The Ever-Evolving Culture and the Culture of Lutheranism

 

 Recently, due to the influx of conservative Mennonites and Amish into my rural community, I have begun to reflect on the conflict between traditional culture and what I call "the ever-evolving culture."  I am reading extensively now on Amish history and practice, trying to better understand my new neighbors.  Yet as I do I realize parallels to my own struggle within the Lutheran church and its divergent 'cultures.'  My traditional, rural parish still reflects the worship and practices of previous generations. We use hymnals. We follow the established liturgies. We sing the 'old' hymns. But the lure to newer and more progressive parishes looms large.  Some churches cater to this increasingly casual culture, offering a 'style' of worship that has easy access and little demand.  It is well suited to a generation that eschews anything formal, preferring to dress down and enjoy church much like one might enjoy an outdoor music festival on a warm summer night.  They slide through the Communion distribution line slamming back the wine like one might do with a shot at the bar on Friday night.  The music is geared to appeal to the emotions and smacks of entertainment style productions.  The lyrics are shallow and repetitive, with no intent to teach or encourage internalizing deep truths.  

 

In response to this I conducted a Bible study for one of my groups entitled: A Sense of the Sacred. For it occurred to me that the old distinctions between "traditional" and "contemporary" were inadequate to describe what I was seeing.  A better distinction would be "formal" and "casual."  It is apparent that people today lack a true appreciation of what it means to come into the presence of a holy God.  They have transferred their casual approach to life in general to the church, and now expect it to reflect that outside world.  Evangelicalism has infused within Lutheranism an individualistic sense of 'Jesus and Me,' downplaying the idea of community, and definitely the idea of Isaiah in the presence of the heavenly King of heaven crying: "Woe is me!" as he realizes his sinful state in the midst of absolute holiness.  The idea of bowing seems quaint, and kneeling is largely non-existent.  Yet at one time in the Lutheran church both practices were common and accepted.  Older people came early (sometimes as much a half hour early!) to meditate and pray before worship.  They stood reverently after entering to offer a prayer.  They came to the altar to kneel at a communion rail.  Acolytes were taught to reverence the altar before lighting candles.  

Such 'formal' behavior is being increasing shunned in favor of places that offer film clips on the big screens during the 'sermon' by pastors wearing skinny jeans and polo shirts.  It's as if in the Lutheran church we live in different and often conflicting worlds, and the gulf is only widening.  I realize that my island is shrinking and the water outside increasing.  It would be tempting to just give in and try to adapt and give people what they want.  But that feels less than faithful.  Regardless of how casual we live in the outside world, God is still almighty and absolutely holy.  He gives holy, precious and invaluable gifts.  We need to respond accordingly.  So, I'll keep doing what I'm doing, hoping that some will see and understand why I do what I do.  As the quote above notes: "Not going to give casual worship to a God of extravagant beauty and grace."