From
Living Theology in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church In America
Volume 3, Number 2
Pentecost 1998
Confessional Renewal Movements
9.5 Concerns
for Confessional Renewal
Jane
Kunzie-Brunner
When I was first asked to comment on
the confessional renewal movement in general and the 9.5 Theses specifically, I
could not imagine what I would say. To me it is a no-brainer. I am all for confessional
renewal. It goes without saying. It's what Lutherans do. It is what we are.
I've been honored when my friends call me the doctrine police. I can't wait
till we recite the creed in worship. I enjoy sniffing out heresy. I am a
Trinity freak. Nothing charges my spiritual battery more than a good 3-hour
lecture on the relationship between Jesus, his Father and their Spirit. For me
confessional renewal is like breathing. How could you be against it? As for the
9.5 Theses, I think they needed to be written. I believe they are a defining
piece of our agenda. So what's the big deal?
It hit me when I laid out my wardrobe
for the synod assembly. When I was a new pastor, I used to pack my bulletin of
reports, my Bible and my Book of Concord. I actually thought we would debate
issues of doctrine. I haven't packed my Book of Concord in six years. A hair
dryer has taken its place. What we pack is indicative of our priorities. I
would love to pack my Book of Concord again.
As I look at the 9.5 Theses and confessional
renewal, I must say that my comments fall into the categories of gut reactions
and prayerful pleas. I want the confessional renewal movement to pipe the tune
to which our church dances for more than a season. I want the tune to be piped
until the return of Jesus. I want the movement to have impact and I want it to
be effective. I have no doubt, no doubt whatever, that the 9.5 Theses were
offered with the same intentions. However, once issued, the manner in which
they are debated can take on a life of its own. Therefore, I raise 9.5 concerns
for the confessional renewal movement.
1. Some like it hot! When you publish
a wake-up call that includes anathema, things are going to get hot. Or at least
one would hope so. Sometimes, I think we enjoy roasting one another for heat's
sake more than admonishing one another for Jesus' sake. We need to be about the
business of authoritative teaching, not toasting our colleagues.
2. Confessional Renewal must have a
heart for missions. As long as it is hot, let's fan the flames with the other
passion that should be the oxygen for confessional renewal: evangelism.
Friends, people are perishing all around us. If confessional renewal serves
only as an in-house memo, without equipping us for effective and passionate witness
for the sake of the lost, shame on us. I say this because I always look for
ways that a document informs our understanding of stewardship and evangelism.
Too many times, I have heard comments divorcing witness and stewardship from
the precious doctrine of the church. If you can find it read The Flaming Center
by Carl Braaten to capture a vision for doctrine and outreach. Stewardship will
follow quite naturally.
3. Confessional passion and the
ability to transcend camps. We are a
denomination too satisfied with division. If confessional passion is to have
any lasting impact, it will have to help us transcend this tendency. I have
noticed that we tend to be very comfortable with like-minded, like-styled
piety. When we actually have to talk with a brother or sister identified by
another camp, we tend to avoid the conversation, get self-righteous, defensive
and pompous. In so doing we cut off the very exchange that will enliven and
enrich renewal.
Confessional renewal will take on many
forms and will be raised up by many camps. Be prepared to seek out allies in
other camps for maximum effectiveness. Confessional renewal will find strength
when we look past our current "club" zones. We may not be as far
apart as we think.
4. Confessional prickliness and
parochial habits. I am a Lutheran mutt. I started my call on January 1, 1988,
the day we collectively became ELCA. In a sense I am everyone's baby and
nobody's child. I had the best of all three worlds in my seminary training:
Trinity and LSTC with Seminex. I had the best of all three predecessor church
bodies and the LCMS in campus ministry at the University of Illinois and in my
association with Phi Beta Chi, the pan-Lutheran sorority. I am a life-long
Lutheran. That noble accomplishment was lived out watching, carefully,
parochial peculiarity and family habits. When we discuss confessional renewal I
am appalled at how quickly the discussion is reduced to stupid, insensitive,
ill-informed parochial swipes and fault finding that diminishes the contribution,
struggle and faithfulness of our heritage. It is mean-spirited, passé, tacky,
and--I will say it--the devil's tool. Shame on us for our ridiculous
parochialism.
I must say that the parochialism is
not limited to the 1988 merger. I still hear unresolved grief and issues
related to mergers of decades ago. Get over it! We are a big church now and
therefore have inherited a lot of stuff. When I heard our merger described as
being the birth of a new church, I thought, "bull." We are a blended
family with many memories to merge and reform and drop. If confessional renewal
is to be effective, we must approach it as a blended family that must attend to
the issue with trust. Half of the anxiety over confessional renewal would
vanish if now, after ten years, we actually took the time to know and trust one
another.
