Keeping It Real Can staged worship "experiences" lead to a false gospel? James Gilmore
...As a business guy, I'm always cautious about taking any business thinking and applying it to the church. Don't take this stuff about the experience economy and make worship a staged experience. Consumerism has come to dominate contemporary evangelicalism. We're becoming a reflection of the world, instead of standing apart from the world. The church has moved to "spectacalism," which can become a false gospel. … All of life is being commodified. The church should be the one place that stands apart and says, We have nothing for sale. We only offer a free gift. The church ought to be the place where people see that there's something different about this place and this people from anything one experiences elsewhere in the commercial marketplace. … To me, the church should not aim to be "real" as an end. The church is there to proclaim truth. Trying to be hip and cool and real does a disservice to the church. We're not called to be successful. We're called to be obedient, even if they don't come.Ministry leaders should think more like Noah, of being part of a remnant that is faithful. If somebody doesn't find you objectionable, I wonder if you're preaching the full counsel of God. … To some extent, if people view the church as being fake, they will never enter. But the extent to which the church has become a business, with food courts, skate parks, basketball courts, etc.–I think people look at it and say, That's not really a church. That's fake.
So why are LCMS churches embracing this model of church? Even Bill Hybels has realized the danger!
Has David Strand been listening to the head of the Episcopal Church, Katharine JeffertsSchori? Probably not, but they certainly made some similar statements.
In an article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch, in response to the fact that 7,000+ people had signed a petition to bring back Issues, Etc. he "pointed out that the 7,000 signatures make up one-third of 1 percent of the church body." (St. Louis Post Dispatch, April 15, 2008)
Meaning, of course, that he's not worried about a minuscule number like 7,000 Lutherans.
In the April 19thSalt Lake Tribunethe Rev. Katharine JeffertsSchori, head of the Episcopal Church was quoted:
...one issue continues to divide Anglicans among themselves: the 2003 ordination of New Hampshire's Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly gay man in a committed relationship. Some congregations already have pulled out of the denomination, including the entire Nigerian Diocese, to voice their objections.
Ultimately, JeffertsSchori does not believe the Anglican Communion will splinter over it.
"It's a very, very small part of this church, less than 1 percent, that sees this of sufficient concern to want to leave over it," she said. "Our job is to bless their going and reassure them our door is always open and that we'll keep the light on for them."
Hmmm! Do you think that perhaps David Strand is ready - maybe even anxious - to bless our going, since we're supposedly such a small number?
A predawn earthquake rattled Southern Illinois and eastern Missouri early today, waking up neighborhoods across the area and flooding police departments with calls.
The quake measured a 5.2 magnitude and occurred at 4:37 a.m. CDT. It was centered in southeastern Illinois, five miles from the town of Bellmont, according to Timothy M. Kusky, director of the Center for Environmental Sciences at St. Louis University.
President Kieschnick, you might think it's okay to get 1/3 of 1% of LCMS members angry, but I wouldn't argue with God if I were you! :-)
Mollie Hemingway, who wrote Radio Silence in the Wall Street Journal on the cancellation of Issues, Etc. is now blogging about the LCMS at Augsburg1530. Don't miss it!
Check out this on the Wall Street Journal (CLICK HERE). Excerpt:
Radio Silence
By MOLLIE ZIEGLER HEMINGWAY March 28, 2008
Usually radio hosts have to offend sacred moral sensibilities to be thrown off the air. Opie and Anthony were fired after they encouraged a couple to have sex in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Don Imus lost his job after using racist and sexist epithets against the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
What would Martin Luther do?
But when the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod canceled its popular, nationally syndicated radio program "Issues, Etc.," listeners were baffled. Billed as "talk radio for the thinking Christian," the show was known for its lively discussions analyzing cultural influences on the American church. It seemed like precisely the thing that the Missouri Synod, a 2.4-million-member denomination whose system of belief is firmly grounded in Scripture and an intellectually rigorous theology, would enthusiastically support.
Broadcast from the nation's oldest continuously run religious radio station, KFUO-AM in St. Louis, and syndicated throughout the country, "Issues, Etc." had an even larger audience world-wide, thanks to its podcast's devoted following. With 14 hours of fresh programming each week, the show was on the leading edge of what's happening in culture, politics and broader church life. The Rev. Todd Wilken interviewed the brightest lights from across the theological spectrum on news of the day. Guests included Oxford University's Dr. Alister McGrath, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's Albert Mohler and more postmodern types, like Tony Jones, national coordinator for a church network called Emergent Village.
This is a fantastic article that lays the whole issue on the line and, in all likelihood, the real reason behind the cancellation.
First Things also has a good article today although it sounds like the author doesn't believe in Genesis, as does Get Religion.
As we know, the LCMS is in a state of crisis these days, moving away from being the Confessional church founded by C. F. W. Walther and embracing the Seeker-Sensitive and possibly Emergent Church style of church.
