by Rev. Jason Lane In this study of Article III of the Formula of Concord (FC) concerning the righteousness of faith or the righteousness of God, we will see how the Lutheran Confessions address and faithfully refute old and new efforts to refashion the doctrine of justification as some change within us. The doctrine of… Read More >
Has It Ever Been This Bad?
by Rev. Matthew Zickler I live in the Chicago area. This Fourth of July weekend, we had over 60 shootings. The violence here is depressing. At times it can almost lead one to despair. When experienced firsthand, I am sure it often does. Of course, these shootings aren’t the only ones. There are others. There… Read More >
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession
by Rev. Aaron Moldenhauer The presentation of the Augsburg Confession was a foundational moment in the Lutheran Church. On June 25, 1530, the confession of the Lutheran estates of the Holy Roman Empire was read before Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg. Charles had promised to give the Lutherans a fair hearing, and… Read More >
Lutherans in Lithuania
by Dcs. Betsy Karkan In Lithuania, when it comes to tracing political history, border lines, or even the establishment of a church founded by Lutheran “heretics”, nothing is ever simple to keep in order. The details are complex and confusing, sometimes heartbreaking, and often unbelievable. Nevertheless, Lithuania is a country that possesses incredible perseverance, and… Read More >
The Anabaptists
by Rev. Michael Schuermann “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) A student of the history of Christ’s Church will discover that these words of Solomon ring true from age to age. During the Reformation,… Read More >
“We All Believe in One True God”
by Mr. Jonathan Swett Allow me to be the first church musician you’ve heard instruct you NOT TO SING the hymns. Or perhaps you are one that ‘can’t carry a tune in a bucket’ and have had the unfortunate experience of being chastised for daring to lift your voice in praise to God, and thus… Read More >
The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession
by Dr. Jack Kilcrease Throughout the 1520’s, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was deeply frustrated by the rise of the Lutheran Reformation. Although he wished to put an end to the various Protestant movements that had grown up in the empire, he nevertheless found it very difficult to do so in light of… Read More >
Luther and the Iconoclasts
by Rev. Matthew Zickler Have you ever been to a Christian store and noticed that they had something which listed the commandments, but it didn’t have the same numbering that you learned when you memorized the Catechism? In particular, the Second Commandment was listed as “You shall not make for yourself any graven image.” Or… Read More >
Formula of Concord Study: Introduction
by Rev. Aaron Moldenhauer This post is the first in a series of monthly studies in the Formula of Concord. Historical Background to the Formula of Concord The Lutheran churches in the Holy Roman Empire experienced great turmoil after Martin Luther’s death in 1546. There were two causes for this turmoil: political and theological…. Read More >
Albrecht Durer’s “Adoration of the Holy Trinity”
by Dcs. Carolyn S. Brinkley In his oil painting, “Adoration of the Holy Trinity,” Albrecht Dürer gives you, the viewer, the opportunity to see a dazzling vision of Heaven with your very own eyes as it is happening at this very moment. Standing before the masterpiece, which today is housed in the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna, is a glorious… Read More >