by Jonathan A. Swett With the vast wealth of hymns available to enhance our celebrations of the Christmas season each year, it is difficult to discern which hymns to select and when to stop selecting! If the church musician of your congregation is anything like me, they will find a way to creatively incorporate as… Read More >
Christians in the Creche – Looking at Luther’s Christmas Sermon
by Rev. Travis Berg Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to be in Bethlehem on that first Christmas? Who wouldn’t want to stand among the shepherds, as they hear the angels sing? We set up our crèches because we want to see the baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. We feel… Read More >
Catechism Reflection – The Second Article
by Rev. Mark Bestul If you were asked what the heart of the Christian faith is – what the heart of the Reformation was – what would you say? “Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for sinners”? Sounds about right. So, what if you were asked what is the heart of the Small Catechism, the basic… Read More >
Even Now the Word is at Work
by Rev. Michael Schuermann “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but… Read More >
The Undeserving Pray
by Rev. Stephen Preus My wife tells a story of her mother giving her daughters treats as little girls. Before she would allow them the sweets she would say, “Do you deserve it?” When her little girls answered, “No,” they received the goodies. With this my mother-in-law taught her daughters a valuable lesson. Luther teaches… Read More >
True Worship: Faith Wrestling Despair
by Rev. A. Brian Flamme The world obsesses over worship. Workaholics pour their waking moments into obtaining the all-important nest egg. Intellectuals strive after ideologies that master the transcendent mysteries of the universe. Muslims are taught by their Koran to compel obedience to their god through intimidation and murder.[i] These are only some of the… Read More >
VDMA
by Dr. Jack Kilcrease VDMA is an acronym that stands for the Latin slogan: Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum (“the Word of the Lord remains forever”), which was used throughout the Lutheran Reformation. It originally appears in Isaiah 40:8 and was also used by the Apostle Peter in his first epistle (1 Pt. 1:24-5). Both… Read More >
Bible Study with Luther: Galatians 1:1-5
by Rev. Jesse Burns Martin Luther once said: “The Epistle to the Galatians is my epistle, to which I have wedded myself. It is my Catherine Von Bora.”[1] There is excellent reason why Luther would make such a statement! This epistle so clearly proclaims the Gospel message that sinners are saved, not by works of… Read More >
What Does the Name “Lutheran” Mean?
by Rev. Christopher Maronde We are uncomfortable with labels. We refused to be pigeonholed; we abhor being placed into any category. Labels are simplistic, we say, they are too broad or too narrow, they exclude or include. We want people to take us as individuals. But what if a label has meaning, what if it… Read More >
The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation Is Near!
A careful reading of a letter Martin Luther wrote to Cardinal Albert of Mainz on the same day (Oct. 31, 1517) he nailed the 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church shows his pastor’s heart. This letter delightfully details Luther’s deep concern for the laity.