From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 3, Number 1
Lent 1998
”Vision” and “Mission”
A Response to Let’s Talk’s
Special Issue on Ecumenism
Jerry
Lundby
The invitation of Let’s Talk in its Epiphany,
1998 issue motivates me to share some thoughts on what happened and what did
not happen at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly in
Philadelphia last August.
The
response to the vote on the Lutheran-Episcopal Concordat of Agreement by
some of the writers in Let’s Talk borders on panic and despair. Words
and phrases such as used by Pastor Danielson include “very disappointed,”
“embarrassed,” “gravely concerned,” “weeping in heaven,” “a wrong headed step
backward,” a Church “behaving so foolishly,” “a church moving by whim and wave
rather than by the Spirit.”
The ELCA
in convention prays for the presence and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all
its deliberations and decisions. Does one say that the Spirit was present and
active only if the decisions made agree with one’s own wishes or hopes for the
church? Does a desire for apostolic succession include a “trickle-down theory”
of how the Holy Spirit leads and guides and blesses God’s people? In Peter’s
great Pentecost sermon he declared to the listening crowd, “Repent, be baptized
and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your
children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to
him.” (Acts 2:38,39) If this be true, and I believe it is, then is it right to
marginalize or demonize those who did not vote for the Concordat of
Agreement?
The
“antihierarchical pietism of the Upper
Midwest denominational Lutherans that has dogged consensus on issues of
ecclesiology and ministry” is deplored by Frank Senn. As a product of that kind
of Lutheranism I suggest that the results have not been all bad for the church.
There are many vibrant colleges sending forth committed Christian lay people
with a sense of vocation in our world; there are great and growing
congregations that bear witness to Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament and reach
out to their communities with the Gospel. There is exciting theological
training which has equipped thousands of pastors committed to fulfilling the
Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. During my ten years
as a missionary teacher and evangelist in Taiwan, most of my American co-workers
came from the Upper Midwest. I think that can also be said of many of the
mission areas served by American Lutherans around the world.
I think we need to ask ourselves as members of the
ELCA, what is the pressing task we have as the people of God in this time and
place? Is it that by all means possible and with all our energy and resources,
to press on to the goal of eventual reunion with Rome, or is it to be faithful
to the Gospel with its great vision of winning the world to Jesus Christ? From
my reading of history I do not see the historic episcopate with its apostolic
succession as being necessary for the extension of God’s Kingdom through Word
and Sacrament ministry.
Friends
of mine who have visited parishes in England and Sweden (as I have in North
Germany) find pastors who are in the apostolic succession (and supported by the
church tax) ministering in fine liturgical garb before beautiful altars to
nearly empty pews. Is the correct celebration of the Eucharist in nearly empty
churches what God sees as the most acceptable way to be the Church in our
world? Perhaps as Lutheran we should rediscover that the means of grace include
both Word (spoken, taught, read) and Sacrament (Baptism and Eucharist). Perhaps
the need for the ELCA at this time and place is to rediscover the power and
grace of the preached Word of God. Most of us as pastors know how to administer
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. For too long we have depended on church growth
through the baptism of infants. Do we have the ability to preach the Word to
the adult world around us in such a way that it touches and changes the hearts
and minds of those who hear? How exciting it would be if in our conferences,
our synod and national assemblies, the topic and business of the day would be
the preaching of the Gospel in faithfulness to the Great Commission given by
Jesus to his apostles. In all of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples I fail to
see any charge for them to establish an historic episcopacy or apostolic
succession.
If in
the guidance of God’s Spirit with His Church we should reach the point of full
agreement first with the Episcopal Church and later with the Roman Catholic
Church, I for one will rejoice. But it must be the Spirit’s work and not just
because of the superior theologizing of a few who desire this unity at all
costs.
And
there will be costs. Having lived under many bishops and president of the
Lutheran church in my 45 years of ministry, I can say some were very good
servants of the Gospel. If they served a life-time I would believe that their
congregations would be blessed. But I have also known a few for whom the “Peter
Principle” was applicable. Without a “shepherd’s heart,” they were indeed the
expression of “the theology-izing of power” as Gracia Gindal has warned. What protection
would our congregations or pastors have if such a bishop’s leadership was
extended for a life-time?
If we
reach some sort of concordat with our Episcopal brothers and sisters I would
hope that a limitation of the terms of the bishops would be included in the
agreement. Only if we sanitize the church and secular history can we say that
all bishops who shared in apostolic succession brought blessings to the people
of God or glory to the name of God.
I have been very encouraged by the reforms instituted
by Vatican II in the Roman Catholic Church. They have led to a renewed emphasis
on the preaching of the Word of God, on the mission of the church in
faithfulness to the Gospel, on the call for servanthood by laity, priests and
hierarchy. In the homily recently delivered by Pope John Paul II to the newly
elected cardinals of the church he again and again reminded them of the need
for faithfulness to the Gospel and renewed dedication to the mission of sharing
that Gospel with our world. With a renewed and rededicated Roman Catholic
Church, once more the Church will have a message that will “turn the world
upside down.” hopefully with that same dedication to the Gospel, to mission and
to servanthood, our beloved Lutheran church will share in that same challenge
under the blessing of God, Father, Son and Spirit.
Gerald
Lundby
Retired Pastor and Missionary
Carol Stream