What's Going on Oh Lutherans! Another Concordia College is closing?

Say it ain't so!   Yes you read that correctly.  Today it was announced that Concordia College New York will not reopen in 2021.  You can see the article here. 

That's three (3) schools in four (4) years that have closed in the LCMS Concordia University system.  

 Is the ship sinking?  Not yet but how is it possible that so many are closing so quickly?  There are many factors, but two stand out in my mind at this exact moment.  Who founded them?  What was the purpose of the Concordia Colleges? Who attended them? I believe all that has been lost upon us.  These colleges have lost their (1.) identity and (2.) purpose.

(1.) Our identity is wrapped in who these colleges are.  They are part of the Concordia College system, they are LCMS. When our synod began she recognized two things.  We have Lutherans and they need to be taught.  That was the reality.  Our Lutheran families had many children.  The average number of children in America per family was between 6-9 up until around 1920, it then dropped off precipitously with a small upswing after WWII, but since 1970ish it's gotten bad.  It's ugly now, with the average house hold size being around 2.5 and for those who have children the average is around 1.8 children (I fear what it looks like just among those of European descent).  

 These of course are averages but it is obvious in our churches.  It should be a "no duh" moment especially if you were to look at just one sampling: the size of confirmation classes.  How often I hear complaints of why aren't our confirmation classes sizes bigger?  Well if you look at class after class it's the same families just kids from different ages!  It was families of 6-9 kids who continuously kept these large classes going.  And such is not the case any more!

Our synod has not been shy in saying we have dropped the ball in teaching about the joys of family and children.  Yes, we have been much more agressive in our LCMS church preaching and teach not just about abortion of which the U.S. just surpassed 62 million (not including the plan B pill which kills countless more children!), but also about the Church hating liberal left push for the use of "birth control," and "family planning" but it will take a full generation to undo such problems.  We have finally begun much to our shame to recognize that this is not just a private decision but that the Church has a voice in this, but it will take another decade at best to see our children start to have many children again and that's if they don't give into the pressure of the culture to have few children or simply to fall away altogether.

So when our synod was in her "heyday" with so many children we recognized the need for higher education schools to continue to train our children up in the way of the Lord after they finished in our parochial schools.  This was one of the fundamental parts of the LCMS was to raise up our children in Lutheran Schools.  We have dropped the ball.  First we stopped hearing the admonitions of the Lord.  Be fruitful and multiply and remain faithful until death.  The members of the LCMS used to be highly educated in Scripture and the Confessions of this there is no doubt because the Laity are credited with saving our synod during the time of the Walk Out, (that's another story), but not so much any more. 

It is difficult to get people to want to belong, to study, to dig.  Too many have embraced the ecumenical movement.  It's easier to find the lowest common denominator, setting the bar so low, that as long as someone says I believe in Jesus well we must all be Christian.  The point of our Concordia System was to help students dig.  But this superficiality towards Lutheranism was made clear to me when I was going to one of our Concordia Colleges and only one other student joined with me to say, for example, women's ordination was against the Word of God during a seminar for teachers preparing to go out for their student teaching.

(2.) Which brings me to my other point, The Concordia Colleges were developed for the purpose of preparing students to be teachers and pastors in our LCMS churches.   If one were to look at the closing of these now three Concordia's you will notice a significant problem.  In 2019 (I couldn't find my 2020 state of the union information on the Concordias)  There were 28,483 full time students.  Now if you were to suppose that the primary goal of these schools is to teach students to prepare for full-time church work (Pastor, Teacher, Musician, Deaconess, DCE and others) how many of these students would you expect to be for this purpose?  Hopefully the vast majority. 

