A THRIVING SMALL CHURCH?

Great blogpost from Ed Stetzer (Baptist mission guru) on thriving small churches. He points out how the church has created a "celebrity ministry" culture through conferences touting rock star pastors. He uses the phrase "ministry pornography" and I about fell out of my chair laughing when I read this, but it is so true.

Check-it out for yoursef: Small Churches can Thrive.

For those who contribute nothing but their own self-interest...

Church is a place full of sinners. That statement should be a no-brainer to anyone with a modicum understanding of the Christian faith. "There is no one righteous - no not one," says St. Paul. But the church is also full of saints - those set apart by the work of Jesus Christ through faith on account of Jesus' atoning death and victorious resurrection. Thus, Lutherans believe in Simil Justus et Peccator - simultaneously justified and sinful.

I mention this because I am slowly realizing just how much wasted time of pastoral ministry is spent dealing with long-time Christians who are completely self-absorbed. The church for this type of person is all about - yep you guessed it - them. While I lament this fact, it is simply a matter of understanding my first point; the church is full of sinners.

I was on a business blog earlier today where the writer was dealing with Seneca's philosophy and I came across this quote: "Too often, we spend time focusing on the trivial with people who contribute nothing but their own self-interest." Fantastic sentence! And right to the point.

So I have resolved to call people on the carpet when they attempt to waste my time by contributing nothing but their self-interest by asking, "And what does this have to do with the mission of Jesus?"

An Answer to Prayer?

As part of my vicarage I wear a clerical shirt/collar when I am acting in a ministerial capacity at church or on visitations. It's taken a bit to get used to, especially when you are out and about. But I generally support the idea of a pastoral uniform for a number of reasons I won't go into here. But this past week's experience has solidified it even more.

One of our elders had a minor heart problem on Sunday morning and I went with my pastor and another parishoner after worship to visit him in the hospital and pray with him. This is a fairly normal occurence for us, because our church is 100 years old and we have a lot of elderly folks we care for at Grace Lutheran. While I was waiting in the emergency room lobby to leave a woman in tears approached me and asked me if I had time to go see her dying mother and the family members by her bedside. She said that they had not yet explained to her mom that she would likely die (and very soon at that), but thought that I could speak with her and pray with her. They had attempted to make contact with her pastor, but he had not returned the call yet, and time was not on her side.

What else could I say but yes? But I must admit that as I walked back into the emergency room I became extremely nervous. I have very little experience in such matters. The hospital bedside is not my normal idea of a pulpit, but it became one nonetheless, inexperience aside. I went through the curtain and found the room full of old and young family members with lowered heads and downcast eyes; all expecting me to bring comfort and encouragment. I softly held the elderly woman's hand and reminded her that God in his goodness sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of the world and rose again three days later to defeat sin, Satan, and death for all who believe. I asked her if she believed this? She did! I then prayed, thanking God for this woman's faith and asked him to bring her and the family the comfort of knowing this good message and to strengthen their faith in the same.

Was this enough? It didn't seem like it. But then I remembered that on his death bed, Karl Barth said that the most profound thing he had ever learned in his life was, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so." I did get this across, so maybe it was enough, even for a lowly inexpereienced Lutheran vicar. As I left, the daughter hugged me and expressed her thanks through tear-stained cheeks. She said that she had been praying for something or someone to bring some releif to her mother and family. And here's where I got teary-eye'd. "I knew when I saw you in the lobby - you were the answer to my prayer."

How can you respond to such a statement, but to thank God? I mention this story because the only reason I had this opportunity in the first place was because I was wearing the collar. May God grant this family comfort amidst their trials and may my bedside preaching only get better with time. Amen.

The Altenberg Thesis by C.F.W. Walther

When some of the first Lutheran's from Saxony settled in and around St. Louis in the early 1800s a major issue arose when Bishop Martin Stephan was deposed. Many had believed the old patristic addage, "Wherever the bishop is, there is the church."

Were they still a legitimate chruch without a bishop? What is the church? Are there visible signs or is it all a matter of invisibility? These are some of the questions they struggled with after leaving the old country. C.F.W Walther rose to the occasion, and after spending some time in the scriptures and reading Luther on the matter, began to take the reigns of the fledgling church that would become the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. But before this happened he was challenged to a debate over this question of the "church". He formulated and defended an eight-point thesis and won the crowd over. This is called the "Altenberg Thesis" and I leave it for your perusal:

I. The true Church, in the most real and perfect sense, is the totality (Gesaintheit) of all true believers, who from the beginning to the end of the world from among all peoples and tongues have been called and sanctified by the Holy Spirit through the Word. And since God alone knows these true believers (2 Tim. 2:19), the Church is also called invisible. No one belongs to this true Church who is not spiritually united with Christ, for it is the spiritual body of Jesus Christ.

II. The name of the true Church belongs also to all those visible companies of men among whom God’s Word is purely taught and the holy Sacraments are administered according to the institution of Christ. True, in this Church there are godless men, hypocrites, and heretics, but they are not true members of it, nor do they constitute the Church.

