I hear from various laymen about what is happening in the so-called conservative Lutheran synods. This age is a tragic time. Conservative Lutheran leaders fall all over each defending Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, and Leonard Sweet. They are quick to criticize anything associated with traditional Lutheran worship and doctrine.
Very little can be done by the laity. They can support a faithful pastor, but they will find the liberal termites hard at work, with plenty of help from the synodical leaders. When one pastor asked about how he could get his own synod to support him, I said, "Murder your wife." In two cases that worked wonders, but as readers might guess, I was exagerating to make a point.
I suggest not being obsessed with synodical apostasy. Husband and wife should resolve to know the Scriptures, Lutheran doctrine, and Lutheran worship. Perhaps another day will dawn for the remnant. Perhaps not. Still, in this free land we can:
- Study a good translation of the Bible (King James, New King James, KJV II, etc.) - anything but the NIV and RSV aberrations.
- Study the Book of Concord, starting with:
a. The Large Catechism, from Luther himself.
b. The Formula of Concord, from Chemnitz and the Concordists. - Learn the Lutheran hymns.
The one set of books I would suggest for all Lutherans, especially pastors, is the Lencker edition of Luther's sermons, very inexpensive, tied to the historic pericopes, a constant treasury of spiritual wisdom. Ludwig Fuerbringer studied Luther's sermons all his life.
