The Burr in the Burgh

Why are young women scared off by feminists? Here.

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Are you a toxic parent? Find out.

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kitsch \KICH\, noun:
1. Art characterized by pretentious bad taste.

It's like a car crash. I want to turn away but I can't stop looking. Why do people like this stuff?

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Hey, come take a peek at the Department of Admission website for Concordia Theological Seminary. Techno-guru, Mr. John Klinger, is already - I see - getting my stuff up there.

Come see.

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According to Murphy's Law, there are two types of people:
Those who divide people into two types and those who don't.

Someone else figured that there are two types in your church: Those who agree with you and the bigots.

Obviously, it is simplistic to divide people into tight little categories but making distinctions is necessary for clear thinking. I had one seminary professor who always used to say that studying theology is all about making definitions and distinctions. Pastoral ministry is utterly dependent on it.

So I think there are two kinds of people: those who are troubled by their sins and those who aren't. In stating that, I might just as well have written that the two types are Christians and non-Christians. It is not possible for a person to be in Christ and have no anguish over his sins.

That having been said, let me add that all the people I've ever met are complicated and contradictory. A Christian might live every day burdened by guilt over sins he has repeatedly confessed and been absolved for. He might also go through life essentially untroubled by his impure thoughts or how he mistreats his wife or his greed, etc. I have even met people who are in torment with guilt over things that are not really even sins.

So there are two types of people - those who are troubled by their sins and those who aren't - and I am both at the same time. I am a true dual personality. Or as Lutheran dogmaticians like to say, I am simultaneously sinner & saint. In this lifetime, no one is ever fully sanctified. That happens only in the next life, though that work of purification has begun here and now.

It's a paradox. It's St. Paul's struggle in Romans 7.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Our theology must be able to work in this paradox. The dichotomy that defines the Christian in this world. Saint and sinner. Law and gospel. To the "me" who is complacent with his sin, preach the judgment of God. And to the "me" who is troubled in conscience, preach reconciliation with God through the atonement.

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One of the great points of division historically between Lutherans and Romans Catholics is the notion of salvation through faith alone (sola fide). This topic continues to energize discussions between believers in those respective churches today.

Setting sola scriptura aside for another occasion, the remaining Reformation solas are sola gratia (grace alone) and solus Christus (Christ alone). When we say that a sinner is saved via faith only, we are saying the same exact thing as when we say that he is saved by God's grace alone and by Christ alone.

We mean that when it comes to being justified before God, I can boast of nothing. I can never stand before the Almighty pointing to my own achievements as a basis for His acceptance. I can only appeal to God's grace (unmerited favor). I can only point to the righteousness of Jesus Christ reckoned to sinners. When I lie dying, I will not find comfort in looking at myself, my life, my personal holiness. All of that falls short, far short. But I will find comfort in the grace of God and work of Christ on my behalf.

That's what sola fide means. It does not mean that a Christian can disregard God's law. It does not mean that it is possible to be a true believer without demonstrating fruit in one's life. It does not mean that we should not expect the believer to advance in holiness. It does mean that none of those things are sufficient to save us, nor are they capable of adding anything to the work of Christ on the cross. The merits of Jesus are the only merits necessary or capable of making me right with God.

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I agree that Mel Gibson has a problem. I don't agree with many in the media, however, about the nature of his problem.

First, he was drunk, driving 87 m.p.h. in a 45 zone, had an open container in his car and when stopped, let fly a string of insulting remarks toward the police officers.

All of that is bad, even criminal, behavior. His anti-semitic remarks are the part, however, that is receiving all the press. And admittedly, there is no excuse for what he is quoted as saying.

What puzzles me is the amount of coverage this has received. Is this the first time a famous person has been on the wrong side of the law? Or is it the first time someone of Gibson's stature has said stupid, offensive, hurtful things?

So the plastered Gibson said the Jews are responsible for all the wars. People say that about Christians all the time. Stop the presses! The statement, in both cases, is erroneous and bigoted. So what else is new? People are ignorant and bigoted. This is news?

Then I read this article from then LA Times. It has a lot of interesting stuff. It basically says that the people in Hollywood who know Mr. Gibson personally and have worked with him have always known about the man's drinking problem and say that when he ties one on, he becomes a different person entirely. So he acts differently when he's smashed on Tequila? Right. Would you, fair reader, want the world to know everything you've done or said after an evening of excessive revelry? This is not to excuse Gibson's behavior. Just to put it back into perspective.

The Times article then ends in the weirdest fashion. It lists a long history of movie stars who've misbehaved, implicitly lumping Gibson among them. But come on! Fatty Arbuckle was charged with rape and murder; Roman Polanski with rape (and he subsequently won an Oscar). Rob Lowe filmed himself having sex with a minor. By comparing Gibson's drunken misbehavior with these far more serious offenses, we risk the further deadening of our consciences.

