tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post2036723637629738981..comments2024-03-29T04:31:15.219-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Progress vs Restoration. . .Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-8672684245125494572013-03-23T17:09:03.837-05:002013-03-23T17:09:03.837-05:00When I wrote "We have progressed beyond that&...When I wrote "We have progressed beyond that" it was meant sarcastically... of course we have not progressed beyond that and what we generally call progress is not at all but a loss of what was.Pastor Petersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-62584972897027426662013-03-23T11:09:20.473-05:002013-03-23T11:09:20.473-05:00" Talk to Lutherans about the worship practic..." Talk to Lutherans about the worship practices from the first several centuries of Lutheranism and they are squeamish about the more prevalent use of private confession, the elevation and adoration within the Eucharist, the seriousness of Luther and early Lutherans about the Real Presence and how to deal with spills, etc.. We have progressed beyond that..."<br /><br />Really, this does not sound like progress at all, but rather yielding to the blandishments of modernity and the loss of depth of faith. To loose auricular confession is definitely not progress, because this has been a great source of comfort and healing to many troubled souls through the ages. It simply represents the injection of pride and distrust into the pastoral-penitent relationship, and is the work of the devil.<br /><br />The matter of adoration is a bit more difficult, but it hinges on just what we believe about the reality of Christ's physical presence in the Eucharist. If He is truly there in Body, why should we not adore Him? He said, "This is my Body." Do we believe Him, or not? Is Jesus Christ a liar? I think not.<br /><br />The same thing applies to the matter of spills of the Precious Blood. If this is indeed the Blood of Christ (He said, This is my Blood of the New Testament), then should we not treat spills as matters of serious concern? I think we must.<br /><br />If you have "progressed" past all of these matters, have you perhaps "progressed" past Jesus Christ also? It seems like a dangerous possibility!<br /><br />Fr. D+<br />Anglican PriestAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com