Two classmates have died of brain cancer in the last few months. We are gathering grade school class photos and obituaries, posting them on Facebook. There we are, as cute fourth graders and awkward seventh graders. The pictures make the last 50 years go by in a rush. The 750 high school graduates of my class went various ways, into law, medicine, engineering, the military, and the ministry. The nerdiest guy, a transfer to our noble high school, became a very successful media owner. He died of neurological degeneration.
Stan Hauerwas' memoirs, Hannah's Child, do the same for my adult years, because I met the new PhD at the Augustana College library, where I was working as a college kid. Hauerwas was the principal reason I investigated Notre Dame, and we both went to Yale Divinity. He remembers the same faculty members at both schools, including my ND dissertation advisor, John Howard Yoder. We remember Yoder differently.
Luther and Melanchthon both lived to be 63 years old. They are my favorite theologians, along with their best pupil, Martin Chemnitz. I am turning 63 this autumn.
I am increasingly annoyed with the poltroons who dominate church life today. Unfortunately for me, I have read too much church history, accounts of sacrifice and nobility.
The bishops and District Popes are worse than useless - they are dangerous shock troops for the false teachers, drunks, addicts, and adulterers under their authority. No tactic is too low for them to employ, from rewarding criminal behavior to deceiving the people who pay them far too much in salary and benefits.
How many ministers say, "If only I could be one of those synods managers..."? Sure, the bureaucrats are really keen on improving lives - theirs. They all need two assistants, who need two assistants.
In WELS the bureaucrats literally devour the living of widows and orphans. That looks good on the resume, for becoming the conservative dream candidate for SP.
The seminary professors are independent - when fighting against Lutheran doctrine and worship, their only skills. When they asked to deal with false doctrine, the professors are suddenly too timid, too weak, too inarticulate.
Worst of all - the MDiv politicians. Those are the men who spend all their time exerting power and influence, not through study or scholarship or publishing. Heavens to mercy - that would paint them into a corner. They love the Greek proverb - a chameleon can turn every color except white. Wave some Thrivent money at them and they forget they are supporting the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and ELCA (in descending order).
I go back to my gem collection often. I spent quite a few years gathering the best and worst, about 3,000 verbatim quotations with the citations and Scripture references. The gems have lasting value.
The Lutheran Church has fallen into many serious errors. Conflicts erupted after Luther died and Wittenberg itself was almost completely Calvinized. As one WELS pastor actually wrote, and it got into print - the Calvinists were crypto then. No longer. The Wisconsin sect gets advice from a Wheaton professor about the Bible. They need verification from Wheaton? No wonder Ski, Glende, and Parlow relish their Babtist Drive conferences.
Going to Wheaton for Biblical advice is like Luther going to Zwingli to gain insights on Holy Communion.
The only hope left is lay study of these issues. The ministers surrendered long ago. They have betrayed their synods, congregations, and children. The "conservative" Lutheran sects will be acting out "Aufwiedersehn Goodnight" from The Sound of Music. As it looks now, they will fade away - first the ELS. Next WELS. Finally Missouri.
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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Save Us from the Bishops, Bureaucrats, Seminary Pr...":
Equally disgusting as the poltroons are those who carry water for them. There may be a pack mentality associated with this as those who follow the popular apostates really think that they are going places. Lemmings will follow the leader right off the edge of the cliff. An informed laity has nothing to lose. They are a huge threat to those power brokers who would prey on their ignorance.
