Lutheran Logomaniac

In my last post on the topic, I posited that the multiplication of statements has not historically been helpful in the Missouri.  I would be delighted to be corrected, but I am hard pressed to find one example in our LCMS history that would point to an external group (which I will explain in a moment) serving to call the synod to repentance, admonish, exhort, etc, and that actually resulting in a change in LCMS doctrine and practice.  I will happily be corrected.

It seems as though there are a couple of basic objections to this line of thinking.  Let’s see if I can list them off here.

• This is not an “outside group,” but members of the LCMS calling it to repentance.
• There are plenty of “outside groups” that have a very positive influence on the LCMS.  Higher Things, LLL, LWML, etc.
• How will we discuss and correct the problems in our church without such entities?  Doing nothing is not an option.
• The synod is not a church, but simply an external organization.  As such, it is good and reasonable that congregations join together to serve as a positive influence on the LCMS as a whole.

I’m sure there are other objections to my first post.  That is my distilling of the arguments as I’ve seen them.  Here are my responses:

This is not an “outside group,” but members of the LCMS calling it to repentance.

In one sense this is true, in another obvious sense it is not.  The ACELC (as well as Higher Things, LLL, etc.) are by definition an outside organizations.  They are incorporated, with officers, a constitution, finances, and so forth.  While the individual members of a given organization may be LCMS, the organization itself is not.  I as an individual member of synod (rostered) may interact, cajole, influence, and speak.  So can congregations.  I would contend, however, that when a group of pastors and/or congregations start speaking together ad hoc, and outside of our agreed upon structure, it creates a conflict that I do not believe is helpful.

Please note, I’m not saying it’s wrong, sinful, or anything to that effect.  I am saying it is not helpful.  I don’t believe that it will help the confession of the faith in the LCMS.

The reason I do not believe it is helpful is because once that ad hoc entity is created and begins to espouse a particular position, the underlying question is now “what is the point of this group?” and NOT “what are they trying to say?”  That is one of the many things I learned during my time working with Consensus.

There are plenty of “outside groups” that have a very positive influence on the LCMS.  Higher Things, LLL, LWML, etc.

Very true.  The way that these various entities have served as a positive influence has been by what I would call vocation.  Higher Things works with youth to teach and pass on the faith.  LLL (primarily) works and teaches men.  LCMS works and teaches women.  Bethesda, all of the various Lutheran schools, the groups that are the most helpful are the ones that have a laser tight focus on how they may serve the furtherance of the Gospel in our midst.

None of them have as their stated purpose to change the doctrine and practice of the LCMS (either in a good way or a bad way).  They simply do what they do, and the results speak for themselves.

I would commend that the places where confessional Lutheranism has been the most vibrant are the places where there is a need and it is filled by like minded people who recognize the need and act upon it.

I suppose one could look at a group like the ACELC and say that is exactly what they are doing.  As I look at the stated goals, that’s not what I see.  (I will address where this conversation should take place in my next post.)

How will we discuss and correct the problems in our church without such entities?  Doing nothing is not an option.

I believe conservatives are people of conviction.  People of conviction want to speak what they believe, see things in pretty clear black and white categories, and want to have all of the lines cleanly drawn.  I resonate with that.  It is who I am as well.

But publicizing a list of all of the “tolerated errors” in the LCMS, what that does and will do is create fissures, cracks, broken relationships, side taking, antagonism, and anger.  The laity will remain ignorant of the whole picture, or they will only be catechized about one “side” of an issue.  Where does it end?  Is this really the best we can do in the LCMS?

The synod is not a church, but simply an external organization.  As such, it is good and reasonable that congregations join together to serve as a positive influence on the LCMS as a whole.

This is a big one.  It is big enough that it shapes much of our common discourse together.  I’m going to deal with this in another post, because I don’t want this to get lost in a bullet.

So what is coming next is an answer to this last bullet, and a proposal for a more positive and helpful way to approach the challenges facing the LCMS.  I welcome your thoughts.

Pr. Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church (LCMS)

Kenosha, Wisconsin

I do not believe that groups like the ACELC are helpful to the cause of faithful Lutheranism in our midst.

While this is not an exhaustive examination, it is a start of my thoughts on the process.  I would welcome your thoughts and insights along the way.

The Association of Confessing Evangelical Lutheran Congregations (ACELC) was formed this past summer for the following purpose:

The ACELC is forming as an association of congregations within the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.  It is our purpose to seek a return to faithful doctrine and practice within our church body by identifying and documenting the errors of the LCMS which are being promoted or tolerated among us.  Then, with united voice, to lovingly and firmly call our Synod to repentance.  It is toward that end that we have formulated a clearly stated ACELC theological position respecting the issues of contention within the LCMS, and have drawn together documentation of those errors.  We pray that God will bless our efforts to retain our Lutheran doctrine, practice and heritage within the LCMS.

