Congregations should have communion statements that summarize their position on closed communion. The statement can be in bulletins, on communion cards, and read before Divine Service – wherever it will be brought to the attention of those visiting the congregation … Continue reading
The Athenians said to Paul, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Luke explains, “Now all the … Continue reading
In the face of continual revelations of sodomy and pedophilia perpetrated by Roman clergy, abuse cover-ups, and the enabling of repeated abuse by the highest levels, how should Lutherans respond, and how should we consider the Roman church? We should … Continue reading
Congregations open and close. Demographics shift. Towns shrink. People move away. Do congregations matter? God’s Word matters. People matter. It matters that people are taught God’s Word in its truth and purity. It matters that the sacraments are administered according … Continue reading
When terror or tragedy strikes, it is common these days to claim strength in the midst of weakness and helplessness. For example, after two different tragedies here in Canada, we have heard “Humboldt Strong” and “Toronto Strong.” It says that we … Continue reading
Not that you needed another reason to sing good hymns, but here it is anyway: It is well known that music assists in learning. When teaching the catechism to children, for instance, teaching it to music greatly increases the ability … Continue reading
In all the discussions surrounding the Third Use of the Law and antinomian leaning tendencies, we would do well to not forget about Article XII of the Augsburg Confession, Concerning Repentance: “Concerning repentance, it is taught that those who have … Continue reading
The other day, a fellow pastor called me an optimist who believes he can change the world because I was fighting for a situation in a neighboring parish to be handled properly. Those who know me will laugh, as none … Continue reading
It is just another normal day as yet another pastor is thrown out by the congregation God has called him to serve. Is he being ousted for Biblical reasons? Is he being thrown out because he is teaching heresy? Is … Continue reading
The Church is not a democracy. The Church has a King, Jesus Christ her head and Lord. In North American Lutheranism, we seem in some ways to be confused about that matter. The problem of the view of the Church … Continue reading
Confessional Lutheran pastors cause strife and conflict everywhere they go. They cause trouble in their parishes by calling sinners to repentance and excluding impenitent sinners from the Lord’s Altar. They cause trouble in their circuits and districts by desiring that … Continue reading
You have perhaps read or heard someone say that the life of a Christian looks exactly the same as the life of an unbeliever. Some even say that the life of pagans is often externally more righteous than that of … Continue reading
We live in a world obsessed with numbers. We count everything. The year just rolled over from 2016 to 2017, as we count years after the birth of Christ. This New Year, we may decide to sit down and look … Continue reading
Eli was derelict in his duties as high priest. He did not keep his sons in check. Working as priests under Eli’s supervision, his sons Hophni and Phinehas stole offerings from God, threatened worshippers with violence, and fornicated with women … Continue reading
We have both the command from God to pray, and the promise that He will hear us. Sometimes it is easy to pray. Words come easily and we know what to say. Sometimes, prayer is more difficult. We struggle with … Continue reading
3Sometimes we struggle to forgive. When someone sins against us, we can have trouble forgiving. Especially when we have been really badly hurt, we feel that the offending party doesn’t deserve forgiveness from us. Even when we try to forgive, … Continue reading
We have Moses and the Prophets, isn’t that enough? If Holy Scripture is God’s infallible Word and the only source and norm of Christian doctrine, what need do we have for the Lutheran Confessions? If Scripture is the ultimate authority, … Continue reading
The doctrine of election or predestination is of great comfort to Christians. This doctrine tells us that our salvation is in God’s hands. If salvation was in our hands, we would never be saved. Thus, we are comforted that it … Continue reading
Are you willing to die on that hill? This is a question that often gets asked when pastors face bad doctrine and practice in the congregations they serve, especially when they first arrive. This question is well-intentioned. It normally indicates … Continue reading
Sermon for Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion based on Luke 23:1-56 Dear sinners for whom Jesus died: Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. “Father, forgive them, for they … Continue reading
The Apostle Paul instructs the young pastor Timothy to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” (I Tim. 1:18-19) and to “continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed” (II Tim. 3:14) while enduring suffering … Continue reading
William’s accountant retired, so he met with the new accountant who would be his replacement. When William met with the new accountant, he brought his accounts. “So here are my receipts, and here are the new memberships in my organization … Continue reading
Shock Jock radio hosts have come and gone over the years. Their whole shtick is to be offensive and provocative in their discussions. The goal is to be shocking and outrageous to improve ratings by breaking taboos and focusing on … Continue reading
A spirit of universalism and toleration which is indifferent to doctrine suggests that the Lutheran church, while confessing the truth, need not condemn other church bodies or their various errant teachings. Such condemnations are deemed to be insensitive and … Continue reading