Disclaimer: This article is not against the practice of early communion, as it still can reflect faithful instruction, examination, and pastoral care. I have recently been looking into communion practices. I have written a lot of things in the past … Continue reading
Young and old, it is becoming common. Even on my Concordia Plan “Be Well, Serve Well” survey (courtesy of CareAllies) it talks about my “spouse/partner”. The culture is all about giving things a test drive, a test run of the … Continue reading
I presented the following for the congregation I serve during their annual Planning Council. I think it could be useful for discussion. Life Together – Authority and Responsibilities One of the keys in our Life Together as a congregation … Continue reading
No, seriously, it was a family vacation of sorts. Highlights: visiting friends in Nebraska and commiserating about parsonages, including the care congregations can show their shepherd the joy and reminder of preaching at an ordination and watching congregations eagerly receive … Continue reading
This question came to mind because I was recently driving around Cheyenne and noticed a “New Testament Christian Church”. Simple question, hopefully will result in some comments and conversation. I contend that by current standards (get out there and GO … Continue reading
Just last weekend numerous congregations in the LCMS used the prayers released by our Synod for the Prayer of the Church. This is nice service that Synod provides to pastors and congregations and there is some great meaning behind a … Continue reading
From this article on Foxnews it seems Campus Crusade for Christ is changing its name. http://www.foxnews.com It appears like Campus Crusade for Christ has gone down that road of accommodating even their name for those who are hindered by it. … Continue reading
A good friend emailed me this link today (thanks Fitz): http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=1362 It seems like the prediction of change for our military chaplains is coming true. I thank God that our chaplains can hopefully conduct themselves with less burden upon their … Continue reading
I was alerted to this article just this evening from the Chicago Tribune. See it here. Here is what our continued experience with the “cooperation in externals” has gotten us: After the article makes sure to note that LCFS is … Continue reading
I recently read the Reporter article about continued LCMS-ELCA talks (see it here.) This post is a continued discussion based upon my previous posting at BJS entitled “Is it Cooperation in Externals..” Some good things about the article: Our chaplains … Continue reading
Today (at least out here in the Mountain Time Zone) it is still June 25th, the 481st anniversary of the Augsburg Confession. Some thoughts on Augsburg: (please add your own) It is a testament to God using all people to … Continue reading
Ok, it’s just a play on words, the good folks at Redeemer are not going off the deep end into the error-laden world of church growth – they are focused on God’s created way for growth within the church (being … Continue reading
[poll id=”5″] I heard on my local talk radio tonight that Michelle Bachmann will be running for President this time around. Sarah Palin will also probably throw her head-covering in the ring as well. Bachmann was at one point an … Continue reading
In my recent post about Rev. Curtis’ papers bringing election into the evangelism discussion there were many lively comments. I also noticed in Rev. Rossow’s recent post that some accusations were being thrown around that his congregation wasn’t doing enough … Continue reading
I just finished re-reading one of my favorite papers on liturgy and indifferent matters written by our now Synod President. It can be found here: https://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=6532 What is striking about this paper is that it points out how we have … Continue reading
Many times at conferences and conventions certain congregations and pastors are paraded forward as fine examples for the rest of us to emulate. I remember such a presentation at the 2010 Synod Convention. I have heard other pastors remark about … Continue reading
Rev. Heath Curtis has rendered a great service to the Church. He has published his papers and audio recordings from his presentation to a pastor’s conference in Indiana. Here is the link to his Gottesdienst Online post: http://gottesdienstonline.blogspot.com/2011/05/freed-from-shopkeepers-prison-in.html I … Continue reading
I stumbled across this story on the ELCA and how the great turbulence after the 2009 Assembly has largely disappeared. Here is the link to the article in the Great Falls, MT newspaper: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011105080301 What saddened me most is a … Continue reading
Update: A fellow pastor helped raise attention to the original article on some points that I needed to make more clear – thanks to that brother. We Lutherans are really good at understanding Jesus’ clear words concerning His body and … Continue reading
Recently, there has been a lot of posts about the campus ministry situation in Minneapolis. If you look at all of the various posts here on BJS you will find a number of “testimonials” of former members of ULC and … Continue reading
Over the past years of my personal study of the Lutheran Confessions, I have noticed something that I think I have often experienced pastors overlooking and also myself overlooked as a pastor, more specifically as a preacher. It is overwhelming … Continue reading
One of the first postings I wrote on BJS had to do with the ongoing pulpit shortage in the LCMS (other Lutherans are suffering from it as well). It seems like this year’s seminary placement will reflect the same problem … Continue reading
Many erring church bodies accept the idea of believer’s baptism on the premise that there is a certain amount of innocence in children until they reach a certain age (usually around 8). In the Scriptures, you can find no such … Continue reading
Whenever a new pastor arrives at a parish, there is built-in change that just comes with the change in man. Then there are the changes that happen because the man doesn’t know all of the traditions of the congregation that … Continue reading
A friend of mine in the ELS let me know a few weeks ago about a conference which deserves attention. It is called the Emmaus Conference. On May 5-6th this year in Tacoma, Washington the Presidents of the three … Continue reading