tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post5672804130279322339..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Pushing the Restart ButtonPastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-73501206506492592682010-12-17T22:22:26.142-06:002010-12-17T22:22:26.142-06:00Could it be that part of our problem with repentan...Could it be that part of our problem with repentance lies in the fact that Scripture and our Confessions use the word “repentance” with two distinct meanings. The first is the true “turning around” (μετάνοια) of the sinner when, by the grace and gift of God he becomes a child of God and a member of His Kingdom. This happens only once, and if we were to “repent” after that, we would, as the pilot commentator (Rev. af col) wrote, turn back to where we started from. This is a “restart” in the sense that the old creature is drowned and dies in the waters of baptism, and the new creature rises to new life in the Kingdom of God, filled with the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />The second meaning of repentance is the daily contrition which a child of God experiences because that child deeply regrets that it continues to sin. But inasmuch as “we are God’s children now”, we know that for the rest of our lives on earth we will be “simul justus et peccator”. Therefore this repentance is not a repentance of despair, as the first one, but of gratitude, confidence and trust in the promises of our heavenly Father, Who knows how to give good gifts to His children. <br /><br />Frequently these two types of repentance are discussed as if there is no difference between them. Among Lutheran English speakers this is encouraged by an inaccurate translation of the German word “währt” in the Smalcald Articles and the Formula of Concord, which read, “And in Christians this repentance (meaning the first kind, (μετάνοια) GAM) continues until death,…” The meaning of the German is that the “effect” of “this repentance” continues until death, not the repentance itself. One could say, “This repentance is good for the rest of your life.” But it does not exclude the second, the daily repentance, or contrition.<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-86117343523427259852010-12-17T21:16:13.683-06:002010-12-17T21:16:13.683-06:00It was Robert Schuller of the Hour
of Power and Cr...It was Robert Schuller of the Hour<br />of Power and Crystal Cathedral who<br />said that he did not like the word<br />"sin" because there is some good in<br />everyone. He promoted the power of<br />positive thinking which he inherited<br />from Norman Vincent Peale. Schuller<br />felt the word "sin" was too negative<br />to be preached from his pulpit and<br />so he never used that word. Now<br />his morally bankrupt ministry is <br />facing financial bankruptcy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-12241999937390415832010-12-17T19:18:02.721-06:002010-12-17T19:18:02.721-06:00Could it be that part of our problem with repentan...Could it be that part of our problem with repentance lies in the fact that Scripture and our Confessions use the word “repentance” with two distinct meanings. The first is the true “turning around” (μετάνοια) of the sinner when, by the grace and gift of God he becomes a child of God and a member of His Kingdom. This happens only once, and if we were to “repent” after that, we would, as the pilot commentator (Rev. af col) wrote, turn back to where we started from. This is a “restart” in the sense that the old creature is drowned and dies in the waters of baptism, and the new creature rises to new life in the Kingdom of God, filled with the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />The second meaning of repentance is the daily contrition which a child of God experiences because that child deeply regrets that it continues to sin. But inasmuch as “we are God’s children now”, we know that for the rest of our lives on earth we will be “simul justus et peccator”. Therefore this repentance is not a repentance of despair, as the first one, but of gratitude, confidence and trust in the promises of our heavenly Father, Who knows how to give good gifts to His children. <br /><br />Frequently these two types of repentance are discussed as if there is no difference between them. Among Lutheran English speakers this is encouraged by an inaccurate translation of the German word “währt” in the Smalcald Articles and the Formula of Concord, which read, “And in Christians this repentance (meaning the first kind, (μετάνοια) GAM) continues until death,…” The meaning of the German is that the “effect” of “this repentance” continues until death, not the repentance itself. One could say, “This repentance is good for the rest of your life.” But it does not exclude the second, the daily repentance, or contrition.<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-4582741557205663962010-12-17T19:08:45.606-06:002010-12-17T19:08:45.606-06:00It is a sad thing that it is not just our secular,...It is a sad thing that it is not just our secular, video, celeb age. It is high-profile evangelicals (like Rick Warren's "mulligan")who add to the mess. <br /><br />When the Church (so called) disposes of the need for repentance, we are truly poor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-70973373795546802232010-12-17T17:26:34.920-06:002010-12-17T17:26:34.920-06:00Could it be that part of our problem with repentan...Could it be that part of our problem with repentance lies in the fact that Scripture and our Confessions use the word “repentance” with two distinct meanings. The first is the true “turning around” (μετάνοια) of the sinner when, by the grace and gift of God he becomes a child of God and a member of His Kingdom. This happens only once, and if we were to “repent” after that, we would, as the pilot commentator (Rev. af col) wrote, turn back to where we started from. This is a “restart” in the sense that the old creature is drowned and dies in the waters of baptism, and the new creature rises to new life in the Kingdom of God, filled with the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />The second meaning of repentance is the daily contrition which a child of God experiences because that child deeply regrets that it continues to sin. But inasmuch as “we are God’s children now”, we know that for the rest of our lives on earth we will be “simul justus et peccator”. Therefore this repentance is not a repentance of despair, as the first one, but of gratitude, confidence and trust in the promises of our heavenly Father, Who knows how to give good gifts to His children. <br /><br />Frequently these two types of repentance are discussed as if there is no difference between them. Among Lutheran English speakers this is encouraged by an inaccurate translation of the German word “währt” in the Smalcald Articles and the Formula of Concord, which read, “And in Christians this repentance (meaning the first kind, (μετάνοια) GAM) continues until death,…” The meaning of the German is that the “effect” of “this repentance” continues until death, not the repentance itself. One could say, “This repentance is good for the rest of your life.” But it does not exclude the second, the daily repentance, or contrition.<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-66235713736078137832010-12-17T10:01:46.368-06:002010-12-17T10:01:46.368-06:00Ultimately, repentance is turning
away from sin an...Ultimately, repentance is turning<br />away from sin and turning toward God.<br />This is a daily process which the<br />Holy Spirit empowers in the heart of<br />a Christian.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-56344176218581615842010-12-17T08:52:11.808-06:002010-12-17T08:52:11.808-06:00Thank you Rev Peters, very well said. As retired...Thank you Rev Peters, very well said. As retired Air Force pilot, I often describe our repentance as "doing a 360 degree and getting the heck out of here." Of course, that leaves us going in the same direction.<br />Request permission to use this in a newsletter article later in 2011.<br /><br />Thanks.rev_af_colhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213502318041963712noreply@blogger.com