The Evangelical Kyrie
The character of Lutheran worship is a rich tapestry of traits. It is like the catechism: it can be learned by a child,…
Author: T. R. Halvorson
T. R. Halvorson was born in Sidney, Montana on July 14, 1953, baptized at Pella Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sidney, Montana on November 8, 1953, and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Williston, North Dakota in 1968. He and his wife, Marilyn, are members of Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Sidney, Montana. They have three sons and six grandchildren. T. R. farms at Wildrose, North Dakota, and is Deputy County Attorney in Sidney, Montana. He has been a computer programmer; and an author, conference speaker, instructor, and consultant to industry in online legal information. He is among the authors of the religion column in the Sidney Herald at Sidney, Montana. He is the Editor of LutheranCatechism.com.
What was I thinking when reciting the Creed?
A mindless repetition. That is what critics of creeds say about reciting the Creed. Opponents of liturgy call it a vain repetition. Of…
The Second Petition and the Sacrament in Leviticus
Leviticus was used widely in the early church and later to preach the Gospel. The modern church generally ignores Leviticus.[1] Leviticus is a…
Book Review: Thank, Praise, Serve, and Obey by William Weedon
Jesus lived a perfect human life. We know that. But it is easy to miss some of his practices. It might sound strange,…
The Holy Spirit is Coaxing Me to Trust
Every now and then, when there is an issue or concern in my life, the Holy Spirit uses the Word in its variety…
“Their Lord needs them” — Advent 1 Sermon by Pr Ryan D. Wendt
“Their Lord need them” Matthew 21:1-9 First Sunday in Advent 2017 Pr Ryan D. Wendt Christ the King Lutheran Church, Billings, Montana (Hear…
Freeing the Catechism in English !!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England. These loving people are giving away “the layman’s little Bible”—Luther’s…
The Cross of Christ Is the Burnt Out Ground, Safe from Fire
Drought and fires this year recall memories of prairie fires in homesteading days. In high winds, fires moved rapidly, burning grass, crops, livestock,…
I Would Not Give This Book To My Granddaughters
A new book this year for women by Cindy Koch is titled Woman: The Forgotten Story, published by NRP Books, an imprint of…
Prioritize this Book: Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
My to-read-soon stack of books is an embarrassment of riches. So many great Christian books already bought, paid for, and waiting to be…
Who Goes with You into Surgery?
One of my vain ideas was to reach 60 without being an inpatient of a hospital. Didn’t work. Two Januaries in a row,…
Two Lutheran Elephants: Negligent House Pastors and Divorce
The decline in membership of Lutheran churches in America is a like a migraine headache. It is always there. We keep explaining it…
Relevant Worship: The Story of Your Life
In the worship wars, one of the alleged reasons for abandoning the historic liturgy is to make worship relevant. We want application of…
Free Book about Loss of the Gospel in The Shack
A new book offers a new kind of critique of the novel and movie, The Shack. My articles here on Brothers of John the Steadfast…
The Shack – A Journey from Pain to Truth to Error – Part 4: A Lutheran Critique
Editor’s Note: To understand what is meant by “Trinitarian Theology” in this post, please see Part 2. Having traced the journey of Wm. Paul…
“Say It!” Says the Little Girl — by Pastor Ryan Loeslie
Note: The following is a guest article by Rev. Ryan Loeslie, Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Merna, Nebraska. Most Lutherans who went through junior high…
The Shack – A Journey from Pain to Truth to Error – Part 3: Truth to Error
In Part 1 of this series of articles we saw that The Shack and its theology arise from two pressures experienced by its…
The Shack: A Journey from Pain to Truth to Error – Part 2: Pain to Truth
In Part 1 of this series of articles, we saw that The Shack and its theology arise from two pressures: Pain, loss, and…
The Shack: A Journey from Pain to Truth to Error – Part 1: Pain
The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity[1] is a presentation of Trinitarian Theology and perichoresis[2] in the form of story, novel, and dialogue. This…
The Shack — It’s a Novel, but Not Just a Novel
The novel, The Shack, is coming out as a movie. So it is time again for Christians to have discernment about this…
The Cracked Foundation of Forde’s Radical Lutheranism
Gerhard Forde says, “Sanctification, if it is to be spoken of as something other than justification, is perhaps best defined as the art…
Commemorate Luther as Catechist
This year marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. Historians mark the beginning of the Reformation from Luther’s publication of them….
Threatened with Loss of the Word
Holly Marie Scheer recently wrote an article titled, “Why ‘Mary Did You Know’ Is The Most Biblically Illiterate Christmas Tune.” The digest at…
Conversion: Trusting God’s Word for Your Regeneration and Resurrection
We must trust Christ to raise us from death to life. We must trust him for this twice: regarding our resurrection, and regarding…
Conversion: To See Decisions Dead People Make, Visit the Cemetery
My Dad liked Billy Graham. When Graham’s crusades were televised, Dad watched. Graham had a gift of oratory. He preached God’s Law. He…