Is hurling anti-semitic remarks - as wrong as that is - really as bad as rape and murder? If so, then why aren't people tarring and feathering Ted Turner for saying Christians are losers? Is he to be compared to rapists and murderers like Fatty Arbuckle and Rob Lowe? You can tell when a culture is unravelling when it lacks all sense of proportionality. Gibson did a bad thing. But it's not murder.

It reminds me of when I saw a television exchange between two Roman Catholic priests. One a lib and one a conservative. I don't remember the name of the lib, but the conservative was Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life. The lib was barking at Pavone for being so concerned for fetuses but not showing equal outrage over the innocents who've perished in Iraq. God bless Father Pavone. There is a man who understands proportionality. Yes, even a single wrongful death is horrible. But there are btwn 3000-4000 abortions in America every day. Which situation really has the greater moral urgency?

Comparing Gibson to Fatty Arbuckle is a major lapse of moral judgment.

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I love Darrell's take on the story about the British amusement park needing to cancel its Muslim Fun Day due to lack of interest. Instead of September 17, they should have schedule it on 9/11. A much more jubilant day for many world muslims.

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In the Image of God:
A Christian Vision for Love and Marriage

I think all of you should attend this conference from the Cranach Institute on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN. It will be September 18-20, 2006.

The publicity states: This conference will focus on God's design for marriage and sexuality.

Now who doesn't want to hear that?

Speakers will include:

• Rev. Matthew Harrison - Director for the LCMS World Relief and Human Care Ministries
• Ethicist, Dr. Gilbert Meilander
• And best selling author, Lauren Winner
  

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For the past couple of days, Julie, Jacob and I were in Fort Wayne, IN to make preparations for our move.

Regarding my position at the seminary, I had a couple of goals in mind. First, I wanted to introduce myself to the admission staff. They really are a crackerjack bunch. I asked them to show me what their respective jobs entail and tried to impress on them that I am eager to hear their ideas and suggestions. I heard a lot of great thoughts and already have a few things on the roll. I ask of them to simply be patient with me as I have a bit of a learning curve ahead of me. We share the goal of finding excellent candidates for the ministry and helping them through the admission process.

Secondly, I wanted to hand deliver my letter to President Wenthe accepting the call. It was good to speak with him also about his vision for the seminary and share some ideas.

Personally, my wife and son were eager to see the campus house and begin planning how to decorate and furnish it.

I was on staff at the seminary seven years ago before I came to this congregation and it was a joy to see so many familiar faces and renew those acquaintances. I am excited by the challenge ahead of me and feel such a devotion to the seminary and its mission to train shepherds for God's sheep.

Even so, it is sad to consider leaving this congregation which has been so good and loving toward us. May God smile on us all.

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Below is a comment I left on the Beast's blog earlier. Go here to see his post.


Very interesting post. I like what you wrote very much. I haven't read about Pastor Boyd, but he may really be on to something.

Certainly the Bible teaches us how to live holy lives. And certainly it is God's will for His children to lead holy lives. And the Christian Church will, at times, proclaim messages that overlap with current events or social issues.

But you are abso-tively correct that the Bible is not just a book of do's and don'ts It's firstly a book about Jesus and His saving work for humanity. That should always be our central focus.

I personally squirm a little when churches are so quick to adopt secular holidays like 4th of July, Mother's Day, Veteran's Day but ignore historic Christian holy days such as Epiphany, Ascension Day or the season of Lent. But that's another topic.

There is something a bit off about too much blending of Christian teaching with politics and current events. Yes, as I said, the bible does address many issues that happen to show up in the daily papers and the church must teach clearly the whole counsel of God.

But I do not believe the church is the proper place to display the American flag or sing the national anthem or anything like that. God is not (gasp!) an American. Nations rise and fall and ours will be no exception. America is not the new Israel (the church is). We are not the chosen nation (the church is).

Revelation talks about heaven being filled with people from every tribe, nation and tongue. Which flag do they salute in their sanctuary? Whose anthem do they sing in worship? Wouldn't it be great if the church on earth would better reflect the church in heaven?

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One of the things I love about blogging is the network of friendships I have found with Christians all over the nation and of varying confessions.

Two blogs that I check every single day and always get a kick out of reading are from Darrell, the devout Roman Catholic, at SouthCon and from Philip, the Southern Baptist youth pastor, over at The Beast's Lair. They are my peeps.

This is true ecumenism, my friends. We have never been afraid to discuss our differences, but I have been delighted by the civility and warmth and supportiveness these blogging buddies have demonstrated. I certainly do not believe in sweeping doctrinal disagreements under the rug, but it has been enlightening to find out how much we share in common.

