The Silent Majority

 

Drucker Denominations as Corporations - "Doom Has Come Upon Us All!" - The Hobbit

 

I attended an LCA gathering where a synod staff member had us go through a Peter Drucker exercise about goals and objectives. Another staff member at a national gathering spoke about the inevitable decline in members - "Most of the children baptized in your parish now will not be in confirmation classes. The figure used to be 50%."

In WELS, the same truths were being uttered as if they came from Mt. Sinai rather than the crumbling Love Shack they called headquarters, 2929 Mayfair Road, Milwaukee. The same Management by Objectives were spoken reverently,  as if echoing the LCA. The common thread - or virus - was the LCA-LCMS-WELS staffers studying together at Fuller Seminary, where Drucker is still honored as a saint. 

Bad currency drives out good currency, as we have seen in silver coins replaced by those which sound like plastic buttons bouncing on the counter. Silver certificates have been set aside for Federal Reserve Notes.

Number 1 Cause of Decline - Nastiness

The denominations have declined because the Words of Faith in Jesus Christ have been replaced with the tinny squawks of secular wisdom. The Fruits of the Spirit begin with love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5). 

Love is not something we conjure up to attract people to a parish, but the result of teaching and practicing forgiveness through the Savior. Every sect brags in its history about 50 or 100 or 300 years of grace, but grace is only accessed through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2). 

"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." KJV Romans 5:1-2. How does one enjoy grace? only through faith. WELS-LCMS-ELS-ELCA denies this truth and skips along to perdition.

Let's look at the WELS sect, starting with the victims of their schools. If someone is not rigidly obedient to bullies (physical, sexual, and mental abuse), they are shunned at first and driven away formally by the Left Foot of Fellowship. 

How can a tiny sect grow when they take so much delight in excluding people? Readers - do not quote this blog, mention my name, or imply that I might be correct. The hammer will come down. The WELS Grapevine exists to spread falsehoods about dissenters and to protect the official synod families, who can do no wrong.

Think about this - how can a synod grow when they favor inbreeding and insist on anti-Biblical, anti-Lutheran doctrine? The collective IQ is going to decline.

I have met many WELS people who were kind, generous, and faithful to the Scriptures. However, many more enjoyed playing Top Dog and Do You Know Who My Grandfather Is? 

This is never going to change as long as people ignore the universal and divine standard of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. The Reformation made that clear, and the Book of Concord clarified issues growing from false teachers. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 11 - "Faith alone must make us good and save us."

Complete Sermon for Trinity 11 - The Pharisee and the Publican, A Picture and an Example of a True Saint

10. We find this also in Abraham when he offers his son Isaac. Then God said: “For now I know that thou fearest God,” Genesis 22:12. Surely, if he had not feared God, he would not have offered his son; and by this we know the fruit to be thoroughly good. Let us now heartily apply this to ourselves.

11. This is why St. Luke and St. James have so much to say about works, so that one says: Yes, I will now believe, and then he goes and fabricates for himself a fictitious delusion, which hovers only on the lips as the foam on the water. No, no; faith is a living and an essential thing, which makes a new creature of man, changes his spirit and wholly and completely converts him. It goes to the foundation and there accomplishes a renewal of the entire man; so, if I have previously seen a sinner, I now see in his changed conduct, manner and life, that he believes. So high and great a thing is faith.

For this reason the Holy Spirit urges works, that they may be witnesses of faith. In those therefore in whom we cannot realize good works, we can immediately say and conclude: they heard of faith, but it did not sink into good soil. For if you continue in pride and lewdness, in greed and anger, and yet talk much of faith, St. Paul will come and say, 1 Corinthians 4:20, look here my dear sir, “the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” It requires life and action, and is not brought about by mere talk.

12. Thus we err on both sides in saying, a person must only believe, then he will neglect to do good works and bring forth good fruits. Again, if you preach works, the people immediately comfort themselves and trust in works. Therefore we must walk upon the common path. Faith alone must make us good and save us. But to know whether faith is right and true, you must show it by your works. God cannot endure your dissembling, for this reason he has appointed you a sermon which praises works, which are only witnesses that you believe, and must be performed not thereby to merit anything, but they should be done freely and gratuitously toward our neighbor.

13. This must be practiced until it becomes a second nature with us. For thus God has also introduced works, as though he would say: if you believe, then you have the kingdom of heaven; and yet, in order that you may not deceive yourselves, do the works. To this the Lord refers in John 15:17, when he says to his disciples: “These things I command you, that ye may love one another.” And previous to this at the supper he said, John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another: even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” And shortly before this he said, 5:5: “For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you.”

As though he would say: Ye are my friends, but this the people will not know by your faith, but when you show the fruits of faith, and break forth in love, then they will know you. The fruits will not save you nor make you any friends, but they must show and prove that you are saved and are my friends. Therefore mark this well, that faith alone makes us good; but as faith lies concealed within me, and is a great life, a great treasure, therefore the works must come forth and bear witness of the faith, to praise God’s grace and condemn the works of men. You must cast your eyes to the earth and humiliate yourself before everyone, that you may also win your neighbor by your services; for this reason God lets you live, otherwise nothing would be better for you than to die and go to heaven. This you now also observe clearly in the good publican.

14. So you find two judgments: one according to faith, the other according to outward works. The foundation you have in that faith is concealed; this he feels, who believes; but that is not enough, it must express itself as you see above in the publican, who breaks forth in humility, so much as not to lift his eyes to heaven, smites on his breast and praises God, by which he helps me to say when my sins oppress me: Behold, the publican also was a sinner and said: “God, be thou merciful to me a sinner;” thus too, I will do.

By this will I also be strengthened so that when I see my sins I will think of his example, and with it comfort and strengthen myself, so that I can say:

Oh God, I see in the publican that thou art gracious to poor sinners. Faith the believer keeps for himself, but externally he communicates its fruits to other people.

15. The publican is on the right road and is twice justified; once through faith before God, and again by his works to me. Here he gives unto God his glory, and by faith repays him with praise. Also toward me he performs the duty of love, and puts words into my mouth and teaches me how to pray. Now he has paid all his debts toward God and man. So faith urges him to do; without however requiring anything from God as a reward of faith.