Wait for it. . . wait for it. . . oops, nothing to wait for. . .

Once upon a time Lutherans came together to form two fraternals, Aid Association for Lutherans and Lutheran Brotherhood.  They formed these organizations to provide insurance, financial services, and to further their goals and purposes as Lutheran Christians in their communities.  Then Lutherans got greedy.  AAL and LB merged and became Thrivent -- purposefully turning the focus away from the reasons for their existence.  Sure, for Lutherans was in the fine print but not in the business plan.  Then a bogus vote which promoted the idea that Lutheran products were too good for Lutherans only made it Thrivent Financial for all Christians.  Then the logo itself got in the way of the business model.  A heart and a cross.  Something had to go.  Not the heart.  But the cross.  Now it is only thrivent (lower case with a little heart sitting on the "t" (tee and not a symbol of a cross!).  The little heart is a good symbol because there is little heart left in this organization.  The local chapters or branches are all gone.  No local money to distribute to focus on Lutheran works in the larger community.  Thrivent Choice dollars still exist but they ask you a couple of times if you really want your dollars to go where you want them.  And there is a prepaid card to be used to promote your favorite charity -- IF it meets Thrivent's requirements. 

I regret that I am old enough and with a history that makes divesting from thrivent a costly endeavor -- especially at this time of economic crisis.  But I am not sure I would recommend this as anything more than a financial services company.  It is not special anymore.  Not just because it is not Lutheran but because it does not connect through a common faith or values -- only the common goal to make money.  I am not sure why or how it is still possible for thrivent to still be a fraternal.  It probably should be what it is -- a financial services company little different from Fidelity or Mass Mutual or a hundred other companies.  It is big.  Too big in my book.  It does not care if you have a faith as long as you have money.  And so that is where it all led.  I said this would be the end a long time ago.  The new logo only confirms it -- thrivent a very small and cold heart.

In their own words. . .

We are transforming the way we do business, including our brand, to ensure we’re continuing to put our clients at the center of everything we do, and that the experiences you have with Thrivent are better than ever before – from a redesigned website, to new digital tools and streamlined processes that will make things easier for you.

Our new brand reflects our fundamental purpose as an organization: we believe humanity thrives when people make the most of all they’ve been given. We’ve also refined our promise to you: we’re here to help you achieve financial clarity, enabling lives full of meaning and gratitude.

Our purpose and promise have guided our new brand expression, including an updated look and feel, a modernized digital experience, and an improved way of showing up for you today and in the future.