Lutheran Pastor Apologizes for Being a Decent Human Being.
Well, its seems it takes something going nuts in the blogosphere to get me back on track with Wired Jesus. Seems this moment of church discipline has turned into an absolute nightmare for the 2.3 million member Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, who is now having a very difficult conveying that having the pastor of your slain child praying with other religious leaders mourning a school massacre is not something Jesus would do.
Equally sad, it makes Lutherans like me, who are a different denomination (the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which does not have problem praying with other people) look closed minded and hypocritical because most folks don’t know all our tribal differences. But it makes Christians as a whole look bad and become an embarassment to Jesus. So now Lutherans get lumped in with Westboro Baptist, hating Jews and Muslims as pagans we should shun.
Now I’m having to answer questions from members of my congregations who are confused and relieved that its not our “brand” of Lutheran but then what in the world in the Bible can justify such aloofness, as if you are the only real Christians in the world. And, of course, there are the people who drive by, see the name Lutheran, and now think, oh, yeah, the people who don’t pray or care about people who aren’t like them.
Hemant Mehta has it right here. I can’t believe I’m defending a pastor here, but who are these people “confused†by the interfaith vigil?! Who watched the event and thought, “Oh shit! That’s my pastor! He’s sharing the stage with a Muslim! WHY DOES MY PASTOR HATE JESUS?!â€
No wonder more and more people want Jesus but nothing to do with those who call themselves “church.” Just another reminder that it seems in many denominations and congregations, Jesus, like Elvis, has left the building.
Yep, podcast coming this week.
Found your website on a search for good blogs about this very topic. One of my nonreligious friends was trying to condemn all of religion because of the actions of the Missouri Synod. I tried to explain how EXTREMELY different we are as a denomination (we being the United Church of Christ) and how EXTREMELY different the ELCA is compared to LCMS but it didn’t matter. I sent him your post. Great to find your blog, a fellow NW Ohioan! Blessings!