Luther’s Small Catechism says (based on John 20:22-23, etc.):
I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
This body of thought is one which we treasure as Christians who understand that Christ’s authority to forgive sins has been graciously given to the church. It assures us that we need not wonder if our sins are forgiven when the church announces that forgiveness, but can know for sure that they are gone in God’s sight as well. But every time I read this section of I can’t help but wonder if we have gutted this body of thought. Oh we believe, “I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command…this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.” But we often ignore the rest of this statement, “in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better.”
The truth is, in the modern Lutheran church we do very little of either of these. On this statement I must be clear. We do absolve people in worship corporately and such absolution open the doors to all who receive it in repentant faith.  But no doubt when Luther wrote these words, he meant the individual application of both the locking and unlocking functions of the office of the keys. When was the last time in your church that anyone’s sin were individually absolved. Conversely, we was the last time anyone in your church was visibly excluded due to unrepentant sin. And yet Luther claims that such actions add particular weight to our assurance that Christ works through his church to forgive and retain sins.
I am aware of a church that is never locked. And I am told that at that church no one even knows if there are keys for the front door. Since the door is never locked, the thought of unlocking the door doesn’t even come to mind.
The same is true when it comes to the exercise of the keys. If the door is never locked, the impact of unlocking the door is inconsequential. If sins are not retained, why must they be forgiven either? If the door just remains constantly unlocked, open to both to the repentant and unrepentant alike, they keys aren’t even needed. The church forgets where they are or whether they truly exist.
In our LCMS agenda, elders are always instructed when they are installed that part of their joint work with the Pastor is to insure that the erring are admonished, and that discipline is maintained. But truth be told, the idea of discipline is something rarely practiced at the congregational level in the LCMS.
Locking the door to the impenitent is a hard work to do. Anyone who enjoys such actions does not have the Spirit of Christ. When the church must lock the door, we do so with immense grief, mourning the loss of the member of the flock and praying for their safe return to the flock through repentance and forgiveness. Speaking in theological terms, locking the door is the church’s alien work. But when we practice this according to the spirit of Christ, the opening of the door to the penitent (the church’s proper work) is all the more powerful. When we do not throw what is holy to the dogs, it is understood as truly holy to the sheep.  Then they trust that when when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
Phil,
You wrote: “But truth be told, the idea of discipline is something rarely practiced at the congregational level in the LCMS.” You hit the nail right on the head, my friend. And I think you could very well apply this to almost every Christian confession out there. Christianity has ceased to be a lifestyle, but rather a belief system which can be discarded and claimed again at will without any fear of being barred from the sacraments. Even the Orthodox are not immune to this.
What’s the solution? You have to bring back confession/absolution, not in the corporate sense only but in private practice.
Look, Phil, people are leaving the LCMS (particularly men) for Constantinople and Rome because there is no responsibility given to penitents. If you let children run around without any consequences for bad behaviour, children they will remain. If you chastise them, lovingly of course and do this through the confessional (and i’m not talking a booth like what you have at RC churches) but in a face to face confession, don’t you think there will be more results? It may not result in more people coming to the church, but it may result in the people you have staying and being strengthened instead of having them go about trying to find the “one fit.”
I don’t know what you do at your church with regards to confession/absolution in the private practice. When I went to a Lutheran church here in Omaha, the pastor there practiced it and it helped me a great deal spiritually. When I became Orthodox and made confession, there were a few times that I was excommunicated (for a brief amount of time) for repentance and continued prayer. And I grew like you wouldn’t believe. Yes, it is hard to shut the door. But the prodigal even “came to himself” and rushed back to his father who was more than relieved to see his son come home again and repent. The angels in heaven rejoice with the repentance of a sinner. You may need to do this, Phil. If you’re unwilling, then, forgive me for being blunt, you are not fulfilling your duty as a minister (servant) to God’s chosen.
Chris, by “do this,” I assume you mean private confession and absolution. And I agree. This is the point of my post. I do offer it always as a pastor, and hold regular times for the practice during Lent. Unfortunately, few take advantage. I plan this year to “require” my confirmands to come once to experience it for themselves. Glad to know you are still reading 🙂 Hope your interviews went well.
Phil,
I think that would be ideal for the confirmands to do such a thing. Before I was chrismated, I was required to make confession to my priest and I never felt better. It’s not a thing that I look forward to, mind you, but if people were to view the church as a hospital (which is the favorite metaphor of the church fathers), I think confession/absolution would be seen in a different light, even amongst Lutherans.
However, I would caution you that the parents of the confirmands might object simply because as they are an older generation, they may tend to view the practice as too “Romish.” But, keep preaching the benefits and its Lutheran heritage from the pulpit and maybe a few more will come around, not just for Lent but for the whole church year.
I know the LSB has a confession/absolution order, but if you’d like to see what we use in the EO, I can send you something. The prayers are magnificent and it is quite different from the Roman ordo. There is no “Ego te absolvo” (I absolve you) since the priest makes it very clear that he, being a sinner, has no power to forgive sins, but God alone. LEt me know.