Book Review/Summary - The Fire and the Staff: Lutheran Theology in Practice (Klemet Preus)

The Fire and the Staff is a great book about theology in practice.  Here are my notes on it that I took while reading it.

Doctrine is the fire. It light our way and warms us. It can be true, pure, and clear.

• There is a truth and it can be known
• Our confessions are the truth
• Justification, being the chief article, is the heat of the fire. On it faith stands or falls
• justification = salvation = faith
• Other confessions are at least partially un-Biblical and therefore, false
• Your churches doctrine is the doctrine you proclaim to the world
• Confession of faith is more urgent/important than life and death
• Indifference about confession of faith is a sin

Doctrine unites us together and tells everyone what we believe. It unites us in mission to proclaim it. It does not create disunity, but exposes it.

Practice is the staff. It points to and reinforces doctrine. It promotes the Gospel.

The highest form of faith and worship is actually passive, not active, when if comes to salvation. The Holy Spirit is active where the truth (forgiveness) is taught, not necessarily where emotions are felt. We are saved by Jesus on the Cross, not by Jesus in our hearts.

Songs during worship should NOT:

1. point to Jesus or salvation being in our hearts
2. have common secular tunes
3. have strong beats

The Church

Is NOT: fun, exciting, entertaining, dramatic, unpredictable

It IS: consoling, comforting, saving, powerful, clear, predictable

We don't need a dynamic church or preacher because we have the dynamic word (1 Cor. 21:28)

Pastors

The great commission was given to pastors, not to everyone.  They speak for Christ and are called to proclaim the word, administer the sacraments, and hold the office of the keys.

The means of Grace are the marks of the church and the marks of the ministry. Pastors should be predictable, because they should all be doing and saying the same things.

Characteristics of the Church Growth Movement/Modern American Pop Christianity

1. Music is to affect people emotionally (instead of teaching)
2. Pop style speaks to people (instead of God's Word speaking to people)
3. Decrease in liturgy, creeds, and rituals (instead of keeping traditions that have purposes)
4. Increases the involvement of laypeople (therefore despising the office of the ministry)
5. Despises the sacraments (and therefore despises God's means of Grace, and the marks of the the true Church on earth)
6. Deeds not Creeds (a selfish statement that our human love is more important than God's love, not to mention focusing on the Law instead of the Gospel)
7. God's Providence is his most important disposition toward us (instead of His Grace)

The word "power" is mentioned 118 times in the new testament, but never in connection with the people of God. Christians are describes as "poor" and "weak." 

If we don't agree with any of those theological statements (doctrine), then why would we try to imitate the "style" (practice) that they made up to meet their goals, which are not our (or God's) goals? 

Change

• The Church changing for the Church (Heterodoxy to Orthodoxy only)
• It must happen if it is something that is required by the Gospel
• It must come about by teaching, not by force
• It must have a benefit (if it ain't broke, don't fix it)
• Individuals changing for another individuals
• It must NOT happen if stated as a requirement for salvation
• It must happen to yield to the week (as long as it is an acceptable thing to do itself)
• Individuals changing for the Church
• We should not demand that the church do what we prefer. Rather, we should be conformed to prefer what God wants for us.
• "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." -1 Corinthians 9:22
• The Church changing for individuals
• Never