Yep, almost a critical event. But too bad on my flight up to Minneapolis that I was sitting next to a member of one the five daughter churches my congregation has planted. Just dumb luck on my part I suppose.I guess anytime that I read a theological book while flying I’m bound to get questions about my faith. And I never have or will I shy away from such questions. I'm ok with that, really.
However, silly questions and goofy statements from people who should know better I have much less patience with. And the women sitting next to me telling me that the way the grow the Church is to have abundant programs for children and to not focus on church so much had that one vein on the side of my head pounding like a drum. My blood pressure wasn’t up because of her but rather that I know that this is what passes as outreach these days. Because of bad catechesis this women looks at outreach as something akin to an after school program, uh, I mean movement.
But the event never went critical because according to the Ablaze! website we don’t count things like baptism and proper catachisis by pastors who should have set this person straight years ago. Oh well, maybe next time or on the way back at 36,000 feet, I can stand up and yell you’re Ablaze! on the plane. Hmm, I wonder if there will be air marshals on board?
2 comments:
I had a similar event occur last week. I was at my son's t-ball game and struck up a conversation with a guy who happened to be a life-long Lutheran (LCMS). He expressed a dislike for closed communion since, after all, "we're all looking to Jesus, anyway." It felt odd as a fairly new Lutheran that I had to explain to a life-long Lutheran why closed communion is important. All this while my non-Lutheran un-communing wife is listening along and wondering why I believe all this hard-line confessional stuff when other Lutherans don't.
Not to be overly dramatic, but it was a rather profound kyrie eleison moment.
Adam, I could go on such a diatribe with that whole “But I’m a life long Lutheran thing” but it would only cause folks think I’ve finally and completely lost it.
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