Meditation on a Meandering: Lutherans and Catholics

Pastor Larry Peters has one of the best blogs on the internet called Pastoral Meanderings.  If it is not on your reading list, it should be.  Today he posted an article entitled “What are we afraid of?”  It concludes,

“When we are afraid of being catholic, we also end up being less Lutheran.”

His point is that often in being afraid to follow certain practices because they are associated in people’s minds with Roman Catholicism, we end up also leaving behind things that are historically Lutheran also.  I would go as far as to say that we go end up leaving behind things that are simply faithful Christian traditions which have been and still are edifying to the holy ones of God.

I agree with his post.  While it seems different in every place, there are always things judged “too catholic” by some members on the congregation.  In my context, we have a crucifix on the altar which no one thinks twice about.  But when I have mentioned the idea of a processional cross, I get the “too catholic” response.  Occasional chanting has actually been received well but I have a feeling that the idea of a funeral pall might cause pause.  As Pastor Peters suggests, such reactions can often rob us of practices that would be edifying  to the people of God and consistent with our confession.

But if I have any criticism of this post, it is that Pastor Peters is mostly preaching to the choir.  Most of his readers will right away sound a hearty Amen.   They will agree and not think much further about appropriate intersections of Lutherans and Romans.

What he has written is true:  many American Lutherans are afraid of looking too Catholic.  But in my experience another thing is also true:  many Lutherans pastors who mourn this truth are overly affectionate towards Rome in general.  In the groups I usually find myself in, Rome is spoken of mostly with joy.  Someone listening in from the outside might think these groups are made up of Catholic priests lambasting Protestantism. 

I understand.  For those of us who value liturgy and the centrality of the sacraments, it is easy to feel close to the Roman Church.  As first appearance, it seems like we have more in common with them that any of the Protestant churches who seem to have forgotten so much of the history and practice of the Church.  But here is the caution:  We must be careful with our affections.

I have heard people say things like, “Well, better to pray to the saints rather than do nothing with them like many do.”  Many act as if we have the same theology of the mass as the Romans simply because we both believe that Christ is bodily present.  I say no.  We must be as critical with catholic practices and teachings as we are with protestant ones.  I think way too many people are so mad at American Protestantism that they end up embracing heresy and bad practices from Roman Catholicism.  We must ask as the confessors did.  Does this practice or teaching direct us to and/or deliver to us to Christ or does it distract us from him?

Sometime in our dismay at what is going on in American Protestantism, I think we forget that Rome still holds onto Trent.  They still deny Jesus the glory due to him as the sole propitiation  for our sins.  They also still, at least in their official writings, hold onto ideas like purgatory and indulgences.  They hold to most if not all of error regarding the papacy just like they did in 1530.   We are not in fellowship with Rome for very good reasons.

Pastor Peters is right that we often end up not having good things when we are too quick to dismiss them as “too Catholic.”  But I would add that we can also end up with bad things and theology when we too quickly embrace all things catholic because we are so mad at the Protestants. 

There is a reason Lutheranism has been called the lonely way.