As an addendum to my earlier response, I agree that if this is what he had done it would have been wrong and harmful. However, I disagree that by participating in this event that he affirmed the "ministrations of pagan clerics"; to the contrary, he showed the gospel to be in stark contrast to the hopeless and bizarre Hindu, Sikh, etc. proclamations. Thereby perhaps enlightening some who would not otherwise have been reached. Should we abandon the stage to the pagans? Or try to stand in stark contrast to them in the same arena?
You have just acknowledged something Benke and Kieschnick continue to deny, namely, that it was a service. They maintain that it wasn't a service, in spite of the fact that it was consistently referred to and reported as an interfaith prayer service, and that's what the content of it primarily was.
I don't have the text of Benke's comments/prayer but I'm sure it contained nothing but uplifting Christian sentiments that flowed straight from the Gospel.
That's what I guessed. It is my experience that almost all of those who rush to Benke's defense have not read or seen or heard his actual words or what took place at "A Prayer for America." But later in this post I'll print them for you and give you a link where you can see and hear the complete prayer service.
But for now I just don't get this fear of "mixing" with other faiths.
Are you aware that such mixing with other faiths (syncretism) has been prohibited in our synodical constitution ever since the synod's founding (1847)?
Are you aware that on October 22, 1998, Benke signed a public apology stating that his participation in a September, 1998, interfaith prayer service was wrong and a direct violation of Scripture, Confessions, and Constitution? And that he assured the Synod that he would never do so again?
I disagree that by participating in this event that he affirmed the "ministrations of pagan clerics"
He said, "Oh, we're stronger now than we were an hour ago." He called the whole assembly, including the representatives of the non-Christian religions, "my sisters and brothers." He invited them all to join him in prayer "on this 'field of dreams' turned into God's house of prayer."
. . . to the contrary, he showed the gospel to be in stark contrast to the hopeless and bizarre Hindu, Sikh, etc. proclamations. Thereby perhaps enlightening some who would not otherwise have been reached. Should we abandon the stage to the pagans? Or try to stand in stark contrast to them in the same arena?
There was no "stark contrast." Show me the "stark contrast." Show me where he exposes the bankruptcy of the false gods, the false religions. Show me the "Christ-alone" language. I've been looking for ten months and still can't find it.
Here are Benke's actual words (to be distinguished from the inaccurate version posted by Benke and Kieschnick on their websites):
Oh, we're stronger now than we were an hour ago. And you know, my sisters and brothers, we're not nearly as strong as we're going to be. And the strength we have is the power of love. And the power of love you have received is from God, for God is love. So take the hand of one next to you now and join me in prayer on this "field of dreams" turned into God's house of prayer:
O Lord our God, we're leaning on You today. You are our Tower of Strength, and we're leaning on You. You are our Mighty Fortress, our God who is a Rock; in You do we stand. Those of us who bear the name of Christ know that You stood so tall when You stooped down to send a Son through death and life to bring us back together, and we lean on You today.
O Tower of Strength, be with those who mourn the loss of loved ones; bring them closer to us day by day.
O Heavenly Father, we pray at this time that You might extend Jacob's ladder for those who ascended the stairways to save us, as others escaped the fire and flames.
O Tower of Strength, open innocent and victimized hearts to the sacrifice of the Innocent One; pour Your consolation upon the traumatized, especially our children.
O Heavenly Father, un-bind, un-fear, un-scorch, un-sear our souls; renew us in Your free Spirit. We're leaning on You, our Tower of Strength. We find our refuge in the shadow of Your shelter. Lead us from this place--strong--to bring forth the power of Your love, wherever we are.
In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Here is a link to the online C-SPAN video of the New York City Prayer Service (09/23/2001).
(President Benke is introduced at the 2:05:22 mark.)
You could look for my posts and links on these FR threads:
Participating with pagans: Hal Lindsey shows the God of the Bible cannot be the god of Islam
Lutheran pastor suspended for participating in interfaith service
Lutheran minister suspended over interfaith service after terrorist attacks
The only way you could MAYBE overcome that would be to expose the bankruptcy of the false gods and false religions and point people to Jesus as the ONLY Savior, Christ ALONE. But to do so would be to go to the interfaith prayer service under false pretenses--it wouldn't be honest--for they never would have invited you if they thought you were going to do that.
Better to not go at all. This is why we don't do interfaith prayer services. And we're not the only church body that has that policy.
I've written further on this subject in The Underlying Premise of Interfaith Prayer Services.