Apology Not Accepted!

The Reverend Rob Morris
Newtown, Conn.

You may have heard the story this week of a Lutheran pastor in Newtown, Connecticut who has apologized after being reprimanded by denominational Church authorities for participating in an interfaith vigil following the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The Reverend Rob Morris, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, prayed at the vigil the Sunday following the December 14 shootings alongside other Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Baha’i clergy. Morris is a pastor in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church and apparently in their Church’s constitution a pastor is prohibited from participating in services with members of a different faith.

LCMS president Matthew Harrison wrote in a letter to the Synod that “the presence of prayers and religious readings” made the Newtown vigil joint worship, and therefore off-limits to Missouri Synod ministers. Harrison said Morris’ participation also offended members of the denomination. “After consultation with my supervisors and others, I made my own decision,” Morris wrote in his apology letter. “I believed my participation to be, not an act of joint worship, but an act of community chaplaincy.”

In other words, Reverend Morris was following the way of Jesus and living by the “spirit” of the Law, rather than the “letter” of the Law. Pastor Morris, in my opinion, for what it’s worth, did not need to apologize to anybody. He was doing the right thing in a moment of incredible suffering, pain, and chaos. The pastor and the other religious leaders of Sandy Hook were being a “light” to the nation trying to initiate the first steps in a long road of recovery.

It is a shame, a disappointment, and almost impossible to fathom, that the denomination’s leaders would act in such an unconscionable way. Have they not read the Gospel recently? The Law said that a good Jew should not have eaten with outcasts or spent any time in Samaria on their way to Jerusalem for the festivals. Jesus did both and by doing so broke down the walls of hostility that separated us from each other, and more importantly, the love of God.

Why don’t our institutional Church leaders comprehend this message? It is my belief that it isn’t because they don’t understand the radical concepts of Jesus and his love. It is because they are fearful that by embracing such love and actually walking or following in the Way, the constitution and canons would become irrelevant and unnecessary. In other words, they would lose their power and authority. And God knows the Church won't tolerate that!

What is so sad is that this story was brought to my attention by a friend at work who does not attend church or believes in institutional religion. “You see, Brian,” he said emphatically, “why would anybody want to be part of such an organization that acts in such a shameless way?” Good question. The Missouri Synod delivered a “black-eye” this week to those of us who wish to make inroads with the unchurched.

On December 14, Pastor Morris did the right thing. He offered love, care, and hope to those who were in great pain. That’s it…. that’s what Jesus did. If we Christians are ever going to make a mark in this world ever again, it will be simply this, loving one another, like Jesus told us to do.

As always….

Love One Another - Brian