One of my least favorite stereotypes about Lutherans is that Lutherans are afraid of/reluctant to/allergic to/etc innovation. If this is at all true, it is a heresy that has crept into our denominational blood stream.
Lutherans are pioneers. We pioneered the Reformation. We pioneered the printing press. We largely pioneered radio ministry. But somewhere along the line, we sold our birthright. We slipped into ease and comfort. And people started calling us out on it. They started saying “Lutherans don’t innovate,” and for whatever stupid reason. We decided that we believed them.
You could argue that I’m wrong. There are certainly arguments that Lutherans are, even should be, resistant to change. Even in the Reformation, Lutherans hearkened back to the early church fathers – making allusions to things written centuries earlier. Some will argue that we retain the liturgy (and what you mean by “the liturgy” is the 1941 TLH version of said liturgy which is rather recent in historical scope). Because of this and a few other things, we claim that we are not innovators, but rather sentries and protectors of ancient truths. And therein lies the problem. Because innovation and protection are not antithetical to one another.
We ARE protectors of ancient truth. This is as much a part of our identity as innovation should be. Luther figured out a way to protect ancient truths of Scripture from the recent heresies of his day. He did this through the printing press and song writing and through wild organizational innovations that were absolutely unheard of in his age. And he did it in order to not only protect but to disseminate the ancient truths of 1500 year old Scripture.
We cannot protect without innovating. You wouldn’t trust a library that didn’t innovate with its way to protect its books through humidity controls and UV filters. You wouldn’t trust a bank that didn’t innovate in its protection of your money. So why would you trust a church that didn’t innovate to protect the proclamation of God’s timeless truth in its rightful doctrinal purity?
If you read the Old Testaments, especially the prophets, God seems to work with His people in a way that forces them to repent when they go astray of their true identity. Perhaps this is some of what God is using this moment in our culture for. He is calling us back to protect, but to protect what He has given us by forcing us to look at the innovations that we need to embrace.
I don’t know when we’ll go back to worshiping together in person. I ache for that moment, but realistically, I’m not thinking that moment is coming soon. Maybe Pentecost, maybe slightly earlier. God can do what He wants, but without His intervening, we’re worshiping online for a while. So let’s take the opportunity to figure out how we are church in this moment. Let’s innovate.
The reality that we have to face is that the church won’t ever be exactly the same after this. Maybe the differences will be minor, or maybe they will be great. But let’s meet this moment in time with a clarity about our identity – we are Lutherans, we are innovators, we are change agents. Let’s meet this together, resting in the Christ who has assured us that no worldly change will ever change our future with Him in the Resurrection, but that our innovations might change the life of someone who otherwise would not have a part in that Resurrected future.