listen particularly to the final two questions:
  
  
  • What do you say about selling a specific culture of the congregation in order get visitors, in order that they may hear the Word and benefit from the Means of Grace? Answer: Advertising to inform the community where you're located is one thing, other than that, we are not selling anything!
  • Likewise, the last question/statement by Rev. John Bucholz: When faithful Word and Sacrament congregations struggle to grow in the face of sectarian neighbors whose numbers seem to skyrocket, we are tempted to ask, "What are they doing?" Don't. The Means, and only the Means, are central.

• Rev. Jonathan Schroeder raises even more Blisters...
  Finally, on Wednesday morning, Rev. Jonathan Schroeder, a known and vocal advocate of Confessional Worship in the WELS, presented his Essay: Our Calling: Christian Vocation and the Ministry of the Gospel. This was a fabulous essay, and I supply my copius notes, from the video presentation, below:
  
  

  The text of Rev. Jonathan Schroeder's essay can be downloaded, here (for part one) and here (for part two).

  
  
  Our Calling before God (to be His Child):
  
  • Calling is not about what we do, but about what God gives us.
  • Our Calling comes through Means
  • Lutherans rely on the Means of Grace in our Outreach and "Inreach" because the Word and Sacraments are the only tools that the Holy Spirit has given His Church to open the heart of man.
  • No program or method or personality can work faith in sinful man's heart. Only the Holy Spirit through the Gospel can do this.
  • The Call is Universal and Efficacious
  • Only the Call, which is issued only through His Means, induces a response [not methods].
  
  Our Calling before the World (to be His Mask) -- the "Doctrine of Vocation":
  
  (Summary)
  The false teaching of works-righteousness in the Roman Church taught that those who devote their lives to Good Works in the name of the Church are by definition closer to God. And those who do Good Works beyond those expected of every Christian must be even better. Sacred life was better life, in God's eyes, that Secular life. At the time of the Reformation, only Monks, Nuns, and Priests had "Vocation" or "Calling." The Roman Church taught falsely that their lives were more Godly and therefore more valuable.
  
  [Note: We see this teaching at work today in the false ideas used to coerce "programs," or to compare individuals and congregations by "Outreach" or relative involvement: i.e., certainly, folks who give themselves to such service are more Godly...]
  
  But this is not Lutheran. In returning the biblical Doctrine of Justification to the Church, the question of how man becomes righteous before God also changed the meaning of Vocation. Only the righteousness of Christ makes us righteous before God. Thus, being saved by Grace Alone, man's Vocation is a Calling to a life of Sanctification within his Divinely assigned sphere of life. There is no need to be dedicated to a life of Sacred Service before God in the Church (i.e., in modern Evangelical terms, no need to quit your job and start a Ministry in order to serve God better). As St. Paul says, "stay in the Calling in which you were called." All Vocations are equal in God's eyes. All are Priests. All have a Calling. All have been Called. All are Called to Good Works before the World in the context of Vocation, not to get to heaven, but because that is where they are going.
  
  
  • Questions regarding purpose and dignity (i.e., referring to "Purpose Driven" drivel) exist because of a lack of Calling (i.e., Vocation is not being taught, so the false teachings of "purpose-driven-ism" take its place). Life without God has no purpose (meaning that the man without God must go find purpose, and that those who are compelled to go find it, are not fully resting in His objective promises...). But with God, all of Life has purpose -- the same purpose.
  
  Our Calling for the World (to be His Church):
  
  • The Church is a Chosen People, a body of Priests and Kings. The calling or purpose of the Church is to declare the praises of Him Who called them out of darkness into His wonderful light; that is, to Herald or to "publish abroad" the excellence of His achievements. God's intent is that through the Church His manifold wisdom should be made known unto the world.
  • The Church is the mouth of God (in distinction to individual Christians, who are the mask of God in their Vocation).
  • Through the Church and the Office of the Holy Ministry, God deigned to let humanity participate in His plan of Salvation.
  • Our Calling (or "purpose") as a Synod is no different than that of the Church:
    
    To Keep the Word (pure) for the World
    To Share the Word with the World
    -or-
    
    to extend and conserve the True doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
  • We cannot do one at the expense of the other; we cannot do one and leave the other undone. We keep the Word that we might share it, we share the Word that others may join us in preserving it. They feed each other.
  
