|
What About The Church
Where Reclaim News Comes From?
By: Rev. Jack Cascione |
|
|
|
|
|
How does Redeemer Lutheran Church function while the pastor operates three
internet sites, writes for Christian News, debates theology and practice,
reports on activities in the Synod, and lobbies for extreme right wing
issues in the Small Catechism? Actually, the pastor does do a lot of
other things but we won't talk about that.
How can a church that only uses TLH in an older inner-ring shrinking
neighborhood survive? Redeemer has its share of problems. It
took us 2 ½ years to find a good organist who loved traditional worship.
Having the four-lane in front of our church totally blocked-off and under
construction for nearly two years didn't help.
Every six months Redeemer Lutheran Church officially recognizes new members.
By the grace of God, this coming Sunday, after sixteen weeks and 32 hours of
instruction, Redeemer will only confirm 9 new adults and only receive 6 more
adults into membership by reaffirmation of faith or transfer. There
are only 6 new children among these 15 adults because most of them haven't
been married long enough to have many children. Of course these 15
adults have spouses and close relatives who are not members of Redeemer.
We pray that God will send us more people in the next six months and we can
keep the ones we have.
The growth or shrink of any congregation is only a minor indication of a
pastor's credentials. Some of the worst pastors may have growing
congregations and some of the best pastors may have shrinking congregations
and vice versa.
Most of the advice on operating a congregation is like golf tips, new diets,
or hearing how people lived to be 100 years old. You know, "I
have a shot of scotch and two soft boiled eggs every morning."
What to do? Pay no attention to advice from the District Office or the
Facilitor. Don't ask the District Office for help or you will regret
it the rest of your life. If you can't make it on your own you can't
make it. It is up to the Lord.
Watch out for the contemporary worship backlash. It is already
beginning. If you thought the media worked over the Catholic Church wait
till you see what they do to the "churches" that exist for their
own enjoyment under the pretext of religion.
Do the best job you can do teaching adult instruction and preaching.
At best, this writer is only mediocre, so, don't copy him. Be your own
man.
When things go wrong it is your fault and when things go right God did it.
I'm constantly amazed at how things I didn't improve got better and how
things I improved got worse. Self-praise stinks.
Pray for a miracle. Grace works the best. All statistics are
absolute vanity.
Good statistics are like the man you tells you how good his health is and
the next week he is sick as a dog.
Luther really was brighter than most.
Walther was right.
Duty is ours. Events belong to God.
(P.S. Rev. Larry White's book on adult instruction is the best available.
His new traditional church in Houston is booming, but White knows what
happens to those who boast. May God continue to bless his
congregation. God gives gifts when and where He pleases.)
|
|
January 9, 2002 |