Harrison: Marriage and the Church

Marriage and the Church

Friday, May 10, 2013

Someone quipped, “The world is moving so fast these days that the one who says it can’t be done is generally interrupted by someone doing it.” I thought rather cynically about this quote as I listened to the Supreme Court argue over the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Just a decade and a half ago, this legislation was signed into law, defining marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. DOMA came as a safeguard against individual states redefining marriage and forcing the federal government (the whole nation!) to treat same-sex marriage as legitimate.

Two sources tell us what marriage is. First, the Bible tells us that man and woman were created by God as the perfect match, and that marriage is to be a sacred, lifelong union of one man and one woman. The Bible universally rejects sex outside of this man/woman marriage. Second, we know from so-called natural knowledge, which is part of all human existence, and which has been codified by custom and law through the millennia, that marriage is for one man and one woman. It is God’s perfectly designed institution for the creation of new human life and for the nurture of civilized individuals. As Luther famously noted in his Large Catechism, If he won’t obey his parent, he’ll obey the hangman!

What has come with lightening speed is merely the summation of a long process of the devaluation of marriage in Western culture. In 1970, only one state had no-fault divorce. By 1980, 49 had it. Coterminously, marriage has increasingly come to be defined as an emotional bond with a significant other rather than a fundamental building block of all society, religion and culture, based upon the fact that a man and a woman choose to enter a solemn life-long contract and bring new life into this world.

The Supreme Court will likely rule on the two cases (DOMA and Proposition 8) in late June. Like Roe v. Wade, which found a (fictional) right to abortion in the U.S. Constitution, the court could rule that the traditional definition of marriage of one man and one woman is unconstitutional. No matter how the court rules, the fight has just begun. Many in our own fellowship think, What’s the big deal? Isn’t it just about widening the tent of tolerance a bit more? If that were it, it would a major relief. But it’s not. What’s at stake is our First Amendment right to the free exercise of our religious conviction in the way we act in society. As the same-sex marriage train gains steam, we find ourselves increasingly under attack, our social ministry agencies are forced to either capitulate to the state or lose funding and even licenses. All opposed to same-sex marriage for conscience grounds are and will increasingly be labeled bigots in line with slave-holders and those who were opposed to ending of legalized racism in this country. And know this: As traditional Christians are driven out of the public square, the door is also closed for the Gospel.

The task before us is monumental. We are called to repent of our lack of appreciation for marriage and family. We are called to confess Christ to all and call all to repentance. We must elevate marriage among us and educate, educate, educate. Even as we seek specific ways to care for those challenged by same-sex attraction, we must resist conforming to the culture.

We know whose we are. We know what is in store for us. We know we will be severely tested in these last days, but this testing will abound in faithfulness and praise (1 Peter 1).

Pastor Matthew Harrison
President, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

“Let’s go!” Mark 1:38

Illogical Logic

The congregational nonimations for President of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS) have been counted and posted. And the numbers overwhelmingly reveal that the congregations want a change in leadership.

Rev. Matthew Harrison, executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care, received 1,332 nominations. Dr. Gerald Kieschnick, incumbent LCMS president, received 755 nominations. To put those numbers in perspective, consider the following facts:

• Harrison’s 1,332 nominations is the most ever for a non-incumbent.
• Kieschnick’s 755 nominations is the least ever for an incumbent.
• Kieschnick’s 755 nominations is 28% fewer than the 1,055 he received in 2007.

And yet, despite the facts, President Kieschnick offered this explanation in a recent newspaper article:

“I’ve been a part of this church long enough to know that if someone in office is doing a very poor job, we’d have more than 30 percent of them weighing in. ... Call it apathy or satisfaction, but they see no need to make a change.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/24/2010]

This was quickly followed up by a group of Kieschnick supporters, who made the same claim:

The main news from the nominations result is that only about one third of the eligible 6,000 congregations participated in the process. One interpretation is that by far most congregations are satisfied with the present leadership and thus did not participate. Their non-participation says nothing about how their delegates will cast their vote. Along that same line of reasoning, congregations that took the effort to make nominations are more likely to want change. There is website evidence this year that groups of dissatisfied pastors made a strong effort to organize to have their candidate(s) nominated. Thus one could conclude that a nomination total of 1,300 for a non-incumbent means only a quarter of the congregations are dissatisfied and want to change leadership. [Jesus First, Issue 62, April 2010: Putting Convention Nominations into Perspective]

Low numbers = high approval. How’s that for illogical logic!

LCMS, if you want to continue with this type of illogical leadership, your decision flies in the face of the majority of the congregations who cared enough to send in their nominations. There is a better leader in Rev. Matthew Harrison. May our gracious Lord bless the LCMS through the faithful leadership of President Harrison beginning this summer!

It's Time

The names of nominees for Synod president (and vice-presidents) who will be on the ballots for election at this summer's Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod convention were announced via LCMS News (No. 33) on 8 April 2010.

The Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, 48, executive director of LCMS World Relief and Human Care, led the way by receiving 1,332 nominations, nearly 600 more than the current president of Synod.

Pastor Harrison has written an excellent paper on the main problem our Synod faces and some common sense solutions that are Christ-centered and Scripture-based.  You will find this paper -- It's Time: LCMS Unity and Mission (The Real Problem We Face and How to Solve It) -- in both print and audio form by clicking here.

I pray the convention delegates will elect this faithful pastor to lead our Synod and unite our practice around our doctrine and confession.