Speak comfort to 'terrified consciences of our time,' Wengert challenges

 

Timothy Wengert: "Comforting words are desperately needed."

Impassioned despite dealing with a heavy cold, Professor Timothy Wengert challenged scores of church leaders to use the teachings of The Book of Concord to bring inspired comfort to "the timid and terrified consciences of our time." Wengert, who teaches the Lutheran Confessions at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, said that preaching and teaching today that doesn't emphasize such comfort "is better left unspoken."

Wengert was the keynote speaker for the seventh annual Magnet Church Consultation March 30 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Springfield (Delaware County), PA. The day of teaching and workshops sponsored by the Seminary and the Northeastern and Southeastern Pennsylvania Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is designed for larger and growing churches or churches focusing on renewed growth. Bishop David Strobel of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod was the preacher for the worship service that opened the day's activities.

"This is the heart of the matter," Wengert said in his keynote discussion. "God came down to us in Jesus Christ. Our salvation is not dependent on us but comes only from the incarnate God. God creates faith in us. God gives us everything. Our works can't rescue us. Our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake and any teaching that doesn't recognize that despises Christ." At one point he said he had known of preaching in a large congregation that over many months had "not mentioned once the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ -- not once." He said such an approach causes that preaching to "masquerade as the Gospel."

Wengert cited news reports of such events as school shootings and violence and said "there is no shortage of timid and terrified consciences today." Thus, there is no shortage of the need for comforting words found in the teachings of Christ and interpreted through The Book of Concord, with its teachings of the unconditional love of Jesus Christ for all people.

The professor has just returned from a cross-country tour which began at LTSP March 20, celebrating the new edition of The Book of Concord, which Wengert co-edited with Professor Robert Kolb of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Wengert has described the writings of the book as depicting the words of theologians of sixteenth century Germany "caught in the act of confessing their faith." While the book is often perceived as intended to separate the ideas of reformers of the day from traditional Roman teachings, Wengert notes that the teachers behind its words, Philip Melanchthon and Martin Luther, were striving to unite believers of the day, many of whom had learned teachings "that robbed them of the comfort of the truth," he said. He challenged the Magnet Church attendees to make use of the "inviting Word" concerning the love of Christ as found in the book as they invite others to life in the Church, whether the invitees are adults or "hormonally challenged youth." He said the book is by no means doctrine, an archane rule book or a substitute for the gospel, but its contents are no less relevant today than in the sixteenth century.

 

Marta Poling-Goldenne: "Reach out to unchurched people in your community in ways that make sense to them."

Wengert also led a workshop on "Luther's Catechism Today." Other workshop leaders included the Rev. Dr. Gordon Lathrop, the Seminary's Schieren Professor of Liturgy, who taught on the Adult Catechumenate; the Rev. Dr. Margaret Krych, Norton Professor of Christian Education at LTSP, who taught on multiple settings for education for the whole people of God; Dr. Roland Martinson, Professor of Pastoral Care, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN, who focused on evangelism for youth and families, and the Rev. Marta Poling-Goldenne, Director for Witness for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Poling-Goldenne traced signs of a healthy congregation in her presentation and offered a laundry list of fresh approaches to evangelizing seekers and unchurched people in contemporary communities.

 

Roland Martinson: "Today's youth and young adults have minds that are wired differently."

In his workshop focus on youth, Martinson talked about extensive research and listening he is a part of in trying to understand the factors that keep youth involved in the church into adulthood. The project is still in its infancy. He applauded Wengert's keynote address, but cautioned his listeners that presenting the comforting words concerning the unconditional love of Christ pose a significant challenge to today's church leaders. "The minds of young people today simply aren't wired the same way Martin Luther's was," he said.