www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall The North Amercian Lutheran Church begins, August 27 in Columbus

In the Prayer forum I had requested prayer for those assembling in the Columbus, Ohio area for a week of conferences and convocations culminating in the formation of the North American Lutheran Church on Friday August 27.

It has been requested that I write more about the events of the week in this section.

First, some links.

For those desiring a blow-by-blow account of all that transpired I would refer you to the truly excellent reporting by Forum Letter Editor Rev. Richard Johnson in the discussion forum of the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau on-line forum Columbus Happenings [alpb.org]. Any post under his authorship is well worth the read.

For those desiring to know more about the North American Lutheran Church, there is a newly launched web site www.thenalc.org [thenalc.org]

For those desiring to know more about LutheranCORE (Coalition for Reform/Renewal): www.lutherancore.org [lutherancore.org]

The week began with the assembly of about sixty, mostly clergy, for the first meeting of the Seven Marks Society [sevenmarks.org]. This Society was conceived during the 2009 General Retreat of the Society of the Holy Trinity [societyholytrinity.org](STS), a pastoral society of Lutheran clergy from at least five different Lutheran bodies who have committed to following the Rule--a rule which among other things calls for praying the Daily Office, frequent use of private Confession, and gathering for Retreats four times per year.

In that vein, the Seven Marks gathering closely resembled an STS retreat in that we prayed the offices and celebrated the Eucharist.

Initially, Seven Marks was proposed as a possible Lutheran body which would select a Bishop and uphold the three-fold. ministerial office of Bishop, Presbyter, and Deacon.

But during the discussion between the Offices it became increasingly clear that the earlies vision had been abandoned for simply becoming a resouce bank for clergy and congregations both within and beyond the fracturing Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I am doubtful that this Society will have a lengthy existence.

During the Seven Marks proceedings--and staying throughout the week--were four Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America.

The second of the events of the week was the Theological Conference sponsored by LutheranCORE. This was a gathering of the most orthodox teaching theologians of the ELCA, including Dr. Carl Braaten, Dr. Robert Benne, and Dr. Robert Jenson. Their presentations were forceful statements that the church remain true to the faith once delivered to the saints, including upholding the exclusivity of the joining of one man and one woman in marriage, and naming God by the Name He has revealed to us: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

On Wednesday evening nearly 500 enjoyed a fine banquet at the Maccoy Center in Hilliard, where a fiery Tanazanian Pastor delived a speech/sermon on Matthew 16:13-19 challenging the listeners to confess Christ boldly in world which cannot be assumed to be accepting of the Christian faith. He went on to explicitly name Islam as the main enemy of the Church and denounced the proposal for buiding a mosque near ground zero. That drew loud applause, "Amen"s, and even an "OOH-RAH!".

The conclusion of the Theological Conferene dovetailed into the beginning of the COREConvention/Constituting Convention of the NALC. The cavernous venue of the Grove City Church of the Nazarene was used for the final days because some anticpated an attendance of 1500-2000. In reality the attendance wsa closer to 1000, but that would have exceeded the capacity of the first venue.

It was strange to hold an orthodox Lutheran Eucharist in a megachurch's "Worship Center"...particularly since this megachurch had no liturgical furnishings whatsoever. Everything--and I do mean EVERYTHING--Altar, Ambo, Candles, Crosses had to be brought to the site from other congregations. Of course this megachurch's "gathering place" boasts a food court (complete with cash registers), a bookstore (complete with cash register) and a beauty salon (also with cash register. But we had to bring our own offering plates and baskets since at Grove City Church of the Nazarene you make your donations through a "Giving Kiosk" which closely resembles an ATM machine. I now have a new illustration for preaching on John 2, the cleansing of the temple.

The evangelical catholic component of CORE had been given responsibility for all the liturgies (apart from Seven Marks) and they fulfilled their task wondefully. There was no "inclusive language"--God was named as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Many rendered deep bows at the Sanctus. Indeed, some CORE sympathizers from "low church" traditions were heard complaining that "the catholics have taken over." So be it.

