Has Lutheran Education Failed (To Keep Its Graduates Lutheran)?

In case you were wondering, I'm on Facebook.

Yippee!

It is kind of nice to "reconnect" with some people. At least to find out what became of them.

I was going through my "friends" list recently and noticed something disturbing.

Looking at my "friends" from grade school and high school got me kind of depressed. No, not because they portray themselves as having a great job and a great life. (Believe me, there are other things that depress me more.) It's that part where one can list their "religious views."

Let me backtrack here.

I am what can be affectionately called a "system kid." I attended an LCMS grade school, I attended an LCMS high school, I attended an LCMS college and I attended an LCMS seminary. Through all of that, I am still a member of the LCMS. (Sadly, no award exists for those of us who have accomplish such a feat.)

It was looking at those "religious views" that got me depressed.

Reading over and over again the "religious views" of people that I had gone to grade school or high school with and seeing the views posted: "Methodist", "I believe there is a God,", "non-denominational", blah, blah, blah.

This was painful to read. I grew up with these people. I went to church with them. I knew their parents and, in some cases, their grandparents. I know that a majority of those that I went to high school with also went to an LCMS grade school. What the hell happened?

Who does this reflect poorly on? Do you blame the churches? Do you blame the schools? Do you blame the parents? Do you blame the pastors? Do you blame the teachers? Is it some of the above? All of the above? I don't know.

What I do know is that it looks like almost a whole generation just disappeared. Gone.

I wonder if the parents who sacrificed (I know my parents did) so their children could get an education at a Lutheran school wasted their money? Maybe they would have been better off sending their children to public schools and treating themselves to a better car or vacation.

What happened? Why was there a disconnect?

How, why, did this faith not get passed on to my generation?

Is there any way to get them back?

Not likely, I think.

Is this still happening today?

What can be done to prevent this?

Does something need to change?

Here's my challenge to you:

If you are on Facebook, and you graduated from an LCMS grade school and/or high school, check out your friend's "religious views" and see where they are today. (If you went to an LCMS college, I guess you can play as well.)

Let me know what you find.

Coming To A Parish Near You

I know you have been waiting for it.

You're going to have to wait just a little bit longer for it.

That's right, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will debut in Advent 2011!

It looks like Rome has done an excellent job with this one.

How do I know? Because there are already people complaining about it before it is even released! Here's the article for you to read.

I love the complaints that appear in this article.

Here's a few quotes:

"It will impact every Catholic in every parish because they will have to learn new responses in place of the ones they have been using since Vatican II," Reese said. "I believe that the new translations are a step backwards and confusing to the people in the pews."

Critics contend the translation is too literal and includes too many theologically complex terms.

I really enjoy the rationale behind this as well:

Critics like Bishop Trautman argue that Jesus Christ taught in the language of the common man and, further, that Vatican II reforms that first allowed the Mass to be translated from Latin to the vernacular are being unraveled by the more complicated words used in the new translation.

What are some of these big changes?

Those who have reviewed the translation say it requires new responses from church members in about a dozen places in the Mass. Generally, those responses are relatively simple, as when members will respond "And with your spirit" after the celebrant says, "The Lord be with you." The current response is, "And also with you."

Yikes! I don't know if your average parishioner will be able to handle that!

Enough about the people. What difficult things will the priests have to change and say?

Currently, priests dismisses the congregation by saying, "The Mass is ended; go in peace." Priests will now have four more specific options, including two suggested by Pope Benedict XVI: "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord" and "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life."

Prayers offered by the priest will include more complex terms such as "consubstantial," "inviolate," "oblation," "ignominy" and "suffused."

If the priest doesn't know what those words mean, and if they cannot explain them to their parishioners, maybe there needs to be an investigation by Rome as to what is being taught at their seminaries in the United States.


That's right, Jesus didn't use big words, let alone complex thoughts, nor did the authors of the Bible. Or the early church. I guess we shouldn't either when we worship.

Just For Fun

I came across this blog and I feel compelled to share.

Maybe you can find out what your pastor is hiding under his clerical!

Enjoy!

Lutherans Ashamed of the Mass?

While following a news story regarding upcoming changes to the missal of the Roman Catholic Church, I found myself wandering around the Archdiocese of Milwaukee website. The image above caught my eye. Of course I clicked on the pretty picture and was taken to this site.

Wow! Why can't our synodical district websites look like this? Furthermore, looking at the Living Our Faith initiative, there is more substance there than "the-program-that-cannot-be-spoken-unless-you-want-to-get-sued-by-the-LCMS". The message is so simple, "See You At Mass." It looks like they're a sacramental church body.

Here's the question - Why is the LCMS afraid to be sacramental?

Look at your district's website. Is there a something there to let the average person know that the LCMS puts the sacraments as a central part of its beliefs? On a congregational level, it may be a different case. Right now, I am focusing on the district level and higher.

Look at the Lutheran Confessions, specifically the Apology to the Augsburg Confession XXIV - The Mass. The section is titled, The Mass! The first paragraph states, "At the outset we must again make the preliminary statement that we do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord's Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things." (Italics mine.)

Why do some in Lutheranism prefer an a la carte approach when it comes to the Lutheran Confessions and Lutheran doctrine that are believed, promoted, and taught?


I'm not at the banks of the River Tiber. I'm not looking to cross over, nor am I promoting such things. I am just asking a question that needs a serious answer.

Why are Lutherans ashamed to publicly proclaim the centrality of the Mass?

Christmas In July?

