Monday, March 3, 2025

It is the 3rd of March 2025. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A very happy Monday to you, listen, if you’re all still reeling over Cena’s heel turn…

So, here’s a story for you. Lydia wrote a question about the Shroud of Turin and that seemed like a good (and timely) question that morphed on the way between her email and your ears into next weekend’s Weekend Edition. So… David in New Castle, Indiana… New Castle was home to David Lee Roth and the aptly named Robert Indiana (actual last name Clark) who painted the famous “L-O-V-E” sign used on stamps and posters and the like.

So, David. You are the most recent to ask the question that makes us all anxious and sweaty and would you look at the time… remember, the rumors… “are Catholics Christian?” 

We just marked one year since our beloved Dr. Rod Rosenbladt was called to glory, and I’m reminded of him answering this question in class (he was the master at answering ‘tough’ questions).  So Rod would be asked this question and his response, on a few occasions, he said “Are Catholics Christian? I’m not even sure Lutherans are… and then he would tell us how many people he thought were going to be absolutely gobsmacked when they realize they’ve made it into heaven and it was just Jesus’ blood the whole time.

That first part, as a Lutheran, him saying “I’m not even sure Lutherans are” was his way of trying to wean us off the idea that everyone in every church believes exactly what their pastors teach and their confessions confess. I’m not- and he certainly wasn’t saying that was optimal, but he would use the phrase (I think he picked up from R.C. Sproul) a “felicitous inconsistency”- that is, at the end of the day the person from any group that says at the end of day that they are going to put all their chips into the middle of the table on the proposition that Jesus blood, and trusting in that, is enough.

Now, this does not mean, and Rod would make it very clear, that confessions and theology are then useless at best or harmful at worst. Part of the Christian life is working out “inconsistencies” such that they can put all their hope in Jesus and his atoning work. Find a church that preaches that, he would tell us.

Years ago I recorded a video for 1517 asking if America was a Christian nation… and my answer to that is similar when someone asks me if such and such a denomination is “Christian”. The answer is: buildings and countries aren’t Christian, people are. “Denominations” can’t get baptized and come to saving faith, only the people in them. 

In the era of the Reformation, the claim was that the Roman church had added stuff, and then demanded the added stuff, and so a group said they couldn’t worship there anymore in good conscience. As a Protestant I agree, but plenty of Protestant groups have been guilty of “adding stuff” at least by implication. I think that’s wrong, but I could never say of an entire church body- “nope, no believers there”. I could say “I disagree with the theological confessions that “add anything” and insofar as that is preached and believed…

If I had limitless money and time, I would travel around the world and visit people going to various churches and ask “why do you go here?” Talking to the pastors and theologians is no fun because they have the right answers memorized (I’m kidding, for the most part). But start scratching under the surface and you would be surprised what is actually believed in pews at churches that are not your own. I am not arguing for a “lowest common denominator” Christianity or for church bodies to toss out their confessions- but you’d be surprised how many people- in Rod’s words- are going to discover that for Christ’s sake… all sorts are going to simply trust in the shed blood and find that the kingdom has indeed been given to them.

Oh, also, you “convert” to Christ, not “from denominations or church bodies”- that’s just a pet peeve of mine.

Thanks for the question, David? No, actually thanks and I’m glad I could finally put together a thought or two on the subject.  

 

The Last word for today comes from the daily lectionary, but from yesterday, because I like Psalm 99 on Transfiguration Sunday:

The Lord reigns,
    let the nations tremble;


he sits enthroned between the cherubim,

    let the earth shake.

Great is the Lord in Zion;

    he is exalted over all the nations.

Let them praise your great and awesome name—

    he is holy.

The King is mighty, he loves justice—

    you have established equity;


in Jacob you have done

    what is just and right.

Exalt the Lord our God

    and worship at his footstool;

    he is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

    Samuel was among those who called on his name;


they called on the Lord

    and he answered them.

He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;

    they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

Lord our God,

    you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,

    though you punished their misdeeds.

Exalt the Lord our God

    and worship at his holy mountain,

    for the Lord our God is holy.

 

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 3rd of March 2025 brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who has just recently gotten into hominy… I’m off to make a pozole now… I’m  Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.