All the Shrinkers are unionists too.
Spener got his idea of cell groups from Labadie, a Reformed leader. The reason for inventing a method to develop piety is not mysterious. The Reformed do not trust the Means of Grace and often make fun of this basic Scriptural doctrine. They do not trust the Means of Grace because they follow Zwingli and Calvin in separating the Holy Spirit from the Word. That is the definition of Enthusiam, Luther's term. Enthusiasm is the foundation of all doctrinal error.
Schmid (History of Pietism, NPH) is excruciatingly fair with Spener, accepting the Pietist's denial of Reformed influence and giving details about Spener's Lutheran doctrine. However, there is also plenty of evidence that Spener was against or unconcerned about the Real Presence and baptismal regeneration.
WELS, the LCMS, the Little Sect on the Prairie, and ELCA have one thing in common--besides Thrivent--they all emerged out of Pietism and began sinking back into it.
Pietism always looks for results rather than Scriptural faithfulness. Note Bergendoff's motto, below, "Doctrine divides, but service unites." Arguing over doctrine is bad while uniting with anyone over good works is good.
Pietist Shrinkers cannot be convinced that unionism is wrong because their hearts are ablaze with the results they will get. Therefore God has denied them their dreams and delusions, leaving everyone else with the overdue bills.
Pietist/Shriners do not trust the Word, so they sell love as the cause of conversion and growth. This works well for them because any criticism of Pietism/CGM is unloving. They want to accept everyone, they say, but they denounce the orthodox as dead and unloving. After insinuating themselves into every nook and cranny of their synods, they cry out that the orthodox are divisive.
Doctrine divides - it divides the sheep from the goats.
Luther taught clearly, following the Scriptures - that the Word, not love, converts. Love is one of the fruits of the Gospel.
The fruitlessness of the Pietist/Shrinkers is shown in their hatefulness toward others, their relentless plagiarizing of the Reformed, and their burning desire to end Lutheran worship, doctrine, and practice.
Is it any wonder that the WELS Chicaneries--and LCMS Shrinkers--want to hear the wisdom of Babtists Ed Stetzer and C. Peter Wagner? Is anyone shocked that Shrinkers substitute gimmicks for the Word? Are Shrinkers not flattering, deceiving belly-servers, as Paul described in Romans 16?
Their movements--often renamed for marketing purposes--are foul and disgusting. The Church Growth Movement has ravaged Protestantism and withered the Lutheran Church. Warren made it Purpose Driven, even worse in doctrine. Someone came up with Contagious Churches (getting close to honesty, if we think of the Swine Flu). Now they are selling BMs (Becoming Missional) and the Emerging Church.
Spener's Reformed doctrine and his cell groups are at the center of it all.
