Nebraska District Theological Convocation Lincoln, Nebraska April 19-21, 2010

1. Nebraska District Theological ConvocationLincoln, NebraskaApril 19-21, 2010 Dealing With Difference: A Creedal Approach to Diversity Dr. Jack Preus

2. Schedule of Presentations • Monday, April 19, 3:00 p.m. • Session 1 • “The First Article, Genesis 1-2” • Monday, April 19 4:30 p.m. p.m. • Session 2 • “The Second Article, Ephesians 4:1-16” • Tuesday, April 20, 2:00 p.m. • Session 5 • The Third Article, One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” • Wednesday, April 21, 10:00 a.m. • Session 7 • Q & A

3. Dealing with Difference: A Creedal Approach to Diversity Session 1 The First Article: Genesis 1-2

4. Diversity Ignoring elements of unity that are necessary for life together in the society or the Synod Unity Ignoring or minimizingthe kinds of differences among us which should be maintained and encouraged We seem to be prone to two opposing tendencies: Whole-hearted advocates of

5. Diversity in the abstract, as merely a theory, at best is unsatisfying; at worst it is destructive of society or communion

6. We Know that • It is neither right nor reasonable that all people everywhere should be the same • That leaves no place at all for the kinds of ethnic diversity that makes life in our world fun and interesting

7. Difference I invite you to think through this challenge with me I truly believe that this may be the single greatest challenge the LCMS faces as we seek to proclaim the unchanging Gospel in a rapidly changing world

8. Value of handling difference better • It will help us communicate the Gospel to • People who come from different cultures and places • People with different languages and customs Because of our common faith in Christ, we have a unity and bond that will take us not only through the coming years but into eternity

9. Unity and Diversity in God

10. It’s not an either-or proposition • We can discern this – • In a very general sense by observing the nature of God Himself • Who as One is also Three, resulting in • A unity of substance, but a diversity of persons

11. Genesis 1:26 “Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR, likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

12. What if it refers also to God’s own nature as united and diversified, as one and three? The Image of God

13. By observing the nature of God • We see the goodness and the necessity of unity and diversity, as fundamental attributes of God • There can be nothing inherently wrong or contradictory about unity and diversity existing among us in natural complementarity

14. Unity and Diversity in God’s Creation

15. Genesis 1:27-31 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’

16. Genesis 1:27-31 Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.’ And it was so.

17. Genesis 1:27-31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning – the sixth day.

18. Genesis 2:18-25 The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’ Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. a

19. Genesis 2:18-25 But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

20. Genesis 2:18-25 The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

21. Learnings • Unity and diversity are inherent in God Himself • Because God created humans in His own image, we observe unity and diversity in human beings • We can discern a similar pattern in God’s creation of all other things

22. The One and the Many The One God, through His one Word, creates a vast diversity of things.

23. Dealing with Difference: A Creedal Approach to Diversity Session 2 The Second Article: Ephesians 4:1-16

24. St. Paul’s Dilemma • How could the message of salvation given through the prophets be preached to the Gentiles? • How could the unity and harmony of the prophetic message be presented to the diversity of peoples of the world?

25. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

26. Ephesians 4:1-16 As a prisoner for the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

27. Ephesians 4:1-16 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

28. Ephesians 4:1-16 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captives in His train and gave gifts to men.’ (What does ‘He ascended’ mean except that He also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens in order to fill the whole universe.)

29. Ephesians 4:1-16 It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

30. Ephesians 4:1-16 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

31. Ephesians 4:1-16 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

32. Ephesians 4:1-16 Thus, Paul affirms that there is not only a diversity of gifts, but a diversity of people who have been brought into the body of Christ. And that’s a good thing!

33. Resolving the Tension • On the basis of Ephesians 4, the solution will have the following basic shape: • The theology we proclaim is one • The cultures through which we proclaim that one Gospel are many and diverse

34. The Necessity of both Unity and Diversity • God uses a variety of human instruments • Languages • Cultural expressions • Natural gifts of individual believers, etc. to build up his church

35. The Necessity of both Unity and Diversity • By implication, I would suggest that cultural diversity is necessary for the church • It is necessary because the one theology, which transcends language and culture, must be proclaimed in diverse languages and cultural expressions • There’s simply no other way to reach culture-bound people.

36. The Distinction between Theology and Culture • We’re going to have to learn to discern the difference between theology and culture • Between what is theological and therefore cannot be compromised and in which unity is essential • And what is cultural and therefore must be acknowledged and where diversity must be allowed and embraced

37. Pauline Trajectories • Paul was well aware of this tension as he attempted to help the early Christians work through this problem • Paul demanded theological unity as the only proper basis for life together in the church • He also put forward diversity, ethnic diversity, diversity of gifts and personal characteristics, as an essential element in building up the body of Christ

38. Conclusion • The issue of diversity as a concept or an idea will continue to need study and discussion. • But, when it comes to people, that’s a different story.

39. Dealing with Difference: A Creedal Approach to Diversity Session 5 The Third Article: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church

40. I believe in • One • Holy • Catholic • And Apostolic Church

41. The Church Is One

42. The Church Is One All who through faith are justified by the work of Christ and are united with him and with one another by an inner bond of unity

43. Because the church is one We deplore the divisions which have occurred in visible Christendom We earnestly pray, as our Lord did, that we may all be one The Church Is One

44. The Church Is One The wonderful teaching that sinners are justified, not because of their merits or worthiness, but solely because of the merit of Jesus Christ on the cross, which is received by us through faith, is the Articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae

45. The Church Is Holy

46. The Church Is Holy We confess with the Apostle's Creed our belief in “the holy Christian church, the communion of saints.”

47. The Church Is Holy • One section of the church cannot isolate itself from the rest of visible Christendom • Rather, we must seek every opportunity to give witness to our recognition of them as fellow Christians • Through God-pleasing participation, dialogue and works of charity

48. The Church Is Holy • Ungodly associations • Avoiding false teachers While seeking to avoid all

49. The Church Is Holy We seek opportunities • To express our conviction that the church, all of it, is holy (because God has declared it to be so) and • As a result we have a measure of unity with all Christians, even though our external unity is marred by division

50. The Church Is Universal