tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778905687600416321.post7561525948008582590..comments2023-11-05T02:55:10.230-06:00Comments on Gottesdienst Online: What Harrison Can DoPr. H. R.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16756503062523543708noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778905687600416321.post-38947909815920196472010-07-16T17:37:10.642-05:002010-07-16T17:37:10.642-05:00I agree that he would not have specific pastoral a...I agree that he would not have specific pastoral authority over anyone outside of that parish. But even if the LCMS had an episcopal polity, Matt Harrison wound STILL not have any divine authority beyond the predigtamt bestowed upon him by his local parish.<br /><br />If he were called by one of the St. Louis congregations, he would have the duty to publicly admonish all teachers of false doctrine as part of his office. As it stands now, Matt Harrison is not, properly speaking, the Rev. Matt Harrison. If he is to be a public teacher in the church, he needs to be in the office, and that can only happen if he is called in a local congregation.<br /><br />Even bishops cannot exercise any authority over other pastors or congregations by divine right beyond that authority which is common to all incumbents in the Predigtamt. They have oversight only by human right and common consent. By divine right, they are equal to all other incumbents in the ministry. The same applies to Matt Harrison. He needs no office of bishop to speak with a prophetic voice to the brethren at large. He only needs the office which he is currently lacking, without which he cannot be a public teacher in the church except by usurpation.Martin Diershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14455045241461983409noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778905687600416321.post-16321692391579670412010-07-16T07:29:03.391-05:002010-07-16T07:29:03.391-05:00I think it would be great if Missouri Synod presid...I think it would be great if Missouri Synod presidents got back into day-to-day parish ministry. If it was good enough for Walther. . . <br /><br />But that still would not make the MO Synod president my pastor or yours. He would be called as pastor of this or that parish in St. Louis. But he would not have specifically pastoral authority over anybody outside that parish. <br /><br />Compare this to the Roman or Episcopal model. Those "bishops" really are - they stand in the same relationship to the parish priests as a senior pastor stands in relation to his associate and assistant pastor(s). And he stands in the same relationship to all the laity in his diocese as a the senior pastor of a very large church to his parishioners. <br /><br />There is much to commend this model. But it just isn't the one we live under. <br /><br />+HRCPr. H. R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16756503062523543708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778905687600416321.post-52599176071069068502010-07-15T18:12:21.319-05:002010-07-15T18:12:21.319-05:00I disagree on a few points. I think that a congreg...I disagree on a few points. I think that a congregation in the St. Louis area should call Matt Harrison as a pastor and arrange for him to conduct the DS on an occasional basis. Then, in his office as a called servant of the Word, Matt Harrison should proceed to lead by the power of the Word and convincing, as the first among equals, exercising the same call that Christ has bestowed upon all those whom He has called into the office.<br /><br />He should speak with a pastoral and prophetic voice, calling the heterodox in the LCMS to repentance. Yes, even then he would have no power to suspend congregations and pastors. Yet He can still admonish, privately first, and then publicly. And when the impenitent continue in their impenitence, he should call upon the congregations of the LCMS to suspend fellowship with the impenitent heterodox in heir midst.<br /><br />This is something that all pastors of the LCMS should do, but Matt Harrison, as president, is in a position to do it more publicly than all the rest, and he should do so together with his VPs, all of whom are already parish pastors (are they not?)<br /><br />This is how he can lead with the Word. He needs and has no other authority than that.Martin Diershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14455045241461983409noreply@blogger.com