I don’t enjoy coffee with my pastor — the honest frustrations of a layman

coffeeI take that back, I really do enjoy a cup of coffee with my pastor. As long as our conversation stays within the realm of family, hobbies and things happening in our congregation it’s usually quite a joy. It is however rare that our conversation does not enter the not so happy theme of the many issues of the LCMS’s seemingly large amount of disunity and failings. I’m not a lifelong member of the LCMS so maybe these things have been going on for years or maybe I just see the great things we have in the Lutheran church that seem to be just thrown to the wayside by pastors and congregations. It makes me need something stronger then coffee.

I have a hard enough time telling people that I’m Lutheran because I worry they will think I’m an ELCA Lutheran, which doesn’t amount to much these days. To be quite honest, in my area I have a hard time wanting to tell people I am LCMS. What does that even mean in my area? Some of the LCMS churches couldn’t pass for a Lutheran church on their best Sunday. They are closer to ELCA then LCMS in many ways. And what is being done about our lack of unity.    Jack.   I shortened that answer for the pietists out there. Nothing is being done besides meetings and Koinonia projects which result in nothing being done about anything. It’s a good thing the real church on earth and our Savior continue to bless the people of God with forgiveness, mercy and grace from above.

I suggest all of the layman reading this take your pastor out for a cup of coffee or a beer and talk to him about anything and everything going on in your area that you should know about. These things matter to our life together in the LCMS. Sweeping our issues under the rug and not talking about them accomplishes nothing. It will only create more disunity and problems for the future. Lord, Have Mercy.

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