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"Connecting Lutherans" |
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Layperson
of 72 years finds insulting that Lutheran Hour chooses Schulz for speaker
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For Pastors/Leaders
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Please let me comment briefly on the
decision by Dr. Schulz to suspend Atlantic District President, David Benke.
As a layperson who has been a member
of the LC-MS for over 72 years I am appalled and humiliated by this action,
and, as many others have indicated, ashamed that my church body could do
such a thing.
I have been a delegate to several
Synodical and District conventions, and I have known, of course, that there
is politics in the church, as there is in any human institution, but this
action by Dr. Schulz, in which he sets himself up, virtually, as the Pope
of the Missouri Synod, is really unprecedented.
Many of us went through the "war"
which occuured in our Synod in the late 1960's and early to mid
1970's. It was the most traumatic period of our lives. And now we have
lived long enough to witness yet another "war" commenced by those few within
our church body who truly believe that only they know "the truth," and are
determined to force their misguided views on the rest of us.
I pray to our Lord daily that they
will not be successful.
I had one faithful Lutheran Pastor,
who will remain unnamed, tell me the other day that he was" ashamed
of being a member of the LC-MS." Another Emailed me that he was "outraged"
by the Schulz decision. Those in the pews are bewildered and perplexed by
such a decision.
And no wonder so many of our young
people are leaving the church and not attending services. Many I talk to
say that they want no part of organized religion. It is exactly unloving
actions such as Schulz' which are turning away a whole generation of
people.They want no part of hypocrisy. They want to see Christian actions
and not just pious words.
And, to add insult to injury, the
Lutheran Hour Ministries and the Lutheran Laymen's League now promote Dr.
Schulz to the position of chief spokesperson for The Lutheran Hour. This
is an insult to the memory of Walter Maier, and also an insult to Oswald
Hoffman and Dale Meyer! How can one purport to preach Christ's love on Sunday
morning and then on Monday turn around and "zap" a fellow Pastor in this
manner? It is so hypocritical, The Lutheran Hour has seen its last check
from me until this action is reversed, and I have heard several others say
the same
thing.
Today, in our services, during the
liturgy of Confession and Forgiveness, we asked for forgiveness, among other
things, in that "we have improperly used authority to enforce our ways."
How true that is. We use rules and regulations and obscure passages in By-laws,
instead of Christ's love and compassion. The pharisees had nothing on us!
I pray that our Lord will somehow rescue
this Synod from its downward spiral. It is losing membership and, according
to the latest financial news, it is also losing contributions, to the extent
that many fine programs for spreading the Gospel are being cut and/or eliminated.
It is no longer the wonderful church body I grew up in as a boy and young
man. And it is so sad.
I will continue to pray for Dr. Benke
and the Atlantic District as they go through this struggle. I will continue
to prasy for President Kieschnick, that he may have the courage and fortitude
to weather this storm, and I will also pray for Wallace Schulz, that he will
unharden his heart, and learn to act with Christian love and charity in
the future.
Please DO NOT WITHHOLD my name.
Eugene D. Mossner
Saginaw, Michigan
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