tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post6349436415497092980..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Worship – Public or Private?Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-55179435094006945072011-08-06T17:08:13.526-05:002011-08-06T17:08:13.526-05:00Well I'm picking myself up from the floor! Sm...Well I'm picking myself up from the floor! Small world!<br /><br />I haven't heard that winsome greeting in a long time, except of course from my mother.<br /><br />Yes, Bayern is very beautiful although my East Prussian mother never stopped longing for her homeland after being driven out in the Eastern Vertreibung.<br /><br />It was kind of you to share your family history! Danke!<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-79651112371977013162011-08-06T16:08:27.200-05:002011-08-06T16:08:27.200-05:00Christine: you were born in one of the most beauti...Christine: you were born in one of the most beautiful parts of God’s earth – I am sure you know that. After we left Estonia in 1941, we lived in a “transit camp” (good camp) in the monastery in Neresheim. Diagonally across, in the south-eastern corner of Bavaria is the town of Marquartstein, which I laughingly refer to as the ancestral home. In between is indescribable beauty. <br /><br />Tschüss, GeorgeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-33365237409657843672011-08-06T15:14:21.492-05:002011-08-06T15:14:21.492-05:00Hi George,
Thanks for your candid responses. 194...Hi George,<br /><br />Thanks for your candid responses. 1949 must have been a good year, you came to the U.S. and that's the year of my birth in beautiful Bavarian village to a Lutheran mother and Catholic father.<br /><br />As for the ELCA, I guess maybe the timeframes were different for us as to what you and I experienced. <br /><br />There are two ELCA congregations 10minutes from my house, but I drive out of the neighborhood to attend an LCMS parish.<br /><br />When I was a member of the ECLA church down the street, in the mid-90s it was still authentically Lutheran as far as I experienced it. Now, as part of the NE Ohio Synod of the ELCA, the parish has a female assistant pastor and a female "bishop" of the Synod. I don't know about the other ELCA Synods but the NE Ohio Synod has done a turnabout as regards it stance towards gay marriage, etc.<br /><br />The thing is, whether or not individual ELCA churches are still orthodox in their faith and practce, the entire body is in full communion with other denominations that are not. If it is true that when we commune we are all communing in Christ, then I am receiving with those who approve of abortion and gay marriage, particularly the Episcopal church.<br /><br />After examining the ELCA's new hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship it seems to me the powers that be in Chicago are far more interested in being politically correct than faithful to the Gospel. <br /><br />I am by no means trying to judge individuals, which only God can do. But any particular denomination has a public face that it presents to the world, and the one presented by the ELCA differs markedly from that of the LCMS.<br /><br />I also think that the LCMS is right to be cautious as to how it sees the social gospel. I have hands-on experience from my years of membership in the Catholic church as to how divisive that became as some Catholics began to believe that what we do is far more important than what we believe, which I don't think can be backed up by all the warnings in the NT to "keep the faith."<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-19048149187129764062011-08-06T14:42:30.377-05:002011-08-06T14:42:30.377-05:00Christine: You write, “To take your other comment ...Christine: You write, “To take your other comment to a logical conclusion.” What follows is not a logical conclusion, but what is known in logic as a reductio ad absurdum – the name of one of a number of classic logical fallacies. The “logical conclusion” is, in fact, drawing the argument to an extreme position. I suspect that if we took the suffering of others more seriously, we could find ways to be more helpful than we are today, without giving up cars, TV, or houses, although giving up TV would benefit us immeasurably. I am struck by the fact that our Lord voluntarily gave up all of His glory to become a servant. I am not saying that we can all do the same, but if we think about it, we may be able to find a few things we can give up and contribute the savings to the poor. <br /><br />Your are obviously right about all those governments that cause such immense human suffering. I don’t know how we can change them, but meanwhile our concern should remain with those who are suffering, and we must find ways to help them in spite of their governments. There are, in fact, thousands of people around the world doing just that. But we Mo Synod Lutherans have this thing about the Social Gospel that makes it possible for us to do nothing, because the “theology” of helping is not right (having written that, I fully acknowledge the many wonderful charitable works done by Synod, but our fear of being accused of believing a Social Gospel does restrain us). Therefore, I suggest we try to help people without being concerned how it looks.