But (you knew there was "but" right?) such is not the case.  We have three big problems.  The first is shocking, only 3,409 identified as LCMS (and likely many fewer actually believe LCMS doctrine and practice), the second is the obvious and scary statistic, only 1,047 were preparing for Church work vocations (which was down 300 from the previous year! Only 42 students from the 2018-19 class graduated from one of our Concordias)  And finally the staff is the last big problem.  A couple years ago our Wyoming District requested to know from all the Concordia Colleges and Universities how many full-time staff are LCMS, only one responded to our official request and that was Concordia Chicago.  (Their report was not good, which they admit, and their current President is seeking to remedy that problem.)  Our Colleges are not being taught by members of the LCMS and that is a problem.

So I want to point out the obvious problem.  Of the three schools that have closed, Selma had zero (0) students going for any type of church work when it closed.  Last year, Portland reported five (5) students and New York  reported thirteen (13).

The identity of these colleges were lost.  Of some 6,800 students studying at these three school, 18 were there for Church work vocations, only 175 "identified" as LCMS.  

There are other factors at large here but the purpose of these schools has been forsaken, it was to raise up children in the way they should go.  Our Concordia's have forgotten their way.  Our Colleges need to be for Lutheran students to raise in the Lutheran faith. 

Is it time to abandon ship?  No.  Definitely not. Is the ship listing?  Yes and we need to admit it.  It is time to fix the holes.  It is time to get back on track.  Developing new majors and programs is not the key.  Developing new gimmicks does not fix the problem (Hey Concordia Nebraska--a farming major does not help!).  Hiring recruitment agencies definitely doesn't fix the problem (See Concordia Portland for that debacle.) We need to be experts at our field, and that is preaching and teaching. Being diverse is a complete problem (see all the Concordia's flirting with this sin.)

Let's get real LCMS.  If we want to fix this problem, it begins in our churches amongst the people of God.  It is time for the priesthood of all believers embrace its most fundamental God-given responsibility: being an active part of the church and then having children and raising them up in the pure Word of God and giving them the means of grace.  This is done through regular attendance (defined as rarely missing, not half time church attenders!) Dear parents, when you choose to take your children to sports or clubs activities or you choose work as more important than being in Church and hearing the Word of God, you can bet that will filter down.  It is time to make your holy family, the church, the most important.  It is time to be in the Word of God with fellow believers more than just one or two hours on a Sunday. Ask your pastor to study the Bible with you and a group of others during the week!  Because when your house is in order, than the Word of God easily goes out to others.

All is not lost.  Here's the good news, we still have the pure Word of God.  We still have the privilege to hear it preached with little fear of persecution.  We are also a rich nation which plentiful resources to help get this word out.  Now is the time, support and encourage your pastors not to be gimmicky but to rely on the Word, trust this Word to do its work.

A sword will pierce through your own soul.

 

These words were said by the blessed prophet Simeon to Mary in the temple when Jesus was brought into the temple at just a few days old.    She probably didn't understand them fully when he had said them and likely for much of your lives you didn't understand it either.  But now we are beginning to understand the anguish of watching a world who hates Christ.  

 

Great wickedness has been coursing through the veins of our country for years but now it has boiled over.  But this should be of no surprise.  Even after God had wiped away all evil from the world through the flood, Noah's son, Ham, sought to displace him as head and mock his father Noah and shame Noah before his brothers.  Ham's family despised the Church and sought to displace it by becoming gods onto themselves and building a tower that they might be like God.  Imagine the sorrow of Noah and Shem and Japheth as they watched Ham and his kin reject the Church.  

It should be no surprise that the devil incites  such wickedness still today.  Greater does the world fall into chaos and Jesus statement is true, when the Son of Man returns will he find faith on the earth?  (Luke 18:8) And yet we also know the promise of the Lord, Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my Word will not pass away. (Matt 24:35).  This above all leads us to rejoice that he keeps coming to us and that we can see the wickedness of the world

 

As part of the body of Christ, let us not only see such great sin in the world in others but that we also be led to repent of our own sin. In so doing we will then not bear grudges or hatred toward others for their actions but rather we forgive one another.  Keep at the forefront of your mind that the blessed mother of our Lord was told that a spear would pierce through her soul as those around her would mock, ridicule, torture, and put to death her son and our dear brother, Jesus Christ. Nothing new is under the Sun dear children of God!

