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From the Pastor

 

IS ANYTHING SACRED ANYMORE?

 

We live in a changing culture and a rapidly changing world.  Just think:  as little as 25 years ago, the idea of owning a computer of your own was not even realistic.  When you said “computer” back then, the mind’s eye thought of main frame computers.  Lap top computers?  Not even on the radar for 99.999999% of our world.  But today is known as the information age because of them! 

 When it comes to churches, I have found in my travels and by serving in different ones that each church has what can only be called sacred cows.  Some have been rather interesting.  One sacred cow in a particular congregation was the sanctuary.  The building was an older building, and to say it was dark in there would have been an understatement.   

Another sacred cow I have discovered along the way is the time of worship.  This sacred cow is actually more like a bull, because you definitely don’t want to butt heads with it.  Change the time of worship?   Holy cow!  Go ahead and make that suggestion and you will discover quickly how sacred that time is, if you are fortunate.  Try moving it more than once and there’s no rodeo clown that will be able to save you from the bull.  You will feel like you are in Spain at the running of the bulls, to be more precise.  Just a tip:  run fast. 

How to Spot a Sacred Cow

How do you spot a sacred cow?  That’s easy!  For our sake, let’s say you can spot a sacred cow here at Mount Calvary when any thing or tradition is not a Scriptural command.  It may not be forbidden—but it’s not commanded, either.  In Lutheran circles, that’s called adiaphora—something neither commanded or forbidden in Scripture. 

A second sign of a sacred cow is this:  when you try to put it out to pasture, it creates division within the church.  This brings up a couple of interesting points.  There is only one thing in the church that should ever cause division, and that’s the right or wrong interpretation and application of the Word of God.  The second point is this:  when a sacred cow causes division in the church, it ceases to be sacred at that moment.   We are not here to fight about sacred cows and their purpose.  We have a bigger fight on our hands:  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of darkness in the heavenly places.”  Ephesians 6:12, ESV    

SO. . . . HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A SACRED COW?

Dealing with a sacred cow in a church is not always easy.  As a matter of fact, it can be one of the most difficult things to do.  But there are some things you can remember in dealing with a sacred cow. 

First, when dealing with a sacred cow, ask, “How does this fit into the mission of our church today?”  Our mission is simple:  we are “committed to reaching out with the love of Jesus.”  Perhaps at one time, that sacred cow was a vital part of doing that—reaching out with the love of Jesus.  But times change, and so does the effectiveness of certain things that become sacred cows. 

Second, we need to remember that with every sacred cow, there are undoubtedly emotions about that sacred cow.  How we deal with those people and those emotions is important.  If we need to deal with a sacred cow, we need to do it carefully, considering others’ feelings, and acknowledging them.  If you want to create instant division in a church, just ignore what you just read, and I promise that you will! 

Third, when it’s time to sacrifice a sacred cow, don’t do it alone.  Make sure others are involved in building the altar, bringing the wood, bringing the fuel to light the fire, and the like.  Consensus that it’s time for the sacred cow to go makes it easier—not easy.  But do everything you do in the love of Jesus.    

Finally, when you sacrifice a sacred cow, don’t look to the past.  Look to the future.  When you’re sacrificing a sacred cow, don’t think about the past—think about the great hamburgers a sacred cow will make.  Perhaps the sacrifice of that sacred cow will open the door for new and effective ministry.  But you will never know until you try. 

Anybody seen any sacred cows lately?--  Pastor Anderson  

     
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If you have a question about the church, our beliefs, scripture, or the Bible, e-mail Pastor at pastor@mtcalvary-lcms.org  and he will answer the question either on this page or in an upcoming Bible class.


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What About.....

Rev. Dr. A. L. Barry was president of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod from 1992 until his death on March 23, 2001.  Rev. Barry’s goal “was to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ".   Rev. Barry wrote a series of pamphlets, the "What About..." series,  that outline many topics of interest to Christians.

The What About pamphlets are anchored in the unchanging truth of God’s Holy Word and the faithful exposition of that Word provided in the Lutheran Confessions.  Unchanging truth in changing times is precisely what these summaries of Christian doctrine are all about.  When President Barry issued the first four What About pamphlets in 1996, little did he realize how popular they would prove to be.  Twelve million copies later, they continue to be used throughout the English-speaking world in churches and schools, parish meeting rooms, small-group Bible studies and in private homes.  They are found in hospitals and nursing homes, colleges, universities and seminaries.  Military chaplains use them around the world on board ships and at various military installations. Prison chaplains have used them in state and federal facilities.  They are used in parish evangelism programs and a wide variety of community events.  More uses for the What About pamphlets have been found than were imagined by President Barry when he first thought of producing them.  

Some of the topics covered by the What About pamphlets include:

Christian Families

The Jehovah's Witness

Death and Dying

Homosexuality

Abortion

Living Together

Angels

Mormonism

Islam

The Ordination of Women

Creation and Evolution


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