<br /><br />As Rev. Curtis pointed out in a recent paper, nothing you or I do or do not do will add or subtract one person from God’s Elect which will be saved. But what we do or do not do will affect the suffering on this earth, both of the Elect and of those who are not. But why should we begrudge the latter that little bit of relief, when their ultimate fate will be so grim?<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-35258634219217097662011-08-06T13:32:50.193-05:002011-08-06T13:32:50.193-05:00Dear Christine: I guess if our faith is just our ...Dear Christine: I guess if our faith is just our own private business, then it isn’t worth much. The answer to your question is: I am now a member in good standing of a Mo Synod parish. Upon coming to the United States in 1949, I was confirmed in a Mo Synod congregation, was a member of three Mo Synod congregations (no, not because I either disliked the congregations or was kicked out – it was mostly job related and getting a new home); then I spent over 10 years as a member of the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy, which had pastors for about 3 year terms from 5 mainline Protestant denominations, including the ELCA; then I was a member of two ELCA congregations until returning to Missouri. When choosing a congregation, one of my criteria was that it be in my community, and there were not always Mo Synod churches nearby. I also spent 4 years in the synodical system of higher education.<br /><br />My experience in the ELCA taught me that they hardly differ from those belonging to Missouri. Most members had no clue about what the official statements meant, nor did they care. None of the ELCA congregations to which I belonged had pastors who advocated abortion, or considered it acceptable except for some very narrow criteria, nor did they approve of homosexuality as an acceptable practice. But they were a little more ready to forgive those that had committed these things than their Mo counterparts.<br /><br />I also want to respond to your earlier posting, but will do that separately.<br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-7677084616710800632011-08-05T09:29:56.744-05:002011-08-05T09:29:56.744-05:00One more question George, if you don't mind an...One more question George, if you don't mind and of course you are not obligated to answer.<br /><br />Are you a member of the ELCA? I only ask because at one time I was, and your comments seem to me more compatible with what I knew in the ELCA than in the LCMS.<br /><br />Feel free to tell me to mind my own business :)<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-78662780412411418542011-08-05T08:02:09.926-05:002011-08-05T08:02:09.926-05:00Christine: Strictly speaking, the instruction the ...<i>Christine: Strictly speaking, the instruction the Ethiopian Eunuch received was an explanation of Scripture through words that were not yet Scripture.</i><br /><br />Not a problem as he was at least most likely familiar with some of the OT promises of the One to come and all of the NT began as an oral tradition before it was committed to writing, and he embraced Baptism as the beginning of his journey in Christ.<br /><br />To take your other comment to a logical conclusion we probably shouldn't drive cars, have TVs in our houses and all the other trappings of Western civilization. And for the elderly who come to church and are uncomfortable when it is extremely warm and humid in some parts of the country, we can just tell them to deal with it.<br /><br />Yes, I take Matthew 25 seriously and the Lord will call us both collectively and individually to respond to that. But I don't think he calls us all to live a monastic lifestyle in order to do so and my point stands. When I see Christians protesting the millions spent on entertainment, sports and shopping then I will worry about something as insignificant, to me, as air conditioning (yes, my parish has it).<br /><br />It's an unfortunate fact that much of the hunger in the third world is due to the corruption of the governments that reside there. It seems every time there is a famine in Haiti, Africa, etc. the relief sent by Americans and Europeans is prevented from getting through. That same situation exists in Sudan and now Somalia. So let's get busy urging out government to put on some heavy pressure to address that.<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-75146058746945606252011-08-04T13:43:55.926-05:002011-08-04T13:43:55.926-05:00Christine: Strictly speaking, the instruction the ...Christine: Strictly speaking, the instruction the Ethiopian Eunuch received was an explanation of Scripture through words that were not yet Scripture. But his term as a catechumen did not last all that long. On the other hand, the whole point of this wonderful story lies in the question, “What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Neither he nor Phillip thought that the course of instruction was not long or deep enough. This poor man had probably been a follower of the God of Jacob for many years, and probably wanted very much to convert to Judaism. But he had been told that anyone could become a Jew, with one exception: anyone with damaged genitals. So when he asked the question, his heart was full of trepidation – will I be denied once again? His rejoicing was that of no other, as he went on his way, and it is in Scripture so that we would know that there is now no exception to those who can enter the Kingdom of God.