Formation of the North American Lutheran Church

Triggered by the move away from a strict Biblical view (of sexuality and perhaps other things), a new Lutheran denomination has now been formed out of the matrix of disenchantment with the ELCA. The North American Lutheran Church has been welcomed in some quarters by genuine celebration, and received in others with a more cynical, "Great. Another Protestant sect to add to the 35,000 already in existence."

At this point, the NALC is very small, but the future may see it grow, depending on the ELCA's future course. The new denomination may have some features which will help it grow, such as support for congregational ministries being high on its stated list of priorities. As always, time will tell.

Our Presiding Bishop Mark Hansen has called for tolerance and unity, but the Reformation itself is a reminder that calls for unity do not always trump faithfulness to scripture. In the meantime, be at peace. This as everything else, is in God's capable hands. Trust in God's capacity to set things right when and where He chooses!

Blessings,
Pastor Garry

Dr. Michael Root Converts to Roman Catholicism

See Rev. Tony Metze's blog at the right for the details ("The Bible is God's Word -- Lutheran Style'). Dr. Root is a fine theologian of deep discernment and great integrity. He has served the Lutheran Church for 40 years, and will continue his service and witness in the Roman Church. May God enfold him in His grace.

Blessings,
Pastor Garry

Shooting around the mark

Being the pastor of a very traditional Lutheran congregation for some time, I've noted a phenomenon that may be worth sharing. It works like this: We begin by worshiping God, holding Him/Her to be the ground of being (to use Tillich's phrase). Since we hold God to be holy, the things close to God, that is, proximate to God, also partake of this same holiness (things such as the bible, the Church, the sacraments, Law and Gospel, the liturgy, the Creed, perhaps even clergy in some minds).

And then something curious begins to occur. After a time, our worship focus begins to include those things which are proximate to God. So that we begin to place the bible or our liturgy or the Law on a level near to or even equal to God Himself. And suddenly the bible in our view becomes something without error, and our liturgical worship becomes something that must not change, and the Law becomes a focus of worship in its own right. And God Himself, who began as the proper focus of our worship, begins to be surrounded by idols of a more subtle sort than the usual idols of money, power, and coercion that we have learned through hard experience to be wary of.

Major Premise: We worship only God
Minor Premise: Things close to God are not God
Therefore: We do not worship things close to God

Although we may of course reverence them.

Just a thought.

Blessings,
Pastor Garry