On page 8 of the latest Lutheran Magazine, is an article describing the formation of the North American Lutheran Church back in late August. In this article leaders of the newly formed NALC are quoted as saying they will "uphold confessional principles". Boy I don't know about you, but I sure can rest easier at night knowing that some group of Lutherans are upholding confessional principles because obviously the rest of us 4.5 million ELCA folk are not. Give me a break!
The last time I checked my Lutheran label and the one here at Incarnate Word, we still confessed belief in God the Father, creator of heaven and earth. We still confessed belief in Jesus Christ his only son our Lord who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, who suffered death and was buried and on the third day rose again from the dead, who will come to judge the living and the dead. Oh yeah and the last time I checked under the Lutheran "hood" here at Incarnate Word, we still confessed belief in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. And we even say the word "amen" after that.
Oh yeah and as far as the Sacraments go, we still acknowledge the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life through the real presence of Christ as Luther put it, "in, with, through and under the elements..." Hey NALC folks: What confessional principles are we not upholding?
Since that pathetic argument doesn't hold up, our NALC friends tell us that we do not hold Scripture as authoritative. Wrong again my friends. Not only do we hold Scripture as authoritative, but also as normative.
Check out our Evangelical Lutheran Worship book beginning on page 1154 where it describes our understanding of Scripture and Worship. There you will find 69 separate parts of Scripture listed which are the basis for what we do each and every week around the altar of God's love. Do I have to list them all for our NALC detractors? Well okay...
Joel 2:15-17; Matthew 18:20; Acts 2:1-13; Matthew 28:19; Psalm 103:2-3; Psalm 136:1; 1 John 1:8-9; John 8:34; Matthew 22:37-39; Psalm 119:47; Psalm 25:4; John 20:22-23; Ephesians 2:4-5, 3:16-17; Jeremiah 17;13; Deuteronomy 32:18; Psalm 27:1.
Had enough yet? No?
Psalm 149:1-4; Luke 17:13; Luke 2:14; Philippians 2:11; Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 5:12-13; 2 Corinthians 13:13; Luke 1:28; Isaiah 55:10-11; John 1:1-5, 14; Colossians 3:16; Jeremiah 2:4; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 19:5-6; John 6:68; Psalm 119:41,42; Numbers 14:18; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; Luke 23:46; Matthew 5:23-24; John 20:19; Romans 16:16; Acts 2:42; Isaiah 58:6-7; Matthew 25:35; Lamentations 3:41; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 21:9; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 6:9-13; John 1:29; Luke 24:30-31; Luke 2:28-32; Matthew 28:19; John 20:21; John 13:1-15; Numbers 6:23-26; Romans 15:5,13; Luke 7:50; Romans 12:11; Galatians 2:10; Matthew 10:7; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Corinthians 3:23; Galatians 3:27; Isaiah 11:2; Ephesians 1:13-14; John 8:12; Matthew 5:16.
What parts of these Scripture verses aren't authoratative? Let's call the North American Lutheran Church for what it is. An anti-gay, single issue church which falsely accuses the ELCA of heresy because we choose to model Christ's radical inclusivity to all. If that is why you must leave the ELCA, then fine, I'll even hold the door open for you. But don't proclaim to the national media and anyone else who will listen to your rants that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is neither scriptural nor confessional.
Perhaps other leaders in our beloved ELCA are content to let the North American Lutheran Church define us as unfaithful. I'm not. So while our departing NALC friends are crying in their milk about our unfaithfulness, the men, women and children here at Incarnate Word will continue to do what we do so well: Gathering around God's Word and Sacrament; clothing the naked and feeding the hungry: All in the name of Christ.
By the way at the bottom of page 8 (directly underneath the NALC article) is a picture of our ELCA reaching out to the 20 million people affected by the devastating floods in Pakistan. Does that sound unfaithful to you?
Your Faithful Partner in Christ,
Pastor Doug
No comments:
Post a Comment