<br /><br />As to what Christians should or should not feel guilty about, may I suggest that our society is “the world”, about which our Lord said (John 17:16), “They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” So we cannot expect them to care about the poor. But we are “the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand,” to whom our Lord will say, “just as you did it to one of the least of these … you did it to me.” <br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-9215399287861989522011-08-04T08:35:59.544-05:002011-08-04T08:35:59.544-05:00I would submit that when Christianity became legal...I would submit that when Christianity became legal in the Empire all sorts of hangers-on entered the church for political or social gain. It became necessary to make sure that prospective converts understood what it was they were embracing (that would not apply to infants of course, who were baptized in the belief that the Holy Spirit also granted them saving faith and their catechesis would come later).<br /><br />Those present at Pentecost were privileged to hear Peter's magnificent catechetical sermon but even the Ethiopian eunuch had to receive instruction from Scripture before he was baptized.<br /><br />I would further submit that Western Christians shouldn't feel all that guilty about having air-conditioned churches while our society doesn't mind spend millions and millions upon sports arenas and shopping malls. <br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-28037521237939793472011-08-04T06:43:10.724-05:002011-08-04T06:43:10.724-05:00It was not simply because of persecution that the ...It was not simply because of persecution that the worship service was closed but also very much due to a theology of worship in which the things of God were for the people of God, that only those of the household of faith could either comprehend in faith or receive benefit from the gifts of God. This was not a deterrent from evangelism for the church grew like hotcakes during this period.Pastor Petershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-32573926647389240762011-08-03T21:16:18.702-05:002011-08-03T21:16:18.702-05:00In the late eighties of the last century, the Mosc...In the late eighties of the last century, the Moscow Protestant Chaplaincy left the protection of the U.S. Embassy and struck out on its own. Worship services, Sunday School, and Bible Classes were held at an auditorium, which was rented for Sunday only. From time to time, for a variety of reasons, we had to change auditoriums; I can recall 4 different ones between 1989 and 1997. When the Soviet Union collapsed, many people, particularly old people, faced real hunger as a result of the changes in the economy. Pastor John Melline (ELCA) began a program of feeding those old folks, so that in a very short time we were feeding about 1,000 people per day. <br /><br />When changes in the country’s law made it possible for us to purchase our own place of worship, I suggested to Pastor Melline that we look into it. His response was, “God forbid, George. It would become a millstone around our necks. How will we feed those people when we spend all of our funds on a building?”<br /><br />Selling our church buildings in order to do works of mercy does not seem like a reasonable suggestion. But there is something not quite right when we sit in our air-conditioned churches, with pillowed kneelers, while every minute of the day about 10 children die of starvation somewhere in the world. After all, when our Lord will separate the sheep from the goats, He will not say anything about whether we had close(d) communion, or which liturgy we used, but something abut giving drink to, feeding, clothing, and visiting the least of His bretheren.<br /><br />So start gathering rocks and reductiae ad absurdum to toss my way. But at least we should give the matter some thought. And by the way it is not exactly true that, ”Prior to 313, Christian worship was almost uniformly closed to those not yet baptized, chrismated, and catechized.” During the days after Pentecost baptism was offered rather liberally, and there is no mention of close(d) communion. We shouldn’t make the same mistake Elert made in his famous book that we assume everything the early Church did after that was correct. <br /><br />Peace and Joy!<br />George A. MarquartAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-16001499699720408412011-08-03T12:43:46.940-05:002011-08-03T12:43:46.940-05:00When did "fellowship" become a verb? And...When did "fellowship" become a verb? And what does it mean? If by it you mean coming together around Word and Sacrament, absolutely. If by it you mean "socialize," I don't think that is included in the scriptural term koinonia.<br /><br />But other than that nit, I completely agree. There is a poverty of knowledge among us (I speak for myself) that the church can do a much better job addressing, right alongside our poverty of mercy and poverty of evangelism and poverty of worship and nasty store-bought potato salad. Thanks be to our God who can use such broken vessels for His good ends.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12866782929731975629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-74857685585070093052011-08-03T11:29:45.723-05:002011-08-03T11:29:45.723-05:00The purpose of the church is 5-fold:
