Why we need Dr. Ichabod
Dr. Ichabod is the type of author, blogger that keeps me sane in Lutherland. I am not kidding. Let me explain.
Prior to coming to Wittenberg, I was in a Lutheran list-group some 5 years ago or so, and in that list-group there was a free exchange of ideas. Some orthodox conservative, some confused, some liberal, some having denominational identity crises etc. The free flow of interaction there impressed me. I came away concluding, hmmm, these people are not cultic, they are not a bunch of fundamentalist fruit cakes, Lutherans are honest and willing to follow where evidence leads them. I am happy to be named like them. That is what I thought about Lutherans.
The presence of Dr. Ichabod says that there are brave Lutherans out there who are willing to follow where ever the evidence (as per God's Word) leads them. Because if I look at Internet Lutherland, minus Ichabod, I will come away getting the impression that this is some exclusive club of pastors that feather their own nest, not perhaps in terms of money, but in terms of influence, i.e. a clique and thus a cult. The mark of a cult is that dissenters are eliminated, they are marked and avoided. Also, if blogdom is an indication, I will get the impression that Lutherans are mindless-herd-following people, they got no one who checks where the herd is going.
You might disagree with Dr. Ichabod, but it will do you good to read him, even if his style does not conform to yours. Onion skinned folk need to thicken a bit when they wonder off his blog, for he pulls no punches. In the end, your friend is the one who loves you in truth, rather than the one who loves your feelings. In fact, if you do not like him, the more you should read him. If you are from a different school, you should read him for proper scholarship demands that you read your critics, he could be giving you good service if by listening you adjusted what he found what is weak about you.
Let me suggest something, do not start with his posts, start with his sermons first. First you got to see the guy's pastoral nature, then you can read the posts. When you do, you will get a proper context of why his style is that way. This is the problem with people I know who criticize Dr. Ichabod to me. They read the posts but never bothered to read or listen to his Sunday videoed Divine Services.
Lastly, though the Synodical pastors do not like him, for people like me who come from outside the family, a refugee who has seen quite a bit, it is Ichabod who gives a good name to Lutheranism to me. For there are lots of Lutheran pastors out there receiving accolades, yet they do not behave like Luther, far from him, who was willing to stand alone. So I wonder why they call themselves Lutherans when they appear to be scared.
Just sayin...
Labels: lutheranism
1 are telling me what they think:
Garrett has left a new comment on your post "Some Kind Words from LPC:": I live around people who burn with some of the hottest anger against Dr. Ichabod. And as a student, I study under some people who would like to shut him out or shut him down. Worst of all: it's difficult to write papers on (and read books containing) false doctrine! So I should thank Dr. Ichabod for helping me to stay along the narrow way and the 'strait gate'. Even though the path is very difficult, its the encouragement and fearlessness of true believers that recharges me everyday. Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius! ---
N.N. wrote: You are the one checking where the herd is going. It seems most of the other pastors are grazing on false doctrine and like what they're swallowing. On the farm, the cows would chew and chew on their same old cud and never seem to mind the flavor. The same can be applied to these people who promote false doctrine, they can be shown over and over again what the true scripture says and they stay with their man-made false doctrine.