But how much an influence the evangelical catholic will have on NALC remains to be seen. The constitution birthing this new Lutheran body is only a provisional constitution (all up for revision a year from now, with only NALC members voting) and this document affirms only the office of Bishop and Presbyter--nothing about Deacons. A CORE member from the far west suggested that the Constitution committee consider adding an Ordained Diaconate--we'll just have to wait and see.

The highlight of the week was the closing worship service at which the first Bishop of the new North American Lutheran Church was "Installed"--the quote marks because we sang "Veni, Creator" as he knelt, followed by prayer and the laying of hands, among those laying hands a Tanzanian Bishop who is in the apostolic succession. So this was more than a mere Installation but less than episcopal consecration.

That same Bishop, The Rev. Benson Bangonza, Karagwe Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, preached from 1 Timothy 4. When he expounded on the word "rebuke" he thundered, "If you will not rebuke, then YOU SHALL BE REBUKED!".

It was like sitting at the 7th Ecumenical Council as it decreed "let him who will not say, 'anathema' to heresy be himself an anathema!".

It should be noted that at this moment NALC consists of fourteen congregations plus four mission congregations/congregations in formation.

There is at least and equal number of still-in-the-ELCA clergy who view the threefold office as non-negotiable who are less than pleased with the provisional constitution of NALC; for example, a seminarian who does not wish to be Ordained by the Bishop may petition to have a Pastor perform the Ordination and "this shall be granted..."

Makes the presence of the Anglican Bishops and their appeal for working closely together all the more interesting.

Pastor Thomas,

Thank you for posting this. As I understand, and please correct me, the NALC is presently in a sort of provisional status - at least insofar as there are some of those involved with its formation who are maintaining a dual communion with both NALC and their original synods, waiting to see how things progress?

If so, how does ELCA (or any of the other synods which have such) viewing thi situation? Are they not perturbed by the concept of 'NALC in communion with Chicago'? (for lack of a better way to put it, and to paraphrase a context with which we here are all too familiar )

Many years,

Neil

There is considerable of unease about many very unresolved issues with NALC.

At this moment, NALC is not "in communion" with any other church body, Lutheran or otherwise.

Nor is there a clear direction of how "full communion" is to be achieved, by what process, and by whose authority. One can assume that for the coming year this will be entrusted to the four person Executive Council, who may designate a committee comprised of others to be delegated with the task.

A similar issue arises regarding "dual rostering"; that is, the provision that a NALC congregation (¶ 6.05) "may be members of other Lutheran church bodies provided that the confession of faith and practice of such congregations are compatible with the NALC, as determined by the Executive Council." (Emphasis added).

On the surface, that would preclude dual rostering with the ELCA on the basis of "practice.". But that might also preclude dual rostering with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ on the same basis, most likely because of the lack of central authority.

There are some very lively discussions on these and related manners on the American Lutheran Publicty Bureau Forum
Re: NALC and CORE: The ALC Redivivus or the New ELCA? [alpb.org]

Another Church...when will it ever end? Division is such a scandal in the body of Christ. How sad.

It is sad, but even sadder are those churches which willfully depart from "the faith inherited from the saints" and lapse into apostacy.

The faithful in such churches-gone-rogue can try to stay and fight, they can join other churches which have not departed the faith, or, as the organizers of NALC have chosen, they may try to start their own.

Pastor Thomas'
Am I to understand that the new group considers ELCA too liberal,while other groups,like the Missouri and Wisconsin Synods are too much in the other direction?Here in Michigan,we have the Finnish Apostolic Lutherans who are about as strict as one can get.They ban alcohol,birth control,and women cutting their hair,and probably a great many other things as well.I would say they represent the opposite extreme from ELCA.

Fr. Al,

That assesement is basically correct.

I generally don't care for broad generalizations but it is reasonable to place the major US Lutheran bodies on a left-to-right continuum as follows:

ELCA - NALC - LCMC - LC-MS - WELS - Finnish Apostolic

I never realized that there was a group that could be placed to the right of the Wisonsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS)!