To Worship, T...The purpose of the church is 5-fold:<br />To Worship, To Witness, To Teach,<br />To Serve, To Fellowship.<br /><br />Now the LCMS has got it down to 3:<br />Witness, Mercy, Life Together<br /><br />Mercy is the same as serve and<br />Life Together includes Worship,<br />Fellowship and Teaching.<br /><br />My point is this: Teaching tends to<br />get lost in the shuffle. We need<br />a strong and dynamic teaching<br />emphasis in LCMS parishes. <br />Since the pastor is the theologian<br />in residence he needs to take the<br />leadership role in offering Bible<br />classes during the week. Our laity<br />need to be fed by the Word of God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-51880640605068142052011-08-03T10:29:27.924-05:002011-08-03T10:29:27.924-05:00I think our public reputation as Christians is tha...<i>I think our public reputation as Christians is that we are persistently recruiting people to our club by whatever means necessary, whereafter we'll ask for their money. Our neighbors are irritated by us, not blessed by us.</i><br /><br />I think you have a good point. In fact, a coworker of mine who was raised Eastern Orthodox became a Roman Catholic after she got married to a Catholic guy and her first complaint was that "the Catholic church is always asking for money", a bit of an exaggeration perhaps but it is no accident that many Catholics since Vatican II call the USCCB, the Catholic bishops' conference, "the Democratic Party at Prayer."<br /><br />Anyway, two thoughts. We have to get over the idea that we are only the "church" on Sundays. We are individually and collectively "the Church" whether gathered on the Lord's day or during the week, serving in whatever vocation God has called us to. That was the genius of Martin Luther who recaptured the idea that "vocation" was not limited to the mediaeval idea of a "bishop, priest or consecrated religious" but that of wife, mother, tailor, farmer, all the occupations that society supports.<br /><br />In that vein, the Christian woman staying at home to raise her children is just as "called" as the corporate executive in discharging his duties and all those vocations present opportunities to render Christian service to our neighbor, beginning first within our own families.<br /><br />We are not all called to the same forms of service and need to discern through Scripture and prayer where we might best serve the Lord.<br /><br />Corporately, we can support the mission and relief work done by our Synod either financially and/or through our prayers. We can continue to offer Christian witness and nuture through our parish Vacation Bible Schools, especially in a culture where many children are not being raised in Christian homes.<br /><br />We can continue to serve local or parish hunger centers, help those who are unemployed and looking for work, the ways are countless. And we can lovingly, not in a pushy or triumphalist way, speak the name of Jesus the Christ whose love for all leads us to do these things in his Name.<br /><br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-88876749525694919212011-08-03T10:21:34.066-05:002011-08-03T10:21:34.066-05:00Christine,
Amen to all that! And to Pr. Peters to...Christine,<br /><br />Amen to all that! And to Pr. Peters too. I think we are having what you would call a "raging agreement." Its enjoyable to have it with people who write as well as you two do.<br /><br />Certainly God called His people out of Egypt for a number of reasons, and Jesus performed His miracles for a number of reasons. I just read Pr. Peters' wonderful sermon about the Pearl of Great Price and I think one reason that Jesus spoke in parables is because the concept of the "Kingdom of God" is not easy to describe in straightforward terms to fallen Man. I think He is calling us to ponder these things, not overanalyze them, which I confess I tend to do. <br /><br />As believers in Christ, we all have the God-given impulse to be merciful to our neighbor as well as to worship and to proclaim the gospel to our neighbors.<br /><br />The mercy part frustrates me, frankly. I don't have the time or the money or the energy to roll up my sleeves and do what needs to be done. Actually I do, but I've sinfully chosen to put my own desires and creature comforts ahead of Christ's command in this area. I want to do better! Also, I've not been very sensitive to my neighbors' needs and have no idea where to start.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12866782929731975629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-14005766863091755212011-08-03T10:16:10.275-05:002011-08-03T10:16:10.275-05:00Pastor Peters, I don't disagree at all with th...Pastor Peters, I don't disagree at all with the need for the church to engage in works of mercy and service. What I object to is what I see in some circles where what we do is more important than what we believe.<br /><br />Orthodoxy and orthopraxy should be sides of the same coin.<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-6188192195811548382011-08-03T10:04:36.172-05:002011-08-03T10:04:36.172-05:00No disagreement! Just a few digressions. . .