  This gets us to about minute 56, where direct application to WELS really begins with the Muelhauser story:
  
  
  • Muelhauser had serious outreach credibility, having preached his way across Europe, suffered persecution, was imprisoned, and yet continued preaching, and was eventually sent to the New World in the name of the Gospel.
  • Such is, indeed, our heritage and part of our culture in WELS.
  • But this is not our priority: a motto of Outreach over everything misses the dual directives in the Church's Calling.
  • While Muelhauser certainly thought of himself as a Lutheran, he did not think of his Confession as binding on him or his Church (Lutheran CGM advocates seem to think the same thing). His fault is not that he prioritized that sharing of the Word, but that he did so at the expense of Doctrine. [Muelhauser was a Pietist, and a willing Unionist, who "saw the Confessions as nothing but paper fences"]. Bading and Hoenecke corrected this, subsequently leading the WELS into Confessionalism.
  • Early on, because of Muelhauser's unionism and heterodoxy, Bading approached the Missouri Synod regarding membership with them instead, but was encourage by them to stay in the WELS, to raise the standard of Doctrine and Practice in our Synod. This is exactly what happened, as our dedication to Confessionalism, under the eventual leadership of Bading and Hoenecke, rose to that of Missions. Under Bading, Koehler, and Rheim, the Northwestern Conference of our Synod was responsible for the establishment and growth of Confessionalism in our Synod [hence, the names "Northwestern College" and "Northwestern Lutheran." How interesting it is that these names were abandoned under the recent leadership of CGM advocates, in favor of names reflecting a "Muelhauserian Outreachiness"...].
  • Most significantly, this turn to Confessional Lutheranism meant that the Synod would cease unionistic practrices with the Reformed [while "Muelhauserian Outreachiness" would have us worship with Andy Stanley and join groups like the Willow Creek Association (Search page for Lutheran) or the PurposeDrivenChurch (choose WELS as Denomination)].
  • The reason we are a Confessional Lutheran Church Body is because our Calling as the Church of God is "to go and make disciples of all nations, by baptizing and teaching them to obey everything he has commanded us." Mission zeal for going does not give license to fail to teach.
  • The early Synod sought to establish Schools because they realized that as Confessional Lutherans they needed more than just workers for the harvest field, they needed Confessional Lutheran workers. A new commitment to being a Confessional Lutheran church led them to eventually abandon the German Mission Societies that provided workers, Gratis, for a system that would cost the Synod a great deal of money, but would provide the right kind for workers for the mission field.
  • The outside attacks calling attention to the motley character of the Synod's clergy in their practice gave emphasis to the project of establishing a ministerial education program. The Synod's growing commitment to the Confessions engendered a commitment to Ministerial Education. Confessional commitment means commitment to training Confessional Lutheran workers because our calling to both share the Word and keep the Word. They needed to be approved to rightly handle the Word of Truth.
  • The experience of "Going and Growing" (a recent CGM slogan in the WELS) taught our fathers the importance of a Ministerial Education system, that it was the best way to train those workers to fulfill both directives of the Church's Calling.
  • The Church that goes to the entire World but does not teach everything God has commanded us, fails Jesus' litmus test for discipleship, "If you hold to my teachings you are really my disciples." Mission zeal without sound doctrine is mission work that is slowly loosing hold of the one tool that opens hearts. No methods, no programs, no people skills can convert sinful man, only the Word of God. Mission zeal without doctrine is destined to falter.
  
  Listen to comments from Rev. John Bucholz from Tempe, Arizona @~80:30: "I really appreciated your thought ...how does God deal with us by His Holy Spirit through the Gospel? He slays us ...One way or the other He's either going to kill me eternally in Hell, or He is going to kill me in Baptism and raise me a new creature... [addressing a misunderstanding or misapplication of Vocation, Bucholz continues] When I say to somebody in my congregation, 'I'd like you to serve the Lord by serving on Church Council,' or 'I would like you to serve the Lord by mowing the lawn at Church,' or 'getting involved in the ministry of setting up chairs,' what I have really expressed is a flawed understanding of Christian Vocation. And I think that we need to be very careful that we don't fall into the trap of thinking that doing something 'churchy' or doing something at the congregation is serving the Lord, or that doing evangelism is serving the Lord, when in fact the mother changing a child's diaper or putting food on the table, or a man who goes to work, and works nine-to-five [Ja! If only!] to bring home the bacon for his family -- all of those things are an expression of the Vocation that we have been given. I think that we need to strengthen and reinforce that."