St. Mark’s Lutheran

This is from Rod Dreher and takes its jumping off point from an evangelical church that is holding mixed martial arts (MMA) viewing/fight nights. The Fight Club for Jesus title is kind of funny, but the larger point is not just to ridicule the impulse. Rod takes the efforts as good faith actions to address a perception.

The Lutheran emphasis is law and gospel. Law is the requirements of God that we can’t keep. Gospel is what God does for us in Jesus. We will even talk about active and passive righteousness. Active Righteousness is the outward keeping of the law, but that active righteousness does not earn you anything. Salvation, justification or absolution is a gift. We receive it passively through faith in Christ. Passive will never make anyone’s list of masculine virtues.

Yet Christ ordered us to pick up our cross and follow him. That is an odd mixture of active and passive. You get nailed to a cross. (Mel Gibson’s line in his current flick – you need to choose if you are the one on the cross or the one pounding the nails – comes to mind.) Yet especially in the Gospel of Luke which we are reading this year – Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus chose the cross. He put himself on the cross. And he tells Christians to do the same.

The world would like to tell us that religion is for wimps – all that talk about compassion and love and what-not. But scratch below the surface. The call of Christ is to be a full person. Don’t be conformed to the easy road of callousness and the whims of your body and mind. Instead, with the intervention of the Spirit, bend and shape yourself in the proper ways. Pick-up your cross and follow. Justification is passive, but the Christian life, especially in this world, is active. I don’t know if MMA for Jesus is really bending our wills in the proper direction, but recovering that dare I say it Wesleyan sense of active struggle for holiness is important. We co-operate in our sanctification and it is a daily activity. I am that sinful a person. The laws of God are good. Jesus came to fulfill them, not to abolish them. By fulfilling them he secured my salvation, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore them. They are still the task before us.

As an add on as part of the numbers that we track, I look at the male/female ratio in our worship. There are many different puts and takes, especially in an active and growing but smaller congregation a couple of people can make a big difference in the percentages. I’m not really sure what to make of this type of statistic if anything should be. Any thoughts?
Male/Female

Active Attendance Attendance
14586 Roster 2010 2009
Male 50.1% 44% 53.0% 45.4%
Female 49.9% 56% 47.0% 54.6%

Tags: Church Direction, Culture by Parson Brown
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I’ve been slow to get things on the website. For that I apologize. It has been a hectic season, and I want to share with you some of the stuff we’ve been working on and what will be coming up.

Last Sunday was the congregational meeting where the proposed budget for next year was presented and we walked through a discussion of moving from vision to mission. The previous post highlights that separately, but a lot of time and effor have gone into pulling those things together.

We will have a thanksgiving service on Wed, Nov 25 at 7 PM. Come sing and give thanks before the eating of the bird.

The Sunday following Thanksgiving is the start of Advent – the start of the new church year. We have a few things planned:
1) On Friday’s during Advent I will be hosting dinner. Twelve is roughly the comfort level for a family style dinner, so I’m taking reservations for you or any guests that you might like to invite. Give me or the office a call to reserve you seat at an Advent dinner.
2) We will be publishing an Advent devotional booklet. In preping for the season I came accross a gorgeous series of what were supposed to be bulletin covers (peek below). They will be the book covers and the theme of each weeks devotions.

I’ve been preping a basic lutheran teachings class that will start on Dec 6th in the 11 PM Sunday School hour. For anyone who would like to consider formal membership – this is the class. We will be using the Augsburg Confession as the source material. This should last about 6 weeks or longer depending upon class interest. I’d invite everyone to attend. It would be great to be forced to move rooms.

We continue to walk through Genesis on Thursday mornings at 10 AM

The confirmation class has passed out of the Old Testament overvew and is now reading the Gospel of Luke.

And that doesn’t touch on Community Lutheran, Operation Christmas Child, the fixing of the water drain and other other stuff going on.

Tags: Announcements, Church Direction by Parson Brown
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The attached presentation below was published in the newletter and was present at the 11/15 congregational meeting. At the last congregational meeting me present a vision for St. Mark. The response has been positive and the phrase we’ve been using is that is appears people have “bought into” the vision. Almost literally as our pledge drive to make the budget has been successful.

