 |
| When my English students see me with a beautifully bound book, they ask, "Is that Moby Dick?" I must mention that work fairly often in class. |
One great passage in Moby Dick describes the mad prophet who bewitches a ship's crew with his ravings. The author points out that the deceiver deceives himself most of all.
The people who call themselves Confessional Lutherans are far worse than the objects of their conditional wrath. They deceive themselves most of all because they confess nothing.
Let me explain. Every so often there is a little outbreak of dissent. For instance, a few people suddenly discovered that Thrivent was pro-abortion, eager to match funds for the baby-killing machine called Planned Parenthood (one of the most ironic names since Confessional Lutheran).
They might have know a few years earlier if they had read this blog. No one reads it, so it must have registered 2500 page-views yesterday from me checking on the stats. OK - someone is reading it, but they are terrified of quoting or citing it, let Paul McCain - Confessional Lutheran - turn the slime hose on them.
They are Confessional until and unless someone threatens them. Sometimes they imagine the threat first, which is enough to silence them.
The Thrivent dust-up will last a few weeks. If someone persists with the truth, he is a fanatic or crazy or has some weird hang-ups. That will be suggested by the LCMS money-men. Finally, he will be told to silence himself or else.
Bribes also work. They are not conditional. No. It is just that certain opportunities come up just when someone starts to gain traction on an issue. The issue evaporates with a flimsy excuse.
Herman Otten publicly moaned about Thrivent grants until he got a fat one for Christian News. The last time I looked, his congregation was still part of the baby-killing business (granted - I looked about 20 years ago).
The editor of Lutheran Forum wanted the fraternal bribes investigated. I was well read on the topic, about 25 years ago. I offered to write the piece. Lutheran Forum got a fraternal grant and lost interest in the topic. They never responded to my query letter. But that was a co-inky-dink.
Recently, LutherQueasy and Steadfast Lutherans exposed the latest scandal involved DPs promoting sex offenders into the pastoral ministry. ELCA is not alone. Matt Harrison ordered "Steadfast" to erase all the evidence about Darwin Schauer - and they did.
As Henry of Navarre said, "The Kingdom of France is worth one mass." He was the great Protestant leader who came to Paris to claim his throne. They would not let him in until he joined the Church of Rome, so he converted with that quip. How many Protestants were slaughtered in the quest for religious freedom? No matter. He flipped sides for a crown.
Many of your Steadfast, Confessional, Intrepid Lutherans have done as much for far less reward than a kingdom.
A coveted committee assignment?
A call to Sweden or Japan?
Being taken off the official WELS leper list?
A seat on a synonical board?
A return to the ministerium?
A teaching job?
A position at the publishing house?
One Confessional Lutheran advised me, "Never fight a battle unless you can win." So he felt the only battle worth fighting was no battle at all. That sounds like a life full of tedious meetings and self-congratulations.
Another one said, "I was not getting anywhere, so why try anymore?" Of course, in the Age of Apostasy, which is predicted somewhere in the Bible - or maybe in Shakespeare - getting somewhere is like brooming back a high tide.
The only requirement is to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God. That precludes our human, narcissistic, self-centered concept of winning. There is no compromise with God's Word.
According to Isaiah 55, God's Word always wins because His Holy Spirit never works apart from it, never returns void, and always prospers His will. That means the collapse of the Synod Conference and its Big Sister ELCA is promoted and accelerated by God's Word. Every idiotic convention and committee meeting that goes against the Word and the Confessions is additional lubricant for the apostasy machine.
The apostates become more obvious, the faithful become more alarmed. The Confessional Lutherans rush to serve as the next herd of Judas Goats, the ones who lead the sheep to the slaughter. After every council meeting, every voters meeting, every district and synodical debacle, they say - as Liz Eaton did after the 2009 convention vote - "Don't worry. Nothing has changed. Everything is fine. Only the crazies worry about what just happened. Holy Mother Synod will wipe away your tears and provide for you forever."
 |
| She and Mark Jeske rule over the Synodical Conference. |
