# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S44 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 44 MISSIONS witness to this great fact, it is necessary for churches to find ways in which they can make a united witness to all men. We do not say this with any intention of minimizing the necessity of speaking the truth. But we must deplore any evidence of a spirit of smugness. of separatism. and of indifference to the quest of the church to achieve the expression of the unity of the Spirit. We therefore encourage our Synod to continue its dialog with fellow Lutherans and with other Christians both in our own country and in foreign lands. We ought to do this energetically, trusting that through our listen- ing and speaking the Holy Spirit will break down the barriers which are keeping Christians apart. Need for an Evangelical Emphasis on Lodge Practice The commission is also deeply concerned that the Synod maintain an evangelical emphasis in its practice with regard to fraternal organizations. In “The Synod’s Position Concerning Lodges” (Handbook, pp. 213—214) the emphasis seems to be legalistic. For example: “The Synod is firmly opposed . . take action against ... admonish all pastors... ‘lodge evil’... shall be suspended and eventually ex- pelled ... eradicating the ‘lodge evil’... not to admin- ister Holy Communion . . . nor to admit such persons to communicant membership.” Of course we must point out that one who knowingly holds to the religious ele- ments of a secret order cannot at the same time con- sistently subscribe to and confess such Scriptural doc- trines as the Holy Trinity, the deity of Christ, the vi- carious atonement, and justification by faith alone. In our approach to officials of fraternal organizations, in our efforts to win for Christ those who belong to frater- nal organizations, and in dealing with “exceptional cases” among our own members, the emphasis must always remain evangelical. Only as the Holy Spirit brings the power of the Gospel to bear on the heart of man will man be moved to take his stand on the side of Christ and to confess Him boldly and consistently. Only as faith in Christ matures will the appeal of fra- ternal organizations diminish and eventually disappear. Conclusion We do not have many overtures to bring before the convention. Those which we have prepared we believe to be directed toward an ongoing process of change and development in the church. We must repeat what was said at the beginning of this report— that what has been said is a faithful reflection of what we have seen and is an attempt to be faithful to the assignment which the Synod has given us. If we have been critical, we have tried not to be judgmental. We are trying to speak the truth in love. WiLLiaM S. GrauMANN, Chairman LEONHARD C. WUERFFEL, Vice-Chairman Dona.p L. KELL, Secretary Martin L. KretTzMann, Consultant APPENDIX “Affirmations on God’s Mission” (A partial catalog of material which has been prepared on the basis of the affirmations for various uses in the church.) I. General Articles on the Affirmations 1. A series of six articles in The Lutheran Layman from December 1966 to May 1967, by Pastor Charles Mueller, Silver Spring, Md. These arti- cles take the substance of the affirmations and relate them to the daily life of the Christian in the world. 2. An editorial in the South Wisconsin District Edi- tion of the Lutheran Witness, March 1967, which gives an overview of the affirmations and points out both their Scriptural and Confessional base as well as their relevance to the life of the church today. II. Studies on the Affirmations Designed for Use in Congregations 1. “Mandate for Mission.” A study prepared by the Board for Parish Education. There is one lesson to cover each affirmation. The pattern followed is problem oriented, with the examina- tion of pertinent Scripture passage, discussion questions, and the substance of the affirmations. Attached to this is a 14-page summary of Sec- tion I of the ‘Report of Mission Self-Study and Survey” presented to the Detroit convention. This is a rearrangement of the “theological basis” section of that report to fit into the various affirmations. 2. “So the Church Is God’s Mission.” A proposed study guide to lead both clergy and laity into the spirit and meaning of the Mission Affirmations. The method followed here is to present certain case situations and to give participants the op- tion of selecting various answers to the prob- lems. It also includes a bibliography with 21 titles, and references to articles in the Concordia Theological Monthly from 1960 to 1966. This was prepared by a committee of the Southern District. 3. “That Word Mission.” An outline prepared by Rev. Arthur J. Schauer, Imperial, Mo., for use in an adult Bible class. Pastor Schauer has taken the resolutions of the convention, con- densed them into very simple statements, and added questions for discussion under each of the six lessons. Eight pages. 4. ‘We Say We're Sent.” 13-unit series on the affirmations reprinted from The Gate, by Robert Hoyer, 1969. III. Worship Materials Based on the Mission Affirma- tions 1. “Your Worship, Sir!” A series of six worship services with the substance of the affirmations, a dialog, Scripture readings, and homilies. Pre-