St. Antony’s Cave

This article was originally written by me in 1999.

The phrase “show me the money” was made popular by the movie “Jerry MaGuire.”  MaGuire is a sport’s agent.  One of his football players threatens to jump to another agent.  MaGuire cajoles, smooth talks, and promises.  The football player retreats to the mantra, “Show me the money.”  He wants to see some results from having MaGuire as his agent.

We all want results.  Especially pastors.  Especially this pastor.  I recently preached my 1,000 sermon.  That means roughly 2 million words have poured forth - or dribbled - from my mouth.  I have written the equivalent of 32 four hundred page novels, and let me tell you, “I ain’t exactly on the best seller list.”  The results have been paltry.  I don’t confirm kids in the faith; I graduate them from church.  When I baptize children into the family of God, I, more often then not, am bon voyaging their family.  Most adults I have catechized in the faith are not lost to the lions but to the Saints [An NFL football team], the lake, the camp, or the bed.

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That Kenny Rogers is a talented singer/song writer.  He sings of war causalities, “Ruby,” racism “Reuben James,” and love burning “Something is Burning.”  He paints when he sings.  Well something is burning in the LCMS and I think it’s our theology.

The presidents of our two seminaries have now said that they find nothing “inconsistent” with Scripture in the Ablaze! movement.  This is a pretty hearty endorsement.  Not only is there nothing muddleheaded or false, there is nothing even “inconsistent” with Scripture.  Surely they jest, or they don’t read the same Scriptures I do.

Take “Fan into Flames.”  From the Synod’s own web site we read, “This effort reflects the urging of  St. Paul to young Timothy to boldly use the gifts that God conferred on him.”  What ‘effort’ is being referred to?  Again from Synod’s web site, “Fan into Flame is the capital fundraising campaign endorsed by the 2004 Synodical Convention that will secure $100 million in new money (over and above current World Mission budget) to help reach the Ablaze! goals.”

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