So ...No disagreement! Just a few digressions. . . <br /><br />So what do you suggest? What practically are we talking about here? What can the Church at large and my own congregation do to restore the Church's reputation as a font of mercy even for those outside of it?<br /><br />I think our public reputation as Christians is that we are persistently recruiting people to our club by whatever means necessary, whereafter we'll ask for their money. Our neighbors are irritated by us, not blessed by us.<br /><br />Your thesis is spot on, now what should we do about it?Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12866782929731975629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-57728112980632485842011-08-03T10:00:05.768-05:002011-08-03T10:00:05.768-05:00I enjoy the conversation and I really agree with y...<i>I enjoy the conversation and I really agree with your points Christine. I hope I'm not coming across as argumentative. This stuff is important.</i><br /><br />Matt, not argumentative at all, I do understand what you are saying and appreciate your thoughtful feedback. <br /><br />Yes, we certainly are not saved by good works -- in fact, there is nothing we can really "do" for God who is all-sufficient in and of Himself in His own essence and nature. He has need neither of our good works nor our praise. And yet, paradoxically, we love God precisely by loving our neighbor, who is also precious in His eyes.<br /><br />But, I think a careful reading of the Gospels will show that the good works and miracles that Jesus performed were to draw people to Jesus Himself and reveal Him as the Messiah. Jesus said that the "work" the Christian is called to do is to believe in Him and the One who sent Him, because Jesus is the True Vine and apart from Him we can do nothing. So good works <i>in and of themselves</i> are not the mark of the Christian.<br /><br />Yes indeed Israel was called to bring forth the Messiah but her worship also set her apart from her pagan neighbors and was a strong witness that the God of Israel was different from the baals of the ancient Near East. In fact, all those provisions in the law addressed that. Unlike the Canaanites the Israelites were not permitted to practice child sacrifice in their worship or engage in other pagan practices and it all "set them apart", the root meaning of what it is to be "holy" from those pagan neighbors.<br /><br />Today, we as the church, are stilled called to do the same, to be in the world but not of it and our worship is a witness to that as well.<br /><br />It all boils down to the simple Lutheran difference that we do good works because Christ has saved us purely through his merits, not in order to BE saved.<br /><br />A healthy church will maintain the proper balance of works/worship. That was my point about one of the chief problems in the Catholic church today and I spent over ten years as a Catholic.<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-81261046626768684522011-08-03T09:45:29.815-05:002011-08-03T09:45:29.815-05:00Unless I am mistaken, I was not advocating shuttin...Unless I am mistaken, I was not advocating shutting the doors and keeping people but asking about the primary face of the Church in the world. For Acts and the first three hundred years mercy was the more public face of Christianity. All I am saying is that worship has replaced mercy as the public face of Christianity and mercy has gone private.<br /><br />Of course the liturgy is a beacon. There is no denying this. Of course the Word works in any and every setting. Again, my point is that when people think of Christianity they think of a worship place and time and "style." In early Christianity, they thought of mercy and service. I am not sure that this part of what I am saying has much to disagree with but I am usually wrong.Pastor Petershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-26789446916221791102011-08-03T09:20:07.831-05:002011-08-03T09:20:07.831-05:00Christine,
Non-Christians certainly do things to ...Christine,<br /><br />Non-Christians certainly do things to serve their neighbor, and should be praised when they do. But these external good works are emphatically not what we are talking about when we talk about Christian compassion. Faith alone makes us right before God, and our works that serve our neighbor supply proof that faith is living. The good work that others do earns them nothing in the face of God; only those works motivated by faith that is an undeserved gift can really be called good works.<br /><br />As for the Israelites, I think it is more accurate to say that God lead them out of Egypt in order to deliver them from all their enemies and to be their Savior. The incarnation of Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of all the promises God made to Israel, and it doesn't require the church (the true Israel) or its individual members to do anything. <br /><br />So I think the first duty of the Church is to simply be the Church. As Christ commands us to be merciful, He is simply describing His own true nature which is now ours as adopted sons and daughters.<br /><br />And don't get me wrong: to simply be the Church requires a lot of work, messy details, money and board meetings. Mercy also requires much of our time and resources which will not be repaid in any tangible way. No rational person would serve his neighbor with this kind of mercy unless he were convinced that his reward is in heaven and he loves his neighbor in the same way that Jesus loves His neighbors.<br /><br />Anyway, that's my take on what I've read on scripture, please correct me if I've said anything off-base! I'm really a very amateur theologian.<br /><br />I enjoy the conversation and I really agree with your points Christine. I hope I'm not coming across as argumentative. This stuff is important.