Now comes the harder part. Making that vision a reality. Giving form and structure, time and funding, to what has been nice words and feelings. Every healthy and successful congregation has two to three missions that taken it outside of its walls in service to their community. In this congregation we have been blessed with one such mission that now is the time to refurbish it – the preschool. We also need to spend the time thinking and praying about what the next mission might be as we move toward health.

The plea at the end is for members who want to help in setting the direction of the preschol. I’ve got 4 members. We will meet probably 5 times for 1 hour a time over the next couple of months and present the collective ideas and outline to the coucil in February. Short term need that could have a large impact. If interested, give me a shout.
Vision to Mission (preschool example)

Tags: Announcements, Church Direction by Parson Brown
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Read David Brooks today. (He’s using this as source material.)

For most of the church’s existence in the US, it has had a cozy relationship to the culture. A Christian could blend in. Those days are ending fast. The church will need to adapt to being pilgrims or strangers in a strange land as the Bible would say. And that is going to be very difficult.

Tags: Church Direction, Culture by Parson Brown
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Full Text

People have long looked at the second grouping of these verses (Mark 9:42-50) as simply an individual warning. That reading has always caused me trouble as I either needed to treat it as completely spiritual which I don’t like, or I needed to go lopp off a hand or pluck out an eye, which I liked even less. The context of the entire segment continues from the last couple of weeks lectionary readings (Mark 9:14-37), and that is more teaching through actions to the disciples how the church (the reign of God) will function. Speaking of the church in bodily terms is not exactly unbiblical either. The first grouping of verses is clearly about how we treat those of Christ who are not of our group. This is not directed at heretics, but those who are doing good stuff (i.e. miracles! in the text) in the name of Jesus. We treat them well – maybe not join them, but definitely don’t stop them. That is the low walls portion. The church welcomes all who come in the name of Christ. This gets balanced by that second group. If someone within your tribe is causing people to lose faith – it is not good for them or the group, cut them out. This is the high standards portion and it calls for judgement. Does the crank in every congregation or synod – you know the one that is always harping on [pick the subject they don't agree with church teaching on] – does that guy or gal cause anyone to stumble? Probably not. Does an Elder of the congregation who denies infant baptism, or a preacher who ’sleeps around’ or worse? Probably so. Its a tricky thing to pull off in a fallen world, but that seems to be the call of the church. Low walls – welcome everyone who claims the name of Jesus. High Standards – the church stands for something. If someone disagrees and it causes people to lose faith they must be called to account or cut off. The church in that way is about reconciliation and absolution. We admit where we are wrong, but we also receive that forgiveness.

Being a little meta about this sermon – it is a tough subject. I was really afraid that this was a non-stop bore fest. It interested me and I think it is important, but not really a ‘felt need’ type of thing. It is a real need – we need to be in a church as that is where we find salvation. But the jump from felt needs to real needs is not always obvious and this tended to be very intellectual which is a code word for boring.

Tags: Church Direction, Culture, Mark, Sermons by Parson Brown
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William Willimon is a great preacher. And somewhere along the way he decided to give up a cushy job as the Dean of the Chapel at Duke and become the presiding bishop of North Alabama Conference in the UMC. That is roughly like giving up a job that has no accountability where people praise you all day and you get plenty of time to fly around, give a talk and hear more people praise you to take a job where you get all the responsibility with little power and have to deal with all the crap that an institutional church throws up the ladder and hear people complain about stuff all day. In short, this guy is putting his life where his words have been at.

Every now and then he throws up a blog post here (roughly weekly, but with some longer stretches). This particular post seems important. Dr. Willimon is in the midst of making a argument that the church of the very near future (i.e. the day after tomorrow) better be fundamentally one concerned about Theology. In building or re-building churches there are a lot of techniques and a bunch of ways to talk about them. There is even an entire “movement” dedicated to these techniques called appropriately “the church growth movement”. Most of what is in that movement is nothing more than applying to the church the best practices of institutions in the world. Now the church is supposed to be different – it is not only an institution of this world – but can you really complain about things that boil down to “if its important measure it, track it and hold people responsible”?

