Both Rev. McCain and Rev. Engebretson blogged on this "Epic Church" thing happening in Michigan. This LC-MS mission start is causing all sorts of questions to be raised. Click through to the blogs themselves. Prepare to be shocked!
Cyberbrethren: A Lutheran Blog: Sex for Lent
My congregation is so boring. During our Lenten services we are meditating on the wounds of Christ in our services and singing old hymns like LSB Hymn 421 "Jesus, Grant that Balm and Healing." We don't have a praise band or contemporary services. But what do we know? We only have between 1200-1300 people in our services on Sunday. Maybe we should learn a thing or two from this hip and happening mission church: Epic Church, which features, during Lent, a series on sex. No, I'm not making this up. I wish I was. See for yourself. I think this is the same group that some time ago had people dressed up like Wookies waving at drivers to attract them to church. If memory serves, this is happening in the same state where, about ten years ago, there was a congregation offering mime Eucharists featuring a clown/mime dipping a crucifix in a chalice to consecrate it. I'm trying very hard to think of some way to speak well of these kinds of thing, to defend them and to put the best construction on it, but so far I have not been able to. I'm sure though I'll be urged to understand how this is a matter of adiaphora and this is what "missional" congregations do and what "mission outposts" do as opposed to us who are stuck in a maintenance ministry. So far, the only thing that comes to mind when pondering Epic's "pure sex" program is our Confessions' rejection of "useless, foolish displays, that are profitable neither for good order nor Christian discipline, nor evangelical propriety in the Church. These are not genuine adiaphora!" [FC SD X.7].Â
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Northwoods Seelsorger: The EPIC Church Phenomena
My fear is that although they advertise themselves as a biblically-based church, they are going to soft pedal this issue when it comes to the prominent sins of our time. "We're not here to condemn anybody"? What does that mean? No law?It would appear that the EPIC church movement is cross-denominational. In a brief search I found an article by a United Methodist bishop praising the movement. The EPIC acronym stands for "Experiential, Participatory, Image-driven, and Connecting." Very post-modern, to say the least.They also appear very anti-historical and anti-traditional. In fact, it would appear that they revel in mocking the sacred. Check out Pastor Kozak's blog site here. He discovered an EPIC church advertisement for "Deep Dish Communion Wafers." Come again?
