tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post5827620919960834618..comments2024-03-29T04:31:15.219-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: The Great Quest for SpiritualityPastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-80414640386285574702010-08-30T13:09:43.244-05:002010-08-30T13:09:43.244-05:00How dismissive should one be? Seriously, the mess...How dismissive should one be? Seriously, the message of the Church has to remain the same regardless of the real or perceived “spiritual hunger” of this or that group: it is the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the exercise of the Sacraments. That is absolute Truth, and that is what our Lord wants us to do. <br /><br />Is it surprising that there is “rejection of doctrine” when we ascribe activities to our Lord which He clearly did not claim, but ascribed to the Holy Spirit? We often take it for granted that what we proclaim is the absolute Truth, and our “quia” confession makes it undesirable to question anything. Quite often the problem of the mind “shaped by Lutheran catechesis” is that we know the words of the Catechism by heart, including the “what does this mean” passages, but we don’t know what they mean. Then, Pietism, the great enemy of truth and doctrine, lures us into what sound like humble and noble thoughts that ultimately deny the fullness of the gifts our God has provided for His people.<br /><br />The words of Elijah come to mind, 1 Kings 19:4, “…"It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers."<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-1592276114744659932010-08-29T05:36:11.490-05:002010-08-29T05:36:11.490-05:00George, it was not a post about spirituality but a...George, it was not a post about spirituality but about the spiritual hunger and quest for a, shall we say, religion which seeks spirit/Spirit apart from the One whom the Spirit reveals... If this were a post positing the outline of true spirituality, then I would have spent more time on the Spirit. You seem excessively dismissive of what was a comment on the spiritual hunger of people for a disembodied God and a Lutheranism which proclaims the incarnated Lord...Pastor Petershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-34127573677344479632010-08-28T21:42:58.473-05:002010-08-28T21:42:58.473-05:00For years I have maintained that our theology and,...For years I have maintained that our theology and, yes, spirituality is the best kept secret in the Christian faith. We have excellent theology, the Word and the life-giving Sacraments skillfully hidden in the LCMS, making it totally invisible to the rest of the Church.<br /><br />Sometimes I fear that we like it that way....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-2631940119229173652010-08-28T19:20:44.767-05:002010-08-28T19:20:44.767-05:00Is it possible to write about “Spirituality” witho...Is it possible to write about “Spirituality” without once mentioning the Holy Spirit? I am stunned to note that apparently it is.<br /><br />“There is a deep spiritual hunger -- no question about that…” First, this alleged spiritual hunger has been around for centuries; I have been reading about it for most of my life. But more importantly, if it really does exist, does not the proper division of Law and Gospel, and even more, our ability to address that hunger require of us to distinguish between the hunger of the People of God and that of the World? Presumably, those who are not children of God may have some kind of hunger, but being enemies of God, they cannot hunger for Him. But the people of God will continue to hunger “as the hart panteth after the water brooks” until we see Him face to face.<br /><br />“We must be careful about the great temptation to divorce truth from Jesus Christ or to give the impression that faith is something other than our encounter with the God who came to us by the incarnation of His one and only Son.” Faith is a gift which we receive when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in us when we are baptized. The mere “encounter” does not get the job done, as Martin Luther tells us in those wonderful words, “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith;…”<br /><br />“Everything we confess about God we know through Jesus Christ. “ 1 Cor. 12:3 “..,no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.”<br /><br />“We know only one God and that God is the God who is Jesus Christ and all that is known about God is known through Him and His revelation.“ John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” That is not to imply that the Holy Spirit deals with us directly, apart from His Word, but without Him, Scripture would not be the fount of blessings that it is, because we could not comprehend it.<br /><br />Sasse, in his 1960 “Letters to Lutheran Pastors” agrees with one of his colleagues, who writes, “The true doctrine of the Holy Spirit has no place to call its own in the church and congregation.” “…then it cannot be long before the reality of the Holy Spirit is also lost to us,” he continues. We do not seem to have made much progress on this front in the past fifty years.<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-63225984462605831482010-08-28T11:37:06.213-05:002010-08-28T11:37:06.213-05:00Excellent post, brother! You've hit the nail ...Excellent post, brother! You've hit the nail squarely on the head. May it be soundly anchored in all who read it.Pr. D. Bestulnoreply@blogger.com