Sad, sick, struggling Christians not welcome?

I’m a big fan of Twitter and I know some of you are, too. I came across a curious tweet from Michigan District President David Maier:

A good read for Pastors and Churches also … Happy customers make for happy businesses | Case Foundation https://www.casefoundation.org/blog/happy-customers-make-happy-businesses

Except it’s not a good read. It’s about businesses understanding that social media is transforming the way they should think about customer satisfaction. It’s an incredibly brief article that doesn’t even explain this in that much detail but it hits the major cliches basics — “Think about customer service as an opportunity rather than an obligation!” — etc.

Of all the things I might recommend “Pastors and Churches” to read, this wouldn’t even rank. Is it that we’re supposed to think of our congregations as businesses? Is our goal to have “satisfied” customers? Who are “happy”? What does that mean? What does that mean, exactly, for a woman whose husband just left her? For a man who has been out of work for years? For people who are dying? What kind of metric is “happiness”? What happens when “happiness” is elusive despite faithfulness in preaching and the sacraments? Is this the language that the church should use in measuring it’s “success”?

Generally speaking, pastors and congregations would be well advised to avoid emulating profit-driven corporations when dealing with the sick, suffering, wounded people of Christ. They would be well served to meditate on Scripture, the Confessions, the wisdom of the saints who have gone before.

I am not sure it’s helpful to have one’s district president advocating anything other than a pastoral approach to pastoral care.

On the other hand, the Twitter feed of “BigSkyMaverick” did alert me to this fantastic letter to the editor (at the bottom) from President Matthew Harrison regarding the March for Life.

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