IC2635 "Comparative Confessions"
Syllabus – Spring 2007
NW 231 – Tues 10:40-12:30, Thurs 11:40-12:30
I. PURPOSE: An examination of doctrinal
agreements and disagreements among Christian traditions through comparison of
their confessional documents. The course
also examines the significance of these diverse theological understandings for
pastoral practice and ecumenical cooperation.
This
course works best when we have a mix of denominations represented in the class,
since we learn from the convictions and experiences of each other. As we deal with differences among Christian
denominations and groups we never lose sight of the fact that despite these
differences we are at the very center brothers and sisters in Christ.
II. INSTRUCTORS:
III. TEXTBOOKS:
Creeds of
the Churches, John Leith, ed. (rhymes with “faith”). Most creeds are on www.creeds.net
(or www.iclnet.org, click on
Creeds/Confessions)
Book of Concord or your own denomination’s
documents. (The BC 1921 Triglot
Concordia is in the public domain, www.bookofconcord.org.)
Notes about the
The index is
fairly clear until “The Confession of Dositheus 1672,” a statement of an
Eastern Orthodox patriarch in response to the Reformation. This is the only Orthodox creed in the book,
and there the term “Catholic” means Orthodox, not Roman Catholic.
The
documents of the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II, 1960s) are scattered
throughout the book. “Church” is on p. 459f., “Missionary Activity of the
Church” p. 658f., and “Divine Revelation” p. 724f. Other documents from Vatican II are on the
website.
“The
Ecumenical Movement” section in the Table of Contents includes more recent
documents. Note particularly “Baptism,
Eucharist and Ministry” (BEM 1982, p. 604f.), a document produced by the World
Council of Churches to summarize similarities and differences among all major church
bodies on these three key ecumenical issues.
Helpful:
Christian
Confessions: A Historical Introduction by Ted Campbell (
Honoring
Our Neighbor’s Faith (
guide,
used in congregations)
American
Originals, Paul K. Conkin
Creation
Spirituality, Matthew Fox
Unconditional
Life, Deepak Chopra
The
Cosmic Self...Today's New Age Movement, Ted Peters
Fire
from Heaven, Harvey Cox (Pentecostalism as a world-wide movement)
Mormon
American
Evangelicalism: Embattled and Thriving, Christian Smith (first chapter
gives a
history
of post-fundamentalist evangelicalism)
Material in the Comparative
Confessions folder on reserve in our library
Older Standard Works:
The
Creeds of Christendom, 3 vols., Philip Schaff, editor 1877f.
Doctrinal Theology of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church, Heinrich Schmid, editor, 1875f.
Internet Resources:
ELCA
ecumenical documents: www.elca.org/ecumenical
-
Formula of Agreement: http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/fullcommunion/reformed/index.html
-
Called to Common Mission: http://www.elca.org/ecumenical/fullcommunion/episcopal/index.html
-
Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification:
www.elca.org/ecumenical/ecumenicaldialogue/romancatholic/jddj//indes.html
Evangelicals
& Catholics Together: The Christian Mission in the Third Millennium, 1994:
www.firstthings.com/collections/coll-ECT.html
The
Documents of
http://www.rc.net/rcchurch/vatican2/; www.stjosef.at/council/)
“Dominus
Jesu,” papal statement of August 6, 2000 (¶14 on
mediation, ¶17 on other churches)
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/, click on
“Doctrinal Documents, scroll down to “Declaration on the unity. . .Dominus
Jesu,” August 6, 2000, or scroll down a bit further to “Sister Churches,” June
30, 2000, or others.
General websites:
www.creeds.net. They’re all there, and then some.
www.thearda.com. The website of the Association of Religion Data Archive, with a
vast amount of information on any church body.
www.iclnet.org, follow
links, particularly Creeds/Confessions.
The link to Project Wittenberg
brings
you to a lot of Lutheran information, including about half of the Book of
Concord, although the whole Book of
www.google.com, type
subject, press Enter, follow links
http://encarta.msn.com/ msn Encarta has dictionary, encyclopedia, and
more
www.jeremiahproject.com, follow
links
www.religioustolerance.org, follow
links
www.carm.org, “Christian Apologetics & Research
Ministry”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page/. Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia with informative
articles on religion, including Christian denominations and doctrines.
