The End Is Near?
Just as I thought I might have to post something about why I haven’t posted anything (how self-referential & self-indulgent!), FatherDMJ rides to the rescue with a posting pondering the potential of the end times being near.
Editorial Comment: Boo to LiveJournal for not supporting trackbacks!
Two things about FatherDMJ’s rant piqued my interest beyond the usual interest I have in his postings:
- From an historical perspective, I’m not sure that I completely agree with FatherDMJ’s analysis that various states of our current culture indicate that the End is nearer than we might think. While it is doubtless that our American civilization is on the downhill side (I think I might place our peak in the 1940’s-50’s time frame…), our descent is hardly unique in the annals of History. Great civilizations have risen & fallen on a fairly predictable basis, following a fairly predictable trajectory. I just don’t know that I think our current decline merits thinking the End is nearer, merely because of the events transpiring during the decline. The furthest I’ll go is to state that, as time passes from when Christ left and promised His return, we obviously get closer to that inevitable return. But, just as Christ also said, we don’t, won’t, and can’t know exactly when the return will happen — nor should we worry about it.
- More fascinating, however, is the linkage he makes between the “secular” divorce rate (i.e., between a man & woman) and the “theological” divorce rate (i.e., between a pastor/shepherd & congregation/flock), most particularly in the LCMS. While I’ve been quite aware of the sorry state of playing to “itching ears” in many parts of the synod for a while now (indeed, it weighs heavily on my mind whenever I wonder if I’m being drawn towards the Sem & into the Ministry…), I’ve never quite made the linkage that FatherDMJ does — and I’m greatful to him for having brought it to my attention!
I very much like the way that the HCSB translates 2 Timothy 4:3 — For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.
This dovetails quite nicely with a point made by FatherDMJ — that one of the main reasons that people have for not tolerating the preaching of sound doctrine, is that they don’t like hearing the same thing week after week. “That’s boring.” “That’s not inspiring.” “That’s not seeker sensitive.” Boo hoo.
But, however, IT WORKS!!!
Thank God.
Come, Lord Jesus!
-ghp
We are all Theologians
I just wanted to clearly state something:
We are all theologians.
I had occasion in the past week to make this statement, during a debate of sorts, only to be faced with a strong retort of (and I paraphrase), “We’re certainly all priests, but we are not all theologians!”
Per Merriam-Webster.com, the primary definition of theology is:
1 : the study of religious faith, practice, and experience; especially : the study of God and of God’s relation to the world
Now, I don’t know about you, but that certainly leads me to think that we’re all theologians. Living in/under the grace of the Gospel, we are all most certainly concerned with God and His relation to the world.
Somehow theology has been “elevated” so as to be thought of as something so special as to be beyond the common, everyday experiences of “Joe Pewsitter.” This is quite unfortunate.
Also unfortunate is that many Lutherans have confused the concept of the Priesthood of All Believers, along with their confusion about their status as a theologian.
I daily consider, investigate, and am comforted by God’s relation to the world (through His Son Jesus).
Thus, I am theologian.
Thus, I state again — we are all theologians.
-ghp
Working on Sunday
Interesting article in the new WORLD Magazine regarding Family Christian Bookstore’s decision to open their stores from 12-5 on Sunday afternoons.
This, predictably, has created a bit of a tempest (check out the discussion at Worldmagblog.com), as it has brought out the pietists who claim that such an action is a slap against the Sabbath, and, thus, a sin against the Lord.
I appreciate, somewhat, the sentiment behind the outrage. It is, however, misplaced pietism, and an unfortunate misunderstanding and misapplication of Biblical doctrines. Christ fulfilled the Law, of which the Sabbath was clearly a part. We are called to live our entire lives, in all our God-given vocations, out of a Sabbath-like respect for God. We definitely need to set aside time for “resting in the Lord,” and weekly attendance of the Divine Service is a very good, right, and salutary contribution to do so. Daily reading of the Word and devotions are also ways to do so.
