Beloved in
Christ Jesus: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried
our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But
he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought
us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:3-6). Nevertheless, our Good Shepherd laid
down His life for His wayward sheep. Even though we have gone astray time after
time, Christ has not rejected us for He truly is the Good Shepherd, the Good
Shepherd who now lives and reigns to all eternity. To Him be the glory, amen!
Christ is risen indeed!
In Christ
–
Pastor Humphrey
Piety vs. Pietism
by Russell P. Dawn
“DON’T BE SO PIOUS!”
It’s strange that what was once a term of honor has become an insult. In
mainstream America, “pious” has come to mean stuffy and self-righteous. It can
mean that in Lutheran circles, too, but with us there tends to be even more of
an edge to it. For one Lutheran to label another one “pious” often implies that
the other is not genuinely Lutheran. He or she has not embraced Christian
freedom, the freedom that comes when the shackles of the Law fall from our
wrists because of the Good News of salvation in Christ by grace alone through
faith alone. The term is often used interchangeably with “pietistic.”
The problem is, pious and pietistic are not the same thing. Indeed, all
Lutherans both are and ought to be pious.
But what is piety?
Piety, that is, being pious, can be thought of in two ways. The first is
inward piety, piety in the soul. Another term for it is righteousness. Every
Christian in the history of the Church, from Adam and Eve down to you and me,
is pious in this sense. We cannot strive for this piety; we cannot earn it; we
don’t even naturally want it.
This is the righteousness of God that becomes ours through the Gospel by
the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the righteousness of faith. It is our
salvation. We should never confuse this piety with lofty emotions, or a holy
attitude, or even a feeling of trust. It doesn’t reside in our brains or
experiences, although faith does transform us “in heart and spirit and mind and
powers” (FC SD IV). It is God’s inexplicable gift to wicked sinners. It is in
this sense that Lutherans are pious.
The second way to think of piety is outward, or piety that we live out.
Another term for it is good works. “Aha!” says the Lutheran. “You said good
works. Those are for Catholics and Methodists and revivalist preachers. Good
works don’t apply to us because we’re already saved!” Well, in a way, Yes, but mainly No No No! I say Yes because good works don’t make us good or righteous
or Christian. They don’t save us or anyone else. But emphatically I say No, because good works flow naturally from faith,
outward piety from inward piety. The Solid Declaration of the Formula of
Concord says that “it is God’s will, order, and command that believers should
walk in good works,” that the works to be done are “those that God Himself has
prescribed and commanded in His Word,” and that these works are done “when a
person is reconciled with God through faith and renewed by the Holy Spirit” (FC
SD IV).
The Formula then goes on to warn against the anti-good works attitude:
For many create for themselves a dead faith or delusion that lacks
repentance and good works. They act as though there could be true faith in
a heart at the same time as the wicked intention to persevere and continue in
sin [Romans 6:1-2]. This is impossible. Or, they act as though a person could
have and keep true faith, righteousness, and salvation even though he is
and remains a corrupt and unfruitful tree, from which no good fruit comes at
all. In fact, they say this even though a person persists in sins against
conscience or purposely engages again in these sins. All of this is incorrect
and false.
Thus, a scornful attitude toward piety is not more Christian or more
Lutheran than piety itself. In fact, it isn’t Christian or Lutheran at all.
Are we to continue in sin that grace can abound? By no means! (Rom.
6.1). Rather, we let love be genuine, abhorring what is evil, holding fast to
what is good, loving one another and outdoing one another in showing honor
(Rom. 12.9-10). It is in this sense that Lutherans ought to be pious.
One might wonder, then, why so many Lutherans shun the idea of piety.
The answer may be partly because of the sins against which the Formula of
Concord warned, but it is also partly because of confusion with the word
“Pietism.”
So what, then, is Pietism?
Pietism is a belief system, a theology, with roots in a 17th-century
German movement and far-reaching consequences across the centuries and around
the globe. It is not the same thing as the Christian life of piety, although
Pietists past and present tend to equate the two.
In the first half of the 17th century, armies from all over Europe
marched and fought in the kingdoms of Germany as the Thirty Years’ War raged.
By the time the war ended officially with the signing of the Peace of
Westphalia in 1648, Germany was blood-soaked, exhausted and impoverished. It
was also deeply in doubt that the theological differences which had at least
partly driven the war could be resolved, or even really mattered. At the same
time, scientific discovery was showing great promise, which led some people
even more deeply into religious doubt. In this broad malaise, Christian piety
suffered.