Websites of
church bodies:
www.abc-usa.org (
www.bgcworld.org (Baptist General Conference)
www.episcopalchurch.org (Episcopal Church)
www.covchurch.org (
www.elca.org (ELCA)
www.lcms.org (
www.oca.org (Orthodox Church website)
www.pcusa.org (Presbyterian Church
www.vatican.va, www.vatican.va/roman_curia/index.htm (Vatican website)
www.newadvent.org (Roman Catholic Encyclopedia)
www.catholic.com (Roman Catholic, but not an official site)
www.sbc.net (Southern Baptist Convention)
www.umc.org (
www.ag.org (Assemblies of God)
IV.
REQUIREMENTS
A. Class
attendance: Let us know before
class if you have to miss. (Bring the
IV.
REQUIREMENTS, continued
B. Ten papers,
3-4 pages, handed in on Tuesday: Five
issue papers, discussing the theological and/or historical issues of that
week’s topic. Five papers on the case study of that particular week. Whether you do a case study or an issue paper
is up to you, as long as you end up with 5 of each kind by the end of the
course and as long as your paper connects with the theme for each particular
week. We hope for a mix of issue papers and case study papers each week.
C. Five church worship visits and reports. Choose from:
– Roman Catholic –
Baptist
– Eastern Orthodox –
Pentecostal
– Presb/Cong/Ref/Meth – Non-Denominational/Innovative
After each visit, write a short 1-page
report on what this service added to your understanding or impression of this
tradition. (It's helpful to attend a
church before we discuss issues involving that particular denomination.)
Grades. For a student who may ask for a grade, they
will be given on the basis of class attendance and participation in discussion,
faithful and timely completion of written work and church visits. Written work will be evaluated on the basis
of your engagement with confessional writings and/or other course reading, your
alertness to pastoral and theological issues, your willingness to state your
position clearly and, at the same time, treat respectfully those persons,
viewpoints or traditions with which you may disagree.
Keep track of your work by checking
off what you have done:
Issue Papers Case Studies Church Visits
(Choose 5 of these)
1
_______________ 1
_______________ Roman
Catholic
2
_______________ 2
_______________ Orthodox
3
_______________ 3
_______________ Pres/Cong/Ref/Meth
4 _______________ 4 _______________ Baptist
5
_______________ 5
_______________ Pentecostal
Non-Den/Innov
V.
SCHEDULE – Tuesdays 10:40-12:30, Thursdays
10:40-12:30, NW 231
The
three hours will be divided up generally into lecture and discussion of issue
papers, discussion of case studies and church visits, and (perhaps) guest
speakers. Usually the instructors will
ask a student to launch the topic by reading his/her paper.
The
creeds listed for each week are in the
If
you find other helpful websites, please list them on your papers, so we can
include them in future years.
1) Tuesday/Thursday, Feb. 6/8 – Get
organized; “Introduction to Creeds”
“What
Unites--What Divides?”
2) Feb. 13/15 – Scripture and Tradition
(particularly related to RC, Orthodox, Reformed)
Trent;
Berne 1528; Formula of Concord Preface; 39 Articles; 2nd Helvetic Confession; Dositheus;
Westminster; Immaculate Conception; Vatican I; Vatican II
"Revelation" (Leith p. 724)
3) Feb. 20/22 – Ministry & Episcopacy
(Deals particularly with RC, Orthodox, Anglicans)
Dositheus;
4) Feb. 27/March
1 – Sin & Salvation (RC,
Orthodox, New Age)
5) March 6/8
– Saints, Icons and the Virgin
Constantinople
A.D. 754;
For
appearances of Mary: www.members.aol.com/bjw1106/marian5.htm. Also www.medjugorje.org/index.html.
For
the pope’s 2002 apostolic letter on the rosary, type “Rosarium Virginis Mariae”
in the search box.
For a recent statement of Pope John
Paul II see the April 17, 2003, papal encyclical, Chapter 6: www.praiseofglory.com/popeeucharist.htm .
