An inflatable church seems appropriate for this day and age.The new computer is making the broadcasts pretty smooth. There are more enhancements to come. As someone pointed out, the Olympics probably slowed down the Net on Sunday. The recorded file came through fine. My enterprise network expert says a lot can happen between the Ustream server and the individual computer.
A number of people have commented most favorably on the Book of Concord series. We are in the middle of the Small Catechism right now. Why are the Confessions neglected by the vast majority of congregations? A capacity has to be developed, first in the instructor. Lutherans take the Book of Concord for granted. At the Sausage Factory in 1987, the Formula of Concord was a tiny course taught just before graduation. All the synods teach this course -
Why Our Holy Mother Synod Is Better Than the Rest. Nothing quenches genuine doctrinal interest faster than that attitude. In fact, all the Lutheran sects in America, from lavender ELCA to in-bred CLCs, are almost alike.
Doctrinal conflict creates confessions. The same conflict creates an interest in them. Krauth and Schmauk wrote classics about Lutheran doctrine and the Confessions because of the age they were in, fighting against the inroads of Deformed theology.
The same attitude of compromise prevailed after Luther died. In one city of the Reformation, Luther's books were kept in the back of the bookstore while Calvinistic books were promoted in the front. That sounds like today, doesn't it? The Formula and the Book of Concord were forged from the doctrinal wars of the time, when people went to prison and faced death for their beliefs. Lutherans at that time persecuted Lutherans for being faithful to Luther's doctrine. Imagine that.
Three factors got me involved in Book of Concord study. One was being the only Lutheran in a theology program at Notre Dame. I was supposed to be the resident expert so I was always studying more to catch up. The other Lutherans were in the liturgics program, except for Fritz Pfotenhauer, who was ahead of me. (Fritz is the son of the famous LCMS Pfotenhauer. Fritz took his congregation into ELCA.)
Another factor was writing. I sent letters to magazines hoping to get free books to review. Soon I was getting a regular supply from non-Lutheran magazines, so I read them carefully for review. I learned a lot about the General Council/General Synod split, which is essential for understanding one aspect of American Lutheran history. Reviewing a book is far more demanding than just reading it. Reviewing a Lutheran book for non-Lutheran readers requires an explanation of the basics.
Finally, as I said many times before, there was the non-existent Church Growth Movement in Columbus, Ohio and in WELS. The same pretensions existed in the falsely named Church of the Lutheran Confession (
sic).
Doctrinal comparisons are essential and fun. Once someone knows the difference between Luther and Calvin on the work of the Holy Spirit, everything becomes plain.
The same is true about the differences on justification by faith, whether we are discussing the Calvinists, the Deformed theologians, or the Roman Catholics/Eastern Orthodox.
Wayne Mueller is the reason why I created Megatron, the doctrinal ready-to-go database. Once he claimed in writing there was no Church Growth Movement in WELS, I was ready to say otherwise, with tons of material provided by--gasp!--anonymous WELS pastors. I should call Megatron
The Wayne or perhaps
The Mueller's Tale.
Whenever I have published statements by various synodical leaders and have accompanied their words with the sources--showing how they aped their Fuller and Willow Creek teachers--the howls of protest have sounded loudly throughout the Kingdom, reaching their Father Below. Whenever I have posted what Luther, the Concordists, and the American Confessional leaders wrote, the same screams of protests have erupted.
There must be sects and divisions, to show the differences between God's Word and the base alloy of the false teachers. Let them strike and name-call and fulminate. What they have lasts for a moment. The clarity of God's Word lasts forever and is eternal-life giving.
I work for one privately owned school where I teach Biblical studies, church history, and doctrine. For some reason they think I am adequate to teach religion. I quote Luther and mention Luther all the time. I teach Luther's doctrine of the Word to my students. Do they rage, sputter, and fume? No, they thank me with email, phone calls, and public posts.
A Roman Catholic nun at Notre Dame said this to me about Luther's sermons: "Why does a man from 500 years ago have so much to say to me today?" I said, "Because he went through such spiritual battles with the Word of God."