Don't get me wrong. I have personally never been more convinced of the veracity of the Lutheran Confessions, but I find that when I hang out only with Lutherans of like convictions, we become sort of, well, smug.

I heard someone put it this way. Confessional Lutherans are like manure. When you spread them around they can do a lot of good. But if you put them all in one place, they just make a big stink.

Anyhoo, go check out SouthCon and The Beast's Lair.

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Friends,
I announced to my congregation today that I have accepted the call as the Director of Admissions for Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN. Our moving date is not certain because that depends to an extent on the moving company. It will likely be the third week of August. Our son will begin 5th grade in St. Paul Lutheran School I think the 23rd. My plan is to return to preach a farewell sermon on August 20th.

I approached this with varied emotions. There is a novel called The Hammer of God by the late Swedish Lutheran bishop, Bo Giertz, in which one of the characters says something like, "Can there be anything more wonderful than being a pastor in God's church?" And the answer to that question is no. And it is after prayer and consultation with trusted advisors that I am accepting this opportunity to have a small role in the recruitment and preparation of the future pastors of God's church. I thank everyone for their prayers and advice.

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P.D. James is one of my favorite contemporary writers. She's an octagenarian English woman who primarily writes detective novels. But anyone who's ever read a P.D. James book knows that she's not just another Stuart Woods or Michael Connelly. Her books are literature in the finest sense. She is also a Christian, a fact that any reader of her novels can discern.

But her most explicitly Christian novel was not a crime story. It was an unlikely sci-fi tale called The Children of Men. It is a wonderful novel. And now it's being made into a major film. I just hope they don't gut it. The preview (see here) looks promising.

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So here we sit in the Denver airport (online, of course). I had a minor boo-boo with the rental car so we got to the car place early to get that taken care of. At present, it appears that our credit card will take of it (whew!).

Looking forward to getting home. I have some hospitalized parishoners to visit and a sermon to prepare for Sunday. So I'll be hopping back in the saddle pretty quickly.

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Well, Julie, Jacob and I will return home to Pittsburgh tomorrow. It's been a great time out here in the West. But it's always nice to come home.

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So 34 U.S. senators voted against this bill. The bill which says that you can't transport a minor over state lines for an abortion without parental consent. How morally empty do you have to be to vote against this bill?

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The 8th commandment is "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." This is the commandment that everyone breaks and that no one breaks. What I mean is that this is the commandment that people always break against you, but which you never break against someone else. It's is hard to justify murder or lust, but easy to justify breaking the 8th commandment. "Oh, I'm just reporting what I heard." "I know what he said, but here is what he really meant...." And so on.

In the Small Catechism, Martin Luther explainse it this way:

We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest possible way.

In another translation, the last line says, "put the best construction on everything." That seems to be the rub.

On the one hand, I think this requires some qualification. Sometimes putting the best construction on something results is sugar-coating bad behavior. And that is something we should never do.

For instance, if a Sunday school child tells me his uncle is molesting him, I don't just pat the lad on the head and say, "Now, now. How can we explain this in the kindest possible way? Your uncle is just really affectionate and likes to hug you with his pants off." Sure, innocent till proven guilty, but take every accusation or hint of impropriety seriously.

Another example I've heard is when a man keeps beating up his wife and she excuses him saying, "Oh, I know he's a good man deep inside. He really does love me. He only hits me when he's drunk anyway."

Hmmm... Oscar Mayer produces a meat-type product that answers that. BALONEY. Sorry, sweetie. The man's a creep. He does not love you.

How does that beautiful paean to love from St. Paul go: "Love is patient. Love is kind. Love will punch you in the face, but only when drunk...."

Just like faith w/o works is dead, so also love. Call the cops. Move out. Get help. Don't let anyone use a perverted understanding of the 8th commandment to to keep you from doing what is necessary. According to Luther, the theology of the cross calls a thing what it is. Preserving that man's rep is not as important as saving your life.

ON THE OTHER HAND - and this is what I initially set out to write about - how quick we are to judge one another. Explain things in the kindest possible way? Seems like sometimes folks bend over backwards to attach the worst possible interpretation to your words or actions.

One thing I always advise couple who come to me for pre-marital instruction is this: Never assume you know what the other person is thinking. And never ever think that you know another person's motives. Certainly, I can judge your words and actions, but not your motives. Never. Why? Because only you know what your motives are and maybe you're not even sure.

So here are some practical ways to understand and obey this commandment:

• Don't assume you know someone's true motives.
• Don't read so much btwn the lines.
• Remember that you are not a mindreader.
  
• Remember that gossip is a sin.
• But DO call a thing what it is. Do not feel you must put a good construction on truly bad behavior.
  

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