Stuck in Reverse

"Honor Walther's Lasting Leadership

This October will be the bicentennial celebration of one of the most influential leaders in the history of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, C.F.W. Walther. As the first president of our synod, Walther used his passion and outspoken nature to ensure that Lutherans in 19th century America remained faithful to the Scriptures and Lutheran Confessions."

I agree with that statement which I received in an e-mail from our synodical publishing house today, but it's the sales pitch for a bronze medallion that followed which I didn't get.Don't get me wrong, I think remembering and commemorating the past is a good thing, especially when it can teach us about the present and future. The church I serve is observing its 50^th this year and I hope that our observances are not a eulogy, but rather a sending; a launching pad for future ministry.

But I have too scratch my head at the Synod's latest efforts to practically canonize C. F. W. Walther. The first one I saw is what appears to be a somewhat ammaturish Walther movie staring lots of St. Louis community theatre types. The second being a 3" bronze medallion they want us all to pre-order so that they get the minimum required order to strike such a piece. The very fact that they are seeking pre-orders should be an indication that perhaps these aren't worth the effort.Are movies and medallions a bad thing? Certainly not. They may even be beautiful and informative, but what are their purpose within the mission of the Synod? How do these two pieces extend the Gospel in a meaningful way to a world who could care less about a 19^th century immigrant theologian? In a time when we are cutting budgets for ministry making do with less in just about every arm of the synod and its districts, what purpose do these niceties have in growing the church? Their market seems to me to be so narrow. I like history a lot, and I found the trailer to the movie to be quite boring. I'm afraid that only the purest die-hards will watch it (and their captive congregations who endure it during the Sunday Morning Bible study).

One thing could make all these commemorative trinkets worth-while. Use them as fundraisers for the missions that Walther so whole-heartedly supported; youth, pastoral education, and missionaries to other cultures within our U.S. of A.