So yes, it should be no surprise that there is great distress in the world.  The Mayhem pierces the soul.  The Church is under attack, Satan would have it no other way.  The world seeks to create division all around us. Pray for those around you. Pray for those who insight violence and destruction. Forgive those who hurt you and seek to be at peace with them.  Especially go to church, where Christ distributes his gifts and keeps you in the faith, preserving you from the intoxication of hatred of others. And in so doing invite all, especially those who despise the Church, to hear this precious gospel of Christ our Savior.

There are so many things we can be doing at this moment.  Go to Church, visit with your pastor, and be in the word, confessing that faith to your family and neighbors.  A wonderful thing you can do daily is to grieve for this world as Luther says about the tower of Babel when those who built sought glory for themselves and despised the Church and her holiness. "The saints cannot behold the wickedness of the world without intense grief... Therefore let us, too, patiently bear these sad sights and the darts of Satan, which he drives into our hearts; for we should not expect our situation to be better than that of the holy fathers." (LW vol. 2, pg. 217)  Finally, Pray for yourself to remain in the blessed faith and pray for others that they may hear your words as kindness and love and desire to speak Christ into their lives.

 

We pray: 

 

Heavenly Father, God of all concord, it is Your gracious will that Your children on earth live together in harmony and peace.   Defeat the plans of all those who would stir up violence and strife, destroy the weapons of those who delight in war and bloodshed, and according to your will, end all conflicts in the world.  Teach us to examine our hearts that we may recognize our own inclination toward envy, malice, hatred, and enmity.  Help us, by Your Word and Spirit, to search our hearts and to root out the evil that would lead to strife and discord, so that in our lives we may be at peace with all people.  Fill us with zeal for the work of Your Church and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone can bring that peace which is beyond all understanding; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

The Devil went down to Georgia...

 

The Devil went down to Georgia...and it ain't lookin' good.

Millions and millions of Americans have the special Georgia election on their minds along with congress's certification of the electoral college.  2020 was not so great, and there is a lot of worry and concern as to what will now occur this year.  Whatever the outcome of this year, remember right now the true Word of the Lord will endure forever.  So dear friends rejoice in what you have today.  You have the Gospel and at least here in America no one is being put to death by the government for being a Christian and going to Church.  Remember, the Early Church had it infinitely worse for being able to practice the faith received, and yet in those first four centuries, Christianity blossomed.

Dear friends we do not find salvation in politics and politicians, it is in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone that we find hope  This is the true realization of the gift of justification and the means of grace given freely to the Church on earth for the forgiveness of sins. Dear Christian, renew your zeal in the Lord! It is time to remember we are a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works!

We cannot think that now is the time to sin however we want, or treat others however we want. But let us love our neighbor, truly love our neighbor! Let us unabashedly speak the truth, praying that the Lord would lead hearts to repent and believe the true Gospel, but do not be offended when your proclamation of the truth is ignored or even despised.  Stop the petty disagreements over the adiaphora and sit down and discuss what is truly at stake, the salvation of souls.  Let's understand why there are divisions and be willing to discuss them.  By doing so may there be unity in the Word and Sacrament!

Now is the time to return to the Catechism and the Bible, remember what you were taught and why you were taught it. Now is the time to return to church, and not to hide your faith in your homes and think that watching church on the internet is the same thing. Study the Word of God with your pastor, not just for one or two hours on Sunday morning, but engage in fellowship with one another. Ask your pastor to study the Word of God with you. Ask for more times to study, not alone, but together!

This is why the church grew so quickly and in great faith, they were gathering day by day! Now is the time.

Let us not worry about the Devil's schemes for the Word of the Lord will endure forever.  It is time to remain steadfast in the faith and look to Christ alone for salvation.