III. The name Church, and, in a certain sense, the name true Church, belongs also to those visible companies of men who have united under the confession of a falsified faith and therefore have incurred the guilt of a partial departure from the truth; provided they possess so much of God’s Word and the holy Sacraments in purity that children of God may thereby be born. When such companies are called true churches, it is not the intention to state that they are faithful, but only that they are real churches as opposed to all worldly organizations (Gemeinschaften).

IV. The name Church is not improperly applied to heterodox companies, but according to the manner of speech of the Word of God itself. It is also not immaterial that this high name is allowed to such communions for out of this follow:

1. That members also of such companies may be saved; for without the Church there is no salvation.

V. The outward separation of a heterodox company from an orthodox Church is not necessarily a separation from the universal Christian Church nor a relapse into heathenism and does not yet
deprive that company of the name Church.

VI. Even heterodox companies have church power; even among them the goods of the Church may be validly administered, the. Ministry established, the Sacraments validly administered, and the keys of the kingdom of heaven exercised.

VII. Even heterodox companies are not to be dissolved, but reformed.

VIII. The orthodox Church is chiefly to be judged by the common, orthodox, public confession to which its members acknowledge and confess themselves to be pledged.

Church Polity and Leadership

Last week I begun a 5 week course up at Concordia University on Church Polity and Leadership. While you would think this topic would be a tad dry and not as sexy as something like...Systematic Theology, I am finding it extremly interesting and valuable. It probably helps that the professor, Pr. Greg Seltz (who is also the program director), is a dynamic speaker who brings a lot of practical experience and wisdom to the topic from years pastoring and church planting.

There are several books required for the course as well as journal articles, and all seem to be pretty good, but my favorite of the bunch has to be Models of the Church by Avery Cardinal Dulles. I don't read Catholic theologians very often (it's sort of in our Lutheran blood I guess). But this treatment looks at the church from the various ecclesiological models that have sprung up through the history of the church and find some level of connection to the scriptures. Thus, he looks at the church from the standpoint of: institution, mysterious body, sacramental presence, servanthood, etc. What I really appreciate is Dulles' honesty to critique his own community, while also seeking to reform her. While I'm only a couple chapters in, what I believe he is trying to show is that you cannot force one single ecclesiology upon the church, because it is like lifting one section of scripture up as more authoritative than the rest, and doesn't appreciate the diversity and continuity of the Biblical expressions for the church. She is an institution, but she need not be institutionalized. She is a sacramental presence, she is a servant, she is the herald, she is the mysterious body of Christ. These all fit together to make up the communion of saints.

I'm also learning the value of Lutheran simplicity. Where is the church? Wherever Christ says he will be. Where does he say he will be? In his Word and Sacraments. Thus, wherever the Word is preached and the sacraments administered, you know objectively, that Christ is present and that his church is gathered. More to follow on this as I realize this last paragraph is painted with a very broad stroke of the brush...er...keyboard.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving for my Vicarage

This past Sunday my congregation had its first semi-annual meeting to get a lot of business sorted out at the beginning of the year. While these are absolutely necessary I must admit that frankly, I hate meetings, especially where there are over 100 (well meaning, but opinionated) people. They are often long, tedious, and make me pray ever more diligently for Christ's immediate return.

At this meeting, however, one of the major decisions that had to be approved, was my call and support to be Grace Lutheran's Vicar. Vicar? Yes, an odd term I admit. It's latin and generally means in the stead of - and in Lutheran parlance, it means I am a seminarian in training for the pastorate and am working under the direction of another pastor. Grace has not supported a vicar or seminarian since the early 70's! So this was a big deal for her. Thankfully, my pastor did a wonderful job presenting the need for the position, my qualifications, and more importantly this as an opportunity for the church. Thankfully, this also means paying my tuition at Concordia. Unlike the nomral seminarian routes within our synod, which offer just a year long vicarage in the 3rd year of seminary, I will be serving a 4 year vicarage in one parish concurrently with my studies. This is still a relatively new practice, but one that I think has tremendous advantage for the local body of Christ. In this position, I will have opportunity to:

• Preach regularly
• Lead in the Liturgy and prayers in various services
• Teach Bible studies and Catechism classes in a variety of settings, including our school children where I hope to lead the weekly chapel as my schedule permits
• Strategize with the pastor and board of elders on matters of spiritual growth and discipleship
• Work with young couples in their pre-marriage classes
• And generally, learn from my mentor whom I'm serving under, Rev. John Bombaro, who is both a great pastor and biblical scholar

For all of this I am grateful to my parish for their confidence, and thankful to God for this calling. I pray he would strengthen me for the days ahead, grant me understanding and wisdom as I continue my studies and minister to his people. And may I never forget that this calling is not deserved or a right that I am entitled to, it is a position of servanthood to be lived out in humble submission to the true Shepherd of souls, Jesus Christ. Amen.