Knowing that this was the world into which Pietism was birthed should
make the movement a bit easier to understand. Faith without works is indeed
dead, and dead faith was widespread in Germany’s churches in the late 17th
century. In response to this, various Pietist movements arose around that time,
some of them Lutheran, others Reformed. But the most influential strands go
back to Philipp Jakob Spener, a Lutheran theologian. He sought to revive the
faith of a morbid church, and his intentions were good, even laudable. But harm
tends to result from good intentions when those intentions aren’t accompanied
by sound biblical teaching. Let’s explore where Spener and Pietism went wrong.
Spener called for Christian laity to meet together apart from Divine
Service in order to mutually encourage piety. Such groups were the forerunners
of modern in-home Bible study groups. But the fact that earnest people were
meeting privately for admonition and encouragement isn’t what caused the
movement to stray from biblical principles. The root of the error, as Bengt
Hägglund describes in his History of Theology, is epistemological. Epistemology is the study
of how we know things. It’s a strange word for something that all of us do.
Even children are epistemologists when they demand, “How do you know?” or when
they sing, “for the Bible tells me so.” Spener’s epistemology was that
experience is the basis of all certainty, so he emphasized the importance of
the individual Christian’s experience of renewal or new birth. Rather than
focusing on the objective truth of Christ’s death and resurrection for us, and
the objective and Spirit-filled Word that brings this objective truth to people
in need of Good News, Spener turned the Christian’s focus inward toward a
subjective experience of inner transformation.
In the following generation, Pietism began to move beyond Spener’s
modest but crucial departure from historic Lutheranism. Led by August Hermann
Francke, the Pietists of the German city of Halle believed that any true
Christian could point back in his or her life to an inner struggle with sin
that culminated in a crisis and ultimately a decision to start a new,
Christ-centered life. It is after that experience and that decision that one
would receive faith and forgiveness. Also, these Pietists did not see the new
life as a life of Christian freedom, but of Christian legalism. They saw the
Law as even more strict for Christians than for non-Christians. They viewed
natural desires and pleasures as sinful whether or not they were contrary to
God’s law.
In the town of Herrnhut, east of Halle, Nikolaus von Zinzendorf took the
emphasis on experience in a different direction. His United Brethren or
Moravian church emphasized the experience of intimate relationship with Christ,
especially an emotional solidarity with Christ in His suffering on the cross.
All of these should seem eerily familiar in our modern American context.
The need for a conversion experience and a “decision for Christ,” the focus on
experience and intimacy — all are widespread in Christianity today. Indeed, we
can find them even within our Lutheran churches and schools, turning eyes that
belong on the cross inward toward ourselves.
In a nutshell, then, Pietism is simply an oversized and out-of-place
emphasis on works. It is a confusion of Law and Gospel in which a human work (a
decision or emotion), rather than the cross of Christ alone, brings the
assurance of salvation. Pietism also plays right into our fallen nature by
appearing to focus on Christ (a decision for Christ and
sympathy with Christ), while actually focusing on the sinner’s
personal experience. But our experience, decisions and emotions are ultimately
unreliable. They cannot save us.
God alone saves. Redeemed by Christ, we thank God for giving us His
righteousness, and we respond willingly by putting to death the deeds of the
flesh. Freely, and only freely, do we embrace a life of genuine piety, while
remaining always on our guard against Pietism, lest law replace the Gospel and
the cross be emptied of its power.
Dr. Russell P. Dawn is associate professor of history and
political thought and director of the pre-law program at Concordia University
Irvine.
LCMS Stewardship Ministry, April 2018
Our Father in heaven sent His Son, Jesus, to be our savior.
His atoning sacrifice is the firstfruits of all the dead, a pleasing aroma to
His Father – and ours – so that His perfect life and death count for all who
believe in Him.
He claimed us as His own children in Holy Baptism. He
sustains and strengthens our faith with His Holy Word and His Body and Blood.
As new creatures, who have put on Christ, we bear good fruit. We do the good
works prepared for us, which He makes known to us in His Word.
By faith then, trusting in the Word of God, we do what he
says because He does not lie and always keeps His promises. For “without faith
it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe
that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb. 11:6).
And so the Lord promises: “Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled
with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine” (Prov. 3:9-10).
How do we honor the Lord with the wealth that God has given
us in His generosity? By giving it generously to those whom the Lord has called
us to love and support: your family, your society, and your church. And His
promise is that in so doing, you will never lack.
I can almost hear it now: “But that’s from the Old
Testament!” But our Lord Jesus Himself gives us similar promises in the New
Testament. He says, at the conclusion of the parable of the talents, “For to
everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance” (Matt.
