by CoinOperatedChristian » January 27th, 2007, 6:57 pm
Your sarcasm is duly noted, and somewhat appreciated. It’s not the best sarcasm, but then not everyone has the knack for telling jokes. Like most attempts at truth in humor, the art is in the delivery. And of course the closer you actually get to the truth, the better the humor. Sarcasm literally means to “bite the flesh” after all, so the point of any good sarcasm is use humor in the application of delivering the truth into the blood stream… so it’s taken to heart.
Now, the truth is… I like and admire Lutheranism. I even like and admire most Lutherans. We happen to have several Lutherans (of the liberal variety) on staff. We often have visiting pastors on campus quite frequently. I enjoy our discussions… usually.
Absolutely I’m open to criticism… the best one is that I dance around with all the Christian denomination without choosing membership in any one of them. I would be a Roman Catholic because I think their link to the historic One Christian and Apostolic Church has the best claim, but do not believe the Catholic Church today has much in common with that historic faith. I flirt with Lutheranism because I think their doctrines are spot on-- but their practice is all over the map. One has to pick and choose between their individual congregations, depending on the pastor and the leadership. They are a synod held together by a common benefit package, not in a common confession.
It only gets worse from there as far as American Evangelicalism goes… so I stand-alone. Arrogant in my own way, but earnestly desiring community. And wishing that either the Lutherans would get their act together or that Rome would have a reformation that actually restored grace. Meanwhile… I’m open to the criticism of being aloof… but not unloving, which is where your sarcasm hurts rather than heals. A false truth is a poison. Honest truth is a cure.
If I’m a bit hard on Lutherans it is not out of hate or anger, but actually deep love and affection for them as a desire to see them catch on and catch hold of the gifts they have to offer all of us.