In my last post I spoke of how one can pretty much get away with anything in our Synod as long as he plays the “missions” card. In other words, in the Almighty name of Missions and Evangelism we can call everything in the Divine Service adiaphora and conduct worship as we please. We can recreate the Church in the image of secularism and corporate beaurocracy, put unordained men in the pulpit and at the altar and call them “pastors,” spend millions of dollars on an ad campaign while the seminaries receive 0% of the Synod’s annual budget, exalt as model congregations only those that are growing exponentially, and so on. Truly, truly I say to you: A Heart for Missions…covers a multitude of sins.”
Of course, someone had to play the “put up or shut up card” in the comments, a common response to any kind of cricticism of the establishment. What is frustrating to me is that for the most part our hands our tied. We who now represent (I would surmise) the minority in our synod are pretty much powerless to do anything except preach and teach in our own little pieces of paradise. I do know for certain that God will prevail, that the Ablazing!™ gates of hell will not prevail against His Church, and that a faithful remnant will arise out the ashes of this Synod. So, have no fear, little storm-tossed flock. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
One Lutheran...Ablog!™ 
I honestly don’t understand why the group of like-minded pastors like yourself just don’t band together and form your own synod. What other choice do you have, unless you really do enjoy wasting your time in complaining and criticizing.
Maybe the put-up-or-shut-up-card is the best card there is. Take some action…..make a move.
My dear Anonymous,
I wonder, old chap, if you might respond to the following.
Imagine, if you will, two situations, we’ll call them A and B. In A every LCMS member exerts their utmost for the Synod’s finest evangelism program and invites people to church, shares a Gospel word with an unreached or uncommitted person, etc., etc.
Now, in situation B, however, every member of the LCMS goes on permanent high tea and says yea-not-a-word to any person. We all just shut our traps and never do evangelism again.
Now, let X be the number of individuals on the blessed side of the Pearly Gates on the last day.
Under which situation is X larger – A or B?
Show your work.
The Priestman
The remnant is coming together, at this point just for fellowship and to help others. (http://wittenbergtrail.ning.com)
However, only God knows what will happen next.
My Dear Priestman –
Benedicite!
Not to quibble with your fine diagnostic question (one which, with your permission of course, I well may use to clarify some muddles in my own neck of the woods), but would it be good to clarify in situation B whether said “high tea” still includes attending to the prayers, the teaching of the Apostles, and the breaking of bread? That is, they are still going about their business as Christians, but simply not prattling on about it to every passer by, aren’t they?
Hate to be so literal-minded here.
Now – I should add, I know this clarification doesn’t change the final answer (given all that business about election and what not) – but still wonder if it might not be more helpful to indicate that we still expect, well, “churchly” behavior form those we serve…..