Wednesday 14 January 2009

Today we will move on to Bertram's comments on "Confessing as Protesting Gospel-Plus" in "A Time for Confessing."

"Where there is too much," says a Jewish proverb, "something is missing." "More is less," went the credo of architect Mies van der Rohe. For the Apostle Paul, to demand that believers in Christ also be circumcised is to negate Christ. Gospel-plus is gospel-minus, no gospel at all.
In "a time for confessing," it is the gospel which the authorities are adding to - presumably embellishing, reinforcing, safeguarding - and thereby diminishing, in fact subverting altogether. At Augsburg, where the Reformers were still appealing to their imperial and ecclesiastical superiors not to hereticize them or to count them out of the Roman Catholic Church, the basis of their appeal was this: so long as the gospel and sacraments of Christ are being communicated evangelically, the sole condition of church unity is being satisfied. "That is enough," satis est (Augsburg Confessions VII, 2).

I find it interesting that it was the authorities who were "adding to" the gospel. And yet, it was the Reformers who were being accused of heresy - taking a stand contrary to the teaching of the church. And yet, to be accused of heresy does not mean one is not teaching and speaking and living according to the gospel. On the contrary, the heretic is often the only one in the room who is able to rest on that gracious "that is enough." This is not to say that some heretics are off-base in their teachings. Rather, it says that there are times when reformers really must speak up and resist every attempt by the authorities to add to the gospel that is the power for life among us. I go back to yesterday's comments about the trial and defrocking of Pr. Brad Schmeling. He and the congregation were teaching and preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments - the sole condition of church unity. But, he is a gay man in a loving and committed relationship which the authorities have set up as a measure of one's worth within the role of pastor. It is "not enough" to be a faithful teacher, preacher, and presiding minister at the sacraments...hmmmm. Sounds like a bit of witch hunting becomes the order of the day. Who is next to be removed and for what reasons?

Connection: When we fear the time at hand because we think we are losing control of how things will move along, it might be good to check ourselves and see if our longing for control has become a bit idolatrous.

Bring us within the Reign of you Good News, O God, and make us bold as we continue to step upon nothing else but the power of your promises that we know are visible in and through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Be the power of our future and the freedom of our present. Amen.