Also about Pope John Paul II: http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/newsletter/2003/oct24.html.
For a bit of Mariology that slipped
into the LBW check hymn 175 vs. 2.
6) March 13/15
– Baptism (Baptist, Pentecostals)
For
ELCA “The Use of the Means of Grace”: www.elca.org/dcm/worship/worship/sacraments/umg.html. Also history texts.
March 20/22 – Tuesday
is a Reading Day, so take Thursday off as well.
Enjoy!
7) March 27/29
– Lord’s Supper
4th Lateran Council;
Formula of
For ELCA “The Use of the Means of
Grace”: www.elca.org/dcm/worship/worship/sacraments/umg.html.
For Roman Catholic policy, see the
April 17, 2003, papal encyclical, particularly paragraphs 30,38,43-46: www.praiseofglory.com/popeeucharist.htm.
Also history texts.
8) April 3/April
12 (Easter break in between) - Law and
Some
topics: church/state relationship historically or present-day; Luther’s concept
of “two regiments/kingdoms”; intent of, extent of, and today’s issues about the
First Amendment of the US Constitution; appropriate role of church and/or
religious convictions in civil government/law.
Some
sources: 2nd Helvetic Confession XX; Westminster Confession XXX;
Helvetic Consensus XXVI; Presbyterian Confession of 19i67; Barmen Declaration. Also Luther’s "Address to the German
Nobility" 1520 and "Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed" 1523 [both on desk reserve],
plus other texts, ethics books, etc. Jim
Nestingen’s article at www.luthersem.edu/word&world/archives/19-3_politics/19-3_nestingen.pdf.
9) April 17/19
– Fundamentalism
Piles
of websites: www.ifca.org (a
fundamentalist website, follow links);
www.bible-truth.org/fundbapt.htm; (pro);
www.frii.com/~gosplow/disp2.html (anti);
(Missouri Synod statement: www.lcms.org, click on “Beliefs and Practices,”
scroll down to LCMS Doctrine, the Brief Statement Article 1 “Of the Holy
Scriptures”
Also
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/006/7.52.html (about Carl McIntire).
www.womenpriests.org, a Roman
Catholic website urging the ordination of women.
ELCA material at www.elca.org/cw/women.clergy.html.
10) April 24/26
– Pentecostalism & Charismatic Movement
The
Websites
are the most helpful: www.born-again-christian.info; http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/penta.html; www.foca.org; www.ag.org; www.lutheranrenewal.org/aboutus.html
11) May 1/3–
Evangelicalism
Conkin
text; Christian Smith book, chapter 1; history books; reference works,
etc.
Lots
of websites, including: www.sunnetworks.net/~ggarman/fundy.html; www.billygraham.com; www.nhc.rtp.nc.us:8080/tserve/twenty/tkeyinfo/fundam.htm.
12) May 8/10
– New Age
Chopra; Fox; Ted Peters’ article in Word & World, Summer 1992, 268-271;
reference works; current literature; www.probe.org/docs/newage.html; www.newageinfo.com; www.beliefnet.org, on left
column under Find, Search Beliefnet, type New Age, click on Go; www.blavatsky.net; www.spotlightministries.org.uk (from
13) May 15 –
Mormonism
Conkin text; Richard
& Joan Ostling, Mormon America, 1999; Encyclopedia of Mormonism in
our library’s reference room (BX8605.5 E62);
other
reference works; www.lds.org (their
website, designed to give the impression that Mormonism is simply another
Christian denomination);
www.mormon.org; www.religioustolerance.org/lds.htm; www.carm.org/lds/lds_doctrines.htm; www.mrm.org/articles;
Mormon doctrines opposing orthodox Christianity: www.truthinlovetomormons.com; www.exmormons.org; www.integrity.com/homes/exmormon/nice.htm; http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/nbbi/morm3trc.html.
(The
Mormons will help you search for your ancestors: www.familysearch.org/eng/home/welcome/welcome.asp)
VI. CASE STUDIES: How would you respond in
the following situations? Support your
opinion from the Scriptures, confessions and theological reasons.
