But clearly more and more church members find breaking these Commandments (not to mention a few others) easier than ever before and do so with little or no guilt. But how did this come about? Why is it so easy for people to neglect both worship and the teachings of Jesus?

The answer to these questions is twofold. One answer places the blame squarely on the church, the leaders and laity in the 20^th century who failed to understand the cultural shift taking place before them and for allowing secular pagan philosophies to infiltrate the church’s doctrine, practice, and worship. The church and most Christian families are now reaping what they sowed. In next month’s newsletter I will discuss these more thoroughly.

The balance of this article is to address the second reason for declining church attendance. So why are traditional churches like Immanuel shrinking? Why, despite years of sermons, articles, warnings, and admonitions is Immanuel contining to die as a congregation? The answer is simple. The people of the Lutheran Church are immersed in the American culture. So on "any given Sunday" the proper worship of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is up against:

*Sports Activities - - America is obsessed with sports. In days gone by Wednesdays and Sundays (especially Sundays) were reserved for church and religious instructions. In so doing our culture, include the sports subculture, recognized the need and value of worship and religious instruction in the life of a young person. But today, games, tournaments, and even practices are placed in direct competition with worship and church activities. Add to this the financial pressures of college and the "need" to obtain athletic scholarships pushes the family even further away from church. In this clash between the sports culture and the Christian culture, nine times out of ten the sports culture wins. That’s why you don’t see many families in church week in and week out. And before you know it, you don’t see them in church at all.

Of course another big problem is the clash between worshiping, serving, and helping out at the church and weekend recreating or some other entertaining event. Again the church loses this contest far more than it wins.

*A Consumer Culture - For more than 100 years, our public education system has taught us to think in terms of producers and consumers. Americans like choices. They believe they are entitled to it. We pay our money and we should get a litany of goods and services. So also in the church. While Christians should donate money to the church for the purpose of sharing with their pastor the gifts God has given to them and for the purpose of paying the bills and serving one’s neighbor, people donate more money when they get the kinds of goods and services they want. So bigger churches offer a smorgasbord of programs, support groups, and activities to fit a wide range of ages, circumstances, and tastes. The smaller church cannot do the same. So again, the traditional liturgical church, with its right understanding of the nature and purpose of the church, will lose this contest too, at least as the world judges winning and losing.

*A Culture of Skepticism, Subjectivism, and Post-Modernism - The Christian religion is a religion of truth. If the belief in knowable truth falls the Christian faith follows. God speaks and acts in history through the prophets and apostles, and supremely through His Son Jesus Christ. He is clear and His words mean what they mean. But our culture teaches that everything is a matter of interpretation. No one is right. No one set of doctrines is better or above another. And that everyone decides for himself or herself what is right for them. We have become skeptics in regard to the truth of God’s Word. So churches that still hold to true truth and pastors who think they are right and those who disagree (speaking here of Articles of Faith and morality) are to be avoided.  Liturgical churches and confessional pastors are never in vogue.

*Disrespect of Authority - We have lived in a culture of rebellion for more than four decades now. People think nothing of thumbing their noses at police, judges, and school teachers. Modern parenting has taught children how to run the household. Even more so in the church. The disrespect and rebellion has reached a high point in the church. Some of you may remember the days when the Pastor and Elders/Deacons were held in honor and were accorded a proper level of fear. Their judgments and leadership were also trusted to a greater degree than we see today.

So when a pastor and lay leaders come along who act as leaders, judging things according to a theological understanding, a challenge is likely to follow and so after than a departure from a liturgical theological congregation.

*Affluence, Materialism, and Mobility - Even though we tend not to think so, we are a very affluent culture. We tend to judge ourselves by how much we have and how much we can do. Our standard of living today enables people to eat out regularly, take a lot of time off to go places and do things, and to live in a variety of social contexts. In days gone by the church and church activities were the center of spiritual and social life. But now there is competition everywhere and nine times out of ten the church loses.

So you see. The challenge before us is daunting. To over come these things will take nothing short of a Reformation, a true work of God. It will take sobriety and clear mindedness. Strong leaders and supportive members. Each will need to do his or her part. Next month we will look at what the Lutheran Church has done to make matters all the worse. In the meantime dwell on this.