The Spirit does not come without adding to us and carrying out his work in our souls. Here we need to use the means of Grace: the word and sacraments. If you want to receive the Spirit, his work and his gifts in your heart, then go to the word, the Spirit's word. Read it, hear it, write it, speak and sing it while praying to the Spirit. And behold, he shall come to you.
What did the Galations do to receive the Spirit? (Gal. 3:1-7) Nothing more than that they heard God’s word. They sat and listened. And then the Spirit came to their hearts with repentance, faith, love, life and power and made them into completely new men. C.O. Rosenius.
lifted the quote from "Kyrka och Folk, nr 12, 24 mars 2011, 88 årg."
Rosenius, was responsible for revival of Christian faith in Sweden during the 19th century. He was a "lay preacher." And widely read author. He also edited a News Paper called the Pietist.
This just all sounds bad to my LCMS ears! Our mantra, drummed in is "Pietism, bad" repeat "Pietism, bad!" And seriously most of it was especially in Germany. In the Scandinavian countries though, pietist really came to mean believer. As in, opposed to rationalism and unbelief. Some of the strains in Scandinavian pietism were as legalistic as those that gave Walther his extreme depression to the point of break down while in Seminary. That is to say the pietism of Germany. But other strains of pietism in Scandinavia were really revivals of orthodox Lutheranism, "the Old Time Religion" in their setting. They wanted a return to the gospel that was preached to their forbearers. And Where German Pietism had a tendency to turn people away from the means of Grace, you can see here that this was not true of pietism in Scandinavia, at least not all of it. Rosenius though a lay preacher, and I have my druthers about that, preached the gospel loud and clear. He would later influence such giants of the church as Bo Giertz. You can see this influence in "The Hammer of God" by Bo Giertz, a great book for all to read. Pastor's should read it once a year!
5 comments:
Rosenius wasn't an orthodox lutheran. He might not be wrong all the time and he might be less wrong than some german pietists, but that doesn't make him an orthodox lutheran. Rosenius worked with a methodist and at other times he could point sinners to their own prayers in stead of the means of grace.
The fact that Rosenius inspired Bo Giertz doesn't make him lutheran either. Bo Giertz was a pietist too, and even though there are some qualities int "The Hammer of God", it does teach a pietistic doctrine of the ordo salutis.
I do have my problems with Rosenius. But i liked this quote. And I am willing to cut the guy a little slack.
My friend Eric Andrae did his STM concerning Bo Giertz's use of the ordo Salutis, and though this term is associated with pietism, Bo Giertz gives quite the orthodox spin to it, and does not quite see it as an "order."
I would not write Bo Giertz off as a pietist, just because he uses the term.
Wonder if many Lutherans in theology are not the same as in belief, specifically speaking about pietism?
I don't even understand that question Pasadena.
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