Scripture and Tradition. The contemporary worship service in your
congregation has evolved into something altogether different from the other two
services—no vestments, no organ, no songs older than about 20 years, laypeople
leading almost the whole worship, no hymnbooks, Power Point instead of
bulletins, lots of clapping, etc. Members accustomed to worship traditions—vestments,
choir robes, organ, hymnbook hymns and liturgies, no clapping, etc.—are
concerned that, as they say, “We have two entirely different congregations
here.” Some are concerned, as one member
said, “My grandson will grow up never knowing the great hymns of the church
which have sustained me though tough times.”
An adult forum has been scheduled to talk about this. What will you say about the role and place of
tradition?
Scripture
and Tradition: A fellow seminary student
and good friend of yours is considering dropping
out and becoming a Roman
Catholic. “In this day and age,” he
says, “the Christian church needs to speak with a unified voice. Protestants all claim to follow the Bible,
but there is a huge variety of opinions among them about how to interpret the
Bible, with no consensus at all. Even
among us Lutheran students [or read your own denomination] we don’t seem to
agree on anything. I’m joining the
Catholics and am willing to overlook those Catholic doctrines I don’t much
agree with, because it’s important that somebody is in charge of saying what
the church believes, so that we present a unified front to the world.” How will you respond?
Ministry,
Episcopacy. In adopting “Called to
Common Mission” (CCM) with the Episcopal Church the ELCA adopted the “historic
episcopacy.” The Roman Catholics,
Orthodox and Anglicans/Episcopalians are clear about their definition of the
term, its theology and its practice, i.e., that ordination is valid only by a
bishop in “historic succession” with past bishops. The ELCA accepted the Episcopal practice that
only bishops could ordain, but the ELCA also approved a provision that “in
unusual circumstances” exceptions could be made and pastors be authorized to
ordain. What are the implications of the
ELCA’s position, and how might it affect future theology and practice? (Or if you are in another denomination, how
do you define a “valid” ordination and ministry?)
Ministry,
Episcopacy. Consider some of the
alternate forms of ministry and ordination which are growing in today’s
churches: What are the pros and cons of these alternatives?
1. You have a friend who is involved
in one of the Vineyard churches. Your
friend wants to start a congregation like this. He does not plan to go to seminary, but plans
to start an in-home Bible study and try to “grow” a church, while supporting
himself with a secular job. Your friend
asks you, “Why do you need a seminary education to enter the ministry? You could learn by becoming an apprentice to
another pastor, and then starting your own congregation from scratch. If it is God’s will for you to be a pastor,
the Holy Spirit will grow your congregation. Seminary and ordination are outmoded forms
that get in the way of ministry.”
2. Some of your members, along with
their friends from other churches, have left the congregation and started a
“house church,” arguing that this kind of close, mutually supporting community
meeting in homes is more like the New Testament Christian groups. They take turns presiding over Holy
Communion.
3. In many Baptist churches
ordination is near the beginning of the process rather than at the end, i.e.,
call, preaching, ordination, then possible seminary education.
4.
Sin & Salvation. You will officiate at funerals in many
situations which involve issues between church denominations. Pick one and say how you as a Lutheran would
respond, knowing that people from many churches in the community will also be
there. The deceased person is:
1. Tom, a high school teen-ager in
your church, committed suicide.
Catholics and conservative Protestants in the community are surprised
that you held the funeral in the church, because they believe that a person who
takes his own life commits a terrible sin and dies without repentance or
absolution for that sin. Your high
school group asks what you think.
Explain why some people believe suicides should not be buried from the
church and what you believe.
2. Lucille, a woman in her 50s, was
raised in a Christian family but 15 years ago joined the ECKANKAR cult, which
believes that at death the soul is released from the limitations of physical
life to travel in a higher realm.
Earlier this week she died of cancer, and her family, Lutherans and
Methodists, asked you to conduct a brief memorial service. What text would you use, and what would you
say?
Sin & Salvation
(Confession & Absolution).
