“It’s a difficult situation.”

That’s about as common a phrase in the LCMS as someone talking about “their context” or “best practices.” It is echoed throughout convention halls, both within synod and district, as well as in the conference rooms of Winkels. One pastor might be seeking encouragement from his Circuit Visitor as he moves his congregation toward celebrating the Sacrament of the Altar each Sunday or faithfully practicing closed Communion, but rather than hearing that encouragement and receiving the support from the brethren through prayer, the response simply comes back, “You had better be careful. That’s a difficult situation.”

It’s no doubt been said as a serious problem has been facing our university system for quite some time. As our supposed “Confessional” campuses have become more and more progressive giving into the ways of our world, calls from pastors and congregation members alike have been to crack down and get back to faithfulness. Many of these places, however, bowed down to the lord their god, the almighty dollar. Ironically, one by one they have begun to fall because the funds have dried up. Those situations were seen as far too “difficult” to deal with. Will another university succumb to the same fate or will someone finally stand up against the “woke” mob and return to faithfulness?

There are far too many congregations in the LCMS that are unsustainable. Some of these even refuse pastors because they think they’re just fine leading themselves. Rather than stepping up and offering support or encouraging these to enter into dual parish situations, all of these are dismissed as “difficult situations” out of fear of stepping on toes or hurting feelings. Time then is spent in convention (as was in ours last time around) figuring out how to stream one church’s service into another congregation so that they can worship in their place and receive “tele-communion.” See, the South can be on the cutting edge of technological advances! We had the video thing going long before the pandemic!

Some congregations are allowed to chew up pastors and spit them out over and over again and continue to fill out call papers requesting candidates from the seminary. While far too many faithful congregations go without, zealous candidates are fed instead to these places that go on “doing what is right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Where are the Circuit Visitors? Where are the District Presidents? Oh. It must be another one of those “difficult situations.” Get him a call someplace else. Nothing to see here.

If you entered into the Office of the Holy Ministry to sit back and relax or to coast along, it’s far beyond time to repent and get out of the way. The OHM is serious business, and it is difficult by nature. Imagine if some of your fathers, grandfathers, or great-grandfathers saw the beach at Normandy and said, “You know what…that looks like a difficult situation,” and turned around instead? Gentlemen, the battle we face is even far greater than that.

Of course, this is not to say that we storm congregations like Normandy. We are called to deal patiently and lovingly with God’s sheep. But being patient does not require twenty years! Dare I say it not even require one! If someone is being attacked or is caught in the eyes of a lion, there’s no time to waste. If the Scriptures are being threatened, there’s no time to wait until the next convention to form a “task force” to “look into it.”

There will always exist “difficult situations” within our Synod, districts, circuits, congregations, and university system. When they arise, join together and deal with them as the body of Christ in faithfulness. That indeed demands patience and love. Patience does not mean idleness, and love does not mean that some will not be upset. In fact, the love we’re called to have is one that is sacrificial and bleeding. It is the kind of love that our Lord first had for us as He took up His cross and shed His blood there.

It’s time to take up our crosses of “difficult situations” knowing that at any time, anyone could come along and nail us there. But no matter the end, whether repentance or death, we will have fulfilled our duty.