I grew up when the marks of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod were the “L’s”. Lutheran Layman’s League, Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and Aid Association for Lutherans. You saw these “L’s” and you knew you were home where, to steal from Garrison Keillor, “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” I was asked recently what I thought about the above named offering from the Lutheran Hour Ministries. In a word: you know how video killed the radio star? It’s going to slaughter theology.
But before I continue to address their latest offering, let’s remember what they did 23 years ago. After the syncretistic, unionistic, interfaith prayer service in Yankee Stadium after 9/11, the second vice president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod was ask to address the complaint that a District President of the LCMS participated in it. He found the man guilty and sought to discipline him. Being a speaker, if not the speaker, of the Lutheran Hour Ministries’ “The Lutheran Hour”, Lutheran Hour Ministries fired him…for cause.
I called up the “Ministries” office and was greeted by a professional, damage control, PR guy. He told me he was retired from the secular world and hired to address “this.” “This” presumably being the indelicate, from their perspective, and sinful, faithless from my perspective, firing of Rev. Wallace Schultz. He explained he was fired because there was a clause in his contrast that he could not bring untoward attention on himself or their ‘ministry.’
I asked him what was Lutheran Hour Ministries’’ position on praying with pagans. He said, “We have none.” From then on I was done with their “ministries”. You should be too. They did the equivalent of falling down before an idol while Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego were thrown into the furnace. Check that. They actually threw Daniel into the lion’s den.
Since then LHM has continued to pander and fawn, to connect with the world at any price. The GodConnect videos are in that vein. I looked at their Communion video. It teaches open Communion, i.e. as long as you repent of your sin, want to amend, and believe in the Real Presence you can/should communion. It says nothing about being in fellowship, i.e. believing the same things. This is at best Fox News communing. We tell you what it is and you decide whether to commune or not. At worst it is minimalist Communion. ELCA – and the Episcopal, UCC, and Reformed Church in America could commune at this altar. GodConnect Videos are Conservative Lutheranism Lite. All the form 50% less of the substance.
In 2010 LCMS published Lutheranism 101 for teaching adults the faith. I reviewed it here http://blog.trinityaustin.com/2011/09/26/lutheranism-101-is-really-lcms-2-0/ . I wouldn’t have believed anyone could water the basics down any further than that. The Lutheran Hour has. But they are simply keeping pace with the fact virtually no one prefaces a question with: “I was reading…” Now it’s, “I saw a video that…” But as radio gave way to video, video is giving way to the equivalent of pops, squeaks, and grunts in language. Video taped Bible Classes, which aren’t wrong, will give way to downloading info by images, sounds, snapchats, and hashtags.
We won’t notice the “old way” of learning, connecting has disappeared right a way, but we will one day. Just like only now we ask: why aren’t any kids playing outside in my neighborhood…ever?