1. Carol, a young person from your
parish, moved to a Twin Cities suburb where she and her husband Bill visited a
nearby ELCA congregation. She called you
on the phone and said, “They use the LBW with a lot of contemporary music, but
they never use the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness at the beginning of
the service. I asked the pastor about
it, and he said, ‘It’s optional, and we don’t use it because we want to reach
out to the unchurched. To start a
service by confessing our sins is a kind of downer. We don’t want to perpetuate the sense of
guilt and shame felt by so many Christians, but we think people are more
uplifted by hearing how good they are and can be.’“ She remembers how in your congregation every
service began with the Brief Order, and she says, “I liked it, because we
confessed our sin and heard the words of absolution. It set everything right at the beginning of
worship.” Then she adds to you, “Can
they really omit that in this church?”
What will you say?
2. A parishioner who is active on
the Social Concerns Committee of your congregation has recently visited a
United Church of Christ church and shows you a copy of the bulletin. Instead of a confession of sins, the service
at this church began with a responsive reading which focused on social ills
(racism, sexism, poverty, physical and emotional abuse, economic exploitation,
etc.). Your parishioner further reports
that instead of a sermon that day, the UCC congregation heard stories of
victims of various kinds of abuse. An
offering was taken for a local shelter for battered women. In a committee meeting this parishioner
suggests that you replace (either permanently or occasionally) the confession
of sins with a litany on social ills, and talk more about “real issues,” that
is, social issues, rather than biblical texts.
How will you answer?
Saints, Icons and the Virgin Mary. Lara Ivanova was born in
Saints, Icons and the Virgin Mary. Betty Larsen and Francis
Xavier O’Neal will be married in your church.
Several members of Frank’s Roman Catholic family are disturbed that the
wedding is in a Lutheran church and that he will probably become Lutheran. Betty is wondering if it would be OK to have
the soloist sing “Ave Maria” in the wedding service to make his family and
friends feel more at home. You know that
the song is a prayer to Mary, which is not done in your church. What will you decide and why?
Baptism. One of your high school students, baptized as
an infant but never very active in the church, is now involved in a Baptist/Pentecostal
prayer group. His faith has been
reawakened or renewed, and his friends in the group are pressuring him to be
baptized, because, as the friends say, "obviously your baptism as a baby
didn't count for anything because you didn’t have a saving faith in Jesus
before you became active here," a statement the Lutheran boy tends to agree
with. What will you say?
Baptism. The “grandma baptism” scenario, which you
will all face: A member asks you to
baptize her grandson. The baby’s mother
grew up in your church, but she became inactive after confirmation. Her husband has never been a member of a
church, and as far as you know, is a non-believer. They have moved to another town and have not
joined any church there. Now they are
coming home for vacation with their 1-year old boy, and Grandma wants her
grandson baptized. The parents are
willing. What will you do?
Baptism (a letter from an intern)
Dear
Professor - - - -,
A social worker in our
church works with inner-city youth, many of whom are in and out of legal
trouble. He asked me recently, “Can
anyone baptize?” I said something like,
“Yes, when it is an emergency and the correct words are used.” He has befriended a 10-year old boy whom he
has been bringing to church. Now the boy
wants to be baptized. His friend, our
member, says he wants me (i.e., an unordained intern) to baptize him. “You’re
the only one here in church he knows,” he said to me. “He’s been suspicious of ‘church’ all his
life, but now he trusts you and says you’re the only one he wants for baptism.
. .I’d say it’s a kind of emergency.”
What would you do if you were that intern?
Lord’s Supper. ELCA bishops are currently discussing under
what circumstances a layperson and/or seminary intern can administer Holy
Communion in the absence of an ordained pastor.
The policy is that laypersons can be authorized by a bishop to
administer the sacraments in one place, sometimes only during specified times,
provided that the person receive necessary training to do so. One intern was authorized to administer Holy Communion
once a month, but not Baptism. On what
biblical, theological and confessional basis is this based? (If you’re in another church body, adapt this
to your situation.)
Lord’s
Supper.
