Stewardship, Swedish Style?

The Church of Sweden, nominally Lutheran, reported a loss of 255,000 members since the year 2000. In that year Sweden separated its national church from state control so that it was no longer supported by government tax money. This meant that the Swedish church would have to be supported by other means. We would expect that its support would now come from the voluntary contributions of its members, as is the case with the Lutheran Church in our country.

However, instead of freewill offerings, the Swedish church apparently levies fees. The Lutheran periodical reports that the church in Sweden "finances 80 percent of congregational activities with parishioners' fees." The decline in church membership is linked to this development. After all these years of state support for their church, Swedish Lutherans have lost their biblical understanding of Christian stewardship, and they would rather leave the church than part with any of their God-given possessions. On the other hand, since the true Gospel is rarely proclaimed in this liberal church body, why should people pay fees when their souls are not being nourished by God's Word?

And Now Beads For Lutherans

You may call it a "religious abacus" - the use of beads to keep count of prayers. It is better known as a rosary, a mode of prayer used in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. Its origin is somewhat vague, but it probably was introduced by early monks. Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists also make use of beads as they pray. The use of beads will vary in these different religions, but in any case they use it as "a tool of devotion."

Religions which have used the rosary, or some form of it, are works-righteous religions. Prayer use among them is more for meriting favor from their deity, in contrast to the Biblical teaching of prayer as a gracious privilege by which believers can ask for God's blessings (and also thank Him) on the basis of His justifying grace in Christ. It is not surprising that pagans would use a form of the rosary as a superstitious work, but because of the dangers of spiritual misuse involved we would not expect Christians to use such a thing. For Jesus warned, "But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words" (Matthew 6,7).

In view of this divine caveat it therefore is strange to hear reports of a Lutheran in Virginia who advocates the use of the rosary, albeit a "Lutheran" version. He even has a website to promote it. This appears to be just another instance of liberal ecumenism attempting to blur the distinction between Lutheran and Roman Catholic theology. When Lutherans have lost the Gospel, they resort to work-righteousness and again advocate Roman Catholic theology and practice, from which Dr. Martin Luther once delivered us.

Noah's Ark Resurfaces

That would be some headline, would it not: "After several thousand years Noah's ark resurfaces!" The ark hasn't exactly resurfaced, but interest in it has. Daniel McGiven, an entrepreneur from Honolulu, claims to be ninety percent sure of the ark's location. As reported in Christianity Today, McGiven was investing $900,000 "to send a joint U.S.-Turkish team of thirty explorers to Mt. Ararat." Pending permits by the Turkish government the expedition was planned for mid-July. This expedition is only one in a long line of explorations that have been made in search of Noah's ark.

In Genesis 8:4 we are told the ark came to rest "on the mountains of Ararat." Tradition has persisted that the mountain in question is one named "Ararat" in Turkey. The 17,000-foot high mountain has presented a difficult challenge for explorers, and various "sightings" of the ark have proved to be mistaken or inconclusive. Last year's record heat wave in Europe melted large amounts of snow and ice. McGiven said a close-up satellite photo revealed a dark patch in the middle of a glacier which looks like three beams and a crossbeam.

McGiven attaches great importance to discovering the ark, saying it would be "the single greatest event since the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Such a discovery no doubt would give Christianity reason to rejoice, but as Lutheran Christians we would opt for the beginning of the Reformation as more deserving of that commendation. That heralded a greater discovery-the rediscovery of the saving Gospel: salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

Paul Madson is a retired pastor living in North Mankato, Minnesota.