April 2005
When Daddy is Sick
By Paul AndersonThere are a lot of good things going on in the ELCA. I rejoice with every sign of life. Here's a sample:
I was paid a visit by Dr. Kathryn Bradley-Love, the Associate Director for Evangelism in the ELCA. What a delightful lady, and what a mission she has! She's praying for revival in the church, and she solicited our support. Hey, she got it! I thank God for the friends we have in Chicago. She is teamed up with Brent Dalseng, who appreciates what we're doing in renewal, and I appreciate what Brent is doing in the Lutheran Church.
Luther Seminary has some great teachers, two of whom teach at The Master's Institute, the seminary started in St. Paul out of Lutheran Renewal.
Our LR team recently met with four ELCA pastors who have shared in our ministry. We asked them to help us work smarter within the ELCA. They are all doing effective ministry, and we want to stay connected to pastors and congregations like theirs.
I recently called the ELCA office to check on a youth director position for one of my sons. The staff there went out of their way to assist me. People sometimes have felt that "headquarters" can be self-serving, but I was certainly waited upon graciously.
A friend of mine who recently led his church out of the ELCA wanted to do it in the best way possible, because he had so much respect for his bishop, who had shown him nothing but understanding.
At the same time, we have been getting an increasing number of calls from concerned pastors and congregations. The recent decision that came out of the Human Sexuality study has many troubled about the direction of the ELCA and the health of its leadership. When peace trumps truth, we're in trouble, but that sometimes happens in our family when Daddy is sick. (When I say that Daddy is sick, I mean that a religious system has gone awry, and its impact on the institution is toxic). For me, it all boils down to leadership. We're fragile, so we sometimes attempt to keep the peace by avoiding conflict. Underneath, we feel the tension-and not a little anger.
At Lutheran Renewal we are not recommending that people either leave or stay. If they stay, they need to learn to live with Daddy and still be healthy themselves. It can be done. There are a lot of wonderful people in the family and a lot of good things going on. Just because the system is sick doesn't mean that everybody's sick. We don't think that changing the institution is an option, but we'll root for those who choose to stay in. If others decide to leave, we won't shame them into thinking they are disloyal. Kingdom focus must trump denominational loyalties in either case.
Lutheran Renewal exists to help individuals, pastors, and congregations transition into a renewal-based community that is committed to the Great Commission and kingdom advance by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. About five years ago we moved from blessing to building. When you build, you make structural changes. As we considered either working with an existing seminary or starting from scratch, we were told, "You cannot start a new paradigm out of an existing one," and we believed it. So instead of continuing to work within the system, we chose instead to step outside and build an alternative, The Master's Institute (MI). That was our answer to the frustration of not being able to raise up leaders in the way we wanted. In virtually every country I go to, seminary training is a major problem, because the seminaries are usually more liberal than much of the constituency. So when we tell them about our seminary that we hope to plant around the country and around the world, it gives them courage.
The denomination is another example. Some are tired of connecting with church leaders that are not where they are. The Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC), a new way of doing church that includes church transformation and church planting, gives people an alternative body. The ARC is a seed that is becoming a tree. It was planted with prophetic potential. It is a relationally based network of churches and ministers. It is not a denomination in the traditional sense of the word; it is more decentralized in structure.
Whether people leave the family or stay in, several things are clear:
You must deal with your anger and cynicism. We are not fighting the church; we're fighting the enemy. That keeps us pro-active rather than reactive.
You must avoid co-dependency. It is better to obey God than man. Loyalty to a sick system is a distorted loyalty. Maybe you've heard it said, "You are free to stay when you are free to go." Call it health.
You must develop a positive agenda. Just talking about the sickness is not that
compelling a vision. It is not going to win people to Christ, start a renewal movement, or get many following you, except for the grouches.
You must not let your heritage drive your vision. The Lutheran Church in Scandinavia, for instance, is strong on heritage and weak on vision.
You must understand the need for structural change. Transformational change that doesn't somehow impact structures will be short-lived. As a conference speaker recently told us, "We can't pray for something to happen and have a structure that doesn't allow for it."
We understand that it is difficult for some to embrace the options of MI and the ARC. They seem radical in light of our family background. Self-preservation is a huge issue. It takes courage to move from old wine to new wine. As Jesus said, "No one after tasting the old wants the new." LR has been a birthing mechanism. It has given hope to people
struggling in a less than perfect system, wondering if they should stay or leave. We use to encourage them all to stay, but we don't say that anymore. Our gift is to give live options and prophetic possibilities. May you walk with blazing hope in these days of great opportunity!
