up in the mountains and drinking coffee

I am laying on a cot at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Baguio on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It’s cold up here because we are in the mountains. But it’s good. It was fun to wake up last night cold and having to go further underneath the covers. That hasn’t happened too often here.

It’s been a good time so far. The problem is that I have these things that I want to blog about, but then I forget them by the time I get to the internet. So hopefully this will be something worth while since I am typing it out now instead of waiting til we get to the internet.

It has been interesting and challenging for us as we are here during the reconciliation talks of the Lutheran Church of the Philippines. Basically, it seems like it would be trying to reconcile the ELCA and the LCMS together. We find it a bit ironic that the ELCA and the LCMS seem to have been helping out various sides of the LCP and the ELCA and the LCMS cannot come to an agreement on things.

But this is what is floating around in my brain. The idea of being unified and reconciled together to form one body under Christ. It is a good concept, but how is it supposed to work. Take communion for instance. If there are two interpretations of communion, and these two sides need to come together to form one Lutheran church again, how is it that one side is supposed to compromise on their beliefs? It seems as though the belief in their way of communion has been strong enough to cause a split or contribute to a split, so why now would they decide to give that up?

It does seem that there are a new bunch of pastors that are leading the congregations here and they seem to have the idea to reconcile as they were not around when the initial split took place.

We have heard various things from various pastors. One of the things that seems to sum up the counter productivity of the whole thing is that if you ask side A who is LCP 1 and who is LCP 2. They will say that side A is LCP 1 and that side B is LCP 2. But if you ask someone from side B who is LCP 1, they will say that side B is LCP 1 and that side A is LCP 2. We have also heard things along the nature that one side is waiting for the other side to repent and come to their senses. But it seems to me that it usually takes two sides to have an argument or disagreement. It was disheartening and frustrating to hear these types of comments because the minute that people begin to think that they are blameless in the problem, they cease to be part of the solution.

This whole thing also seems rather silly to me that adults who are supposed to be continually seeking after the will of God, not man, are unable to look past themselves to discern what the will of God is. I think that in a nutshell, the will is to serve others and show God’s love and peace to all. I do not think that is being done when pastors will not even associate with each other or are unable to hold civil conversations with each other. If I were an outsider looking in, I would not want to be part of a denomination that cannot stand together.

I think one of the more disheartening things that has been going through my head is that sometimes it seems that people are unable to look past themselves. It is no different than two little boys arguing over who gets the last bite of a candy bar. They seemed to have forgotten that they were able to share the candy bar together and had that in common.

But who am I to sit here and look at the situation and think it is silly. I have graduated with a degree in music. These people are the ones who have the degree from the seminaries and bible schools. So obviously if they are unable to solve the problem, then nobody can! It seems to me that the congregations are waiting for the leaders to do something. But why cannot the congregations stand up and begin to work together as one body. Having fellowship with each other and supporting each other as God would want his communities to do. We are one community through Christ and we forget that quite often.

The good news is that the reconciliation talks seem to be going well and that hopefully sometime soon people from both sides will drop their guns armed with words and theologies and put away the barriers of resentment and distrust. They will take off their armor of self-righteousness and leave themselves exposed and vulnerable to each other. Only than will the two sides be able to be open and honest with each other. Working together and being united through Christ. Maybe not giving up their beliefs but finding again and clinging to the commonality of Jesus and letting that be enough because it is enough. We have the hope that God gives us and that is enough. We are not to despair! For the work has been done already! We are to go out and celebrate life with each other by serving and loving and making peace with all those we encounter. That is why there is hope for another day.

Peace,

davepeet