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Home Forum Confessional Lutheranism The sad state of American Evangelicalism

The sad state of American Evangelicalism
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10:27 pm
September 4, 2010


Jim Linnell

Venus, TX

Church Elder

posts 9
1

The Ft. Worth Star Telegram had an article today about the United Methodist Church and their desperate efforts to solve the question of how to stem the decades-long losses in membership and attract new worshippers. In the article they hold up as an example of success one of their churches in Indianapolis. From the article: 

One of the successful churches is St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, which has seen its membership steadily grow over the years to nearly 6,200.

The church's senior pastor, the Rev. Kent Millard, said it has offered both traditional and contemporary worship services for years. At a contemporary service, congregants kick back with doughnuts and coffee, a live band plays music and clips from Hollywood movies are shown to illustrate Gospel messages.

"Worship is like going to a mall," Millard said. "There are all kinds of stores. Some people like specialty shops. Some like department stores. When you have variety, people can go where they like."

OH MY!! Is it really any surprise that many so called Evangelicals cannot tell you what the Gospel is? Notice that success is defined by numbers and not the proclamation of the Gospel. In fact, based on the description above, it is questionable if the Gospel is even proclaimed. Is this a Church or or just a social club?

Our Augsburg Confession states in Article VII "The Church is the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered." Thanks be to God that this is what is received at Charity Lutheran Church in the Divine Service. 

You can read the rest of the article at: http://www.star-telegram.com/2…..z0ycQAcsbT

4:32 pm
September 13, 2010


Carol

Church Member

posts 4
2

Unfortunately this is a good example of what many people think worship service is today.

Thanks for posting.

7:32 pm
September 28, 2010


Jim Linnell

Venus, TX

Church Elder

posts 9
3

We are told in 1Peter 3:15 to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." That is just on reason why the survey released Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life is so embarassing. Embarassed

A news article on FOXnews.com covered some of the highlites of the survey results. Here is the first paragraph:

A new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths.

Is that sad or what? You can read the article yourself by going to http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010…..-religion/

The article left me asking myself how prepared I am to give an answer. Would I do better on this survey than the non-Christian groups that outperformed Protestants?

I think I better keep going to Bible class. How about you? Wink

Jim L.

10:08 am
September 29, 2010


Kent Heimbigner

Church Pastor

posts 2
4

Jim, thanks for posting this.

 

I had seen it, and cynically thought to myself, "okay . . . America's protestants don't really have a clue.  How is that news?"  But you are absolutely correct:  Whether the problem is newsworthy or not is beside the point.  What matters is that there is a problem, and the solution is a return to the study of the Word of God and the doctrine that our Lord has entrusted to the Holy Church.

 

Peace be with you all.   In Christ,   Pastor.

8:08 pm
September 30, 2010


Jim Linnell

Venus, TX

Church Elder

posts 9
5

Today the Church commemorates the life of St. Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin. This translation, known as the Vulgate, was the authoritative version of the Bible in the western Church world for over 1,000 years.

I read a quote of his today that fits well with this discussion. “I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: Search the Scriptures, and Seek and you shall find. Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God. For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."

 

Blessings,

 

Jim L.

8:35 am
January 10, 2012


rayblanton73

Church Member

posts 1
6

Evangelicalism by first divorcing itself from the sacraments has unhinged itself from the grace of God. By making everything symbolic and thus declaring nothing to be real, the pastor is left with the only rational conclusion his "confession" has left open to him, since he is selling a house of cards he must wrap it in the best and shiniest packaging anyone ever saw. 

 

But a church which is committed to the forgiveness of sin and rebirth by water through the Holy Spirit in Baptism making us new creatures in Christ, new creatures for which earthly food holds no satisfaction, and so offers the spiritual food of the actual body and blood of our Lord Jesus christ to fill and sustain us as we walk as sojourners in this world, is a Church which never need sell anything because it has Christ. 

 

Those who receive Christ become the similitude of Christ and the sweet savour fo Christ pervades their lives in sucha way that they need no slick adverts or fabulous new music, they need only humble service rendered to Christ which so appealing to the lost soul that if, by God grace alone, he is seeking, then he fly to the baptism and cling to the body and blood his whole life because he will have learned that this is life.

 

Evangelicalism cheapens and symbolizes this by making the Christian Faith a credulous hanging on to what I believe without ever reinforcing that belief by the means ordained by Christ. This is treachery to Christ and as such is not Chriatianity of any sort.
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