Change of address. . .

You know it is bad when they sell their prime real estate in search of smaller and cheaper digs.  So the Lutheran Church in Australia has sold a valuable piece of property owned ostensibly since 1922.  They obviously will reap some wonderful capital gains but what does it say for that church body?  Fifty million AUS and about $33 or so American is no small change but, outside of finding another location, the LCA has announced plans to use proceeds from the sale to support its mission and ministry.  Convenient since the LCA is splitting so I wonder if this is community property in the great divorce -- what do you think?  The Australian Lutheran College doesn't need the space -- it has changed from the full-time model with students living on campus, in the years when it was known as Luther seminary, to a “distributed” education mode.  Apparently only 10 of its 58 students lived on campus so it was not a mass relocation.  

Don't get me wrong.  I am not opposed to selling space no longer needed since Christianity is downsizing everywhere.  Even Rome is doing that.  Still and all, there is something amiss when any church is awash in money but short on people.  It is never a good thing.  The money will not last and it will not solve the people problem.  What it will do is kick the can down the road so that you can delay dealing with the big problems because you have money to fix the small ones.  Some congregations with rich endowment funds have every amenity their facilities might need and they keep them in grand state but there are no people to drag in dirt on Sunday mornings or mess up the rooms throughout the week.  Money problems are easy enough to fix -- especially when you have valuable real estate to dispense of and willing buyers with cash.  The structural problems of Christianity are not so easy to deal with.

The ELCA recently said an amicable goodbye to its largest congregation.  The church with some 10K members in Iowa has left the building over bylaw issues -- at least that is what they claim.  The Synod of the ELCA to which it belonged is relieved though now down 10K members as well and the congregation had not seen itself walking in step with the ELCA for many years.  The split was happy enough and everyone is now free to go their own way without becoming a pain in the side of the other.  But is that a good thing?  Rancor over personality and other superficial issues is one thing but to leave over doctrine and then to smile as you head out the door seems to trivialize the leaving.  Missouri seems not to have that problem.  Our people are noisy complainers even while staying.  But it would be nice if someone leaving a church body over matters of faith would admit that they are leaving because they disagree over fundamental issues.  Except that most folks who left the ELCA would have been happy merely to roll back the clock and accept the ELCA with all of its faults and failings but the ones prior to 2009.  It seems that this might be what Australian Lutherans are shooting for as well.  We will leave but on good terms with all.  Hmmm.  Didn't Jesus suggest that dusting off your shoes at the door was the way you leave rejection of the Biblical and catholic faith?  But that seems so uncivilized.  No, we need to smile our differences away or smile while we part ways but smile all the time.  I am not quite sure what that smile buys us but we just may end up smiling at each other as one side or another walks down the broad boulevard to permanent destruction.  A change of address that is permanent may be the unintended consequences of disagreeing over doctrine, faith, and practice.  Now I know I will accused of being bitter and narrow minded and judgmental but somehow or another I could not imagine Jesus and the Pharisees working it out in this way.  Maybe we should go out with a little noise.  What do you think?