The way the ACELC intends to accomplish this purpose is by being an association of congregations, by documenting the errors in our church body, and by then seeking unity around the ACELC theological position as articulated in its Fraternal Admonition, its proposed constitution, and its definition of confessional Lutheranism.  You may find all of them HERE.

One of the things that conservatives do well (or at least do a lot of) is make statements.  Even a cursory peek at the history of the LCMS would indicate a few things: 1. We have tons of statements on everything under the sun; 2. Most of them we agree to and never hear about ever again; and 3. Statements made by outside groups trying to have a positive influence on the synod are pretty much always divisive, not unifying around the Word of God.

Let me unpack each of those a little bit.

1. We have tons of statements on everything under the sun.

I remember reading some years back about a project at the St. Louis Seminary to categorize and catalog all of the doctrinal statements, encouragements, opinions and the like that 165+ years of the LCMS conventions have passed.  It is bewildering, and I like this stuff!  We don’t even know or understand what standing most of these documents/statements have in our church body.  One of the most vivid moments at this past summer’s synodical convention for me was when Dr. Sam Nafzger was asked to come to the mic and explain the different types of documents.  It was the most confusing thing I’ve ever heard in my life.

The multiplication of confessions and documents in our midst is more a sign of our disunity than it is our unity.  Now don’t get me wrong.  People and churches of conviction can and must confess the truth and deny the error.  However, I am not at all convinced that making statements is the answer on how we should do it.

2. Most of them we agree to and never hear about ever again.

The Predestinarian Controversy.  The Iowa Theses.  The Minneapolis Theses.  The Thiensville Theses.  The Brief Statement (ok, we’ve heard of that one…).  The Common Confession, parts I and II, The 1973 Statement (heard of that one too).  Those are just a handful.  For the most part, they come for a while, maybe draw some heat on this or that topic, and then they are gone.  I’m not trying to be cynical here.  But the reality is that most of the matters that appear REALLY REALLY IMPORTANT at the time are but a grain of sand in the life of Christ’s Church.

3. Statements made by outside groups trying to have a positive influence on the synod are pretty much always divisive, not unifying around the Word of God.

There have been and are today lots of groups on both the “right” and the “left” of our church body that have made statements, agitated for various candidates and positions, and have worked to change the direction of the synod.  I’ve been involved in some of these groups over the years, and many of my friends continue to be involved in them.  Personally, I think they can serve a good and legitimate purpose in an elective body like the LCMS.  I have no problems whatsoever with people advocating for what they believe is right, and whom they believe should be elected.

What gets messy is when those same groups start issuing statements.  The Statement of the Forty-Four.  The State of the Church Conferences.  Consensus.  When these external groups start making theological statements and positions, they by definition are setting themselves up as a sub-church.  The ACELC (as our most recent example) has a constitution, with congregational membership, and the like.  How is that not the precursor or antidote to a new church body?

Caveat and Conclusion

I put these thoughts forward for your consideration.  I know four out of the five steering committee members, and would consider them all friends.  I don’t really have any disagreement with the content of anything per se, but I am simply not convinced that this approach is going to be helpful in our common walk together in Christ.

In Christ,

Pr. Todd Peperkorn

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

It has been some time since I was really involved in synodical leadership.  The last time I attended a convention was six years ago, and while I am blessed to serve on the South Wisconsin District Board of Directors, my involvement in our church body at large has been minimal since my illness several years ago.

Because of this, it struck me today, upon my arrival in Houston, how different my perspective is now than it was six years ago when I was a delegate.  Six years ago I was all about fixing what is wrong, making the synod safe for democracy, something like that.  My theological views haven’t really changed much in six years, but my self-understanding as a pastor has changed dramatically.  I’m no longer interested in the politics, the personalities, and all of the juicy gossip that every human institution inevitably breeds.  At this point I am really asking the question, where is Christ?  Where is the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins?  Where is the healing for the brokenhearted, the balm of Gilead that can only come from the divine Word?

I know this is a little rambling.  It’s late, but I wanted to get something written for the day.  There are many friends here, old and new.  It’s great to see them all.  There are people I have been in conflict with in various was here as well.  I pray for reconciliation.  There will be lots of back room deals and shenanigans.  There always are.  But in the midst of it all, God can and is still at work.  Sometimes it happens through us.  Sometimes it happens in spite of us.  Sometimes both at the same time.  It is my prayer this week that the decisions and elections that take place here in Houston will further His Kingdom, and that the old hymn will remain true, “Lord, help us ever to retain, the catechisms doctrine plain, as Luther taught the word of truth, in simple words to tender youth!”