The problem is that a church reduced to what it measures and tracks is a church without the gospel. It is also one without disciples. You can be a member of such a group. That place might claim to sell all kinds of things with that membership. [Joel Osteen promises you - your best you now!] But that mentality of buying and selling or of being a member is really anathema to the message of the church. The church has a message – Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The church is not selling that message – it is proclaiming it – this is real, believe it, come and see, follow me! Members get charged at the door. The church gives away its proclamation. It does not have any secret wisdom that it is hiding for those who buy the premium package. But what the church wants is tougher. It wants disciples. It wants people who will change their lives in accordance with what Jesus taught. Members receive fair product in this world for their dues. Disciples are guaranteed nothing in this world, but are formed for the next. In a membership metality, the disciple looks like an idiot. The Church is in that sense to be that gathering of fools for Christ.

The big question is how do we as a church that is re-building make disciples and not settle for members? How do we remain true to the vision points shared earlier for St. Mark – teaching the apostolic faith, encouraging growth and depth in the faith? Are we currently memebers or disciples?

Tags: Church Direction, Culture, Witness by Parson Brown
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This is the internet so we can post drafts of things that we can alter later, right? Here is a draft which I’ve sent out for some review on a teaching response to the actions by the ELCA and the EC-USA this summer. I say teaching response because while I think many people would be able to tell you that the LC-MS and the ELCA do not agree on Human Sexuality issues, I also think that many would not be able to tell you why they disagree other than just plain orneriness. This response attempts to fairly review ELCAs arguments and to also provide the basis for the LC-MS position.

Here is the first paragraph…

Even for someone who would rather ignore denominational and church politics, this summer in the United States saw two major church bodies take hard votes on issues of sexuality. The Episcopal Church, much smaller in numbers today but long the church of the old WASP elite with cultural significance much larger than numbers, and the other body carrying the Lutheran name, the ELCA, both voted to recognize homosexual clergy and monogamous homosexual relationships. Those votes by those church bodies to adopt policies that are in opposition to historic Christian teaching are tough to ignore. What I intend to do in this note is to fairly and clearly portray the action taken and also to state the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod’s teaching on the same maters.

A Turbulent Summer – A Response to the ELCA’s Social Statement – Human Sexuality – Draft

Tags: Church Direction, Culture, Word by Parson Brown
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This past Sunday (Aug 2nd) we set aside time to present a vision of what St. Mark as a congregation could be and to talk about some of what it will take to get make that vision a reality. Posted here is the full presentation on the vision componant. Members of the church who were in worship saw and heard this live followed by our Stewardship Elder talking about our current fiscal health. Those who we not in church last Sunday (or who had not already heard it because they are on elders or council) will be receiving a mailing containing a letter for introduction, a couple of slides from this presentation and an invitation to look at the full presentation here. That mailing also includes a letter from our Stewardship Elder and a request for the members financial support over the next 5 months. Please prayerfully consider the vision presented and the elders request for support.

Vision Presentation – Power Point
Vision Presentation – PDF

Tags: Announcements, Church Direction by Parson Brown
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I’ve been having a good back and forth in the comments with “orthodox protestant” – part of it over the role of music in worship. Dennis and I for the 4th Sunday’s (last Sunday didn’t count becuase it was Memorial Day which overrides other elements) have been searching though “modern” music. By modern we attempt to say 1980’s or later. Not really contemporary, but more one of those ipod shuffle radio stations.

One of the real questions in a religion with a 2000 year history is how much wieght/vote does the past get? Our hymanls are by and large a reflection of a sifting and sorting of hymns/songs over the years. The ones that get to us have been judged by the past as worthy. Every time a new hymnal comes out some hymns get retired and others get added reflecting, at probably a generation time lag, the changing modern tastes. My guess is that Lutheran Service Book will be the end of a chain. It would be interesting to do the work (if I knew German) to see how many hymns from the gesangabuch of the 1800’s are in LSB (probably quite a few). It would also be my guess that this is the last edition that will contain many of the German heritage hymns that are slow moving and musically complex. (I’d point to A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth as an example, but that one has too many intellectual advocates.) LSB is also already out of date just because of the strange decision to use anachonistic pronouns. I find myself singing the you and yours instead of the thee and thous that LSB left in (after they had been updated already in Lutheran Worship ?!?)

