Bryan Wolfmueller

Let’s be honest about what creates true unity (i.e., Koinonia): It's not a survey. It is not the careful balancing of opinions. It is not bringing two different groups into a room and hoping that better conversation will somehow produce Christian unity. In other words, understanding one another may be useful, but it is far too weak a foundation for fellowship. As Lutherans, our unity rests on something deeper - something more than just mere conversations - our fellowship rests on a common confession. That is why the goal cannot simply be for us to understand one another better. Instead, the goal must be for all of us to understand the Lutheran Confessions better. Indeed, the Book of Concord gives us our theological grammar, our shared convictions, our purpose, our goals, and the substance of our life together. The Book of Concord does not merely help us talk to one another. It tells us what we confess together. That is what concord means. Simply stated, conversation should grow 'out of' a common confession. That is to say, when the Book of Concord stands between us and above us, we are not left trying to manufacture unity from our different opinions, but we begin from the same source. But without the Book of Concord at the center, we will keep surveying ourselves, comparing perspectives, and trying to manage our differences. But mark this: that is not koinonia; it is negotiation. Alas, a wheel cannot hold together without a hub, and Lutheran fellowship cannot hold together without the Lutheran Confessions at the center. So, here is my challenge to Red Letter Challenge: I will keep working to help the people within my sphere of influence better know, confess, and practice the theology of the Book of Concord through my preaching, teaching, singing, worship, and conversations. Please do the same. That is how real unity is recognized, confessed, and strengthened — not by endlessly studying one another, but by learning, confessing, and standing together in the same Lutheran faith. We do not need to strive for unity; we already have it - it is called "The Book of Concord." #RedLetterChallenge #BookofConcordChallenge #BookofConcordLutheran