Missionaries, Guardians view faithfulness differently

By David S. Luecke

What words should be used to describe the opposing positions that have our synod in deep conflict? In the September Special Issue Rev. Dave Buegler used “conservatives” and “confessionals,” arguing that almost everyone in the LCMS is conservative after the conflict of the 1970s.

While those descriptions are helpful for some, “guardians” and “missionaries” may also prove a useful distinction. Both are proper and necessary positions, and many pastors in the LCMS are both. It’s like the “integrated faith” Charles Mueller, Sr., spoke of on the previous page.  But the differing emphases of “guardians” and “missionaries” become important and apparent in times of change and confusion, such as is happening in American society in general and what happened on September 11 specifically.

In crisis, the guardians instinct is to reach back for something that long established.  The missionaries are ready to reach out to the future in new ways if necessary for their mission.

How does it go for you?  To take action toward the future in times of confusion is to take a risk—just as much as going back to the “tried and true” is a risk.  The risk in either case?  What you are doing may fail or be wrong.  New answers may bring their own consequence.  Old answers may bring about the same “crisis” results.

“Risk,” however, is not a Scriptural term. How does the Bible talk about taking action when you are not sure it will be successful?  “Faith” is the concept we are looking for.

Scriptural teachings on faith address the readiness to face uncertainties of the future with confidence. As Hebrews 11 puts it, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

The examples in Hebrews 11 of people who lived by faith are stalwarts who left old ways behind to go confidently into the new future that God was unfolding.  Abraham took his family and servants out into the desert willing to trust God to show him a better place.

He trusted God enough to be willing to sacrifice his son under conditions that made no sense at all.  Moses, too, trusted God to make something good for his people out of their exodus from Egypt.  To be full of faith is to take risks in moving on to an uncertain future. It is readiness to leave old humanly proven ways behind.  “Missionaries,” full of faith, move forward despite the evidence around them.

But “faithfulness” is a term used frequently by “guardians.”  This usually means to stay with the old ways, even when they do not appear to be effective. This posture looks backwards and means faithfulness to a heritage of what God has done in the past.

Biblical faithfulness, however, is forward looking.  It is to trust God to make something new under changed conditions.

Do we want to be a church body looking backward and assuming that our best days are behind us?  Or will we face the future ready to believe that our best days are ahead, because we have faith that God will show us the way to be an effective, truth-declaring church that rightly balances both the missionary and guardian functions basic to being a faithful church?