Let Us Not Be Beastly
Dear Readers, With a modestly successful string of slubberish and solecistic posts, scrawling for BJS since its start in 2008, it’s time for…
Author: Scott Diekmann
Scott is a lifelong LCMS layman. Some of his vocations include husband, dad, jet driver, runner, and collector of more books than he can read. Oh, and also chocolate lover. He’s been involved in apologetics for over a decade, is on the Board of Regents at Concordia Portland, and is a column writer for the sometimes operational Around the Word Journal. He’s also written for Higher Things Magazine, The Lutheran Clarion, and has been a guest on Issues Etc. as well as the KFUO program Concord Matters.
Are There Democrats in Heaven?
Maybe you’re a little like me and are longing for the day when the current “presidential” election is over. How low can we…
LCMS Convention Levity
Concentrating when you and your assigned seat have become one can be problematic. One more “Press ‘one’ for ‘yes,’ press ‘two’ for ‘no’…
LCMS Resolution 12-07A: Is This Dissent?
It didn’t take long for the quips to fly regarding the just-passed LCMS Convention Resolution 12-07A, “To Clarify Definition of Dissent.” This circularly…
The Dramatic Resuscitation of AC XIV
When I heard President Harrison state at the Emmaus Conference in 2011 that the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod was a confessional Lutheran church body…
Are You Voting for Luther or Eck?
Philip Melanchthon, author of the Augsburg Confession, sat in Augsburg in early May of 1530 pondering the details of his defense of the…
Closed Communion Across the Centuries – A Quick Look at Resolution 5-15
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Convention proposed Resolution 5-15, titled “To Address Questions re the Sacrament of the Altar,” addresses open Communion, infant Communion, and…
Vote Collar – A Top 15 List
The Top 15 Reasons Why I’m Voting for Matt Harrison for LCMS President 15. He’s evangelical and catholic. 14. He wears a…
Pick Your President, LCMS Style, Part 3
Continuing from our last post, these questions are a compilation of the most frequently asked questions addressed to the LCMS Presidential candidates on…
Pick Your President, LCMS Style, Part 2
Continuing from our last post, these questions are a compilation of the most frequently asked questions addressed to the LCMS Presidential candidates on…
Pick Your President, LCMS Style, Part 1
Editor’s Note: The LCMS Presidential Election is set for June 11-14, 2016 through an online voting system. If you were a delegate to…
Sleepless in Milwaukee
At 509 pages, the 2016 LCMS Regular Convention Workbook is rather hefty. If you’re a delegate and you don’t start studying this thing…
This is the Missouri Synod?
The following article was written by Rev. Dr. Kristian Kincaid, and was published in the April 2016 Lutheran Clarion, a publication of The Lutheran…
Worth Fighting About!
At one time in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Scripture’s teaching on Holy Communion was taken seriously, and Closed Communion was the order of…
Just the Gospel Please
Dear LCMS Pastors, I think I’m writing for the majority of laymen in the LCMS when I say thank you for bringing us…
Espamgelism
Here’s the short version: I received an email from a person I didn’t know, Alice Stone, asking whom she could contact to report…
Myth Busted!
One of my favorite shows, MythBusters, recently aired its last episode. Alas, no more urban legends busted and odd ideas ruled plausible or…
Encouragement for the Discouraged
Rust never sleeps – neither does Satan. Some of you are discouraged by what’s happening in your congregation, either by word or deed….
Exorcise Your DRP Demons at the LCA Conference
Over the last year, the twists and turns of Rev. Dr. Matthew Becker’s exoneration on false teaching charges followed by his eventual removal…
Help Fill the Bag
When missionaries are selected by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Synod doesn’t hand them a bag full of cash and send them out…
Taking the “Lay” Out of Ministry
We’ve all read church growth material which encourages you to share your faith while serving your neighbor through your various vocations. It’s a…
I Need a Drink!
I’m not a big fan of finding hidden Christian themes in every film or novel that makes its way into the public consciousness,…
A District President Responds: Doctrinal Supervision Revisited
On May 11 BJS reprinted an article published in The Lutheran Clarion titled “Doctrinal Supervision and the Becker Case” by Rev. Dr. Martin…
The Good Work of Faith
Quoting Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller: Here’s the thing that is amazing when a Lutheran starts to talk about good works, and the reason why…
Tell the World Why
The mall storefront in this photo testifies to the degradation of our society. Homosexuality is not OK. From a natural law perspective, no…