Today ELCA Lutherans pray for manatees and sea turtles, not the lost - Hijacking the Lutheran Reformation for “Eco-justice”

(The following two articles were written by Rev. Tom Brock of pastorsstudy.org.  You can follow Pastor Brock on Facebook - here and twitter - here.)

Today ELCA Lutherans pray for manatees and sea turtles, not the lost
 
We have noted in a number of postings how the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America--the large, liberal branch of Lutheranism in the United States--very regularly prays for saving the environment in its weekly "Prayers of the Church".   I am still waiting for ONE prayer that asks God to bring lost PEOPLE to saving faith in Christ.
 
Today, the Augsburg/Fortress ELCA prayers included prayer
 
"For polluted oceans and rivers, we seek your healing...Restore the homes of manatees and sea turtles.   Teach us to love the earth as you do."
 
I don't know of a verse in the Bible that talks about God's love for manatees and sea turtles, but there are many verses that talk about God's love for lost human beings.
 
What is going on?  My guess is that the person(s) responsible for writing the ELCA prayers is highly interested in saving the environment but has little zeal that lost people to come to saving faith in Christ.  The heresy of universalism teaches that all people will be saved, regardless of whether they believe in Jesus or not.  John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 16:31 and numerous other verses teach otherwise.  But universalism has invaded ELCA seminaries and is taught in the ELCA's official magazine The Lutheran.   This, even though the ELCA's official founding documents teach that we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.  
 
As long as more prayers are made for the environment than for the lost, it indicates that one thing is officially professed, but something quite different is being lived out in the ELCA.
 
Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org
 

And,


Hijacking the Lutheran Reformation for “Eco-justice”

In the year 2017 Lutherans will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s rediscovery of the Bible’s teaching that we are saved by grace alone through Christ alone. Some liberal church leaders don’t like to talk about saving people from Hell and such. Instead, they would rather talk about saving the planet. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has a publication called “Seeds for the Parish.” Some of us years ago referred to it as “Weeds for the Parish” because of its liberal slant. Here is an excerpt from its most recent edition:

What is your congregation doing to prepare for the 2017 observance of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation? There are many activities and resources being prepared across the church. Included in these efforts is a group of ELCA pastors, teachers and laity that have formed the Eco-Justice Reformation 2017 Working Group. The group grew out of a conviction that the continuous reformation of the church leads its members to address the ecological crises facing humanity and the Earth.

Of course, nothing is wrong with being good stewards of the environment. What is wrong is that one rarely hears about Jesus saving PEOPLE from eternal hell in ELCA publications.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Tom Brock
pastorsstudy.org