The Citadel (a cautionary tale)

The smoke and dust rose in an ever increasing pillar. Our beloved city was gone. In a moment of time it was no more. We stood together, in a small cluster, on the hillside, weeping and singing our laments. "Oh, Citadel, fairest of cities, beautiful sanctuary, our home in this new land. Gone! Gone! Nothing remains. Gone!"

We had come to the new land years ago. We were seeking a sanctuary, a place of freedom, a place to worship God in Spirit and truth. The road was long and difficult. Across the sea, down the rivers, to the west, toward the setting of the sun. For centuries we had been a people sojourning first here then there. Ever gong on, ever westward. We longed for a settled life, a place of security.

When we arrived at the valley we beheld the fertile lands, the merging of two great rivers, the rich forests. This was a place to settle, to build, to grow, to prosper. There was no king, no emperor, no supreme pontiff. We would be governed by the sacred scriptures, by the faith of our fathers that is found in them. In our new homeland we would trust in our God and serve our neighbor. Each man would contribute to the whole. Each week we would join together to hear God's truth and receive his gracious gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Then we would go out into the land and live in faith toward God and in love toward one another.

This was our hope. It was the plan. But the plans of sinful men often go astray. Even at the beginning we encountered problems. Some of our group wanted to adapt our ways to the ways of the people of the land. They did not think it wise to be different, to stand out. "We must make them trust us, to feel comfortable with us." Others would claim, "They will be more likely to join us in our faith if we put away the old dusty ceremonies and non essential dogmas of the past."

So, we split into two factions. One was always changing. Always trying out new ideas from the people of the land. In short order they no longer taught the faith as our fathers passed it on. Their doctrines changed. They held ceremonies that resembled the ceremonies of other faiths. They thought us foolish for hanging on to the old ways. "You cannot keep your grandfather's ways forever!"

We thought them foolish and unfaithful to our faith for abandoning the ancient ways. How could one claim to be a follower of the faith when throwing away its teachings and changing the very ceremonies that helped to teach its truth and give its blessings?

Many of our people did not understand the fuss. "Why are your two groups always fighting? Can't we all get along?" An uneasy truce was reached. Both sides gathered with their own. Both looked with suspicion on the other. Both became certain that they were right.

Each side occasionally tried to exert control over the other. Neither succeeded until the last days of the Citadel. A man arose who used political power and rhetoric to fool those in the middle who just wanted to get along with everyone. His conciliatory words and his promises of better days caused them to give him support. "After all," they claimed, "if we agree on a few basic things it is enough." He was elected the First Servant. As First (as he liked to be called) he packed his Council with friends and fellow "new way" believers. Through executive privilege and through sweeping changes in the rules he forced the people to accept his ideas.

Those of us who thought the First to be teaching errors and leading the people in the wrong direction began to talk about leaving. It would be hard to leave behind our friends on the other side. But our people had left other places before. We had survived. We could do so again. Most of our group thought we should wait. "Maybe things will change. It will be alright if we just have patience." The few who saw the danger ahead reminded the others of the problems in the old land. "The First has taken on powers that are not in keeping with the scriptures and our father's faith. He is not acting like a servant, but like a dictator!"

At this time cracks in the Citadel walls began to appear. The builder's guild began to search the chambers below the Citadel to discover the problem. After surveying the storage rooms near the foundations of the walls they came back with distressing news. Their report said, "Years of neglect and certain unwise practices have created a dangerous situation. Some of the foundation bedrock has been weakened by cutting into them to expand the archives. The old theology books and histories of the people were placed in these rooms by the First to make room for the new library in the Council chambers. We had to move aside stacks of books and records to find this problem. Our recommendation is that the rooms be cleared out so new buttresses might be constructed to strengthen the walls. Remember the builder's maxim, when the foundations are weakened, the walls cannot stand." The report was not made public. The First demanded that the builder's guild swear an oath of secrecy. "We do not want to alarm the people with this news until we assign a task force to look into these opinions."

We got a copy of it. The next day it was published in the Daily. The uproar was amazing. That night the First addressed the people in the plaza. "This report in the Daily is not true. There is no danger. We will assign a blue ribbon task force to look into these allegations. But, I speak with every confidence that we are entirely safe. Please return to your homes and live your lives with the knowledge that your First is always vigilant and concerned about your welfare." That night we made plans to leave the Citadel.

On the last day our small group gathered by the west gate with our carts loaded with our few most prized possessions. As the first rays of dawn lightened the eastern sky and the first birds began to sing, the gates creaked open. The gatekeeper looked at us and remarked, "Headed west then? Wher'ya goin'?" We handed him a copy of the Daily and left the Citadel. As we reached the top of the hill the ground began to shake. A loud crack boomed across the valley. We all turned to look. In stunned silence we saw the walls begin to fall inward and disappear in a cloud of dust and smoke. The entire city was gone. When the foundations are weakened, the walls cannot stand.

"Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle to no avail."

[Issues, Etc. Blog of the Week 2/13/2009]

"Invincible stupidity"—What a great summarization of the shenanigans at LCMS, Inc. in regard to the entire Issues, Etc. debacle. In a recent broadcast Todd and Jeff briefly mentioned the ongoing silliness perpetuated by the Purple Vatican as they try to silence the voice of Confessional Lutherans within the LCMS. After Issues, Etc. (hereafter simply IE) was canceled, the Purple Vatican (hereafter PV—Purple Vatican) probably thought that IE would simply wither away. The explosion of support for IE and the response of their listeners was not expected. The voice they sought to silence is now speaking even more pointedly to the issues of the day. By means of their "Christ Centered and Cross Focused" broadcasting and web-casting, IE exposes the false and fruitless fads in the church. The fact that the PV has clearly signed on for the faddish approach to "doing church" is not the fault of those who speak the truth.

