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LET US UNITE AS LUTHERANS
By: Rev. Jack Cascione |
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by Rev. Thomas J. Queck, Chairman of L.C.A.
(Ed. note: Rev. John Queck is the Chairman of Lutheran
Concerns Association. They hold their annual meeting in Chicago the week
after Easter. Lutheran Concerns is active in promoting fiscal
accountability in the LCMS and many other constitutional issues. They
were also very active in promoting Dr. Dean Wenthe as President of the
LCMS.)
Recent events in our nation have had repercussions in our churches.
The repercussions have varied in content and in intensity. But one
thing that has been revealed as a result of pastors, laymen, and
administrators responding to such events is a diversity among us who profess
to be Lutheran. Such diversity has been revealed in the headlines of
the press as certain individuals claim to set a different theological
direction for Lutheranism. Such diversity is revealed, as there are
leaders of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod that view the church through
eyes focused on resolutions and committees. Such diversity is found as
so-called "veteran pastor(s)" redefine long held definition of
terms to also revise key events of our church's past. For example,
there was the redefining of the term "confessional."
Historically the term "confessional" has simply meant loyalty to
the Lutheran Confessions. This is all it means today to those who call
themselves "confessional Lutherans." And what a truly
confessional person always understands is that the Lutheran Confessions are
a statement of what we Lutherans believe to be the teachings of Scripture,
centered upon the Gospel, and what we therefore believe, teach, and publicly
confess. To be confessional is simply to have a childlike trust in the
truthfulness of Scripture. Therefore, the power of the Lutheran
Confessions rests on their loyal and total submission to the divine Word.
Throughout our Synod are many confessional pastors and laypeople. And
many such people who have seen the danger and fallout of those who have a
different view of Scripture and who are trying to take our Synod down an
"unconfessional" path have untied together in various ways.
Many have united together locally and within Districts. Others have
united around certain issues or causes or in response to things that
undermine the Gospel proclamation of our Synod. Together all such
groups see the danger in the diversity revealed in our Synod, or what some
may properly call apostasy.
But now it is time to unite for one purpose and cause. That purpose
and cause being to boldly proclaim Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world;
to subscribe to His own words as he said, "I am the way, the truth, and
the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." (John
14:6)
Many such groups have communicated together and have met not only to express
their desire to preserve what is truly "Missouri" but the way of
salvation to all people. The Lutheran Concerns Association is viewed
as one of the key components in making this effort successive. We have
committed ourselves to working for the good of our Synod which means that we
commit ourselves to the clear and true proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ and support of all ministries that also support the Gospel
proclamation in our church body. I simply call for you to also support
this work with others for the good of God's church and our Synod.
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January 12, 2002 |