Pastor Thomas,

I think of the Finnish Apostolic Lutherans as "Lutheran Old Believers.
I guess if there is a similar Orthodox continuum,I'd be somewhere between LC-MS and WELS.
I used to have a coworker who was LC-MS.I had many discussions and not a few arguments with her.I once asked her how she could rely on Rome for the Christmas and Easter dates,while rejecting Rome's authority as did Martin Luther.I'm fairly certain Martin Luther would have had to have been on the Julian Calendar.We know the Church of England didn't change until about 1750.
Best Wishes,

Fr.Andrei

In my part of Pennsylvania there are still a few Old Order Amish who adhere to the Julian Calendar. Tourists and natives alike are sometimes puzzled when shops operated by these folks are closed on a weekday near Columbus Day--Old Michaelmass, a major holy-day for them.

I know we're getting off-topic, but the mention of the small Finnish Apostolic Lutheran body prompts me to wonder if the tiny Eielsen Synod still exists? Last I knew, it was reduced to a single congregation - out in WI if memory serves.

Many years,

Neil (Fondly remembering perusing an incredibly informative website - Pastor Zip's Lutheran Links - some years ago when I was asked to create a genealogical tree of Lutheran synods)

I visited a Church of the Lutheran Confession parish once and I thought they were as Orthodox Lutheran as one could get, but they are almost anti-liturgical because of the influence of the Reformed Churches. Their pastors still use the standard Geneva robe in Divine Services. A true church after Luther's heart would really be one who utilized the principle of adiaphora correctly with a balance of liturgics and proclamation. I think the LCMS might be close to that ideal.

Robert,

You experienced one of the many paradoxes in Lutheranism. There are some clergy and congregations which have a high view of their Creeds and Confessions but interpret that to mean that the Liturgy should be celebrated rather spartanly (minimal vestments, no Eucharistic Canon, etc.)

There are others who have a very low confessional subscription which are into "bells and smells" and celebrate with great elaboration.

And then there is a relatively small group--and I would include myself and most of my Society of the Holy Trinity (STS) colleagues here--who have both a high view of the Confessions and a formal liturgy with full vestments and Canon with epiclesis.

This diversity will certainly be evident in the NALC, minus the second group.

High Confessionalism and High Liturgy as the standard in a synod would be a great experience for Lutherans and for visitors to your parishes. May God lead you onwards as you discern His Will for your ecclesial life.

Robert

You would be almost certain to experience that combination in any of the congregations served by the STS members [societyholytrinity.org]

Some other interesting developments--the situation seems to be changing on a daily basis--the STS Senior has informed the Society of very positive discussions with Archishop Chaput concerning the Society possibly making public anouncement of receiving the post Vatican II Encyclicals of the Bishop of Rome as teaching statements to be studied through the Lutheran confessionl lens. Archbishop Chaput suggests that, should this be adopted, the Society's leadership should have an audience with Benedict XVI for formal presentation.

Thanks Robert!
You said it much more tactfully than I would have.
As a former Lutheran I was not much impressed.
Stephanos I

Slava Isusu Christu!

Stephanos I,

The Lord is leading Lutherans, their heart knows Rome is home. These movements back to the orthodoxy of Luther's teaching will lead back to Rome--he never wanted to leave Rome, he thought Rome left him--She has listened, Vatican II was the answer, time to come back.

Robert

You will find this section of the Rule of the Society of the Holy Trinity most interesting:

Chapter VIII
Ecumenical Commitments

1. This Society, from its beginning, is committed to Lutheran unity. Our membership is drawn from any and all Lutheran church bodies, particularly in the United States and Canada.

2. We are aware that Western Christianity as a whole is in a crisis of faith and that there are movements and orders in other ecclesial traditions organized for the confessional and spiritual renewal of their churches (i.e. the churches of the Reformation as well as the church of Rome). We will make contact with these movements and orders and invite them to chapter retreats and special meetings.

