“Patrick’s Places” Published
In 2016, I wrote a brief biographical piece about Sir Patrick Hamilton, the first Lutheran martyr in Scotland. I had hoped to modernize…
Author: Pastor Jordan McKinley
Rev. Jordan McKinley is the pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Vallonia, IN. He’s a 2012 graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, and a 2006 graduate of Ball State University in Muncie, IN. He served his vicarage at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Pagosa Springs, CO, and served from June 2012 to August 2015 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bennett, IA, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stanwood, IA. He is the husband of one wife, Andrea, and the father of three (Naomi, Collin, and Theodore). Though he has a deep and abiding love of all things Star Trek, he will not likely be writing any theological treatises in Klingon.
Martin Chemnitz on the “Functions” of the Church’s Ministry
The frequent reappearance of questions surrounding the divinely instituted Office of the Holy Ministry are worth considering. They are intimately connected to the…
‘Something you need to watch’: Evolutionists in Seminary Classrooms
Dr. David Menton, a speaker, writer, and researcher at Answers in Genesis, spoke at the 2015 Issues, Etc., “Making the Case Conference” on…
Pentecost or Babel: A Plea for a Common Language in the Church
On a recent vacation, my family and I visited some of our pastor friends and their families in Michigan and Iowa. It was…
Star Trek at 50: An Aesop for Today?
Thursday, September 8th, 2016. To most, this day did not stand in distinction to any other day of 2016, a year filled with political, moral,…
The Death of a Pastor
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2). I have a cross in my…
Sir Patrick Hamilton, The First Lutheran Martyr in Scotland
Growing up, I had no idea that Lutheran was almost synonymous with German heritage (sorry, Preuses, et al.). The little country parish where…
Whose liturgy is it anyway?
I was reading in Rev. Eric Andersen’s article‘s comments section when I happened across a very enlightening comment from a BJS reader who…
The Secular Case for Church Discipline
There’s an old saying—“You’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Sometimes, Christians employ this adage when it comes to exercising church…
Mark and Avoid: Tarico Says God is “Rapey”
It’s that time of the year! Not just that time when pastors see some of their members finally darken the door of the…
Krampus: A Better Law/Gospel Paradigm Than Santa Claus
December 6th is the day the Church remembers and gives thanks to God for the life and confession of St. Nicholas, Bishop of…
Mark and Avoid: Sandlin Says Jesus Isn’t God
The absolute worst place to discuss anything is the comments section on a website. Best construction: threads get too long to read (thus…
The Eight-Letter, Four-Letter Word
When I was in seminary, I went to dinner with some family friends. The conversation eventually turned to what I was learning in…
The Most Neglected Part of the Small Catechism
As is my custom, I was wasting time on Facebook one day, and I came across a post from a friend that posed…