Without that prior sorting, the job is tough finding something that passes the “non-cringe inducing” test and is also singable by a congregation. Many contemporary hymns/songs are really meant for performance professionals. Witness this year’s American Idol where two of the final three contestants were Praise Band creations. TMATT at the getreligion blog asks a great question.

So you have two straight church guys vs. the “Wicked” guy with Style…Frankly, I would also love to ask this question: Has Sunday morning in megachurch America already turned into the American Idol minor leagues? Is this victory a sign that the dreaded Contemporary Christian Music niche is getting more or less powerful? Should we start a betting pool on the release date for the big Kris Allen worship-music disc?

That “non-cringe inducing test” might be best summarized by Hank Hill of the now canceled King of the Hill. (HT Rod Dreher)

when Bobby Hill gets involved with some hipster Christians, upsetting his father. Hank remonstrates with the cool dude pastor: “Can’t you see you’re not making Christianity better, you’re just making rock ‘n roll worse?!”

The tricky walk is to find hymns, psalms and spiritual songs that are faithful expressions of the gospel that speak to the contemporary society. The very best of those are timeless and cross cultures – Amazing Grace or O Come, O Come Emmanuel (a 12th century latin original). Some are completely bound in time and culture – Shine Jesus Shine (an example of a catchy turn of the century USA song that has been passe for a few years already.) Personally I don’t find the time/culture bound songs wrong, but what I fear is Hank Hill’s worry about Bobby if the scale would tip too far in that direction…

BOBBY: When I turn 18, I’m going to do whatever I want for the Lord. Tattoos, piercings, you name it.
HANK: Well, I’ll take that chance. Come here, there’s something I want you to see. (Hank takes down a box from the shelf and opens it up) Remember this?

BOBBY: My beanbag buddy? Oh, man, I can’t believe I collected those things. They’re so lame.

HANK: You didn’t think so five years ago. And how about your virtual pet? You used to carry this thing everywhere. Then you got tired of it, forgot to feed it, and it died.

BOBBY (looks at a photo of himself in a Ninja Turtles costume): I look like such a dork.

HANK: I know how you feel. I never thought that “Members Only” jacket would go out of style, but it did. I know you think stuff you’re doing now is cool, but in a few years you’re going to think it’s lame. And I don’t want the Lord to end up in this box.

Tags: Church Direction, Culture, Word, Worship by Parson Brown
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Text: Matt 9:14-15, Matt 28:20

I have read it said of our society that we want a continual Fat Tuesday, we want the Carnival to go on without ever needing or ending in Ash Wednesday. That always sounded like an appropriate curmudgeony thing to say – and the Lord knows I enjoy a good curmudgeon.

It might be completely inappropriate, but I can’t get too upset. We served over 60 people last night – about 10 lbs of dry pancake batter, 7 lbs of bacon and about 5 lbs of sausage. A Fat Tuesday indeed. There were 8 people in Ash Wednesday service this morning. The curmedgeon stirs, except for one thing.

Look at the texts I’ve smashed together. Jesus says his disciples will fast when the bridegroom (Jesus) is taken away, but then he says after the resurrection He is with us always. It is not that fasting is not appropriate – as Jesus is away from us, but not fasting is also appropriate – as He is with us always. It is a curious twist in the strange now and not yet overlapping of the old age passing away and the new creation. Lay people get this better than ministers usually if intuitively. The piety (i.e. the rituals and liturgy and prayers) are made for the disciples, not the disciples for piety. Encouragement toward greater piety is often appropriate as it can be a good hedge against the prowling lion. Being in the Word is a good thing. But getting curmudgeony turns it into a law which does no one any good. We are not saved by Ashes or by pancakes, but by Jesus Christ and his work for us.

I can’t help on Ash Wednesday being hopeful that the ashes will one day be resurrected.

Tags: Church Direction, Culture, Lent, Matthew, Meditation by Parson Brown
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