3. At the same time, the Lutheran ecumenical vocation is the unfinished business of the sixteenth century Reformation. Together with our forebears at Augsburg in 1530, we long for that reunion of Christians in which the Gospel might have free course and for that unity for which Jesus prayed. (cf. John 17).

4. Therefore, this ministerium is dedicated to the Lutheran vocation of reform of the Church and the Lutheran ecumenical destiny of reconciliation with the bishop and church of Rome.

5. We support the pursuit of conversations with the Eastern Orthodox churches.

6. Prayers for Christian unity shall be a regular part of Society and Chapter retreats.

Prayers!

Prayers indeed for these lofty commitments by our Lutheran brethren.

The Society of the Holy Trinity is a wonderful work of God, having begun just 13 years ago with 27 clergy signing the Rule.

There are now over 250 subscribers--around 30 who just professes subscription at the last General Retreat.

Your prayers are GREATLY appreciated.

May the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity bless and gather these Lutheran Christians into unity with each other toward the Divine Unity which Thou O Lord hast established. Amin!

Newton's Third Law of Motion seems to apply to ecclesiastical politics. The "equal and opposite reaction" is getting under way.

An ALPB Forum [alpb.org] participant named Norm Salucia, Jr., has just shared this information:

" The dean of the conference just returned from a bishop's meeting with the deans. The following informations was pass on to the churches in our conference.

First, NALC pastors are not to be invited to national, synodical, conference, and/or deanery functions in the ELCA. Second, NALC pastors cannot lead worship in an ELCA congregation. I believe this will include participating in wedding and funerals as clergy. Third, I believe it was shared that NALC pastors cannot lead or participate in ELCA congregations during ecumenical functions in ELCA congregations. (I am not to sure of this one - the cell phone was filled with static.) Finally, ELCA pastors finding members discussing with others the idea of leaving the congregation or talking about the congregation leaving the ELCA is to be dealt with immediately. It sounds like this could mean a stern talking to by the pastor or council, or the person is to be disciplined by the measures defined by the constitution."

My guess is that it is first and foremost about survival: they want to keep "defections" to a minimum!

Then, of course, there's also ideology: you've got to take a stand for what you believe in, just like the members of "The Religious Institute." Religious leaders urge repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell today [blogs.orlandosentinel.com] To listen to them, you would think it were downright un-christian to oppose gay rights.


Peace,
Deacon Richard

What is most ironic is that (assuming that this third hand information is correct) ELCA Lutherans had prided themselves on practicing "open Communion" as opposed to the "close(d) Communion" practiced by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). LCMS and WELS practice was vitually identical to Orthodox and Catholic practice.

Pastor Thomas,

You bring up an interesting point here. I had always understood Luther's teaching to be that the presence of Christ in the Eucharist was due to the faith of the one receiving, rather than being intrinsic to the sacrament. From that perspective it seems somewhat incongruous that protecting the chalice would be seen as so important.


Peace,
Deacon Richard

Actually Luther's teaching is that the true Body and Blood of Christ are given and received to all who partake; the wicked along with the faithful all receive Our Lord, the former, of course, to their condemnation.

It was Calvin who stressed the "spiritual" presence of Christ in the Sacrament being dependant upon the faith or lack therof in the recipient.

There is an unfortunate--and, in my view, unfaithful--trend among Worship professors in the ELCA Seminaries to teach "Receptionism"; meaning that Christ's presence is not obective, but dependant on the faith of the recipient AND that Christ's Eucharistic presence exists only for the moment of Communing. Such professors are teaching that it is fine to let the consecrated loaf sit out for anyone to take (a bit like antidoron) or even to feed it to the birds!

As I have said and written many times concerning the drift of the ELCA, "It is NOT all about sex!".

This is the 480th Anniversary of the Confession of Ausburg (presented to the Emporer Charles on June 25, 1530)

Article X: Of the Lord's Supper.

1] Of the Supper of the Lord they teach that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present, and are distributed 2] to those who eat the Supper of the Lord; and they reject those that teach otherwise.