After considerable changes in the parish due to new church affiliation, to internal reorganization, and to various types of renovation, St. Luke’s also has a new constitution. Most noticeable in this document is a church council structure that is designed to enhance the mission of the parish. In that spirit, the first non-executive position added to the church council is that of parish education.
The duties of the chair for parish education are not yet firmly defined. On one hand, we have our own Sunday school curriculum, a steady Vacation Bible School programme, Sunday and Wednesday Bible studies, and a growing theological academy. In other words, we have many things in place. On the other, do any of us know all there is to know about the Bible or the Lutheran confessional writings or … Even what we do know is given new insights with further study. So, why has the congregation placed parish education as its first priority?
First and foremost, the church is a creature of the word. In other words (slight pun intended), the word of God creates the church like it has created everything else. According to Article VII of the Augsburg Confession (a Lutheran confessional writing), the church “is the assembly of all believers among who the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel.” What does this mean and why is it important?
The word of God as gospel create the faith which justifies sinners and thus makes them Christian. Gathering together doing religious things does not make a church. All religions, Christian or otherwise, gather and do religious things. Likewise, hearing sermons does not make a church. All religions, Christian or otherwise, have public teaching and preaching of some sort, but that does not make them church. The gospel is the good news that through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, sinners are justified by faith alone as a pure gift of God’s grace. That message to those gathered around it makes the church. While we are gathered, however, we expand that message in liturgy, prayer, and song. Without this gospel purely proclaimed, none of this would be Christian, just religion.
Secondly, if the church is those who are gathered around the gospel purely proclaimed, then it is incumbent not only on the preacher but also on the hearers to ensure that they are receiving a purely proclaimed gospel. Part of being able to ensure this is comes through parish education, i.e. gathering together to study scripture, the Lutheran confessions, and other theological items. How prepared are we as a parish to do this? Some of our members are extremely prepared and able. Others are not. So, why are they not?
The most important group who is not prepared are our children. Baptism grants forgiveness of sin but does not bestow knowledge of who forgives and why. That needs to be taught, over and over again until we are no longer able to learn. In other words, because we are all made children of God through baptism, being a Christian means continually learning and studying for our own faith development and for our mission as a church. So, are you a member because you are on the books or because you are in the Book? What are your learning goals for this year?