25:29).
And then at the end of the parable of the dishonest manager,
he says: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and
one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you
have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the
true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who
will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters,
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:10–13).
And in His sermon on the mount, he says: “Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves
break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt.
6:19–21).
We have become conditioned against these promises because of
their misuse by the peddlers of the prosperity gospel – the guys on TV who say
you get rich by putting God in your debt. And thus, we miss out on the fact
that God does reward temporal faithfulness in temporal matters with temporal
blessings.
It’s no quid pro quo. It’s all from God’s grace, His
fatherly divine goodness and mercy. But those Bible passages just quoted do in
fact say what they say! It’s not the Old Testament’s problem. It’s ours. It is
almost as if we have become so jaded against this that we think it a virtue to
be stingy with our offerings.
But our Father in heaven still loves to bless those who
bless others. He loves to give to those who give freely and generously. In
fact, he challenges us to challenge Him: “Bring the full tithe into the
storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test,
says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and
pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need” (Mal. 3:10).
And so, while we don’t give so that we would get, we do
receive from the Lord in order to give, and He will bless your giving with more
receiving. For “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us
all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8:32)?
Council Minutes
The March Council meeting was called to order by chairman
Don Bowlin. Pastor Humphrey gave a short devotion. The minutes of the February Council
meeting were read and approved. The Treasure’s report was given and approved.
Pastor’s Report :
Pastor stated Vista Beam would like to provide Internet and phone service for less
than we are now paying. It was moved by
Wes Bowlin and seconded by Levi Bowlin to switch to Vista Beam provided that
Pastor checks on all the features carried.
Quick books is discontinuing the version we use, but it should not be a
problem. Pastor reported St James and Mt Calvary are still in discussion and the Pastor Naylor has offered
to take over the duties form Pastor Humphrey but,no action was taken by the
council. Easter Sunrise Service will be at Faith Gering at 6:30 A.M.
Elders Report: None
Trustees Report: Gary Williams reported on the tree
situation at the parsonage and after some discussion, Don Bowlin and Elmer Wohl
will take out the dead tree and trustees will get some bids for removal and
trimming the others. He also stated the
County Assessor would like us to combine all the church lots into one lot for
less paper work. It was moved by Pastor,
seconded by Virgil Ritz that we make this change. Motion carried.
Sunday School Superintendent report: None
Old Business: None
New Business: None
There being no
further business to come before the Council, the meeting was closed with the
Lord’s Prayer.
Gerald Ritz
Secretary
LWML NEWS
Trinity
Lutheran Women’s Society LWML Minutes
Tuesday,
March 13, 2018
Trinity Women’s Society
met Tuesday March 13, 2018. The group studied “Knowing Jesus Gives my Life
Balance” from the winter Quarterly.
The meeting was called to
order by President Sandy Heine in the name of the Triune God with 5 members
present. Minutes from the February 13,
2018 meeting were read and approved.
Karen Ritz read the Treasurer’s Report with a society balance of $772.48
and Morrill Elementary Backpack Program $3,354.85. The Treasurers report was filed for audit. It
was noted that the annual assessment to Zone LWML was paid.
Committee
Reports:
None
Correspondence:
We received a letter from
Ellen Burbank, Chairman of the Gospel Outreach Committee letting us know that
the grant proposal that Trinity submitted for the District’s Elementary schools
was not accepted.
Unfinished
Business:
There is a sign-up for
spring cleaning of the church. There will not be a specific cleaning day;
however, all cleaning should be done by the end of April.
New
Business:
It was noted that Morrill
will be hosting the Zone spring
workshop on Saturday, 4/21/18. This will
be discussed more fully at the April meeting.
Closing Devotions:
Nancy Wohl provided
closing devotions.
The meeting was adjourned
with the Prayer in the back of our LWML booklets.
Hostesses: There
were no hostesses.
The next LWML meeting will
be Wednesday, April 11, 2018.
Hostesses will be Nancy
Wohl and Joanne Kurtz. Charlotte Herrell will lead Closing Devotions.
Yours in Christ,
Susan Williams, Secretary
Sharing the Gospel with
Muslims
In
the seventh century, Christianity was afflicted by internal divisions,
theological disputes and the worship of saints. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam,
was exposed to unorthodox Christian beliefs that were widespread in Arabia.
Unfortunately, those misunderstandings were perpetuated by the Islamic
traditions that have been revered by Muslims up to our present time.
