Before it all starts, and the busyness of the program year overtakes me, I paused for some reflection.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The Lutherans Die Out
This is worth reading, and taking seriously:
http://robinwoodchurch.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/the-lutherans-sterben-aus-die-out/
http://robinwoodchurch.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/the-lutherans-sterben-aus-die-out/
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
One Lutheran Looks at Baptism
Titus 3:5-7
5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. TNIV ©
Nothing puzzles our neighbors in faith more than the way Lutherans look at baptism. We don’t understand it the way the Roman Catholic Church does, though like them, we baptize anyone, including infants. We don’t understand it the way the Presbyterian-Reformed tradition does, though they are our closest kin in the way we understand God’s relationship to us. We surely don’t understand it the way those who baptize only adults understand it.
There is plenty of diversity among Lutherans, so I will only dare to say this is the way one Lutheran understands baptism. My understanding is grounded in two places, the Bible and in Luther’s Catechisms as they interpret scripture.
What is baptism? It is water with the word. God talks to us and touches us. It’s not that God gives us information, but that God speaks personally to us. When a parent says to a child at bedtime, “I love you,” that is not new information. The child already knows that as a fact. But in the words “I love you” the relationship is refreshed and strengthened. The child is reassured, comforted, warmed. Those words are a very part of the relationship. A hug or a kiss on the forehead with the words can make them even a bit more powerful.
God understands that we need to be addressed in ways that get through to us. God knows we communicate with all our senses, and so God communicates with us in a way we can feel and see as well as hear. We see water, feel it as well as hear it. The water doesn’t go on someone else’s head, or everyone’s head, but our own personal noggin. There’s no mistaking it. This is for me!
When God speaks to us personally, and it dawns on us that we are hearing God say “I love you,” faith happens. Baptism is for the sake of faith.
How are we saved? How is our right relationship with God established? As we read in the letter to the Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” It is not that we are saved by faith plus baptism. It is not that baptism is a work that must be done.
Can you imagine that God would say to us, “I forgive you all your sins, all the things you have done to and failed to do for your neighbor, but you have to get this ceremony done right in order to be saved?” I can’t.
We are baptized so that we can believe we are forgiven. It’s for the sake of our faith. It’s God coming close to us and speaking as clearly and personally as possible: You are mine. You are my child, and I love you. You are clean and pure in my sight, for Jesus sake. Here’s a sign of my love, that you can hang on to.
I baptized my daughters as tiny infants so that we could raise them in the promise that, long before they could respond or choose, God had claimed them as children of God. It was for the sake of their faith that I baptized them, so that they could grow up believing they are God’s much-loved children.
What about children who are not baptized? The news that God loves them, that Jesus gave his life for them, is the word that makes for faith. That word comes with water; when necessary it also comes without. That word comes with bread and wine, too. In every case, it comes so that we may believe it, trust it, live in it. Baptism is a powerful and personal way God delivers that word, and I believe we ought to share the word that way because God told us to! But when it can’t happen due to parents who will not assent to it, there is no reason to despair. Share the word ‘dry’ or ‘wet’ as you are able.
Scripture contains no instructions for baptism. If such were needed, they would have been supplied. Baptisms happened in thousands (at Pentecost), households (Lydia’s and Stephanas’, for instance) and individuals; in roadside water (the Ethiopian eunuch), a house (Paul) and at the river (Lydia and her household.)
But how much water is needed, if baptism is God’s word being applied to you with water, so that you may believe? The amount of water does not finally matter. Even a few drops of water would do in an emergency. The mode of applying the water does not finally matter. Only God’s word matters.
Of course, if God instructs us to use water with the word, we need not be stingy. We can and should get things a little wet.
