Mother Teresa’s doubts
Well, now, isn’t this — Letters Reveal Mother Teresa’s Secret — interesting?
A quote: “…it has emerged that Mother Teresa was so doubtful of her own faith that she feared being a hypocrite…”
It strikes me as fascinating both because it reveals the ways in which individual faith truly is a battleground for the forces of light and dark, and because it’s going to be used & misused by folks to make points, counter-points, and a whole lot of outrageous assertions.
I also find it interesting as (potentially) an illustration of Rome’s problem wrt Grace & the role that good works play. If Mother Teresa was a good Roman Catholic, then she most likely took quite seriously the teaching that her works, while not earning her salvation per se, were certainly necessary in order to augment the Grace that was infused at baptism.
That’s not a comforting teaching at heart, for it replaces the Gospel with the Law, and the Law breaks us down, stripping us of any/all hope.
Even in the depths of our despair — and we will be faced with despair & dark times, for this world and its prince will assault us in the effort to “win” us — if we stay focused on the cross & Christ crucified, God will comfort us & salve our wounds with that Balm of Gilead. And thus bound up & transformed, He will work through us to produce good works. Works that represent the fruits of being saved, not tokens that can be redeemed for getting saved.
It strikes some as a distinction without a difference, but it’s not. It can be the very difference between comfort and torment, between Heaven and Hell…
-ghp
Theistic evolution is contradictory
Over at Lutherama, the good Dr. has a very good posting outlining precisely Why Evolution and God Driven Creation Cannot Co-Exist.
Round about 10 or so years ago, I had worked myself into a place where I thought that theistic evolution was OK. I wasn’t as well read as I am now (not that I’m all that deep now, it’s just that I try harder…), and I was smack in the middle of my 12 year southern exile, during which I was living down where there were “Babdists” & heathens, and where being Lutheran got you looks almost as dirty as if you said you were Catholic. 
On an intellectual level, theistic evolution was a nice compromise. It wasn’t as “evil” as straight-up Darwinism, but it allowed for some rational compromise by what “observable scientific facts” had told us just had to be true. Besides, I thought, if God was omnipotent, then we certainly shouldn’t limit Him by saying that theistic evolution wasn’t possible.
I was wrong.
Certainly God could work through an evolutionary process. It’s just that He told us that He didn’t. The Bible is clear on that — God’s own Word uses clear & simple language to describe how He created the world (our “young earth”) in 6 24-hour days. We (i.e., our sinful human intellect) might not be willing or able to fathom it, but that doesn’t change the reality. God is not limited by our broken state & sin-based lack of understanding. He allows us to take comfort in His simple & clearly stated Word.
We don’t need to understand or know, we just need to trust and believe. That is how God comforts us & holds us close to Him.
Yay!
-ghp
I get monasticism
I love visiting Fort Wayne, largely because it gives me (at the very least) the opportunity to drive through the campus of CTSFW. There is something about being on the campus of that seminary that I find almost indescribably sublime. It’s calming, comforting, & inspiring. (And if I make it into the bookstore, frustrating and/or costly!)
I’m drawn to it in such a way that I really do (I think) understand the allure of monasticism, or at least the desire to “escape the real world” and steep oneself in an environment that is (one would think/hope) more theologically & doctrinally safe/pure.
Now, I certainly know that it is still in & of this world, and that it’s still a place populated by sinners. It’s just that it feels like such a respite from the daily grind, such a safe haven, that it’s hard for me not to feel a certain sense of longing. At least for what it represents in my mind, anyway…
-ghp
Missouri in a handbasket
The LCMS is in a handbasket, and you know where that mode of transport takes you…
Per this letter, the St. Louis Seminary (CSL) has jumped into bed with a renegade, conservative/”confessional”, faction of ELCA, WordAlone.
So, what many view to be as the crown jewel seminary of the LCMS (not me — I prefer CTSFW, but that’s just subjective based on my personal experiences at/on the CTSFW campus — I’ve known good pastors who are grads of both sems — and general, anecdotal observations that even in post-Seminex times, some dicey stuff can happen at CSL…) is now going to educate future pastors of the ELCA. Men and WOMEN. Priestitutes. Spiffy.
WordAlone, from what I’ve been able to discern, seems to have been moved into action in response to ELCA’s bedding down with the Episcopalians, as they really don’t like the historic episcopate. And they don’t like ELCA’s move towards blessing same-sex unions & ordaining gays/lesbians. But, they’re cool with ELCA’s focus on social justice, priestitutes, open communion, mindless ecumenism, Biblical errancy, and general disavowal of orthodox confessional Lutheranism (i.e., Christianity). Peachy.
What possible reason could there be for the powers-that-be at CSL to want to jump into bed with a group like WordAlone? Especially when they do so with delusional sophistry like this from Rev. Bartelt’s letter:
“Further, as discussed with your representatives, Concordia Seminary invites students to enroll into our graduate programs of theological studies, cognizant of our traditional, confessional position within the framework of historic and evangelical Lutheran theology. Indeed, we welcome those who are willing to engage in honest dialogue and conversation about controversial theological matters, including issues such as the historical-critical method and women’s ordination. We recognize that, as a denominational seminary, we do not prepare candidates for the Holy Ministry outside of the LCMS and those in church fellowship with her. We are also prepared to continue discussion of the initiatives of WordAlone Network to augment such graduate education as they see fit, including proposals such as a house of studies and the interchange of guest faculty.”
Sorry, but the historical-critical method & women’s ordination are not “controversial theological matters” that are open for “honest dialogue and conversation” — they are issues that have been discredited & debunked as sinful attempts to corrupt God’s clear Word.
And, if the LCMS’s seminaries are not for preparing candidates for those outside of the LCMS, then what could possibly be the purpose/benefit of letting some rogue outfit’s students/candidates take classes as part of their programs elsewhere? Let’s be honest here, in doing so, we are preparing them, for all intents and purposes. The LCMS will be complicit in allowing/enabling women to usurp the Pastoral Office. Stating a bylaw/policy doesn’t change that, not when the practice is so obvious.
This makes me very sad…
-ghp
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