I am in the process of examining this transition and how it is influencing the Lutheran church - the LCMS in particular -, and may either post my findings on the internet or make it into a booklet for distribution to congregations that need to see what is happening to their church and the Synod as a whole. The body of Christ as a whole is not very discerning and I don't think Lutherans are an exception to that rule. I believe this is a vital first step in restoring the church to its original purpose as I believe the majority of Lutherans are in the dark as to what is happening in the Synod.
In doing this I need information on how these movements have influenced particular churches within the LCMS. I would have to be able to document any information provided rather than rely on heresay - documentation would include such things as articles in print from a particular church or things posted on the church's website, audio, etc. If you have such information please e-mail me at heresyhunter at gmail.com. Thanks!
The link for signing the petition is here. As of this writing there are over 4,400 signatures.
Additionally, David O. Berger of the LCMS Board for Communications Services has written an open letter to the Praesidium of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. It can be found here.
KFUO supposedly restored the archives for Issues, Etc. after removing them, however you will note that all of the links for downloading or listening to the shows are dead.
Let's not let this matter die out, as I'm sure the LCMS is desperately hoping it will. This could be make or break for the confessional wing of Lutheranism. The things the LCMS has been introducing, such as Ablaze and the Church Growth Movement, are the very things I was trying to escape when I joined the Lutheran church and I'm sure that's the case for many people. Below is some helpful information provided by Aaron Nemoyer.
Update at 12 noon. I have just received a reply from David Strand. He offered no explanation as requested and so I have informed him that I am withdrawing all financial support to the LCMS and requesting from my own church that they use my donations strictly for their own purposes without sending any of it to the LCMS district or headquarters. It is my understanding that this can be done. If enough people do this it will have an impact.
Here is all sorts of contact information to tell people what you think about this, let them know how important Issues, Etc. was to us, and ask why the show was cancelled:
Rev. David L. Strand Executive Director Board for Communication (314) 996-1200 (314) 822-0000 david.strand@lcms.org
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 1333 S. Kirkwood Road St. Louis, MO 63122-7295 (888) 843-5267 (314) 965-9000 FAX: (314) 996-1016 infocenter@lcms.org
KFUO Radio Station (314) 725-0099 (314) 725-3030 (314) 721-2969
Rev. Dr. Gerald Kieschnick Synod President (314) 996-1402 (314) 842-7110 president@lcms.org
For anyone who comes across this and has Facebook, the most discussion it seems is going on at the "Bring back Issues ETC!!!" Facebook group. http://facebook.com/group.php?gid=11679316089
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Finally, financial help for the Schwarz and Wilken families can be sent to the following address. Just put in the memo line that it’s for the “Schwarz/Wilken Fund”. The Schwarzes especially need the help as Jeff Schwarz's wife Beth has been recently diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy and they need to go to Mayo Clinic to try figuring out what can be done.
"Schwarz/Wilken Fund" Saint Paul Lutheran Church P.O. Box 247 Hamel, IL 62046
All help and all prayers are appreciated.
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I will be continuing to post information and resources relating to the cancellation of Issues, Etc. and firing of Rev. Wilken and Mr. Schwarz. So, if you could please help me draw people to the resource of my blog, I would really appreciate it. http://latinkid.blogspot.com/2008/03/pulled-from-air-issues-etc.html
For what it's worth - not much in my opinion- here is the statement KFUO has posted now on their website. They have reinstated the archives of the show:
For programmatic and business reasons, the decision was made this week to discontinue the "Issues, Etc." program on KFUO-AM. We look forward to bringing you new programming in this time slot in the near future. Also, we thank "Issues" host Rev. Todd Wilken and producer Mr. Jeff Schwarz for their years of service on behalf of the station. Those interested may still download past "Issues, Etc." programs from the "Issues" archive on this website. Thank you sincerely for your continued support of KFUO's radio ministry.
Today the LCMS ordered the cancellation of the popular radio show Issues, Etc. without stating a reason why, and terminated the employment of Pastor Todd Wilken, the show's host, and Mr. Jeff Schwarz, the show's producer.
Speaking as an occasional guest on the show, I find this to be an extremely sad day for the LCMS. Check out the Wittenberg Trail for more information as it becomes available. A fund has also been set up to help Todd and Jeff on Wittenberg Trail. Additionally, to support the Schwarzes and the Wilkens donate to Saint Paul Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 247, Hamel, IL 62046 Make your gifts - Wilken/Schwarz Fund..
For those concerned about the direction of the LCMS, Rev. Wallace Schulz has just written a lengthy piece on "It is Written" titled "The LCMS - Its Past And Future." Click Here.
"To the Scribes, the Pharisees and the hypocrites, the heresy hunters that want to find a little mote of illegal doctrine in some Christian's eye and poke that little mote out of their eye when they've got the whole forest in their own lives and in their own eyes, I say to hell with you!" Paul Crouch.
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