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This is a play on DP Benke's "It's OK to pray."
Wilken and McCain ran the campaign to replace
the unionist Kieschnick with the unionist Harrison. |
What have we learned?
1) We have learned that the world hates us, and is just waiting for a reason to unload on us. We can’t change that. It’s not a PR issue; it’s a Confession issue. A church that confesses Christ Alone will be hated and reviled by the world. That’s what we saw last week.
2) We have learned that some in the LCMS were waiting to unload too. They took their opportunity last week, jumped on the bandwagon with both feet, and joined in the world’s chorus of condemnation.
3) We have learned that time does not heal all wounds; it makes some worse. The LCMS put a dirty bureaucratic bandaid on inter-religious prayer 10 years ago. That did nothing but cause an infection. It’s time to stop following the prescription of public opinion, and seek the remedy of God’s Word.
4) Finally, we learned that Pastor Harrison is willing to do something previous synodical leaders have been unwilling to do for a decade: Repent.
Many of us were a little stunned to hear a synodical president say he’s sorry. He didn’t circle the wagons. He responded like a churchman, not a company man. I had come to believe that the LCMS was institutionally incapable of admitting to any kind of mistake. Pastor Harrison proved me wrong. I’m glad he did.
While the Lutheran Left complained about the LCMS’s failure to be a “witness” in the world over the last week, Pastor Harrison actually made that witness to Christ’s forgiveness of sinsby admitting that he needs it himself.
But, don’t expect to read about that in the New York Times.