Like 54% of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, I am pretty excited about the election of Rev. Matthew Harrison as the new president of this church body. It is no secret that there are several issues that will challenge Rev. Harrison while in office, and I, like 54% of the LCMS, will pray for his success.

As one of the members in that 54% of the membership of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod who are excited about Rev. Harrison becoming president and who will pray for his success in this office, I would like to share a few thoughts. I do not claim to speak for the whole 100% of that 54% in what I am about to write. I am sure there will be parts in what I am about to write that will meet the approval of about 55% - 63% of that 54%.

With that disclaimer posted and out of the way, I give you my open letter to President-elect Rev. Matthew Harrison. (I had to make a few changes and update a few things from a different letter from my files.)

Dear Santa President-elect Rev. Harrison,

I have been a very good boy faithful servant this past year. I don't ask for many things, but it would mean a lot to me if you were able to bring me these things this Christmas sometime within the next three years.

I would really like a new bicycle review of the SMP program and possibly a realistic study of the office of deacon in the LCMS.

I would also like a new computer review of worship in the LCMS and for you to get rid of all of the bad pastors out there.  



Wait a minute, I've just been informed of something.

What?

The powers of the President of the LCMS is about as realistic as the powers of Santa Claus?

So much for Christmas in July.

My Head Is Spinning

Oh what a week this has been thus far for the LCMS Synodical Convention.

The delegates vote to take on an even more American-style corporate structure.

The delegates elect Rev. Matthew Harrison as its new president, on the FIRST ballot! (54% - 45%)

And the week isn't over yet!

This will be an interesting post-mortem when this is all done.

Academic Freedom From Religion?

Over the past few weeks I have been following this story in Milwaukee, WI. I find it very interesting how this story ended.  What happened as this story unfolded was just as interesting.

Marquette University, a Roman Catholic school run by the Jesuits in Milwaukee, WI has been know for its theological education and scholarship in Lutheran circles (e.g. Franz Posset, and Kenneth Hagen), and nationally known for its basketball team  just about every March.

For those who are not inclined to read all of the articles, I will do my best to sum up the story.

Back in April, Marquette University extends a contract to Seattle University professor Jodi O'Brien to be dean of Marquette's College of Arts and Sciences.

O'Brien signs the contract and sends it back to Marquette University.

Early May, Marquette rescinds the job offer. Slight problem. O'Brien is a lesbian who has written scholarly works on gender and sexual orientation. Marquette says the reason for this is that some of O'Brien's writings "relating to Catholic mission and identity" made her an unacceptable candidate. (Doesn't anyone do their homework when hiring for a position like this?)

Students and faculty are up in arms. Students protest, faculty protest.

It is revealed that Archbishop Jerome Listecki of Milwaukee might have told the president of Marquette, Fr. Wild S.J., about O'Brien's background and that this was not an acceptable person to have at the university.

The faculty issues a full page ad in the local papers in Milwaukee and in Seattle saying that this is wrong. Marquette is killing academic freedom.

Others state that the Archbishop has no right to interfere with Marquette, since the school is run by the Jesuits and not the archdiocese. Along with the academic freedom crowd, there is now also the "we are not under the control of the Roman Catholic church" crowd.

Fr. Wild says the Archbishop did not tell him what to do.

It also comes to light that back in 2001 Marquette had offered the same position to another faculty member at Seattle University, who also was an author on gender and sexuality issues. That professor declined the position.

Finally, at the beginning of June, Marquette and Professor O'Brien reach a settlement.

There's the summary.

Here's my question before I start my rant on the Concordia University System.

Was Archbishop Listecki right to step in and talk to Fr. Wild about this hiring decision?

On to my rant . . .

How does this relate to the wonderful world of Lutheranism? Think of it this way. In a Lutheran version of this tale, Marquette would be more along the lines of Valparaiso. An independent college "with historic ties to Lutheranism." The LCMS tries to intercede and have a say as to what is going on, but it never really works out. Slightly different from the Marquette version, where the Archbishop has some influence.

For decades the LCMS has wasted time and money in the hopes of trying to make Valpo more "Lutheran". It just isn't going to happen. Instead of expending that effort to make Valpo more "Lutheran", why hasn't the LCMS tried make the Concordia University System more "Lutheran"? After all, does not the LCMS like to brag that they are the owners and operators of this school system? Yet they act more like absentee landlords.

Insert your favorite Concordia horror story here.

Instead, the schools of the Concordia University System have been left on their own to do what they see fit. There is more academic and religious freedom in the Concordia University System (excluding the seminaries) than most other denominations that run colleges and universities. (Again, insert your favorite Concordia horror story here.)

I know that there is a balancing act that a religious educational institution must perform in order to give their students a viable education, (also make money), yet at the same time hold to their religious heritage (and ownership?). I just haven't seen it throughout this system. I know that the LCMS as a church body has given up financial ownership. Last figure I heard, support from the LCMS to a Concordia amounted to about 1% of that Concordia's budget. I know that the Purple Palace will always be quick to claim any success that a Concordia has, and even quicker to try to distance themselves from a public failure or scandal at a Concordia. (Remember Dr. George Heider at Concordia, River Forest?) The LCMS loses their influence when they don't help to pay the bills. That gives the Concordias less incentive to abide by what the LCMS wants doctrinally. He who has the money, gets to call the tunes.

Either the LCMS should reorganize, maybe even close some of these Concordias, to better concentrate resources on these schools, or loosen their grip and  let the Concordias have more control over their destinies. What I mean by "loosen their grip" is to allow the Concordias to appoint a portion of their own regents.

I'm just thinking out loud here. What do you think?