I Guess I'm Lutheran Now

What's the point of denominations?

Figure 1: The Luther Rose.

This Sunday I will be a confirmed Missouri Synod Lutheran. It’s an odd label for me since I don’t consider myself Lutheran even though my beliefs largely align with the denomination. I believe in the five Solas and the importance of the sacraments in one’s spiritual life. I like hymns and liturgy. I believe baptism saves and believe it can be given to infants. I’ve written elsewhere why I believe this (see here) and my arguments follow somewhat unconventional lines (unconventional for Lutherans anyway), though I remain far less settled on that than I probably should be. Regardless, I will become Lutheran, I guess.

It would be long and extremely uninteresting to relay the sort of theological upheaval I experienced going from Southern Baptist to Confessional Lutheran. Most of it are personal events that have nothing to do with the theology and more to do with being at the right place at the right time. For instance, the Missouri Synod church I am attending is a liturgical lighthouse in a sea of nondenominational megachurches. Even if I didn’t agree with the theology, I would still be drawn to it simply because I don’t have to wear earplugs during worship.

But this whole experience has raised a larger question for me. What on earth is the point of denominations? I’m not asking why they exist. They usually exist because somewhere someone decided to break off from someone. For example, the Wisconsin Lutherans broke from Missouri Lutherans in 1961 which led the Church of the Lutheran Confession to break with Wisconsin because Wisconsin didn’t break from Missouri fast enough (yes, really). So what on earth is the point of all this? It can’t be for doctrinal clarity because that’s clearly not the result. It can’t even be for unity because that also hasn’t happened. It also can’t be for expurgating heresy as these denominations are 99.99% similar. Does converting mean I am choosing a side in a quarrel I never started?

Of course it doesn’t. Nevertheless, this is why I don’t readily accept the label of Lutheran. The history of the Lutheran schisms has helped me frame my exact reasons for converting. Whatever my reasons are, it isn’t because I read all the synodal documents from the 1960s and settled on Missouri being correct. Nevertheless, I will hazard a charitable reason for the existence of denominations. My reason is an attempt to be historically accurate in the sense that my explanation will try to make a charitable interpretation for the existence and formation of denominations. Thinking about it in this way has helped me reconcile theological convictions with the messy question of “but now where do I go to church?”

The point of everything is Jesus. Jesus is someone I certainly cannot go without. All of Jesus is someone all of me needs. The sacraments are a special way Jesus gives all of himself to all of me (as has been recognized by basically every Christian ever). Therefore, participation in the sacraments is important because Jesus is important. That is all. Denominations have arisen because Jesus is so important. Rightly or wrongly, schisms and breaks have been made because some felt, in some way, Jesus was being infringed upon. And Jesus is important. Pride and malice do not enter into this interpretation because I am trying to be charitable and not assume such things (even though Paul warns of them). So my conversion to a denomination is an attempt to get more of Jesus through the ways other people have tried to be faithful to Him. And at the end of the day, I am trying to be obedient to my Lord and Savior by participating in the things He commanded me to participate in.

We cannot do theology in a vacuum, for prudential and practical reasons. The prudential reason is merely that theology should inform practice. What you believe about God will dictate what you do for God. You can’t do theology in a vacuum in the same way you can’t think in a vacuum. Thoughts and theology do things to us and make us do things. The practical reason is simply that you have to go to church somewhere. It seems reasonable to go to the church or denomination that has similar convictions. And for this reason, I have landed with the Lutherans. The importance of history and the sacraments has put me at odds with most Baptist churches in my area. I don’t think Baptist theology is at odds with history or the sacraments, but if every Baptist church nearby seems to be at odds with it, where else should I go? To Jesus, obviously, even if I have to go to a denomination to get Him. That is all. I ask the charitable readers to remember me in their prayers. Thank you for reading.