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| Liz has seen ELCA's total membership crater, with the gay seminaries sinking fast. She is getting close to the end of her leave-of-absence. |
The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) abhor the efficacy of the Word, which simply means, the Holy Spirit active in the Word. That can be stated as "the Word never without the Spirit, the Spirit never without the Word." A. Hoenecke
The Reformation, which took place only in Germany and in the Sixteenth Century (the 1500s for synod officials), is confined to Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz, and their associates. The Reformers were very clear about teaching Biblical doctrine rather than the latest dogmatic books. One would guess that the latter "Orthodox" theologians caused the Reformation but they were actually later, dipping into Calvinism, Pietism, and Objective Faithless Justification. The farther away they moved, from Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz, the sloppier and more promiscuous their enormous books became.
The Big Five all came from Pietism, four from CFW Walther, a dedicated Pietist. ELCA roots were also Pietist, but from other sources. Pietists in general were keen on cell groups, soft on Calvin, and indifferent to Luther and the Book of Concord.
Lacking today -
1. Original, Biblical sermons. Plagiarism is ripe from synod officials all the way up to parish pastors. The lazy pastors and managers buy sermon books or swipe them among web servers. Mequon, not exactly a citadel of the Means of Grace, encourages future pastors to copy one another's efforts. Their wise advice is "Why invent the wheel?" There are many ways they can use Luther's Sermons, which we all need. Those sermons were written as foundations for parish pastors, so many are very long because Luther had so much to say.
2. Visiting in homes and hospitals. That is almost forgotten.
3. Using blogs and Zoom to get the message out. The discussion boards are banal. Blogs are free, a good place to post the upcoming worship service and relevant news. Zoom is tricky to get started but miles ahead of Vimeo. A year of Zoom webinars will cost the congregation about $15 a week, no more than Vimeo.
4. Reject the moronic "programs" of the synod. Given their lust for plagiarism, it is truly the blind leading the blind, or the Stuck with their sticky finders selling the Unstuck. Have the great evangelism and mission pastors kept up with the losses? Hardly! But they keep sending out grandparents' charitable irrevocable trust counselor$.
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| God sent a message to ELCA immediately after the 2009 vote. No one needs a cookie prediction to guess what it was. |