-Pastor Todd Peperkorn

Circuit 26 Pastoral Delegate (South Wisconsin District)

Kenosha, Wisconsin

PS CARDS WIN!  8-0 over the Astros.  Go Cards!

Houston Report #1

This will be my fourth synodical convention I have attended, and the second as a delegate.  One of the questions which always seems to surface in a major way is the all-important question: WHAT TO WEAR?  For laity, the answer is simple: business casual.  Being neither laity nor a businessman, I’m not entirely sure I know what business casual means.  I guess some variation of khakis and a polo shirt, maybe a button down oxford?  (I will not begin to presume to answer the question of what women should wear to a synodical convention.  I am not a fool.)

I am considering using my techie powers for good and writing daily updates from the convention while I’m there.  My question to you is, is this something you would find helpful?  Leave a comment and let me know.  Thanks.

-Peperkorn

This book, listed above, isa rather interesting book written if I recall in 1945.  Berthold von Shenk is often cited and considered one of the fathers of the liturgical movement in the LCMS.  He is without a doubt one of the more interesting characters, that’s for sure.   Rev. Paul Sauer did a nice job with a paper on von Schenk at the CTS Symposium a couple years ago.

Anyway, one of the benefits of my little corner of the world is that I have a wicked awesome coper/scanner thing, which allows me to scan big files into PDF format easily.  I have done so with this book.

So my question is, are any of you interested in having this book run through OCR so that it would be searchable?  Let me know.  Either way, I will be posting it shortly.

-LL

[From the October 2009 Messiah's Messenger]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that I love books. Step into my office and you might as well be stepping into a library. But there is no doubt that some books are more important than others. The chief of these is God’s Word, the Bible. And we are blessed to have a new study bible available for us through Concordia Publishing House. The Lutheran Study Bible is hot off the presses and promises to be an incredible resource for Christian’s who desire to learn more about God and HIs mercy toward us in Christ Jesus.

But do we need another bible? Isn’t the one that I’ve used since I was confirmed good enough? At one level, of course it is good enough. It isn’t a competition, and God’s Word is powerful and effective, regardless of the context or print edition or whatever other format it may be found in. For many of us, we grew up with the King James Version of the bible. I still have my KJV bible I received at my confirmation. In the LCMS, the Concordia Self-Study Bible (NIV translation) has been a popular addition for twenty-five years. Many of you probably have a copy of this study bible, and it includes lots of wonderful resources. Here at Messiah we have largely used the New King James Version (NKJV) for the past ten years or so. This is also a good and faithful translation that has much to commend it.

But this bible is different in several important ways. Here are a few of them that come to mind:

1. The translation it uses is the English Standard Version (ESV). This is the translation that our church body has unofficially adopted as the norm. It is used in Lutheran Service Book, our hymnal. It is the translation we use in worship on Sunday mornings. It is the translation we now use at Christ Lutheran Academy. Martin Luther wrote this about consistency of texts in the Catechism, and it certainly holds true for God’s Word as well:

In the first place, let the preacher above all be careful to avoid many versions or various texts and forms of the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, the Sacraments, and such. He should choose one form to which he holds and teaches all the time, year after year. For young and simple people must be taught by uniform, settled texts and forms. Otherwise they become confused easily when the teacher today teaches them one way, and in a year some other way, as if he wished to make improvements. For then all effort and labor ‹that has been spent in teaching› is lost.

My hope and plan is that the ESV will be the last translation that I regularly use in my ministry. I expect it to be the norm in the LCMS for a generation or more.

2. The introductions and study notes are thoroughly Lutheran. Concordia Publishing House spent years preparing the introductions, notes, and review process for TLSB. The editors come from nearly every conservative Lutheran church body in the world, including the Wisconsin Synod, the Lutheran Church – Canada, Europe, Africa, and more. The majority of the editors are LCMS, and it went through a thorough doctrinal review process before coming to us. These study notes and introductions incorporate the Small Catechism, writings of Luther and other theologians, and a wealth of information historical and theology for the student of the Scriptures.

3. It includes many of the resources we often use in prayer and worship and catechesis. These include especially the Small Catechism, but also many prayers, an emphasis on Law & Gospel, and generally holding up the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins above all else.

4. It is available in lots of different formats. From the $35 standard hardback edition, larger print editions, various kinds of leather and bonded leather editions, there are more than enough options to go around.

