July 21, 2016 

“While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you.
“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.” Luke 11:37-44

“The sin of religiosity is that it has turned G-d, peace, happiness, salvation and all that man (and women) desires into products to be marketed in an especially attractive package deal. In this, I think, the fault lies not with the sincerity of preachers and religious writers, but with the worn-out presuppositions with which they fare content to operate. The religious mind today is seldom pertinently or prophetically critical.” Thomas Merton (The Pocket Thomas Merton, p. 41)

Are there things about the Lutheran theology, worship or ministry that are worn out? I would say “yes” and hope you do not throw stones at me or look to run me out of town on a rail (speaking of worn out activities). There have been many things that have “worn out” their welcome and relevancy in our Lutheran practice over the years. Our liturgies have changed. Our Sunday school programs have changed dramatically if not just disappeared completely over the years. And, more importantly, our relevancy to the community and to the changing world is very much in doubt. No longer will people come to church because that is what “we” do on Sundays. Instead, people stay away from church because that is what “they” do on Sundays.

As Merton suggests, we need to be prophetically critical about our ministry, mission and worship. If we are to be relevant to the community and do ministry that matters that meets the needs of the community and the world, then we need to be willing to embrace the change that will be necessary. If our presuppositions are worn-out, then let’s renew them with fervor and energy – all with the power of the Holy Spirit. Where that may take us may scare the “be-jeebers” out of us, but so be it – it would be better to go into the future with the power of the Holy Spirit leading the way, than to be stuck in the past with no one in our pews and nothing to do but wait to close.

Pastor Dave