5. Sometimes, the discussion just gets
bitchy! There, I didn't know how to say that in a delicate manner, so there it
is. I have no gift for subtlety. And in this category, I know whereof I speak.
When we speak of things confessional, listen. Listen. Listen carefully. We need to listen to ourselves as we speak
of confessional renewal and our beloved brothers and sisters. I am amazed how
quickly the debate turns to offish bitchiness and snotty tones. Even our faces
betray our hearts. The countenance of the debate is critical. The fastest way
to sink the sub of confessional renewal is to adhere to bad manners. What's the
worst thing that could happen, I mean the worst, if we were to be careful,
polite, kind, oh, dare I say it, nice, charitable in our construction, while
being passionate for our beautiful jewel, the confessional heritage? Sometimes,
it is more a matter of bad manners, than bad theology.
6. A word about style. One of my
favorite movies of all time is "Steele Magnolias." During one scene
in the beauty shop Claire asks for clarity regarding a recipe when she drawls
out, "Is the Karo syrup light or dark?" To which Truvy answers,
"It's a matter of taste." The Karo syrup is essential to the recipe.
The lightness or darkness of the Karo syrup is a matter of taste. Too often the
critical questions of confessional revival get lost in non-essential arguments
regarding taste and style. I know that this observation is really going to yank
some chains. In the interest of being fair, I will serve as an equal
opportunity offender. I have heard our beloved siblings on the tradition side
and our beloved siblings on the contemporary side, and all things in between,
reduce the essentials of Word and Sacrament to issues of taste and style and
their particular preferences. There are many ways to worship that uphold the
integrity of our confessional heritage. If this is a hard concept to grasp, try
this exercise. Take a wooden spoon and beat it on a counter 100 times while
repeating this mantra: "Style is not essential and will sidetrack the
confessional renewal movement." If it does not sink in the first time, a
couple thousand whacks will help.
7. Lighten up! If we really want to
get serious about confessional renewal, lighten up! Let's consider the question
of whether the confessional renewal movement would have greater impact if the
discussion was offered in urgent love, seeking the joy of fellowship between
sisters and brothers who have far more in common than they think. Let's look
hard and long for the ways in which the word of God is vibrant among us and try
to build on our strengths. A renewal movement is often driven by crisis, and I
do agree that a crisis looms in our midst.
However, the movement will best be sustained by celebrating success,
adherence, excellence and integrity.
8. To market! To market! Without
apology, I am going to use the "M" word in relation to the 9.5 Theses
specifically and confessional renewal in general. If we are really serious
about this renewal movement, we should ask if there is a strategy to
effectively communicate the program, track success, evaluate overall
performance, so that the passion we hold so dear will win the day and days to
come? There is a big difference between swiping at the issue and taking the
time to systematically develop a plan to renew the church. This is a big job!
But as the saying goes, if you want to dance you have to pay the piper, and the
one who pays the piper calls the tune. Are we ready to make the investment to
market confessional renewal?
9. The other side of the renewal coin,
Biblical literacy. I am utterly convinced that if confessional literacy is
going to set our agenda, its twin, Biblical literacy, must also be renewed. I
know that I have already tweaked some cheeks and sensitivities in saying so.
For me, the nutshell of Lutheran history in America is the ongoing polarization
of Orthodoxy and Pietism. I believe that this polarization was a stupid move a
few centuries back, and it is a tragic move now. Quite simply, in the face of
the Enlightenment critique, the Church moved into a defensive posture and let
the culture pipe the tune. Then the question of how to be Christian and modern
played out in a divorce between Orthodoxy and Pietism and who got custody of
the Church. Friends, the Enlightenment critique is dead, but we are still
dancing to its passé tune.
In the movie Amadeus, Mozart was
forced to delete the music from the dance at Figaro's wedding. The Emperor came
to see the rehearsal and commented on the ridiculous scene. "Where is the
music?" No one dared answer. "Is it modern?" No one dared
answer. While pointing to the obvious he said, "Well, look at them."
The music was put back in and the scene restored.
Friends, we look ridiculous, because
we keep dancing to a tune that is no longer piped. We are contrived, pathetic
and twisted if we do not see that confessional literacy and Biblical literacy
are partners in the dance. What is the worst that could happen, I mean the
worst, if we were to intentionally and passionately allow confessional literacy
and Biblical literacy to set the agenda for our gatherings, meetings,
strategies, outreach, mission and life together?
Well these are some of my thoughts and
reactions. I don't think confessional renewal has to be a scary, boring deal. I
think it could be exciting, fun and cool. I even dare to believe that we could
all count it as joy and that the wake-up call of the 9.5 Theses could be the
beginning of our finest, most faithful hours.
Jane
Kunzie-Brunner
Pastor,
Bethlehem, St. Charles