"Normal" Christian Living vs. Living Continually in a Weird Spiritual Drama

A really great article written by Michael Spencer (a.k.a. The Internet Monk) can be found here. It's an article about how so many Christians today are always demanding new, supernatural signs of God's power and favor. Along the way, they not only have problems with living a "normal" Christian life, these deluded believers also begin looking down their noses at those of us for whom encountering God occurs when we hear Him speaking to us in the written Word. This is a must read.

Confessional Lutheranism Cannot be Silenced

I'm surrounded by all sorts of Chicken Littles. Or is it Henny Pennys? I'm not sure which--whichever one went off shrieking about the sky falling, and it's a chicken either way. Anyway, I'm surrounded by them, or at least they outnumber the sane people in my narrow corner of the blogosphere.

I say that because there is controversy (What!? No kidding!) in my church body, the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, because certain persons with agendas are getting in the way of other folks with their agendas. And of course we can't wrestle with what's going on without a few Lutherans (including some outside the LCMS) casting the whole struggle in terms that sound vaguely apocalyptic: Sons of Light waging war against the forces of darkness, etc.

Seriously, to read what people have been writing lately, you'd think we Lutherans were strangers to conflict. You'd think we'd never gone through any feuding or shaking out process before. Nothing could be further from the truth. We've had our share of conflict, and acrimonious disputes. We've had folks with agendas oust other folks and their agendas, and usually most of us have had the good grace to not publicly accuse either side of cheating. Somehow Missouri always seemed to pull through, if not always pulling together.

But now supposedly the End is near. The Synod, according to some, is beyond saving, and this because the current elected leadership has allegedly engaged in trying to stamp out confessional Lutheranism of the right-wing variety. The latest grievance arises over the administration's decision to discontinue a popular radio broadcast, "Issues, Etc." The administration claims the decision was purely of a financial nature, while those hungry to get one of their own back in power claim it was motivated by a desire to silence the voice of Confessional Lutheranism.

Now without doubt, "Issues, Etc." was a terrific daily radio show, and many, many thousands, perhaps millions over it's long run, were blessed by it. It's also true that it's host, Rev. Todd Wilken, had been fairly critical over the inroads made by what is called church-growth marketing, and the show clearly was negative towards Lutheran churches adopting much of anything from American Evangelicalism. The show was therefore very helpful for showcasing the distinctiveness of our Lutheran theology and practice, and the voice of Todd Wilken became a recognizable voice for Confessional Lutheranism.

With the show's cancellation, however, some are saying the end of the Missouri Synod is upon us. It's time to get out. It's time to recognize that Missouri has traveled farther down the slippery slope than anyone knew. Come out, ye, from among them! Save confessional Lutheranism from being compromised! Save it from being silenced!

Usually at this point there is much wailing and hand-wringing; if Missouri's light goes out, what church body of any size will be left to testify to the truth? What will happen to the pure Gospel? How will Lutheranism survive if one of the last, main conservative/confessional bodies sells out? Countering the chant to "come out from among them" is the rising chorus of, "We must save Missouri at any cost!"

Now I appreciate that the issues rocking the LCMS are serious, but I honestly doubt the sky is falling. I don't know of a single LCMS pastor who denies the historicity of Christ's Virgin birth; or of the Bodily Resurrection; or doubts whether Christ is truly and locally present in the Sacrament of his body and blood; or who teaches that Adam and Eve never literally existed. I don't know of a single LCMS pastor who rejects the pastoral epistles as not being genuine. Or who thinks the exodus through the Red Sea never happened. I've heard rumors of confessional Lutherans coming under attack, and yet I don't know of single pastor in the LCMS who doesn't accept every symbol included in the 1580 Book of Concord.

Based on these observations, I conclude there probably remains hope for my church body. It's even possible some of Missouri's finest days might be yet to come. But even if I am wrong, even if we're on a slippery slope and picking up speed, the sky still isn't falling. It may be the curtain coming down on a Synod which began in 1847, a man-made church structure, but regardless of what people say or write, it was the Lutheran Confessions keeping the Synod alive and relevant, not vice versa. And the Lutheran Confessions not only antedate the Synod, but they'll remain long after the LCMS is a memory.

In other words, there is something about Confessional Lutheranism that cannot be silenced; not merely must not, or should not, but can not. And now, of course, I no longer have in mind simply Pastor Wilken, although I doubt much whether he can be silenced either. What I mean is, take "Issues" off the air, and other radio shows will spring up so the message does not go silent. The message will find a media outlet, or make one. If a confessional church body falls apart or gets to a point where it no longer can be regarded as confessional, the Lutheran Confessions will generate a new synod to clearly articulate them. That's how powerful ideas work; they don't merely benefit from institutional support, they give rise to the new institutions in the first place. So likewise, authentic Lutheranism--that is, Book of Concord Lutheranism, Law and Gospel Lutheranism--is going to continue to find expression, irrespective of anyone's agendas.