However, we are no longer under the onus of a mandatory, specific day of the week. Culturally & traditionally, Sunday has been that day set aside for overt observation of a “Sabbath.” But it could’ve just as easily been Tuesday. Living out our entire lives under the Gospel is the overriding point, not some rote, Law-driven, “let’s meet our duty”-type of thing.
If a business wants to close its doors on Sundays, out of some desire to honor the Lord — well, that’s (putting the best construction on it) certainly commendable, and should not be frowned upon, criticized, or condemned. Neither, by the same token, should the decision to be open on Sundays be condemned as an act of unfaithfulness.
From a Lutheran perspective, I’m thinking that the worst thing to come out of all this is that folks will have 5 more hours a week during which they’ll have the opportunity to purchase heterodox, and potentially spiritually damaging, materials. And that, to paraphrase Martha Stewart, is most certainly not a good thing…
-ghp
Knowing Thyself is the First Step
Ok, now to my mind, there are a great many things not to like about how the ELCA does business: Priestitutes, formalized unionism & syncretism, and capitulation to Rome (via the “Augsburg Concession” aka the 1999 JDDJ), enter the mind quite quickly. These things, however, are only symptoms of the underlying problem:
The very postmodern desire to analyze & deconstruct any/everything, playing a never-ending game of “Did God really say/mean ____?”
Aside from the obvious road to hell that such sinful philosophy causes one to travel, it is also sad in that it seems to blind folks to the path upon which they are traveling.
A good illustration of this is contained in a quote from the recent Forum Letter, published by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, a left-leaning group with a goal of fostering “renewal not only within the present Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada but also Lutheran churches abroad and the wider ecumenical community.” I got this quote from page 5 of the October 15, 2004 issue of Christian News, which had reprinted it from the October 2004 Forum Letter (formatted by me to enhance readability):
“On the dilemma ELCA pastors face on gay ordination next year, and what to do about it afterwards, this note from an ELCA pastor: “What is my take on the ELCA these days? Almost embarrassment. I avoid ELCA clergy gatherings as much as I can. I swear it’s the Democratic party that writes our theology and practice. If I weren’t in my late 50s I might even consider the LCMS. I’m not fundamentalist but I still believe the Bible ought to be the basis for our teaching and practice. Sometimes I muse:
Do I want to belong to a church that denies communion to non-Lutherans, or do I want to belong to a church that passes communion like a pez dispenser?
Do I want to belong to a church that doesn’t ordain women, or do I want to belong to a church that ordains practicing homosexuals?
Do I want to belong to a church that believes in the literal interpretation of the Scripture or do I want to belong to a church that practices biblical gymnastics to make it say what it wants it to say?
Oh, please tell us there’s a middle somewhere.”
Now, it’s all too clear to me (ironic & sadly humorous as well, but nonetheless clear…) that the author of this quote obviously doesn’t see the connections between past choices and current situations/problems. Neither does he (and I’m assuming the writer is a “he” because there is consideration, however slight, given to going to the LCMS) see that logic & theological integrity make the wished for “middle” an impossibility.
“Biblical gymnastics” enabled the ELCA to do things like ordaining women and practice open communion. Indeed, distinguishing communing non-Lutherans & passing the supper out like pez is a distinction without a difference. Either communion is Biblical (i.e., closed) or it is not. Slightly “open” communion is like being “slightly pregnant.”
The “Biblical gymnastics” necessary for justifying the usurption of the Pastoral Office by women, is exactly the same for justifying homosexual usurption of the Office. Once Pandora’s Box has been opened in the slightest, EVERYTHING that is inside can come out. The proverbial “slippery slope”, however negatively it is viewed as a warning these days, became proverbial because it speaks to the truth.
I pray that those erring folks in the ELCA will be led repentantly back to the proper path of Orthodoxy, and that those in the LCMS who are so desirous of what the ELCA has, will also experience such a Spirit-driven repentance-laden renewal. I also pray that I be kept on the straight and narrow, lovingly rebuked & called to repentance by my orthodox Lutheran brothers whenever necessary.
-ghp
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