The ELCA’s “Occasional Services,” pp.76-82, gives instructions for
laypersons distributing Holy Communion as “an extension of the Lord’s Supper to
those…who are unable to be present at the celebration of the
congregation.” The bread and wine from
the service in the congregation may be taken by laypersons to the home bound
“within a few hours of the congregation’s service that day.” (p. 79) The words of institution are included in what
the lay visitor says, but with these instructions (p. 80):
—“The containers of bread and wine are to remain closed in order
that the communicant(s) not understand the biblical words of institution to be
a consecration of the elements.” [This
is to make clear that the bread and wine have been consecrated by an ordained
pastor.]
—“The assisting minister of communion does not touch or lift the
bread or wine during the address.” [An ordained pastor has already done that
with this bread and wine.]
Is the ELCA
endorsing the “reservation” of the bread and wine? (See also “The Use of the Means of Grace,”
48A.) What’s the theology behind this
practice?
Lord’s Supper. While traveling, you attend a large,
traditional Roman Catholic Church. No
one there would know or recognize that you are not Catholic. You know that Roman Catholic policy is that
the Lord’s Supper is only for Roman Catholics, but you would very much like to
receive Communion. Will you go forward
or not, and on what basis will you decide?
Law & Two Kingdoms. You decided that as a pastor you should be
involved in community affairs and were elected to the school board. Two people are running for the chairmanship,
both retired after fine teaching careers.
One is very active in her congregation, believes that schools should
uphold “traditional moral and family values,” has been critical of the
“liberalism” of some of the teachers and wants “creationism” rather than
“Darwinism” (her term) taught in biology classes. The other candidate is a fine person, widely
respected, but not a church member. You
will cast the deciding vote. What
factors will determine your decision?
Law & Two Kingdoms. After much discussion on church-state
relations, your youth group has submitted a petition to the Church Council to
remove the flags from the church sanctuary.
How will you respond?
Law & Two Kingdoms. Pick a current political issue
and make a case for how one’s Christian faith would inform one’s position. Or argue that Christians can be equally on one
side or the other.
Fundamentalism. Two members of your congregation want to donate the entire set of Left
Behind novels to the church library.
They want to start a discussion group to focus on these books, which use a fictional plot to dramatize the rapture and other
apocalyptic events. You can tell by the
way they talk to you that they believe in the end-times scenarios presented by
these books, and want to persuade others.
How will you respond?
Fundamentalism. [From a recent graduate of Luther Seminary,
who has enrolled in a graduate program where he is the only Lutheran in the
group] One of the other students said to
him, “Now brother, we know what the Bible says about ordaining women, and we
know why we don’t ordain them. Why does
your church do it?” If you were in his
place, what would you say?
Pentecostalism. You are serving a church that has a vacancy
to fill for the position of associate pastor. A call committee has been formed. As a pastor (or staff member) you are an “ex
officio” member to whom the committee can look for advice. Though you respect the independence of the
call committee, you will be working closely with the person they choose, so
your opinion counts. (There are several
viable candidates, so it is not a matter of having no choices.) The committee does its work and interviews
several candidates. Write on one of
these two possible scenarios:
a)
The person they are most interested in has a strong commitment to the
“Alpha” program and has expressed a strong desire to get Alpha going in your
congregation. You have heard that Alpha
gets people involved in speaking in tongues, but you are not sure. The committee asks for your opinion, not only
on ALPHA in general, but on how you would feel about working closely with someone
who is deeply involved in this movement.
(See http://www.alphausa.org/)
b)
The person they are most interested in has a strong commitment to the
Order of St. Luke the Physician, which emphasizes healing. If called to this church, this candidate
intends to bring the St. Luke focus on healing into his or her ministry. The committee asks you how you would feel
about working closely with this candidate, given the interest in healing. (See http://www.orderofstluke.org/)
Evangelicalism. During a pre-confirmation interview Jennie
tells you that she has been born again.
Her mother came from a Pentecostal background before marrying her
Lutheran father. You have the following
conversation:
"When were
you born again?" "About three
years ago."
“Why is that? What happened then?” “I asked Jesus into my heart."
"Wasn't he
there before?" "I don't
know. I was baptized, but I didn't feel
anything, and I hadn't decided anything on my own yet. But my mother said that
when I was ready and wanted Jesus as my Lord, I should ask him to come into my
heart, and he would. So I did, and that’s
when I was born again."
