Weedon's Blog: Random Thoughts on the Church
Weedon's Blog: Random Thoughts on the Church
There is only one Church. The Church created by the Word of God proclaimed and sacramentally given. That Church is the only Church the Symbols know. They don't know Roman Catholic Church or Lutheran Church or Anglican Church. They know Christ's Church. And they insist that this Church is kept one, holy, catholic, and apostolic not by obedience to the Roman see (because every institution can betray the Word, and the Roman see had), but by the Word itself. The institutions of the Church (all of them) will either exist in the service of that Word of Christ being proclaimed, His gifts being delivered, thus rescuing people from the chains of idolatry and bringing them into the worship of the one true God; or the institutions of the Church will exist to thwart that Word, to keep it from being proclaimed. And this is where Satan aims his attacks upon the Church! Each institution in the Church is capable of this betrayal. The ministry (in all its grades) is capable and has done so at various times. The parishes (in whatever location or jurisdiction) are capable and have done so at various times. All supporting structures have done so - and they so do precisely when they begin to exist *for themselves* instead of for the sake of that creating, sustaining Word of God. When the ministry exists for itself instead of for the proclamation of the Word, we have clericalism. When the parish exists for itself instead of for the proclamation of the Word, we have congregationalism. When the liturgy exists for itself instead of for the proclamation of the Word, we have ritualism. When the publishing house exists for itself instead for the proclamation of the Word, we have consumerism. Back to Korby's assertion: It's the question of authority. Is the proclaimed and sacramentally enacted Word sufficient to sustain the Church's unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity? Or do we need some backups. In looking for backups, have we fallen into the self-same trap as those who look to church growth gimmickry? The Word cannot be trusted to do the job? That then sheds whole new light on our task, if it is so. The task is then not to argue for the *position* that the Word can do the job. The urgent task is to SPEAK the Word that alone creates and sustains, that kills and raises from the dead, that breaks the chains of idolatry and bestows the gift of koinonia with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "Preach you the Word and plant it home..."Rev. Weedon ruminates on the lectures of Dr. Korby. In light of the discussion in the comments of my recent post: 'Ordination' in Postmodern Quotation Marks, Pr. Weedon provides (via Korby) the emphasis that is often missing.... the efficacy of the Word. So much emphasis is placed on the marks of the pastor which while valid, don't make the Gospel efficacious. Unfortunately the marks of 'American Lutheranism' which predates the Saxon arrival and founding of the LC-MS are pervasive and thoroughly invasive. This Halle-influenced (pietism) Christianity promotes Jesus to simply moral teacher is its radical form. There is no vicarious atonement. Consequently the pastoral office shifts from one of God's means to deliver his gifts to one of perfect role model. When pastors fail to meet this expectation, making errors of judgment, spurring conflict with the congregation, refusing to do that new-fangled-contemporary-stuff, or other sins of the Fall, there is little forgiveness or genuine helping attitude. No, it becomes an attack on him and his Office. We need to always keep in mind, our bishops are as much sinners and you and I. Forgive them for their errors, bring rebuke in aloving way, and don't take it personally if things don't go right in your opinion. Remain in God's Word and let the Spirit have his way with you and his church. Terrific. I can't believe I missed Dr. Korby all this time.
