Northwoods Seelsorger

With the recent passing of Oral Robert s (1918-2009), I was reminded of the significant personalities that once impacted the religious landscape in my younger years. Growing up my parents would reg ularly tune into the Billy Graham (b. 1918) televised crusade, and like thousands of Americans had good Southern Baptist theology conveniently taught in our own living rooms. Graham, bar none, certainly ranks as one of the most influential religious figures of the previous century. Oral Roberts, while recognized today as "a towering figure in 20th century American Christianity" (AP, Eric Gorski, 12-16-09), failed to make much of an impression on my still very Lutheran family. He may have made Pentecostalism mainstream even before the Charismatic movement came into being, but it remained over the top for the religious tastes of the more staid Lutherans of the Midwest. Other personalities, however, made greater and more positive impressions. Robert Schull er (b. 1926) and his...

Apparently the ELCA is far from unified when it comes to the recent denominational decision for full inclusion of active gay clergy. According to a report dated December 11, the bishop of the Northeastern Synod of the ELCA (the equivalent of the president of a district in the LCMS) has decided to pass on the new guidelines and stay with policies adopted in 1990 where "ordained ministers who are homosexual in their self-understanding are expected to abstain from homosexual relationships." Obviously the home office is none too pleased and openly wonders how a denominational leader such as a synod bishop can just choose to ignore the denomination's official policy. You can read the whole story here from the Worldwide Faith News archives.

According to Jesus First author David S. Luecke, the "worship wars" have now come to an end. Just like that. Really? In his November article he claims that they came to an end in the " eight theses on worship unanimously approved by the Council of Presidents in their September meeting." (The COP's "Theses on Worship" can be found here .) With the stroke of a pen all concerns regarding the fidelity and faithfulness of worship practices synod-wide came to a happy end. Well, maybe that's overstating the issue.... Still, to make a broad-brushed statement that the so-called "worship wars" of the Missouri Synod "are over" based simply on a series of theses by the Council of Presidents i s to overstate an issue itself. What Rev. Luecke fails to appreciate is that the situation that gives rise to conflicts over worship, both in the Synod-at-large, and in the parish, is not about appreciating our freedom to use differen...