C.F. W. Walther, the founding President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod says an emphatic NO! (Thanks to my friend Pastor Steve Wagner for surfacing the following quote from Walther)"For if the entire Christian church is the real mission society which God Himself has established, then all those who ignore mission work and do not care anything for it are not true and living members of the church, that is, not true Christians. They break the oath of allegiance which they have made to Christ at their baptism. They want to carry the keys of the kingdom of heaven in their hands and yet do not want to open heaven to those who are still outside…They want to be God's wheat, and still are not fruitful grains of wheat. They want to have faith, yet have no love. They have no compassion in their hearts for the distress of the heathen, and thereby show that even though they are baptized, they still have a heathenish heart and that they themselves are in darkness and the shadow of death." C. F. W. Walther, "The Mission Society Established by God" in The Word of His Grace, Occasional and Festival Sermons.
- Being a Christian means being engaged in the Mission of Christ – It is not an optional activity for an individual Christian or a community of believers in a congregation.
- We often say that what matters is being faithful. That is true. Jesus says "If you continue in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free." John 8.32. But Jesus' word includes the Great Commission to "go and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19. Dr. Walther reminds us that if we are not faithful to that Great Commission, we have broken "the oath of allegiance" made at our baptism.
- Walther also warns against desiring to have faith and doctrine down pat but not having love for those who are far from God. In fact he calls this attitude having "a heathenish heart" which puts one in the "shadow of death."
- Walther's admonition to the church of the late 19th century is to make sure we are opening the Kingdom of heaven to those who are still outside in darkness. He warns the church of then and now that if we turn in on ourselves, even if we think we have our faith and doctrine just right, we are unfaithful servants.
The only things that can stop us from being missional are our own fears, prejudices and needs to feel comfortable with people just like us in our own local congregations. It is only our sinfulness that gets in the way.
I don't know about you, but I want to be part of "the real mission society which God Himself has established" as C.F.W. Walther put it. I pray for opportunities to share the love of Christ with others. I pray too that we will continue to plant many new churches here in Texas and throughout the world.
If that is your desire as well, please pray right now that God might use you and your church to be part of God's plan to save people who are far from God!
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1 comment:
Paul,
It is worth noting that when you describe the tools of mission work ("The good news is that we have all that we need...") Baptism and the Lord's Supper -- actual means of grace that bring salvation to all who receive them in faith -- are not brought to the attention of your readers. On the other hand, "financial and technical resources," which never saved anyone, are mentioned. Does this not illustrate the true location of the division in the Missouri Synod over mission? It is not between those who see mission as optional and those (like Walther) who don't. It is between those (like Walther) who see Word and Sacrament ministry as being the central element in our "missional journey," and those who see it as being one among many tools, resources and methods available to God's people (and one worth mentioning in the context of "outreach" to our contemporary world).
"God's Word in all its truth and purity" occupies exactly the right place on your list of things needed to become Walther's "real mission society." It is, and ought to be, first in our priorities. But how can a congregation or synod stake a claim to "truth and purity" when it has no unity? A body divided, by definition, cannot agree on what the truth is. And since it is not possible for both sides in a conflict to possess the truth in purity, it is not possible for the body as a whole to possess it either. When a body of Christians, either as a matter of conscience or taste, cannot or will not gather together around one altar and pulpit; they may be united in something, but it is not the Christian faith. So it is not just the Missouri Synod that finds its unity in something other than God's Word and Sacraments, it is many (perhaps most?) of our congregations as well. As Christians we should reconsider what constitutes just cause for local congregations to divide into separate services, because "God's Word in all its truth and purity" cannot live in a house divided.
God's blessings and my best regards,
Eric Matthaei
Irving, Texas
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