Luther wrote:
How can water do such great things? Answer:
Clearly the water does not do it, but the Word of God, which is with and alongside the water, and faith, which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without the Word of God the water is plain water and not a baptism, but with the Word of God it is a baptism, that is, a grace-filled water of life and a “bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit,” as St. Paul says to Titus in chapter 3, “through the bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which he richly poured out over us through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that through that very grace we may be heirs in hope of eternal life. This is most certainly true.” [1]
[1]Kolb, R. 2000. The Book of Concord : The confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Fortress Press: Minneapolis
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Little Ice Age of the Church
Sometimes the climate changes. During the Middle Ages, Europe enjoyed warm temperatures and abundant harvests. Then came the Little Ice Age and it all changed. Crops no longer grew as far north as they had, and crop failures became common. Codfish didn't congregate in the same waters. Those people who adapted to the changed climate thrived. Those who did not adapt suffered.
Cultural climates change too. Lutheranism has always known a pleasant climate. Some of the authorities may have wanted Luther dead, but the ones that mattered protected him. Then through the centuries the prevailing culture has supported the Lutheran churches. In America, we were an immigrant church, but our immigrant communities supported the church. We built the church with the props of heritage and family firmly in place.
Now, we are entering the Little Ice Age of the church. America is turning more and more against Christian faith. The reasons are numerous, but the circumstance is clear. Ethnic heritage no longer means much, and most of us are personal melting pots anyway. Few people make religious commitments based on family today. Peers, friends and acquaintances are more influential.
As we enter the Little Ice Age of the church, those who adapt may thrive, even under a kind of low-grade persecution. Those who fail to adapt will suffer and disappear. The gospel of Jesus is as relevant as ever. I believe Lutheran teachings have a lot to say in the twenty-first century. But when it comes to the way we do things, we must adapt.
If I knew the ways we must adapt, I'd write a book. Some things are clear to me, while many are still in the fog. Prayerfully, and not in a panic, we must adapt if we are to flourish in the changed climate. Ponder with me what needs to change, and what cannot change if we are to be faithful in the twenty-first century.
Cultural climates change too. Lutheranism has always known a pleasant climate. Some of the authorities may have wanted Luther dead, but the ones that mattered protected him. Then through the centuries the prevailing culture has supported the Lutheran churches. In America, we were an immigrant church, but our immigrant communities supported the church. We built the church with the props of heritage and family firmly in place.
Now, we are entering the Little Ice Age of the church. America is turning more and more against Christian faith. The reasons are numerous, but the circumstance is clear. Ethnic heritage no longer means much, and most of us are personal melting pots anyway. Few people make religious commitments based on family today. Peers, friends and acquaintances are more influential.
As we enter the Little Ice Age of the church, those who adapt may thrive, even under a kind of low-grade persecution. Those who fail to adapt will suffer and disappear. The gospel of Jesus is as relevant as ever. I believe Lutheran teachings have a lot to say in the twenty-first century. But when it comes to the way we do things, we must adapt.
If I knew the ways we must adapt, I'd write a book. Some things are clear to me, while many are still in the fog. Prayerfully, and not in a panic, we must adapt if we are to flourish in the changed climate. Ponder with me what needs to change, and what cannot change if we are to be faithful in the twenty-first century.
Friday, May 28, 2010
One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4 ©TNIV
Sometimes we’re slow to learn. For decades, we Americans have tried to make our youth happy with church. We’ve entertained them to get them to come to church activities. When they’ve become unhappy we’ve let them disengage from church. The last thing we want is to have them resentfully say “My parents dragged me to church.” So we let them sleep in on Sunday mornings.
Now we’re learning, after decades of trying this approach, that it’s not working. High school is the time when young people are figuring out what they think. They’re developing their view of the world. There are no guarantees, but if they develop their view of the world without even a conversation about God, they probably won’t see God in the world. They’ll become, as the great cop-out of our day goes, “spiritual but not religious.” If they develop their view of the world in conversation with a community of faith, they just might grow up to be believers.
