Two Roads Diverged in the Wood and I

There are two types of church people, whether they are clergy or laity. The normal division (clergy and laity) is all wrong.

The two estates really are:
1. Political.
2. Apolitical.

The political clergy and laity do a lot of posturing, but they will never endanger their perks by taking a stand on anything. They are constantly apologizing for the synod, defending error, attacking anyone who questions His Holiness the District Pope, His Eminence the Circuit Pope, or His Awesomeness the Synod Pope.

They have their recognition signs, so the other politicians know they are safe. They will say:
A. "That could be interpreted correctly" (when a blatant false doctrine is mentioned).
B. "That is one of the g - r - e - y areas of Scripture." It is important to draw out the word grey, to show how absolutely ambiguous the Word of God is. In fact, God is so unclear that it will take a synodical commission several years and $10,000 to figure out one verse.
C. "Do you have proof of that?" - then they quickly change the subject when the proof is offered. The ability to change the subject in two shakes of a lamb's tail is greatly admired by all who covet a higher office.
D. "Are you equating the Book of Concord with the Word of God?" This howler was forged in the dark recesses of Vice Pope Kuske's mind, useful for any mention of the Confessions, which the Wisconsin Synod rejects. Such statements are more powerfully communicated with a red face and quivering jowls.

The political laity are eager to serve as synod minders. They are picked because they are safe, reliable, and quick to report to the synod. The more unstable a lay-minder is, the more valuable he or she is to the synod. Influence only seems to work one way today. If someone has a powerful friend or relative in the synod structure, that only seems to work against the faithful. Powerful lay-dad will pound his pastor-son into conformity with the synod - instead of son-pastor influencing his father to straighten things out. That is why the synods love corporate types on committees, commissions, and appeal boards. Corporate types know how to pivot, duck, weave, conform, and knuckle under. If they do not, they can be out-maneuvered by others and ousted for having a bad attitude.

The more political the laity or clergy, the less studious the individual is. The more political they are, the more they will be advanced in the synod structure.

The political ones are always on email or the phone. They do as little parish work as possible and cannot wait to escape it forever. Far better to be the visiting bigshot, giving the same sermon (for extra cash) at Steam Corners, Ohio or Buffalo Chip, Kansas.

Meanwhile the apolitical study, preach, teach, and visit. They are the true workers of the Kingdom, the poorest paid, the least regarded. They alone are worthy of double honor (double pay in Greek).

KJV 1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

***

Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.

The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.