LCMS Convention Proceedings St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 116

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118 OTHER PRESENTATIONS

represents the end of the confessional era in the history
of American Lutheranism, an era that goes back to the
time of C.F. W. Walther—when you have that situation,
you begin to realize that sometimes being a confessional
Lutheran even in these free and easy days of 1983 may
be costly, and may be unpleasant, and may not bring us
the greatest happiness and the greatest approval from
everybody. And yet it is something that is worth
striving for. We are by God’s grace confessional
Lutherans, and I pray God we shall continue to be.

We and our partner churches and other churches
with whom we have been in fellowship, and others with
whom I hope. we can be in fellowship, confess, “We
believe, teach, and confess” as Martin Luther so
beautifully interpreted the Scriptures. Not that we
worship him, not that we agree with everything he said.
I think our CTCR showed not only courage but also
wisdom in dissociating us from some of the things he’d
said about the Jews. They were ill considered and they
were products of their time. But when Luther talks—and
during my retirement I’ve read 17 volumes, not 210 yet,
Mrs. Garton, but 17 of them since I retired—through it
all comes Christ, the message of the Gospel, and it’s
marvelous.

Il

Which then brings us of course to the next subject,
namely, the mission of the church. Sometimes we get
theimpression that confessionalism and sound doctrine
are something to be clutched, or something to be putina
bottle or a museum. The doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ is, as our theme for this convention so beautifully
says, something to be proclaimed, boldly, and proudly,
and happily, and joyously. That’s why we’re here, to
talk about church work, to talk about how we can get the
Gospel out, how we can confess Christ to every kindred
and tongue. It wasn’t Luther who said this, it was Christ
himself: “Preach the Gospel to every creature,” to every
nation, to men, to women, and children of every race,
color, creed, social position, and whatever. And folks,
remember, I thought Dr. Hyatt said some marvelous
things this morning when he talked about the power of
the convention, remember that every person here is
engaged in the mission of the church, whether you’re a
layman in the home congregation or a pastor, a teacher,
a District or synodical worker, or official; whether we’re
doing mission work in the sense of being a missionary to
Nigeria, or running the pension program, or counting
the money, or carrying on work among the poor and the
underprivileged; whatever we’re doing, teaching
parochial school or going to a parochial school, we are
engaged in the mission of the church. That’s why we’re
here, because Christ has sent us on a mission. And
through the Reformation of Luther He has given us in
the most marvelous form the message that is to be
proclaimed throughout the world.

I read recently again in my retirement a book
entitled, “Mission in the Making,” the history of
Missouri Synod missions, published in 1963 by a man
who left the Synod in disgust. If I agreed with him and
believed what he said, I’d have left the Synod, too.

Nothing but failures and calamities with a scholastic
confessional theology of our church. And I waht to say
to you, we do a lot of soul searching and we’re critical
beyond all that is right and proper, we’re always
exposing something. I think the Missouri Synod is
doing a fantastic job, humanly speaking. Given original
sin and actual sin and the devil, the world, and all the
rest, I think the Missouri Synod is doing a tremendous
job in carrying out the mission of the church, whether
you talk about Christian education, or social ministry,
or home missions, or foreign missions, or deaf missions, ©
or campus ministry, or prison ministry, or mentally :
retarded ministry, or whatever area it is. ce
Just think! Now I cometo my last point. You seeI put
on my glasses to make sure] got all these points here: Or
just let’s mention one very specific one, the meeting in
San Antonio this summer. Ten thousand youngsters,
teenagers from our congregations gathering together te
proclaim Christ, preparing themselves for service in
carrying out His mission. Some marvelous things are
going on.

IV

And now I come to the final point. Because being
true Lutheran and a Missouri Lutheran, I couldnit:s
possibly make a speech without saying something’
negative. And to reverse the order, we’re going to tak
the negative last.

There’s really only one basic problem that this’
church has not solved. Many of the things we’re wr.
gling about in these overtures and resolutions are eit
unimportant or will be solved or will be ignored
probably rightfully. The world won’t come to an end;
the basis of much that has been decided thus far. But, i
1968 the people of the Missouri Synod for all purpo
laid on the Lord’s altar $240 million, a lot of money.
1982, in the depths of the Reagan depression, after th
Carter inflation, and with 11 million people out of wor
and everybody tearing up things in total despair, th
people of the Missouri Synod laid $600 million on th
Lord’s altar. Over half a billion dollars! And this yea
will hit at least $700 million. Add $300 million in chu
extension funds, add the ministerial pension progra
of hundreds of millions of dollars. We belong to
organization who knows how to give. Our people
been taught how to give and they’re generous and
believe in the Lord’s mission. And when General.
and his associates all over the Synod put on that spe
Forward in Remembrance, as he said so eloquentl:
morning, the most surprised people in the whol
were the people of the Missouri Synod themselves
wasn’t surprised, but we were, $75 million and it}
finished yet.

The problem we've got is how to translate the pr@
amount, a duly proper amount of that $600.
raised by the congregations, over to this churc
that has been given the task of educating all 9
professional church workers, carrying on our: fe
mission program, our whole parish education,
publishing, and all of those related areas, and doze
other functions. I talked to one of my fellow Ar