Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

By Charles S. Mueller, Sr.

 There is nothing more essential to the well being of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod than the health and well being of her congregations   Congregations do not need a synod to survive but there is no synod without congregations.  Strong congregations – strong synod.

Preserving hale and hearty parishes has been a priority of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod from its founding.  That’s why better elected officials, pastors, teachers and lay leaders have treasured both purity of doctrine and comprehensive Bible-based practice. Those two accents are woven in to the very fabric of our strongest churches, regardless of their size. 

Knowing what we do about founding and maintaining healthy churches, why are so many churches in decline?  That’s not an easy question to answer.  But there are clues, like the fact that communities change and populations shift.  And there are changes in farming, factories that close, and suburbanization.  All that affects the vigor of a parish. 

Stumbling Over ALL

But a more widespread reason for decline is how we stumble over the three letter word, “all” as in the sentence, “All LCMS congregations need to do is preach the Word in its truth and purity and administer the sacraments according to Christ’s institution.”  That sentence is theologically incomplete and as such, wrong.

Preaching and teaching the Word in its truth and purity while administering the sacraments according to Christ’s institution is a sine qua non for a healthy Lutheran church.  But that’s not the whole of it.  All healthy churches recognize and implement in their own way the six missional emphases the Bible so clearly urges on God’s people.  How they implement these missional urgings will vary depending on their locale and size, starting with worship.

Worship,

After 2,000 years of worshipping the Triune God on the half dozen inhabited continents and among hundreds of cultures and tongues, the form of proper worship depends on who is worshipping, where and when. The how of authentic, Christo-centric worship in stronger Lutheran churches varies widely in the USA.   Its centrality and sparkle do not.    

Witness, Fellowship and Service

Tightly tied to worship are those Biblical twins: witnessing and fellowship.  Both have a face-to-face, one-to-one character.  Whether in church on Sunday or walking down the street on Monday, witness and fellowship stroll hand in hand.  Witnessing is nothing more than telling someone what you believe.  Fellowship is seeing that “someone” as one you want to neighbor.  Jesus’ point in Luke 10:36 was that more significant than having a neighbor is being one.  And the standard for doing that?  Service does for others that which you want done for yourself.  Healthy churches actually “do” for others imitating the early church and Jesus, himself.   Look for the proof of that. 

Test By Learning

How can you test what has been written so far?  It’s easy. Be a learner.  Churches that are committed to life-long learning (a disciple, by definition, is a learner) know that learning is a core congregational issue.  They go looking for the teachers in their midst, promised gifts of the Spirit.  Then, when teachers and learners hook up, Christian education blooms and prospers and day schools, Bible classes, small groups of all kinds, high schools and our celebrated Concordia University System, all thrive.

Stewardship

 Which leaves but one healthy Lutheran church element: Biblical stewarding.  Healthy churches constantly talk about the physical blessings God has given His children and the responsibilities that go with His gifts.  Churches that can’t/won’t talk together about God’s bounty are essentially ripping out huge chunks of His inspired Word and throwing them away.  Is it any wonder that Lutheran churches that accept all that the Bible teaches are upfront about stewarding matters, too?  And get healthier as they do so?

Thank God for the many LCMS churches of every size, urban/suburban/rurban or rural, that have committed themselves to being full-service centers of Christian ministry while maintaining an unwavering Confessional commitment.  While claiming the famous “solas” they are always conscious that our heavenly Father has set a time imperative (John 9:4).  They busy themselves doing what He has asked us to do.  That’s the main thing.