Just a closing thought; cannot means absolutely can NOT. To silence it you'd have to get rid of thousands of faithful pastors. You'd have to wipe away all the archived shows of "Issues," and "Radical Grace," and other shows committed to the same viewpoint, not only from all the servers in the world, but even from everyone's personal iPods. You'd have to confiscate every single Book of Concord, and also every copy of Luther's Small Catechism, because if even one extant copy got overlooked somewhere, it would eventually find a believing reader again, and soon it'll find expression again.

But even if all that were done, the Confessions still couldn't be silenced forever. Take away all the Lutheran Confessions and erase them from everyone's memory, and you'd still have the Bible to contend with. From the unchained Word of God, everything essential in the Confessions would get generated again. And the promise we have from Christ is that heaven and earth will pass away before his word passes away. That part of the "sky," at least, is divinely guaranteed never to fall.

They Looked at Him as a Radical

Say “radical” and then ask Americans to guess what the next word will be. Odds are, they’ll probably say “Islam.” “Radical Islam” is a pretty natural pairing in our day; almost as familiar as “global warming,” and easily trouncing “hanging chad.” Or so it seems to me.

Of course what people mean by “radical Islam” is the segment of the religion that combines a wish to impose strict Sharia law on Muslims with a militancy against the West unhesitant to use violence. Sometimes people say the word “extremist” instead, but I oppose using either term. “Extremist” implies a fringe view, and I don’t know that it really is a fringe. Consistently carrying out the implications may be “extremist”—characteristic of only a few—but the worldview itself seems straight out of the Koran.

It’s also not radical. I wouldn’t describe any version, sect, or flavor of Islam as being “radical.” Something is only radical when it goes to the root of something else. Going down to the root—to the fundamental nature—is what the word “radical” actually means. To push the analogy, a radical difference is one not merely evidenced by different fruit, leaves, or stem, but one growing from a different source, a different root nature entirely.

All versions of Islam have the same root, which is the Koran, which is rooted more deeply still in what is common to all man-made religions: They all attempt to earn God’s favor with good behavior. Some, such as Islam, have detailed prescriptions of what to believe and do so as to appease God, while others, like most New-Age religions, let you make up whatever you want so long as your intentions are sincere. They may even describe persons coming into their religion as undergoing a “conversion,” or “rebirth,” but always what they mean is a new view of one’s self based on a program of behavior. In this way, Mormons are the same as Buddhists, are the same as Unitarians, and the same as Muslims; at the root of all of it is human effort and works.

None of it is radical. It’s too natural to be radical.

Jesus, on the other hand, was looked on as a radical. His message was radical and disturbing, striking not only at the root of man-made religions, but even challenging assumptions at the root of Judaism. Sometimes the impression is given by liberal theologians that only Paul was the radical, that really Jesus (a misunderstood rabbi) never meant to found anything like Christianity.

A few quotes from Jesus should dispel that myth:

When [Jesus] heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mt 9:12-13)

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mk 2:5)

And Jesus said to [Zacchaeus], “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Lk 19:9)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn 10:10-11)

What do we have here in these verses? By his own words, Jesus is bringing forgiveness, salvation, and life to people who are still sinners and not following the prescripted behaviors to appease God. He’s dealing with them as people, and not simply as transgressors. Coming into their lives with suddenness, often unexpectedly (Zacchaeus), his presence and words soon change how people look at themselves. Seemingly in spite of themselves, they start to want to be different kinds of people.

Of course there’s also the assessment of the Scribes and Pharisees, which agreed as to the facts, yet found it disagreeable: “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” (Lk 15:2)

Jesus said the kingdom of God was like a mustard seed that is planted and becomes the largest of all the garden plants. (Mt 13:31) He said the kingdom is like a net that catches up all kinds of fish, good and bad. (Mt 13:47) He said it was like a party thrown when a lost son returns to his father who was out seeking him. (Lk 15) So many different stories he told—a few that would possibly have made sense to his listeners, and a greater number that didn’t. But in all the stories, he made it clear that the mystery of the kingdom, and who was in it and who was not, did not go back to the expected root; it never came back to man’s effort or behavior, but always to God’s gracious initiative.

In other words, Jesus’ message is a radical departure from everyone else’s. No other teacher, philosopher, prophet, or bard ever announced, “Your own works avail nothing, and neither your sufferings nor sacrifices are enough to appease God.”

Jesus alone has made the claim, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (Jn 14:6) He has become for us who believe, a new source, a better hope, a higher Way, and a different root. The grace he reveals corresponds to nothing else in religious history.

Radical Islam? Hardly. Radical Christianity is authentic Christianity that replaces the futility of works with God’s grace rooted in the Cross.