by Katie Schuermann A composer can never escape his own style, and this is true even of amateur composers such as Martin Luther. Our beloved reformer was a competent musician in his own right. Embracing the musical arts in both his schooling and his cloistered life, Luther became a proficient instrumentalist on the lute and… Read More >
Dawn to Dusk with Our Living Lord
by Deaconess Carolyn S. Brinkley In the Small Passion Albrecht Dürer devotes three woodcuts to the Scriptural accounts of Easter day enabling us, with our own eyes, to see holy events as if they are happening right now. He places you, me, and himself as participants in salvation’s narrative as he draws us into the… Read More >
Bible Study with Luther: Galatians 3:1-9
by Rev. Jesse Burns In the explanation of the Third Article of the Creed we are taught to confess that “the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian… Read More >
The Doctrine of the Church in the Confessions
by Rev. Jason D. Lane In 1521 Thomas Murner, one of Luther’s early Catholic opponents, attacked Luther’s view of the church, accusing him of “building a church the way that Plato builds a city” (See LW 39:218). To Murner, Luther had presented the church as a figment of the imagination that has no permanence… Read More >
Plans taking shape for 2017 Reformation celebration
Worship opportunities, outreach grants, web resources and even a Reformation documentary are some of the undertakings for the Synod and its partner organizations celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation throughout 2017. Still, the leader of the Synod’s celebration planning reminds us that it’s still all about Jesus. Read the full article on Reporter Online…. Read More >
The Words of Institution
by Rev. James A. Lee II In the Small Catechism’s presentation of the Sacrament of the Altar one may be a bit surprised at the amount of attention Luther gives to the words of institution. After all, this is the section wherein that is dedicated to the discussion of the sacrament of Christ’s body and… Read More >
On the Freedom of a Christian
by Rev. Travis Loeslie Martin Luther had much to say on the topic of Christian freedom in his tract from 1520. On the Freedom of the Christian was published in Wittenberg as the third of three writings that characterized the evangelical theology of the Reformation. The Roman Curia had issued the bull Exsurge Domine on June… Read More >
“From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee”
by Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz Martin Luther’s hymns were vitally important to the Reformation. They presented the gospel in beautiful, memorable ways that people could understand in their own language. One of Luther’s earliest compositions was “From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee,” a paraphrase of Psalm 130 (Aus tiefer Not schrei’ ich zu… Read More >
Repentance in the Confessions
by Rev. Aaron Moldenhauer You may have an idea about who needs to repent, and what they need to do. He needs to stop sleeping around. She needs to clean up her language. Odds are that he or she is not you. You’ve already cleaned up your act, so you’re done with repentance. The Lutheran… Read More >
Confessional Lutheranism in Finland (Tunnustuksellinen luterilaisuus Suomessa)
by Deaconess Betsy Karkan From its roots in the Reformation to its carefully preserved remnant today, the history of confessional Lutheranism in Finland is a testament to the work of the Lord establishing and keeping His Church throughout all generations in every corner of the world. At the time of the Reformation, Finland was a… Read More >