Without the PV restrictions Todd and Jeff are free to do shows on any topic that needs to be addressed. This unbridled freedom to speak must be galling to those in the PV who have an agenda to silence all opposition to their plans. But what kind of personal animus would motivate the PV crowd to perpetuate the controversy? Evidently the attempt to trademark the IE "brand-name" is being opposed by the PV. They oppose IE's desire to keep their name! This for a show that the PV did not support and did not want. But this is not enough for the corporate lawyers and bureaucrats. They have threatened Todd and Jeff with personal legal action. Why would they waste their time and effort on this nonsense?

The problem with the PV is that it is run by people who have no grasp on reality and no desire to act as Christians. Think for a moment about the way they are acting. They are suing to stop IE from using their name. They are threatening Todd and Jeff with personal lawsuits. This is not an attempt to further the preaching of the truth. This is a calculated and evil desire to silence those with whom they disagree. It is another attempt to use power for ungodly purposes. On top of this one must wonder why they would waste the time and money on such legal battles when the PV finances are in such a mess?

Invincible stupidity is an apt appellation for this behavior. Sadly, one can almost expect it from that crowd. A playwright wrote, "Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens." Die Jungfrau von Orleans; Friedrich von Schiller. "Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle to no avail."

Flip Wilson for Synod President

I know you think this is a crazy idea—Flip Wilson, the comedian, who passed away ten years ago for Synod President? Are you kidding? Well, yes I am, in part. Some of you may not even know who Flip Wilson was. Flip Wilson portrayed humorous characters. The most famous was perhaps Geraldine the flirty black woman, "What you see is what you get!" Fewer people outside of Flip's fans will remember that he also portrayed Reverend Leroy, a smooth talking con–artist, "The devil made me say that!" Rev. Leroy was pastor of a storefront congregation, The Church of What's Happening Now. "We don't care 'bout what went on yesterday. We don't care 'bout what's going to happen tomorrow. We're talkin' about what's happening right now!"

The skill of Flip Wilson's comedy was the way in which he captured the odd aspects of life in America. The Church of What's Happening Now truly represents the silliness that has happened in much of American religious experience. American "evangelical" churches of every stripe have largely forgotten where the church came from. They have forgotten the two millennia of church history. They have forgotten the universal character of orthodox Christian doctrine as confessed in the Three Ecumenical Creeds. They have forgotten what truly made them evangelical—the Evangel, the Gospel. Even once confessional churches are showing signs of erosion.

Few average American Christians realize how narrow our understanding of the church has become in America. For instance the "altar call" is such a common part of certain segments of the church that they think it was practiced by the apostles. How many recognize that it entered into the American religious scene through a heretical theologian Charles Finney? This kind of "altar call" mentality has forgotten that the church gathers around an altar where we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. The true altar call isn't making a decision for Christ at a mourners bench. It is receiving Christ's gifts given "for you" at the altar of the Lord's Supper.

Another related aspect of the American religious scene is the emotional emphasis of much of the church. Manipulative music, group–psychologically driven experiences, pseudo signs and wonders are common fare. Witness the fiasco of Todd Bentley and the phony Florida revival. He is not the first such shameful con–artist to claim divine sanction. He will not be the last. But we love our charlatans in America as long as they stir us up.

Now the emotional mindset in American religious experience is branching out into meditative techniques, some of which are not even Christian. If incense floats your boat—burn it. Do you like chanting—do it. Lectio divina—empty your mind, don't worry about content, just experience it. Whatever gives you an emotional high is the current "drug" of choice. The only reason to consider the past is to survey the religious smorgasbord of experiences and techniques in order to fill your plate with whatever suits your taste. Pick and choose. You are in control! No norma normans of Scripture. No universal truth of the creeds. To play on the final words of the poem Invictus—I am the master of my faith, I am the captain of my soul. We are a self–centered and selfish church! The odd thing is that much of this is considered new and ground breaking. It isn't. Most of what passes for relevant is really passé. Most of what is ground breaking is simply digging up the garbage of previous heresies.

Because—"We don't care 'bout what went on yesterday"—we are doomed to repeat its mistakes and forget its truths. This focus on the present experience, the pop–culture, the latest fad, our personal "felt needs" while ignoring the past and not caring about the future makes us short-sighted in the extreme. Western culture can be characterized as short-sighted. We want immediate results, instant gratification—"We're talkin' about what's happening right now!" Demonstrate increases in attendance regardless if the pews are filled with people who haven't the foggiest idea of the Christian faith. Preach sermons with catchy, faddish topics. Forget that old tired message of the Cross, of sins forgiven, of life everlasting. We want what we want and we want it now! Don't bore us with something we've heard before. Entertain us! Tickle our ears! Scratch that itch!

Ten years from now the fad will move on. What's happening now will change. Ten years from now those mega–churches will have moved further away from God's Word. They will no longer resemble the relevant churches of today. They will move on and in the process cease to have any connection with the church universal. Like Reverend Leroy's church, few will remember them any more. But the true church goes on in the truth of God's Word. The Church abides because it is built on the Rock!