by Ray Keating
The Keating Files – December 14, 2020
I’m thankful for being a Christian. I love being a Lutheran. And I love my church, i.e., the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). And I’m excited about a new travel vlog from a pastor whose goal is to see all of the churches in the LCMS.
No doubt, someone out there did a double take, asking: Did I read that right – visiting all of the congregations in a church of about 2 million people? That’s right. More on that in a moment.
Is my church, the LCMS, perfect? No. Nothing this side of heaven is. And there’s plenty to complain about in every church. After all, we live in a fallen world. But the LCMS has so much to offer in terms of Word, Sacraments, and theological substance – and all most critically in service of spreading the Good News about Jesus Christ.
I like the way the LCMS sums up its mission (from the LCMS website): “In grateful response to God’s grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments, the mission of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities and the world.” Adding a bit later: “The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a denomination that confesses the historic, orthodox Christian faith, a faith built on ‘the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone’ (Eph. 2:20).”
Good stuff. I’ve long said that the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has the beef, and we need to do a better job at letting the world know.
Hence, my excitement about a venture – actually, it’s more accurate to say an adventure – being embarked upon by a friend, Pastor Tyrel Bramwell. He has started an online video series – a travel vlog – called “See the Synod” with the goal to visit every church in the LCMS. How cool is that? By the way, there are 5,998 LCMS congregations in the U.S.
This is a fantastic and fun way to see the congregations, pastors, people and missions in the LCMS, and to let the world know about the vital work the LCMS does within the larger Christian Church.
I’m on board with Ty for this journey, and I hope you are as well!
Make sure you subscribe to Ty’s YouTube channel, and check out his first visit to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Here’s to many more visits to churches with Ty in coming weeks, months and years!
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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. His new book Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com.
The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?
You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know.
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