Outer Rim Territories

On his tax returns, Romney reported that he gave the church $1.53 million in 2010 on income of $21.7 million, and in 2011 estimates he'll donate $2.6 million to the church, on expected income of $21 million. The 2010 amount is less than 10 percent, while the 2011 figure is higher than the expected tithe. A campaign official said the governor bases his tithes on estimated income, since he donates to the church at the end of the calendar year before his taxes are finalized. He plans to pay above the 10 percent in 2011, to make up for the underestimate the year before, the campaign official said...

..."The Bible speaks about providing tithes and offerings. I made a commitment to my church a long, long time ago that I would give 10 percent of my income to the church. And I followed through on that commitment," Romney said. "And, hopefully, as people look at various individuals running for president, they'd be pleased with someone who made a promise to God and kept that promise."

You have to love legalism, especially if your member is a millionaire.

Over the years there have been countless conversations about lightening up, chilling out, getting a sense of humor, etc., toward those who seem to have no tolerance when it comes to matters of religion and faith.  Now I am not really an angry old man (contrary to the opinions of my naysayers).  In fact, I have a sense of humor.  Ask the people I work with on staff.  Ask my family.  Read some of the posts on this blog.  The trouble with a sense of humor is that is does not deflect those things that truly do mark the Church and wound the faith.  An LCMS Pastor losing a bet and wearing a team jersey and a skirt to a men's club meeting might be in poor taste but not such a big deal.  An LCMS Pastor shaving his beard off because he lost a bet might be foolish (if he wanted the beard) but worth a pass by commentators like me.  An LCMS Pastor spending the night on the roof because his youth group raised a big wad for Souper Bowl Sunday might not be my cup of tea but it would not merit a second look.  But when it comes to the most solemn and sacred moments of the week, when the people of God gather around His Word and Sacrament, such foolishness is not just a joke but an offense to the Lord whom we worship and the Church where we gather. BTW solemnity does not mean without JOY but joy does not mean slapstick humor!

The trite and trivial cannot merit a pass when it takes place in worship.  There is far too much that happens on Sunday morning -- distractions from the means of grace or competition for the means of grace -- to let such things go unnoticed.  I have certainly had my share of unintentional mistakes while leading the people of God in worship on Sunday morning but when we Pastors deliberately say and do things that takes the spotlight off of the cross and on to us or when we turn the sacred speech of the Divine Service into a monologue or comedy sketch, we are failing our duty and shortchanging the very people we are called to serve.  Again, it is not that we should not smile in church -- that is not what is being said -- but when our actions are intended for a laugh, we betray the Word and the Sacrament and the Lord who has placed Himself within these means of grace.

Amen.

The claim will always be put forward against the Lutheran Church: “Why must we be so different from everyone else?  Why must we take issue with every little bit of false theology?  We all believe in Jesus don’t we?  Why insist on a confession that separates us from other brothers and sisters in Christ?”

Such is the cry of false humility. 

These types of questions will continue to arise, for heterodoxy will continue to pit true orthodoxy against the gospel.  In the name of Christian love, false teaching will lay claim to the true confession of the faith, attempting to suggest that we don't really need to have pure Gospel, and leading us down the path of universalism.

However, and this is key, Lutherans never argue doctrine for the sake of showing ourselves to be in the right.  We never argue doctrine to put one in his place.  The task of arguing over doctrine is always for the sake of the very thing which is central to the Christian life: the justification of the sinner through faith alone.  For every single error, no matter how seemingly minor, is an assault on this central article of the Christian faith.