And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
(Hebrews 10:24-25)

Dear Saints of Zion,

September 16th is “National Back to Church Sunday.” I must admit, I had never heard of that until recently. My first thought about the concept was something like this: “Hmm. Were we supposed to take some time off from church???” But then I googled it and learned that it’s some sort of campaign for inviting others to church who are not regularly in the Lord’s house. Great idea!

As I perused the website, I can’t say that I’m super crazy about all the things it says. What can I say, I’m a Lutheran! My Lutheran antennas tend to pop up in the midst of “popular” movements and trends. “That’s the problem with our church,” you might say. Is it just that Lutherans are too critical? Nope! I, for one, as your pastor, am called to take seriously my responsibility to shepherd you, which includes guarding you from false teaching (which often comes dressed in sheep’s clothing!). That’s why it’s wise to be a bit on guard for what’s blowing in the wind.

As I continued to think about it, I turned to the tenth chapter of the book of Hebrews, where the Lord, through His Word, encourages us to continue meeting together. In the efforts of contacting inactive members, one of the common responses (of the few who respond) is often anger. Some got angry over an issue years ago and stopped coming to church. Some indicated their disdain for fellow Christians, seeing the regular churchgoer as “self-righteous.” Some asked, “Where does it say in the Bible that I need to go to church to be a Christian?”

I must say, I think the way evangelism and outreach is done now days is often pretty messed up. Much of it exudes the very arrogance that the unchurched detest, presenting the Church and the Christian faith as some kind of utopian ideal and the answer to all life’s problems. Presenting ourselves as the church who can meet all one’s needs is indeed arrogant. We’ll certainly fail in such an endeavor. The Church is where the one thing needful is met. Our sin is met with Christ and His forgiveness. Yes, other things flow out of this, but not at the expense of it.

Back to the Word! Hebrews presents Christ, our Great High Priest, who offered Himself once for all, for the sins of the world, for our sins. Just before 10:24-25, God encourages us that as we enter the holy place, we enter into God’s presence through the flesh of Christ, hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, bodies washed with pure water. That’s why our worship always hearkens back to Baptism.

As God gathers us together, we call upon His name, the name in which we were baptized. We confess our sins, receive his absolution, and stand before God with a clear conscience ALL BECAUSE OF CHRIST! When you’re baptized into Christ, you’re baptized into the Body of Christ. As you approach His Table to receive His very body and blood, you’re “bodied and blooded” together. There is indeed a “corporate” nature to Church. It’s not just “me and Jesus.” We are together in Christ as His baptized children.

You belong to Christ and to one another, as fellow members of His body. Having been sprinkled clean of sin, we encourage one another, we stir one another up in love and good works, as we wait for the great Day of our Lord’s appearing. We weep together. We rejoice together. We share in common the deadly disease of sin and the cleansing cure of Christ our Great High Priest, crucified and risen for us.

We Lutherans have much to offer if we would just be who we are. We’re honest about sin. It’s very real, even in the life of Christians. God gathers us together. We confess our sins, our failures. We rejoice in Christ’s forgiveness. The forgiveness He grants each of us spills over into our lives. We live by faith toward God and fervent love toward one another. Forgiven, we forgive one another and walk together in love and good works. We see what sin has done and is doing in the world, even our own sin, and, forgiven in Christ, we long all the more for that great Day of His return to come.

By all means, my brothers and sisters, invite your friends “back to church,” but not to some utopian ideal that will solve all life’s problems. Invite them to Zion, the church that is NOT perfect. Invite them to join with fellow sinners and live in the grace of God, longing for that great and glorious Day of His return when we stand before God holy and righteous, not just by faith, but by sight, loving and serving one another for all eternity.

In Christ,

Pastor Fritsche