Lutheran (EL
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Posted on 08/27/2009 6:13:07 PM PDT by lightman
The Ministerium In Schism, A Church Divided
A week from the first vote in Minnesota that altered the landscape of the ECLA forever, I have had some time for a few reflections. I don't pass myself off as some deep thinking theologian, nor do my words reflect anything other than that of the parish pastor. A parish pastor who day in and day out ministers to the people, preaches the Word and administers the sacraments, and understands he is simul justus et peccator, at one and same time sinner and saint.
There are many of us, in fact probably a great majority, who simply cannot comprehend what happened last week. I was a voting member and I am not sure I understand. But we do know that the decisions made will ripple down and probably signals the end of the ELCA as a potent denomination in American Lutheranism.
I am not getting into the scriptural debates that have raged for the entire life of the ELCA on this issue. I think in all reality we have been operating with two diferent hermeneutics of scriptural interpretaion for a long, long time. It is why we have been obsessed with this for the entire life of the ELCA. Last week, I really wanted to talk about world hunger. About caring for the homeless. About why our church has lost half a million members in six years. About evangelism. There was little, if any , discussion on these topics. I do want to say this.
Most of us who struggle with this are not extremists on either side. We do not demonize those who think differently from us, nor do we hate people because of their sexual orientation. Many of us have gay friends and know people who struggle with sexual identity. As a pastor for 21 years, I have counseled many people who struggle in that arena. I have not judged them, nor condemned them, but tried to share God's love in all things.
The fallout is massive, and deep. I am hearing from pastors and laypeople across this nation, and life has changed for many in these days. Because I was a voting member and shared my convinctions, my phone is ringing with those who want to talk who saw me on the web. But the commen theme is life has changed forever. And we all know that theologically we have crossed the Rubicon. We can't go back, only forward. We know many will leave. We know many will go to other churches, other faith expressions. This is not just about pastors and their polity, but it is about the layperson who is confused and struggling in this time. About the congregation in the midwest who has had people leave already. About pastors who wonders what their church does stand for.
The Ministerium is in schism, and our house, our church is divided. Pray for everyone involved, from laypeople to Bishops, and for the simple parish pastors who must now minister in the midst of a church founded on protest, that is in protest, and indeed in schism. Whether His house through the ELCA can still stand remains to be seen.
Being compassionate, and accepting of each other as Americans, is a whole different story than blatant politics which have destroyed this church. Last week, there was a militancy that frightened me , not from the tradtional side, but from those desiring change. At all costs, even that of seeking unity, they pushed, and pushed, and pushed, until finally out of fatigue, the question was called.
I am not assailing the motives of any on either side, but stating that the church of sola scriptura just sold her theology down the river. When we say the Holy Spirit is doing a "new thing", we better be darn sure that is grounded in our scripture, in our confessions, and in our life together. I am not sure that happened. I am not sure a simply majority vote, which leaves half the church opposed, if not more, is right.
Luther wrote in his Commentary on John:
The Holy Spirit establishes a wide difference among teachers and gives the right rule by which the spirits are to be tested. He wants to say that there are two kinds of teachers. There are some who speak on their own authority; that is, they evolve their message from their own reasoning or religious zeal and judgment. The Holy Spirit is not to be that kind of preacher; for He will not speak on His own authority… In this way Christ sets bounds for the message of the Holy Spirit Himself. He is not to preach anything new or anything else than Christ and His Word. Thus we have a sure guide and touchstone for judging the false spirits.1
Is a social issue the Word? Is the Holy Spirit doing a new thing when it is unbound from the Word? Where do we go from here? What makes our generation so enlightened, so confident, so self-important that we know better?
And I certainly hope that those doing a victory lap will pause to recognize that the question still needs to be answered as to whether this new thing is theologically grounded, confessionally sound, wedded to the Word, or simply our best guess on social policy in American culture. Some may see this as the price that needs to be paid for change. Maybe the cost is just too high, and I wonder if anyone is having buyers remorse?
Pastor Jeff Ruby Status Confessionis, ELCA pastor
Luther, M. (1999, c1961). Vol. 24: Luther's works, vol. 24 : Sermons on the Gospel of St. John: Chapters 14-16 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (24:362). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Ping
Luther would be nailing his outrage to their door, maybe with a dynamite chaser.
The more things change, the more they remain the same. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenburg church door, his central and valid complaint was that the Roman Catholic Church ignored the Word of God. Today, the Lutheran Church is following in the (unworthy) footsteps of the 16th century Popes by placing their personal desires above the Word of God.
“I am not assailing the motives of any on either side,”
This man sounds very... weak.
“Today, the Lutheran Church is following in the (unworthy) footsteps of the 16th century Popes by placing their personal desires above the Word of God.”
Human nature.
This is a deal breaker for many Church goers, they vote with their feet.
Aye, and in a supreme twist of irony, the Roman Catholic Bishop who addressed the Churchwide Assembly implored the voting members to reject the proposed policies and to be faithful to the Bible!
“Whether His house through the ELCA can still stand remains to be seen. “
He might want to re-read the parable about a house built on sand.
The ELCA only.
This is only the ELCA. Please do not lump all Lutherans together. There still are many Lutheran synods who remain true to the Word of God.
I just wondered to my hubby that it might be interesting if a lot of the people leaving, end up returning to the Catholic Church.
Sounds like the Lutherans have decided to go the way of the Episcopalians.
Important point! Thank you for the correction.
Welcome to the latest chapter of the Homosexual Synagogue of Satan.
How could you ELCAns not know this was coming? The approval of full communion with the Episcopagans should have been a big hint.
It is out of respect for the LC-MS and WELS members of this forum (as well as the smaller bodies) that I add the E-L-C-A initials on the Lutheran Ping! banner when the subject matter is ELCA-specific.
Come next summer when the LC-MS faces a divisive convention I may need to have some LC-MS specific pings.
“This is only the ELCA. Please do not lump all Lutherans together. “
I was quoting someone else on the thread.
Lead the faithful to Christian homes.
Sorry to disappoint you.
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