All lemon meringue pies are divided into three parts. The ideal crust is homemade and a delicacy by itself. Now that pie crusts are available on their own, the homemade, fresh crust is rare.
The lemon filling itself can be obtained from many sources.
Home-made meringue? A package deal is more likely today.
"Oh, that is meringue, vey difficult to do exactly right."
"But it's nothing but air, Auntie."
That is the first ingredient in the Church Growth Movement and related magic acts. They pretend to be something and are nothing at all, once examined.
The filling of a lemon pie is a strange balance between the lemon flavor and the aftertaste. Lemon and acid may work well together, but the background taste is often bad and lasting.
All the efforts of the Church Growth swamis leave a definite sour aftertaste, one that is difficult to remove. One congregation president listed all the things his previous congregation did for evangelism, and it was a long list. I asked, "How did it work out?" He said, "Nobody came because of it," and he was trying to argue that we should do the same things. In fact, we had people drive from 50 miles away because a genuine Lutheran church was difficult to find in Columbus.
The crust of a pie is similar to the foundation of a parish. The best ingredients and the right care will turn out a pie crust that rivals the rest of the dessert. A congregation needs the correct Bible, the KJV, not a Burglar Bible where key doctrines are stolen by the skillful knives of the "modern" translations. Hymns and worship should highlight the Means of Grace rather than entertainment, soft drinks, and snacks. Preaching, teaching, and visiting are basic to the work of the Gospel.