How will
you continue the interview?
Evangelicalism. The Billy Graham Association is holding a revival
in a large city near the congregation you serve. Respond to one of the
scenarios below:
a) Several
people from your congregation attend. At
one of the services, two members of your congregation go forward, responding to
the invitation to commit (or recommit) their lives to Christ. You receive post cards from the Billy Graham
Association, urging you to follow up on these people. One of them has been a very active member in
your church. How will you respond?
b) You are
a volunteer counselor. This means that
you go forward to pray with people who answer the invitation at the close of
each sermon. As a volunteer you meet
other counselors from backgrounds including Baptist, Assembly of God, Lutheran,
Catholic and even "Jews for Jesus."
You are impressed with the vigor of American evangelicalism and
practical ecumenism. However some of
your colleagues (who were not part of the event) criticize you for supporting
"decision theology." How will
you respond?
New Age. With a few members of your congregation you go
to an ecumenical conference which features issues of multi-culturalism and
world religions. The purpose of the
conference is to celebrate diversity of faith and elements various religions
hold in common. The worship services use
hymns and prayers to various deities, goddesses and powers from ancient
religions and also from new, experimental ones.
The book display offers a wide selection: Christian devotional works,
generic self-help books, New Age, and some classic
literature
of many faiths—Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Native American religions,
African traditional
religions,
and more. One member of your
congregation says her faith is stimulated by all these new ideas and
finds
inspiration in "new" forms of prayer and meditation. Another member of your congregation wonders,
"How far can we go before we are no longer Christian?" What will you say?
New Age. The son of a member of your congregation has
contracted a chronic and potentially disabling disease. As part of his course of treatment Kevin has
begun working with a holistic health practitioner. He meditates regularly, follows a strict
macrobiotic healing diet, does guided imaging and has acquired a crystal to
help focus healing energies. When you
talk to them his mother said that she thinks he has fallen away from the
Christian faith and needs to repent of this sin. Kevin responded, "Mom, my problem is
sickness, not sin. There's nothing ungodly about taking responsibility for my
health and drawing on my own spiritual powers for wholeness." What will you answer?
New Age. Good members of your
congregation ask you to bury their daughter, who grew up in your church and now
has died at age 42 of cancer, leaving a husband and 2 children. She and her family lived in another town and did
not belong to a church. You will officiate
at the funeral, and the family asks if you would read a poem which was meaningful
to her, which she copied and gave to her children to keep in her memory:
Do not stand
at my grave and weep. I am not
there. I do not sleep.
I am the
thousand winds that blow. I am the
diamond’s glints upon the snow.
I am the
sunlight on the ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you
awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift uplifting rush
Of birds
in circling flight. I am the soft star
that shines at night.
Do not
stand at my grave and cry. I am not
there. I did not die.
(Often printed
on the Minneapolis Star Tribune obituary page. Also
sung by one of our Lutheran church college choirs on Feb. 4, 2005)
What will you do?
Mormonism. Your confirmation class visits other Christian
churches – Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist and Pentecostal – and after the
service a clergy person usually stays to answer questions. Some of your youth want to visit the local
Mormon assembly, but others in the youth group say, “No, Mormons aren’t
Christian.” How will you respond?
Mormonism. A couple,
married for about five years, comes to you for counsel. The husband is Lutheran, the wife a lapsed
Mormon, and in pre-marriage counseling (which they also did with you) they had
agreed that they would both be Lutherans and worship together as
Lutherans. Although the woman has
worshipped in your Lutheran congregation for several years, she finds herself
increasingly drawn back to Mormonism.
She was never baptized in the Lutheran church, and over the years, her
family has pressured her to return to Mormonism. Especially difficult for her is the fact that
her husband, unlike Mormon men, has not been consecrated as a priest and
therefore cannot be the spiritual head of the household. She says that this impairs her relationship
with God. Despite his wife's entreaties,
the husband is unwilling to become a Mormon, and he fears that their marriage
is about to dissolve. What will be your
strategy in counseling with this couple?