Islam’s
sources — the Qur’an (the holy book of Islam) and the Hadith (traditions on
Muhammad’s sayings and actions) — draw their ideas about Christianity from
those distorted, heretical Christian sources. Islam rejects the Cross of Christ
and replaces the Gospel with a legalistic and ritualistic system that does not
speak to the heart of man. Muslims, particularly the devout ones, pray to Allah
five times a day and follow the other four pillars of Islam with a lot of
admirable zeal, but they have no loving relationship with Allah. Their relationship
with him seems to be based on fear, and their religion is mostly a system of
reward and punishments. St. Paul mentions: “They have a zeal for God, but it is
not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). Muslims actually have a distorted
knowledge of God.
In
addition, many generations of Muhammad’s followers did not have the Bible
in their own languages, so they have readily misunderstood the Gospel.
The distorted message of the Gospel and the distorted view of the
Trinity were written in the Qur’an, which is considered by Muslims to be the
inerrant, verbatim words of Allah. Because of that, the misunderstanding
between Christianity and Islam continues.
Hence,
Muslims view the Christian faith and the Bible with suspicion. It is our vocation
as Christians to remain true to the Great Commission, trust God and preach the
Gospel of Christ crucified, so that by His grace, Muslims might be called to
faith, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In
other words, we should communicate to our Muslim friends the true faith in
Jesus Christ. In this virtually borderless, modern world, it is incumbent upon
us to be committed to evangelize Muslims if we are to see them come to faith in
Christ.
We
need to be confident that the power of the Gospel can change the hearts of
Muslims as we preach God’s Word. In addition, we must keep proclaiming the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to Muslims across the world and make evangelism a part
of our Christian life, as it should be. A disciple of Jesus will be contagious
in the way they express their Christian faith. Sharing Christ with the lost is
not an option. It must be done through word and deed (Matt. 28:18–20).
Below
are some suggestions for sharing the Gospel with Muslims:
Begin your conversation with Christian
beliefs that are familiar to Muslims based on the Islamic traditions. For
example, the Qur’an mentions
that Jesus Christ is the Word of God,
but the book does not explain what it means. Explain that important belief to your Muslim friend, but avoid using theological terms that they may
not
understand.
Respect your Muslim friend as an individual who is a sinner, like anyone else, who needs salvation. Be patient, and do not expect that a Muslim would kneel and repent from the first encounter. While some will not listen,
others will, with time, be called to faith in Jesus Christ. Many Muslims need to hear the Gospel more than seven times before they start to listen.
Make an effort not to consider your Muslim neighbor as only a target for evangelism, but cultivate a genuine
friendship with him/her. You must
show genuine Christian love in word
and deed. “In the same way, let your
light
shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”
(Matt. 5:16).
Be sure to preach the Gospel and not yourself by drawing your Muslim
friend into the Word. The Word of God is the best tool for evangelism. Be
encouraged by the promise in Is. 55:11:
“So shall
my
word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall
not
return to
me empty, but it shall
accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Be careful not to denigrate the Muslim
faith or criticize Muhammad or the
Qur’an. When your Muslim friend
brings up his/her belief in Muhammad as a prophet of Islam, respectfully divert the conversation to Jesus, His
teachings and His ministry. Jesus is highly revered and exalted in Islam. Do not try to explain the Trinity or
the sonship of Jesus in the preliminary stages
of
the discussions. These
are difficult theological issues that most Muslims
stumble over.
Be patient and ready to answer your Muslim
friend’s objections as Christ did in His
encounters with skeptics. Christian beliefs should be explained, in the beginning, using the words of the Bible. St. Paul reminds us: “For the word of
God is living and active, sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and
of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
Emphasize that the Bible is inerrant
and the Old and New Testament are
one in its message: the redemption of
sinful man. Explain to your Muslim
friend the hundreds of prophecies that foretold the coming
of
the Messiah in
the Old Testament.
Share your personal testimony, emphasizing
the crucial difference between being a person living under the curse
of
the Law and being freed by the truth in Jesus Christ. Remember the apostle Paul shared his testimony in the New Testament as much as possible while
preaching the Gospel. Introduce your Muslim friend to other Christians who
could share their faith story, and invite
Muslims to fellowship events and have them experience worship with
you. St. Paul reminds us: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the
power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to
the
Greek” (Rom. 16, emphasis added).
Be bold in inviting your Muslim friend to worship with you, trust the Holy Spirit, who calls people to faith from
different nations, and know that in eternity, we all from different nations and backgrounds will stand together worshiping the Lamb of God. “After this I looked, and behold, a
great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to
our
God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Rev. 7: 9–10).