My own family reminds me that there are no guarantees: My great-grandparents raised twelve children and got eleven active Lutheran Christians. My grandfather was the exception. But then, he raised my dad not to be a believer and he became one anyway. There is nothing we can do to assure whether or not someone is a believer. But when we look at the overall pattern, it’s clear. We’re far more likely to share our faith with the next generation if we focus on doing just that.
I’ve been reading about a study of churches where the young people stay connected or come back in far greater numbers than typical congregations. What stands out first is that, in these congregations, people have lively conversations about God. The young people can find many folks who encourage them, who take an interest in their developing faith, and who talk with them.
Youth ministry is the job of the whole congregation. Do you know one of our youth? Take an interest in their life and faith. You may make a bigger difference than you can ever imagine.
Sometimes we’re slow to learn. For decades, we Americans have tried to make our youth happy with church. We’ve entertained them to get them to come to church activities. When they’ve become unhappy we’ve let them disengage from church. The last thing we want is to have them resentfully say “My parents dragged me to church.” So we let them sleep in on Sunday mornings.
Now we’re learning, after decades of trying this approach, that it’s not working. High school is the time when young people are figuring out what they think. They’re developing their view of the world. There are no guarantees, but if they develop their view of the world without even a conversation about God, they probably won’t see God in the world. They’ll become, as the great cop-out of our day goes, “spiritual but not religious.” If they develop their view of the world in conversation with a community of faith, they just might grow up to be believers.
My own family reminds me that there are no guarantees: My great-grandparents raised twelve children and got eleven active Lutheran Christians. My grandfather was the exception. But then, he raised my dad not to be a believer and he became one anyway. There is nothing we can do to assure whether or not someone is a believer. But when we look at the overall pattern, it’s clear. We’re far more likely to share our faith with the next generation if we focus on doing just that.
I’ve been reading about a study of churches where the young people stay connected or come back in far greater numbers than typical congregations. What stands out first is that, in these congregations, people have lively conversations about God. The young people can find many folks who encourage them, who take an interest in their developing faith, and who talk with them.
Youth ministry is the job of the whole congregation. Do you know one of our youth? Take an interest in their life and faith. You may make a bigger difference than you can ever imagine.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
People's first question is "Is this about me?" Lutherans tend to want to say "Oh, but it's not about you." But if it isn't about them, at least in the beginning, they're not interested.
How important is it to us to make disciples? Do we want people around who don't know the rules, who don't understand everything about the church?
We do not compromise our basic understanding of who God is and what God is up to. Everything around it is open for debate.
How important is it to us to make disciples? Do we want people around who don't know the rules, who don't understand everything about the church?
We do not compromise our basic understanding of who God is and what God is up to. Everything around it is open for debate.
Lutherans have really important things to say about who God is. But we are unprepared for these changing times.
There was a huge growth, from 1990 to 2008, in people who say they have no religious affiliation. Another group that has grown is 'generic' Christians. Many of these people are young people thinking for themselves, and who find Lutheran woship to be irrelevant.
Church attendance has fallen significantly overall.
Why don't Lutherans talk? Our congregations are communal--designed primarily for the people who are here. We know how worship happens, how we serve ommunion, who sits where... And we are comfortable with that.
We want to leave behind the nervousness of everyday life. So we want things to be predictable and safe.
The more purposeful we are about engaging the community the less sure we will be about what is going to happen on Sunday morning.
There was a huge growth, from 1990 to 2008, in people who say they have no religious affiliation. Another group that has grown is 'generic' Christians. Many of these people are young people thinking for themselves, and who find Lutheran woship to be irrelevant.
Church attendance has fallen significantly overall.
Why don't Lutherans talk? Our congregations are communal--designed primarily for the people who are here. We know how worship happens, how we serve ommunion, who sits where... And we are comfortable with that.
We want to leave behind the nervousness of everyday life. So we want things to be predictable and safe.
The more purposeful we are about engaging the community the less sure we will be about what is going to happen on Sunday morning.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Synod Assembly
I intend to send updates from the 2010 Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod Assembly to this blog. We meet from April 23-25.
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