A Neglected
And Forgotten Opportunity!
Tomorrow night is one of out two annual Congregational Assembly meetings. We’ll discuss church “business.”
A wise businessman suggested that every organization, including churches, ought to continually ask two questions: 1) “What’s our business?” and 2) “How’s business?”
As a church of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we’re “out of business” if we ever forget that our business is sharing the saving love of Christ. We’re in one business only, the forgiveness of sins. Jesus came to “seek and to save that which is lost” and our commission from him is to spread the Good News that there is salvation and life with God through the forgiveness of sins.
Our church sign could read “Forgiveness R Us.” Every ministry effort we do is (or ought to be) about bringing lives into harmony with God through the forgiveness of sins, and bringing lives into harmony with one another also through the gift of God’s grace.
What’s our business? It always goes back to the cross of Jesus. No cross and forgiveness, no church. It’s as simple as that.
How’s Business?
Okay, so, how’s business? How are we doing in the administration of God’s great gift of the forgiveness of sins?
I heard a message this week that made me wonder. At our Pastor’s conference, a Christian psychologist, a member of a Lutheran church from Milwaukee, told the assembled pastors that she finds herself, in far too many circumstances, doing the Pastor’s work. A great number of her clients simply need God’s therapy, the administration of his Law (“You have sinned”) and the balm of the Gospel (“Your sins are forgiven.”) She asked us pastors, “what business are you in anyway?”
So, how’s business? Well, this we know, the members of our church are in a life and death struggle with sin. How do I know that? I’m the Pastor. I know these things.
More importantly, I’m a sinner and I see what it does in my own life. I struggle with the same things we all do.
The worst thing we can say is, “Well everybody does it, everybody sins, so it must be okay!” That is the recipe for disaster. My psychologist friend says she’s already overworked! And the problem of sin is getting worse.
It gets worse in two ways. First of all, when anyone in our church is not certain of their eternal salvation, when they can’t say, “I am, because of the saving love of Jesus Christ, bound for eternal life with him,” then business is bad. It is our ministry that everyone in the Church would have God’s work of the Gospel take root and God’s gift of faith strengthened to know and believe that there is no uncertainty in the Gospel.
Sin among us gets worse in a second way: when any among us are living less than the fullness of life Jesus came to bring because we habitually fall prey to temptation, when sin and disobedience controls us and we don’t know the freedom and forgiveness that Jesus came to bring.
The Forgiveness Business
The forgiveness business is not a business at all, but it is a way of life, and a ministry. We fight off uncertainty and doubt and we fight off the plague of unrepentant sin through the ministry of the Word of God and the life giving Sacraments of the Lord.
Cory and I have been teaching our confirmation students about forgiveness for the last few weeks. The Catechism teaches that there are two parts to forgiveness. The kids learned them well and we’re making a game about the two parts. Can you name them?
Part one is simply confession, to admit my wrong and my need for God’s grace. Have you figured out the second? Simple. Absolution, the declaration that for Jesus sake the repentant sinner is forgiven.
That’s our business. It is the heart of our weekly worship. It is the central doctrine of the Scriptures we teach because we love the story so much. The forgiveness of sins is what we are about. Then we learn to live in response to God’s goodness. That’s it. Forgiveness and “Thank you, God!”
The Forgotten Treasure
The psychologist told a very discouraging story I want to share with you. One of her patients told of driving past a Catholic Church for months on end, reading the invitation to confession that was posted on the sign out front. She said she finally went in and confessed her sins and was told she was forgiven. When the psychologist asked why she had never gone to see her own pastor, she replied, “Oh, I’m Lutheran. My church doesn’t forgive sins.”
I know that none of you would make that statement, but I wonder how many of our church family have hesitated to come and see their Pastor when God has been calling them to release the burden of their sin through private confession and absolution? Meeting with the Pastor to be granted private absolution is a very Lutheran practice. I’m not at liberty to say how often it happens here, but I expect it is not often enough.
At our conference we discussed six reasons why church members might not come visit their Pastor to find forgiveness. I hope I can dispel some of these myths.
“My Pastor is too busy.” I prioritize my schedule. I quit when my week has been full. Visiting with you is my top priority. I’ll skip the “What Color Should The Bathroom Be Painted” meeting next week (and be glad about it). I’m not too busy.
“My Pastor doesn’t know what it’s like to hurt emotionally.” If I have presented myself to you as cold and unfeeling, I apologize. My skin is no thicker than yours and my heart is no more unbreakable either.
“I’m not sure that my Pastor can keep a secret.” You’d be amazed at the things I’ll never tell. After twenty years, I’m no longer surprised that sinners act like sinners. I have vowed not to break confidentiality and do not believe that I ever have.
“I’m afraid my Pastor will be mad at me.” I’ll only be disappointed in you if you do not come claim the prize that Jesus won for you. I’m only upset when someone suffers needlessly the guilt of sins that God wants forgiven.
“I didn’t know that we Lutherans could go to private confession.” Now you know.
“My Pastor teaches about how to be holy. How can I tell him that I’ve sinned?” Your Pastor teaches there is only one way to holiness, the power of the Gospel of forgiveness, to power of God for a new beginning and a new life.
It’s a great mystery that Jesus would send us as his only ambassadors of the Good News, and it’s a great mystery that he would put the power to forgive in the hands of sinners like me. But our God does indeed work in mysterious ways, doesn’t he?
Don’t miss out on his miracle of forgiveness.