The media are the message. That’s also true this Reformation Week, heading into the Feast of All Saints. So, a central (and therefore philosophical!) question is, What are the means-by-which people join the Communion of Saints in Heaven?
Our answer in the Lutheran church is to preach and teach the biblical doctrine of universal justification, the Gospel promise that comes from God Himself in Christ alone to us via Scripture alone and is a matter of faith alone.
A come-along feature of real life, on the way to Heaven because of the work of Christ alone, brought to us by the God the Holy Spirit through God’s Word alone is s u f f e r i n g.
Suffering in Christ is something that we have not been preaching and teaching as 21st-century Lutherans, although we used to; just see Luther on the Penitential Psalms.
You can listen to my complete Reformation sermon here.
BTW, if you haven’t joined me on Facebook, but would like to, I am at Gregory P Schulz, Facebook.