reconciling things

My heart feels heavy for the condition of the church.  Oh, Luther! Calvin! Zwingli! Let’s go back and start over!!!!  Because this is getting ridiculous.  It’s passed hurtful, looking at comical in the rear-view mirror and now is downright confounding.

Today in a social media group I read this: “Here is the question: if you could not find a legitimate Bible teaching church in your local area that also promoted homeschooling and opposed common core, would you be willing to become part of an online church utilizing video streaming, Facebook, private chat rooms and other technologies to teach the Word and keep the ‘congregation’ connected?”

Now we aren’t just starting new churches because we disagree on foundational principles of The Eucharist, Salvation, Baptism, etc. Now we are starting new churches because the one we currently attend doesn’t publicly denounce public school and won’t take a political stance on common core. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Exchanging the Apostles Creed for a political creed.  Trading in the doctrine of the mystical Body of Christ for the doctrine of a political party.

What unites us as believers is NOT where we stand on current political issues.  What unites us is Jesus.  When I go to church on Sunday morning it is not so that I can find other people with whom I have everything in common.  It is not so that I can feel comfortable and unchallenged in my politics, domestic policies and personal choices.

I go to that building, with those people, say those creeds, recite that liturgy, receive that Eucharist so that I can affirm together with all those Others that we are sinners, dependent on His mercy, relying on His salvation.  We may be of different opinions politically, we may come from different ethnic backgrounds, we may live with some different values–but we all need Jesus.

There are commands that we must follow–we must greet one another with a sign of peace, we must wash each other’s feet, we must anoint the sick with oil, we must raise up holy hands without wrath or doubting, we must be baptized–how are all these things to be accomplished via Facebook?  Via Skype?

This is what happens when you don’t keep the main thing, the MAIN THING!

So, I guess the First Church of Anti-Public Schooling and of Facebook is in the works.

Perhaps Luther is weeping with regret.  Perhaps he is praying for us.