LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2001, Page 447

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ADDITIONAL THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS—OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 447

* God’s Word is not culturally-specific nor culture-bound. Chris-
tianity is for “every tribe and language and people and nation.”
(Revelations 5:9)

¢ The historic church, unified in all of its diversity in the one Lord
Jesus Christ, embraces every time, extending back through his-
tory, constituting a communion of all the saints who still worship
their Lord in heaven.

¢ The Christian church—with its universal claims, its liturgies that
have transcended times and places and nationalities, and its mes-
sage that continues to change the hearts of people in every nation,
tribe and language—is the one genuinely multi-cultural institu-
tion. .

It follows that, in a climate of cultural diversity,
the church must recover its universality.

Therefore, it is spiritually harmful:

* When the church emulates the commercial pop culture at the ex-
pense of traditional Biblical practices.

* When the transient styles of pop music drive out classic hymns
and liturgies that have withstood the test of time.

* When church practices are judged by their entertainment value,
rather than by their Scriptural faithfulness.

¢ When different messages are devised for different cultures or sub-
cultures.

¢ When the church is divided upon cultural or generational lines,
violating the unity of diverse peoples in the Body of Christ.
(Galatians 3:28; | Corinthians 12:12-31)

* When the church, attempting to blend into a homogenized cul-
ture, does not affirm its unique identity.

¢ When a congregation aims at an undifferentiated, generic Chris-
tianity, rather than taking its distinct place as the Holy Christian
Church in a diverse religious landscape.

¢ When the church attempts to appeal to only one segment within
the congregation, thereby dividing God’s people against each
other.

¢ When the cultural range of the church is narrowed by adapting to
a single, momentary cultural expression (such as that of white,
middle-class baby-boomers) that will soon pass away.

¢ When Christians become culturally parochial, neglecting missions
and outreach to people different from themselves.

* When the church changes with each prevailing culture and with
every new generation, thereby losing its catholicity, pitting cul-
tures and generations against each other, and, ironically, losing
its relevance to any culture.

When to Follow the Culture and When to Counter the
Culture

Christians are to be engaged in their cultures, being “in the
world, but not of the world,” acting in their vocations as parents,
citizens and workers. At the same time, the spiritual kingdom, found
in the church, is to be separate from the world, governed not by
human reason nor by human power but solely by the Word of God.

Matters of culture are susceptible to change, revision and soci-
ological applications (under God’s Law). Matters of theology, on
the other hand, are subject to God’s Word alone, and may not be al-
tered for cultural considerations.

Community dynamics are cultural

Churches should be sensitive to their local cultures. The value
placed upon “friendliness”—and the different ways of expressing it
from culture to culture—should be appreciated. Other local cus-
toms should be respected and used as means of outreach into the
community.

Demographic research and other information about the commu-
nity can be helpful in the process of church planting and evange-
lism. Social issues, particular needs of people in the congregation,
and cultural problems should also be the concern of the local church.

Worship is intrinsically theological

The church’s worship is the worship by the baptized, those who
are gathered in the name of the Holy Trinity. The church's worship
is not primarily for outreach to unbelievers. How the church wor-
ships should be determined according to its theology, not according
to human desires, popular tastes or cultural trends.

Though certain practices in worship are adiaphora, those too are
matters of theological emphasis, not cultural accommodation.
Though changes in worship are sometimes necessary so that wor-
shipers can better understand its significance, they are to be done in
a theological way.

The development of liturgies and hymns is a complex process,
requiring scholarship, in-depth theological analysis and musical ex-
pertise—as evidenced in the Synod’s new hymn book project. Over
the course of this ten-year project, the LCMS has the opportunity to
reconcile the varying claims of the traditional and the contempo-
rary, and other controversies. It is to be hoped that the new hymnal
will be adopted by all of our congregations, thereby restoring Scrip-
tural and confessional coherence in worship.

Communication is cultural

Language, thought-forms and ways of thinking change from
culture to culture, and in a single culture over time. Churches must
communicate the unchanging truths of God’s Word in a way that
they will be understood.

But because the Christian church is bound to God’s Word. the
focus will be on language—specifically, God’s language in Scrip-
ture—which is the substance of our liturgy, our preaching. and our
teaching.

Preaching is theological

A sermon must always be the proclamation of the Law and the
Gospel. in which God Himself promises to work in a powerful
way.

It is being said by some Church Growth proponents that “people
don’t want to hear about sin”; they want a more positive, affirming
message that builds up their sclf-esteem. This approach eliminates
the Law. Since “self-esteem” theology encourages faith in one-
self—rather than in Christ—it also eliminates thc Gospel.

Another motif of Church Growth homiletics is that people want
“practical Biblical guidelines” for everyday life, instead of heavy-
duty theology. The most popular sermons, therefore, will draw
principles from the Bible about practical issues—such as how to
manage money, how to handle family problems, and how to avoid
stress. Such sermons, in one sense, are all “Law,” but they manage
to water down the Law so that it seems easily achievable, a matter
of self-help rules, rather than the demands of a righteous God. Such
sermons, however popular, can never bring anyone into faith.

Certainly, the Scriptures give guidance for life, and the Third
Use of the Law has an important function in the Christian life. But
pastors must be very careful to avoid the cultural temptation to
preach sermons that are merely “therapeutic,” as opposed to bring-
ing their listeners to repentance, through the Law, and to faith,
through the Gospel of free forgiveness through the death and res-
urrection of Jesus Christ.

Technology is cultural

The advance of the Reformation was greatly aided by the in-
vention of the printing press, the technological innovation that
made it possible for everyone to own and to read the Bible. By the
same token, other technological developments should be gladly
embraced by the church as ways to help fulfill its mission.

The LCMS was a pioneer in using radio and television to spread
the Gospel. Today. the Internet and other information technologies
hold great potential for use by the church.

2001 Convention Workbook