In the very next paragraph he then transitions to the church and makes a point I so wish we could see for ourselves: "Similarly, one of the comforting aspects of attending religious services is the knowledge that you are doing what others have done before you and others will do after: Even nonbeievers often feel a twinge of awe when they attend Christian or Jewish weddings or funerals and witness liturgies with centuries-old roots." (28)

Even nonbelievers see this! And yet we are transforming and destorying our old forms for the very reason that we think these nonbelievers want the faith on their cultural terms. Why can't we see what those outsie the church can see so well? Why do we not understand the basic and fundamental human need for ritual consistency and connection to what came before that is present throughout the social fabric of our lives?

In the LCMS we are quickly dismantling the one aspect of our unity as a denomination that has given us identity and endurance over the years. We are robbing our people of a connection with those who came before and have become a-historical in our approach to the issues of our day. "It's not your grandfathers's church anymore" one denominational official proclaimed. And yet it is! The church is the collective of all the saints, living on earth and living in heaven. Who said we have a right to ignore them? How can we be so arrogant to think that their reasons were entirely culture-bound and dated and of no value to us now?

Mr. Barone has put his finger on an issue facing our entire nation. We would do well to listen to him: "Ties to those who came before - whether int he military, in religion, in general patriotism - provide a sense of purpose rooted in history and tested over time. Secular transnational elites are on their own, without a useful traditio, in constructing a morality to help them perform their duties. Most Americanssense they need such ties to the past, to judge from the millions buying books about Washington, Adams, Hamiliton, Jefferson, and other Founding Fathers. We Americans are lucky to live in a coutnry with a history full of noble ideas, great leaders, and awe-inspiring accomplishments. Sadly, many of our elites want no part of it."

And sadly many of our denominational elites want no part of our church's history either. But as he said: They "are on their own." I can only feel sorry for the drift they will suffer in the future.

After a time of study I came to grips with the biblical background of the work of the Holy Spirit and the illegitimacy of the "movement" I had been witnessing for years. Yet as I entered the pastoral ministry in 1987 the "movement" was shifting from "fringe" to "mainstream." A newsletter appeared and openly pushed the agenda. Conferences were held. There was some attempt to call it all to account, but the calls by and large fell on unconconcerned ears in high places. They had found their beachhead. The invasion was here to stay.

But now I read that this movement's organizational headquaters is folding? Did they finally discover that the LCMS did not need this pentecostal "renewal" afterall? Well, not quite. According to them - and one must recognize the natual bias here - the doctrinal differences have all been resolved with the synod and their movement accomplished its goal of becoming an accepted part of the church. To some degree they are not far from the truth. In the last 20 years the Church Growth Movement has given them fertile ground in which to transplant their ideas and gain acceptance of their practices. The worship "sytle" of the Pentecostals has become, sad to say, all too common in many of our churches today. Called "Contemporary Worship" or just "Praise Worship," it is still an import, in part, from the Charismatic/Pentecostal thrust. And the RIM people admit that they have had such an impact:

"The Holy Spirit is still moving in Christ's Church! There is now more worship and praise in the churches. Millions have been 'baptized in the Holy Spirit' to receive power to share the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ through word and wonder...There is also a greater openness to spiritual gifts like healing, etc...." [Front page article by Rev. Del Rosin]

I bristle at such words, having long ago worked through the false guilt of not having this super-experience to make me a better Christian. The Holy Spirit never took a holiday in Christ's Church. Where the Word and Sacrament have been, so there has been the Spirit.

There might be "greater openness" to much of what they do, but there is also much resistance and concern. Their so-called "closing down" is not a sign that they have gone away or backed off of their agenda. They simply are shifting. One might note, in part, where future donations will be going. There is a heavy ecumenical flavor to RIM. They have long overlooked doctrinal differences to fellowship openly with those who deny many of our cardinal beliefs. They know only too well the current climate of Synod and the attempt to move us more and more into the mainstream of generic protestantism. They have been there a long time and know the way. We would do well to be warned here. They are closing, but they are not finished.

The newletter showcases some of their favorite articles from the past. It is not a complete survey of what they believe and practice, but gives some insight to where they are and where they have been. I will not miss receiving the newsletter, but I am still wondering - What is next? Have they become so mainstream in our midst that they can be taken for granted? I'll be looking....