Tuesday, July 10, 2007

You know, one of the things that amuses me when talking to people about the problems in Synod (which I am well aware of an expect to be up to my neck in next week at the Convention) is how incensed some people can be at the very idea that there would be such problems. My response - well, what did you expect?

I'm sure everyone of us can speak to problems or difficulties that have arisen at the congregations we are at where decent Christian folks have done downright stupid things. Sure, the specific occurance might be surprising - but the fact that something goes wrongs shouldn't surprise any of us. We are sinners in a sinful world - this is what happens.

Likewise, with Synod. There will never be a perfect synod. There will never be a time where there aren't any pastors doing stupid things and congregations doing stupid things. This would be true if your "synod" only had one church in it - for witness your own congregation.

So what do we do? I guess we focus on the Confessions. If we still hold quia to the confessions, the synod is acceptable. If not, we must go. And note - this deals with what we claim. Do we publicly hold to the confessions - not are their impure folks in our midst, not do we have a dumb paper-pusher doing dumb things - but what is the ideal that the members are supposed to hold to - that is the question. People fail - but what do we claim to strive for.

That's what I'll be looking for at this convention. As long as in theory the LCMS strives for what I strive for, I may remain. I think I can remain now. I expect to be able to remain 2 weeks from now. But we will see.

3 comments:

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

P.S. I actually posted this before I saw what was going on at cyberstones. Must be a common thought prior to this convention.

Unknown said...

Is there some heated topic in particular that has people wary, or is this just generalized?

Rev. Eric J Brown said...

There is nothing specific on the slate that would cause a split right now - but there are just a lot of fears about liberal folk consolidating power. The consolidation of power isn't the jumping ship point, though, in my book.