Congregational Destruction of Lutherdom

One congregation is worried about falling apart and dissolving. That is not so strange, given the passive attitude of so many parishes.

People often talk about synodical and seminary leaders, as if a new president or a better faculty would significantly help the congregation. That is unlikely.

Luther's quotation above is a good answer. Every congregation has a chance to broadcast the Word constantly. Few take the opportunity. Sermons are copied from other sources, so there really is no sermon. The websites seldom give the street address! - which communicates a message of self-involvement.

Anything done in the parish that is not preaching and teaching the Word should be handed over to the recreation and entertainment committee.

How could the congregation broadcast the Gospel?

1. The sermon is fresh, written out by the pastor, and based on Biblical texts, KJV family - not the wretched NIV or the Calvinist ESV. He gives it by memory, using the text as the outline, or if new, with a written manuscript available for comfort. Ministers can and should grow out the need for the manuscript - just as they stopped using a soother or wubbie.
2. That sermon is published in a blog or (more difficult) on the website where people can check if it is plagiarized.
3. Hymns should be something the minister can read from the pulpit, unlike much of the Contemporary Worship garbage. Remember - Koine means common in Greek.
4. The service is broadcast on radio or streaming video.
5. The worship bulletin is about the Means of Grace, not the wisdom of Willow Creek (note how that turned out).
6. Food and drinks are not available during worship, nor should they ever be.
7. Midweek and special Holy Days are observed by worship. Important ones like Ascension Day are complete services, including communion.
8. The pastors and teachers should use the Internet for more Means of Grace communications instead of being intoxicated with dinners. sports leagues, meetings, and budgets. Get out the Church Growth graph paper and graph the content of the official communications - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
9. The congregation should make available and give away books with valuable Lutheran content, which excludes anything from the Calvinist Church Growth Movement or Walther-Pieper's Calvinist-Lutheran dogmatic amalgamation.

 Scarecrow wanted a brain. Tinman wanted a heart. Cowardly Lion wanted courage. Match them with the graphic above.

 No, he thinks he is the Wizard of Oz. He is actually the Wizard of Ooze.

 He makes Moses the Savior and Jesus the Lawgiver. No, really, "We ran out of Germans. Change or Die!" That is the Jeske Law, and he has made a fortune from his error.