tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post661960211639099402..comments2023-11-03T04:50:42.128-05:00Comments on Confessional Gadfly: The Guest Shall Always RuleRev. Eric J Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-48288040212826930642010-07-20T11:53:37.307-05:002010-07-20T11:53:37.307-05:00I saw another blog post that had a great compariso...I saw another blog post that had a great comparison: do we make visitors "feel welcome" or try to make them "feel at home"?<br /><br />There is a difference. It is NOT their home. You wouldn't expect a visitor to your home to come in, go through your closets, check the medicine cabinet, etc. You'd make him feel welcome, but not feel "at home".<br /><br />I think this applies to church also.jim claybournhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06997103730654160272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-59966056262631918202010-07-18T08:14:38.286-05:002010-07-18T08:14:38.286-05:00Larry,
Yet nearly every store you walk into has t...Larry,<br /><br />Yet nearly every store you walk into has that sign posted somewhere, "We reserve the right to refuse to serve anyone."Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3847211149012008703.post-18504573809308883252010-07-17T17:13:12.736-05:002010-07-17T17:13:12.736-05:00Dear Eric:
I think your "customer is always ...Dear Eric:<br /><br />I think your "customer is always right" analogy is spot on. People see the church as WalMart or McDonald's. If they aren't happy with the fries at Mickey Dees, they can switch to Wendy's. <br /><br />How angry would you be if you walked into a Wendy's and they refused to sell you fries? You would see this as some kind of civil rights violation. You would lash out at them, and adopt the sour grapes attitude that many who rail against closed communion have towards the LCMS.<br /><br />This commercial model is how people view thew the church in our day and age and culture. And notice the commenter's use of worldly success as a barometer - the idea that traditional churches can't "compete" with the "amenities" of a megachurch.<br /><br />As if we're selling something rather than giving away eternal life. The Church has never been very good at marketing. "Take up your cross" will never be a Coke or Nike slogan.<br /><br />It is the consumer mentality that drives this open communion thing, as opposed to the submission of a sinner. It also belies a sense of decision theology: I can choose to go to the ELCA or the LCMS church - rather than the idea being that I believe what the community believes and then submit to that community as a member of the body.Rev. Larry Beanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06705910892752648940noreply@blogger.com