Administering the Sacraments According to His Institution
We install officers on New Year’s Day in my congregation. It only makes sense. Congregational officers serve terms based on calendar year, so…
Author: Pastor Ryan Loeslie
Rev. Ryan Loeslie is pastor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Dimock, South Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and Concordia Theological Seminary - Fort Wayne, having also studied at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Oberursel, Germany. From 2009 to 2017, he served as pastor of the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Merna, Nebraska.
He enjoys his family, rural ministry, the Psalms, catechesis, Lutheran hymnody, and South Dakota pheasants. He and his wife Valerie live in Immanuel's beautiful country parsonage and are blessed to be raising four children.
War and Pestilence: The Missouri Synod in the Year 1918
The year 1918 was tumultuous in the Missouri Synod. It was the year of the climax and conclusion of World War I, where…
Worshiping Without Needless Disturbance
During my years in the parish I have spent much effort to teach my board of elders their duties. Of all congregational offices,…
Indications of a Healthy and Strong Lutheran Congregational Life, Part 4 of 4
This series of articles was included in successive issues of “Der Lutheraner” in the year 1884, under the title “Welches sind die vornehmsten…
Indications of a Healthy and Strong Lutheran Congregational Life, Part 3 of 4
This series of articles was included in successive issues of “Der Lutheraner” in the year 1884, under the title “Welches sind die vornehmsten…
Indications of a Healthy and Strong Lutheran Congregational Life, Part 2 of 4
This series of articles was included in successive issues of “Der Lutheraner” in the year 1884, under the title “Welches sind die vornehmsten…
Indications of a Healthy and Strong Lutheran Congregational Life, Part 1 of 4
This series of articles was included in successive issues of “Der Lutheraner” in the year 1884, under the title “Welches sind die vornehmsten…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 7 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The author…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 6 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The author…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 5 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The author…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 4 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The author…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 3 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The author…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 2 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The author…
Singing the Introit
Last Sunday we celebrated the Fifth Sunday of Easter, which is also known as Cantate Sunday. Cantate is a Latin imperative imploring us…
Biblical Pictures of Culture, Part 1 of 7
This 7-part series originally ran under the German title “Einige biblische Culturbilder” in Der Lutheraner from August 2 to October 25, 1904. The…
Preserving Walther’s Hymnal
When I was a second year seminarian in the spring of 2006, my friend and fellow seminarian Mark Preus gave me one of…
Why I Also Go To Church When It’s Raining
The following mini-article was included in the September 10, 1907 issue of Der Lutheraner under the title Warum ich auch bei Regenwetter in die…
An Easter Monday Conversation Between Mr. Z. And His Pastor
The following dialogue translation is from the August 16, 1904 issue of Der Lutheraner, the Missouri Synod’s German language predecessor to the Lutheran…
Old Truths About Marriage
The following translation was the lead article for the January 25, 1910 issue of Der Lutheraner, the Missouri Synod’s German predecessor to the…
Highlighting The Table Of Duties
One great improvement which came with Lutheran Service Book was the inclusion of the Table of Duties from Luther’s Small Catechism, which you…
5 Hymns Of Martin Luther Which Every Lutheran Should Know
As we follow the liturgical calendar Sunday to Sunday, every Sunday is a new celebration. Christmas and Easter may be our highest celebrations…
A Conversation Between Heinrich And Wilhelm About Christian Burial
The following dialogue was the lead article for the May 9, 1905 issue of Der Lutheraner (The Lutheran), which was the German predecessor…
Concerning Congregational and Choral Song
Below is a translated excerpt from August F.C. Vilmar’s “Textbook of Pastoral Theology” (Lehrbuch der Pastoraltheologie) from 1872. Vilmar was an influential figure…
The Magi, Their Treasure, and Church Hopping
This past Sunday our churches observed the Epiphany of Our Lord. Epiphany has a fixed calendar date of January 6. As I would…
“Was” Versus “Is” in Catechesis
Having been to a good number of circuit meetings and pastors conferences in my ministry by now, I often hear pastors make a…