5. It has artwork! These include scenes drawn by Julius Schnoff von Carlsfeld, and were originally available in the 1860 Luther bible published in Leipzig.

6. It includes the lectionaries (reading cycles) in use in our churches. This is very helpful for preparation to go to church. You can always lookup and find what the readings for the upcoming Sunday are and work through them in preparation.

7. Over a hundred charts and over thirty maps. It is tremendously helpful to to be able to put flesh and blood on the stories of the bible. Maps helpful to realize that these are actual events that took place here on earth. They give context to the world of the bible. In the same way, there are many aspects of God’s Word that are hard for us to grasp and understand without some teaching. While a study bible is not a replacement for the Ministry of the Word in the Christian congregation, it can serve as a helpful basis for the student of God’s Word.

These are just a few of the great things about The Lutheran Study Bible. I’m sure that as I use it for study and prayer over the weeks and months and years to come, that many more will become known. I look forward to learning more of God’s Word with you, as we study what He has given us in His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The following is a slightly edited version of an email I wrote recently responding to a question about what “we believe” regarding Gay & Lesbian Clergy. Since I’m sure it will come up in other contexts, here are my thoughts:

Dear Friend,

…The short answer is that we believe along with the Scriptures that any sexual activity that is outside of God’s intention of a man and a woman living together in lifelong marriage is wrong and spiritually dangerous, as is all sin. That is true for anyone, and that certainly includes pastors. So I think it would be fair to say that our church body (The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod) would probably fit into the socially conservative category when it comes to such things.

However, and this is very important, while homosexuality is a sin and is against God’s Word, it is only a sin. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just socially acceptable (or unacceptable) sins. As the hymn puts it, Jesus Sinners Doth Receive! So while these sexual sins are serious (as is all sin), we seek to be a place of healing and forgiveness. That means recognizing right from wrong. That also means recognizing we are all poor, weak sinners who need Jesus and the Gospel.

I hope that answers at least some of your questions. Please feel free to call me at church if you would like to get together and talk more.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Todd Peperkorn

I was engaged some time back by the Rev. Jon Vieker to write some biographies for the forthcoming Lutheran Service Book, Hymnal Companion.  The companion is a monumental task, and I am very happy to only be responsible for a small portion of it.  These are the ten men and one women whom I am writing biographies on.

Hermann H. M. Brueckner (1866-1942
Andreas Gryphius (1616-1664)
Heinrich Held (1620-1659)
Frederick W. Herzberger (1859-1930)
Balthasar Kindermann (1636-1706)
Paul E. Kretzmann (1883-1965)
August Lemke (1820-1913)
Anna M. Meyer (1867-1941)
Friedrich O. Reuter (1863-1924)
Oliver C. Rupprecht (1903-2000)
George A. T. Rygh (1860-1942)

It’s an interesting collection.  Mostly German, and largely American Lutheran (as is one of my areas of interest).  I really only knew about a few of them before taking on this project, so it has been/is/shall be an interesting exercise.  I’m partway through, and the deadline is January 2, 2009.

So do any of my gentle readers have any insights into these fine folks?

-LL

I just finished reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It’s been a long time since I read it, if ever. The premise is a world of mostly self-imposed censorship, because people simply no longer desired to read and to think. it’s also a commentary on the passive nature of television and other audio media. This was before the day of “active listening” I guess. Anyway, one paragraph addresses religion. The scholar, Faber, asks Montag if he can see the Bible, which Montag saved from a fire of his own creation:

“It’s been a long time. I’m not a religious man. But it’s been a long time.” Faber turned the pages, stoping here and there to read. “It’s as good as I remember. Lord, how they’ve changed it in our ‘arlors’ these days. Christ is one of the ‘family’ now. I often wonder if God recognizes His own son the way we’ve dressed him up, or is it dressed him down? He’s a regular peppermint stick now, all sugar-crystal and saccharine when he isn’t making veiled references to certain commercial products that every worshipper absolutely needs”((Fahrenheit 451, by Rad Bradbury, p. 81).

What is intriguing about this, of course, is Bradbury’s observation that left to our own devices, we create our own God to suit whatever the theo-political-sociological needs of the day might seem to be. Exodus 32 is alive and well! The golden calf is in all of us.

Contrast this with our Lord’s self disclosure. He reveals Himself to us, the Word made Flesh. He gives us not what we want or what we think we need. He gives us what we truly need, a Savior from sin, death and hell. God is our creator who knows what our deepest needs are. We cannot create our own God. He creates us in His holy waters. Words matter. They connect us to God Himself.

Thanks, Mr. Bradbury.