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12866782929731975629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-75736688970115816882011-08-03T08:53:17.006-05:002011-08-03T08:53:17.006-05:00Oh, and incidentally, on the "eastern front&q...Oh, and incidentally, on the "eastern front" of the early church, deacons in the Orthodox liturgy still call out "the doors, the doors" going back to the time when the faith was still illegal and Christians had to be on guard during their worship as to who was among them.<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-3112962684201601162011-08-03T08:49:39.655-05:002011-08-03T08:49:39.655-05:00There are many more instances in which the recipie...<i>There are many more instances in which the recipients of Jesus' mercy were unbelievers than believers yet Jesus has compassion on them.</i><br /><br />I don't believe I was even addressing that. I was simply pointing out that the early church had to be careful about her public face because the Roman authorities were watching.<br /><br />Again, I am speaking from experience, not observation from the outside in. The "social gospel" has had a detrimental effect on the faith of Catholics over the past few decades as catechetical instruction fell by the wayside. If you don't want to believe me, then perhaps the lament of John Paul II that so many Catholics are still unevangalized might do it and I don't fault the Catholic in the pew -- the leadership is to blame.<br /><br />No one who reads the New Testament would ever deny that Christians are to reflect the compassion and mercy of Jesus in the world. But that is not necessarily the mark of a Christian. Hindus, Buddhists and aetheists can also be compassionate.<br /><br />Did not the Lord tell pharoah in Egypt to let His people go so that they could go and worship him? That is the first duty of the church, to glorify the Name of the Holy Trinity in the world, from that all the rest should flow as we obey Jesus' admonition to be merciful as our Father is merciful.<br /><br />ChristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-4565466911761775582011-08-03T08:35:12.426-05:002011-08-03T08:35:12.426-05:00The early Christian church of the
New Testament me...The early Christian church of the<br />New Testament met in private homes<br />for worship. This limited attendance<br />to 45-50 people. When Christianity<br />was legalized and church buildings<br />were erected this changed the dynamic<br />of worship. By the Middle Ages we<br />had cathedrals with seating capacity<br />for hundreds of people with chancels<br />altars, and pulpits the focal point.<br /><br />In the 21st century the church has<br />become a business with budgets<br />that can annually reach $500,000<br />to $1,000,000. For better or worse<br />our worship is a public activity<br />and that will not change. The LCMS<br />can offer to the Lord meaningful<br />worship since He is an audience of<br />one and invite others to witness<br />our praise of the Triune God.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-3266486295870702352011-08-03T08:35:03.154-05:002011-08-03T08:35:03.154-05:00One of the trends in the "emerging" move...One of the trends in the "emerging" movement is a deliberate return to house churches and a privatization of worship, even to the extreme of do-it-yourself worship at home or over the internet. I know this is not what you are advocating.<br /><br />I think our worship should remain public in the sense that it is visible and accessible to the public. Our grandfathers understood this; our church building stands high on a hill with the cross of Christ visible for miles. <br /><br />Fr. Curtis speaks of "the liturgy as beacon for the elect." I think the phrase is beautiful and true. I notice that the occasional curious visitor to our congregation often cannot explain the impulse that brought him to our door. And then they hear something that resonates in the Divine Service and they want to know more. We gently decline to invite them to communion and urge them to begin a thorough catechesis before baptism or membership.<br /><br />My point is that if we get too private, the elect may not easily be able to find us; perhaps it does not matter. But I think our buildings, in particular, are an important proclamation of the faith despite the fact that heresy is preached in far too many traditional church buildings.<br /><br />So the Elect of God, called out of the world, publicly and boldly gather around the word and sacrament in open view of the public, and thank God that we are still able to do so in the United States. When the day comes that that is no longer true, I pray that my congregation and I will gladly endure whatever happens on account of membership in the Body of Christ.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12866782929731975629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-40387252934915217792011-08-03T08:34:16.146-05:002011-08-03T08:34:16.146-05:00There are many more instances in which the recipie...There are many more instances in which the recipients of Jesus' mercy were unbelievers than believers yet Jesus has compassion on them. The fear of pelagianism surely cannot prevent us from doing the same merciful works that Jesus did, can it? What was the thing that drew the unchurched in Acts - see how they love one another. All I am saying is that more often than not the only thing the Church offers to the world today is worship which is misunderstood to those outside the faith or turning into anything but worship in order that those outside may understand it. In Scripture mercy was not a choice but essential to the Church's life and work. What about today?Pastor Petershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.com