Don't just give them the idea of Jesus. . .

I am rather sick of the bywords of the progressive or missional churches.  The whole idea of slogans is somewhat degrading and reducing Jesus or the Gospel or even the Church to a slogan is pathetic at best.  But that is about where we are.  Whether conservative or liberal, we build our houses of straw on the weak foundations of slogans that mean little to us and even less to those whom we serve.

Nearly every congregation I know would say of themselves, “We’re a welcoming community.”  What is the world does that even mean?  I have been to plenty of welcoming communities that did not even notice me when I walked through the door.  That would seem to be the minimum.  Notice who comes in.  Of course, it means more than mere notice.  There ought to be some sort of welcome which is not reserved for those whom you call friends.  In reality, the term "welcoming community" ends up meaning that this church does not stand for much.  They do not have any standards which means that anyone can enter but it also means that you do not need to change either.  "Come as you are" is a way of telling people that who they are is just fine with the church and with God.  "God loves you just the way you are" has become code for God must accept me for whom I am, for all my sinful predilections, for all my uncharitable judgments against others, and for my own self-designed sexual, moral, and gender identity.  By the way, a rainbow is not the sign of welcome.  It is the sign of God's rightful and just judgment which is set aside not because the sin is okay but because God is merciful.  Furthermore, this kind of talk is a tacit admission that if you did have standards or bothered to call a sin a sin, people would get snippy or complain or, worse, leave and stop giving.

Nearly every congregation would say, “We meet people where they’re at.”  Of course you would.  In our wear what you like and live how you want world, we all have to meet everyone else at the altar of their own preferences and desires.  Why should it be different for a Christian Church or a Lutheran one?  This says nothing.  Of course God does not demand we go to Him.  He comes to us.  That is the whole thing about the incarnation.  Furthermore, it is the incardinated statement of Lutheran doctrine --I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. Duh.  But that is not all we say.  But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with JeBus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. 

Unless you have a plan for leading people once you meet them where they are at, it cannot be called evangelization or mission or witness or any of those big or fancy words.  The reality is that we often do not have any plan.  We think we can give them Jesus without giving them the Church.  Fat chance.  Jesus is where He has promised to be -- in the Church.  There, where the called are gathered, Jesus and the Spirit of Jesus are working to accomplish His purpose.  It means leading people to the voice of God speaking through His Word, washing them with the water of everlasting life, absolving their sins of the penitent, and feeding them upon the very bread of His flesh and the cup of His blood.  Don't just give them the idea of Jesus or a passing feeling of Jesus or an emotional high of Jesus.  Give them the Jesus where Jesus has promised to be.  If you are giving them Jesus without bringing them to the worship services of God's House, catechizing them in the creeds and catechism, giving them the new birth of the baptismal womb, hearing their confession and absolving them, and setting apart to give out His flesh and blood in the Holy Eucharist, what are we giving them at all?