Evangelicals are allergic to Roman Catholicism for all the wrong reasons. Instead of being concerned with sacerdotal impulses, they are concerned about chanting God’s words. I will never forget a visitor who grew up in an evangelical home and castigated our worship service for singing the Lord’s Prayer. “That is Roman Catholic,” he argued. He then observed that kneeling was not helpful because it kept our eyes looking down instead of up to heaven. I will give him an A for creativity but an F for biblical literacy (Ps. 95:6).
A general mental paralysis sets in when it comes to thinking clearly about liturgical questions. Anything that resembles order becomes catholicized, labeled as “too formal,” or “too-not-what-we-have-always-seen-and-heard-before.” Now, mind you, Roman Catholic dogma has lots of problems. But their problem isn't kneeling or reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Evangelicals need to realize that biblical practices, no matter how similar they may look to your Roman Catholic experience as a child or something you heard from a third party, are non-negotiable. You do them because they are at the core of Christian expression.
The Reformation fixed these tendencies by ordering the liturgical loves according to Scripture rather than long-held traditional practices. Instead of elite choirs singing on behalf of the congregation, Luther returned it to the people: “So that the word of God may be among the people in the form of music.” Rather than viewing the Church as authoritative in itself, Luther writes: “The Church is your mother who gives birth to you and bears you through the Word.” Luther restored music to the people and grounded the Church’s authority in the Word.
Our evangelical problem is a captivity problem. We are captive to the wrong things and wrong fears. We need to be captive to Jesus Christ, our righteousness. The Reformation takes us back (ad fontes) and places us in the liturgical practices that strengthen and call us to an unadulterated faith in the Person of Christ as our central liturgist.
Nuntium
October 1st marked the end of my term as Presiding Minister of Council. It has been a remarkable honor to preside and serve as the CREC's ambassador from 2023 to 2026. In total, I traveled for over 330 days in three years. As I prepare for the beginning of my cancer treatments in a couple of weeks, I realize I am entering a new term. I pray for God’s kindness to me now once again.
I will be with my old friends, Jeff Meyers and Steve Wilkins, in St. Louis this weekend. I will offer three lectures connecting fatherhood and the home to the necessity of liturgical life and cycles.
I love where the Sursum Corda is in the covenant renewal service!