Greg,
That "Christopher" guy on Ichabod is a perfect example of what is wrong in WELS. I have such members. I believe all WELS churches do. I confront mine with the hard truths. Most don't like it one bit, and many leave for LCMS and ELCA et al. The "turnover" at this congregation has been nearly 80% in the years I have been here, with a net gain of maybe ten good, faithful members.
Most - almost no - WELS Pastors, even the really good ones, will not confront their mamby-pamby members. Its not just that they're afraid of losing members and offerings, but that they feel they must be super-tolerant and patient with these folks and not be too hard on them. If they were "shacking-up," or drunks or something, they would come down on them like a ton of bricks. But because their sin is a misunderstanding and misapplication of God's directives to His Church, and very often some quite false and dangerous beliefs as well, these members are allowed to stay for years and years. In turn, they contaminate many others in the congregation. Very slowly, over time, more and more people get the "warm fuzzy" disease. This then leads to calls for "contemporary," "casual," or "alternative" worship, among other nonsense. At first, this is supported only by 20 to 25% of the congregation. But then Confessional members quit or move, new and weaker members take their place, and in a decade or so, a once Confessional and orthodox congregation is starting a "coffee-house church" downtown, and looking for all the world like your typical "community, non-denominational" church. This has happened dozens of times already, and the poison has infected hundreds of WELS churches. The problem has become systemic. As WELS' roots are deep in Pietism, this infection is latent in nearly all WELS leaders, Pastoral and otherwise. The only cure is the theological equivalent of heavy pruning and copper sulfate - tough discipline on both members and the Pastors who tolerate them, and the anti-viral of the true pure Law and Gospel, properly divided and applied.
The point is - there are places and churches for these "limp Lutherans." I don't say they're going to hell. Probably not. But that's because of what Luther called "the blessed inconsistency," people don't often follow their false beliefs to their faith-destroying, and soul-damning conclusions. Praise the Lord! However, that doesn't mean we want them in our congregations! They are still dangerous, and their support, participation, and offerings are not worth giving up one iota of the Bible or the Confessions. This is what we in the WELS need desperately to understand and act upon. But, frankly, I don't think it will happen. Most likely, it is already too late. The Convention next month will tell the tale.
If you want to use this on Ichabod for Christopher, that's fine.
EastCoast
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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Guess What Just Emerged from The CORE?":
Luther on the "Role of Love" when doctrinal error is involved:
"In the church, however, as far as the Word is concerned, it is not a matter of the forgiveness of sins; but this is the mathematical point and the highest purity. The Word is so irreproachable that not a single iota can err in the Law or the divine promises. For that reason we must yield to no sect, not even in one tittle of Scripture, no matter how much they clamor and accuse us of violating love when we hold so strictly to the Word. The beginning of all love is that the scepter of equity remains. If there is no other way of achieving this, then love or anything else must be broken, be it ever so great, just so the Word remains pure" (in his commentary on Psalm 45).
"We are prepared to preserve peace and love with all men if only they will permit us to keep the doctrine of faith entire and uncorrupted. If they will not promise this, they will demand love from us in vain. Damned be that love which is maintained at the cost of the doctrines of the faith! ...If a single one is set aside, they will gradually all be lost. They form one single, harmonious whole..." (from his commentary on Galatians 5:9).
Luther was such a fine influence in his day. Too bad he is culturally outdated and no longer relevant in ours. Fellowship used to be "the immune system of the Church," now it is an impediment to numerical growth.
Freddy Finkelstein
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ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 8, 2009
ELCA Pastor Brings Words of Promise to Wichita Congregations
09-129-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- "Attitude is everything" was a phrase that Dr. George Tiller had made into buttons. Many mourners wore those buttons to his funeral June 6 at College Hill United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kan. Tiller was shot and killed the previous Sunday morning before worship at nearby Reformation Lutheran Church, where he was a member.
"Attitude is everything ... but not our attitude," said the Rev. Lowell R. Michelson, Tiller's pastor, during the funeral sermon. "God's attitude ... an attitude of love."
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GJ - Killer Tiller murdered 60,000 defenseless babies.
