Our First Christmas Tree, by Martin Noland
Dedicated to my great-great-great-grandparents Heinrich Ludwig Hoelter and Maria Elsabein Bohning Did you know that the use of Christmas trees in American churches…
Dedicated to my great-great-great-grandparents Heinrich Ludwig Hoelter and Maria Elsabein Bohning Did you know that the use of Christmas trees in American churches…
When Martin Luther started the Reformation in 1517, what did he imagine that the church would look like when he was done? What…
The latest issue of the “Lutheran Clarion” is online and is worth reading and downloading for your files. Click here to obtain your…
LCMS synodical conventions have two essential matters of business: elections and resolutions. Both have to go well to have good fruit. If you…
Let’s start with full disclosure for all you skeptics and cynics. I am a graduate of Concordia Teacher’s College (predecessor to Concordia University-Chicago),…
“Lutherans Engage the World” is the latest “new media” to come out of the synodical office, and it shines on all fronts. Deaconess…
I was tempted to title this article, “What’s wrong with the LCMS, Inc.?” Then, as I thought about it for awhile, I realized…
As a church historian, I feel compelled to remind my fellow Christians in America of a dire threat to their religious freedom, which…
The Constitution of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has clearly and vigorously rejected syncretism, in principle and in practice, since it was adopted by…
Nothing is “wrong” with 99% of the congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod! That means one of out of a hundred might have…
by Martin R. Noland, July 7, 2012 Here is the question: “Can the powers of LCMS district Board of Directors be limited by…
The religious freedom rallies all around the country this past week have reminded us all, once again, how our country is divided between…
Forty years ago, in September 1972, the “sleeping giant” of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod “blew its volcanic top.” “Tremors, rumblings, and vents of…
Readers of this blog are, by now, familiar with the ongoing conflict between various churches and political factions over the U.S. Department of…
On February 16th, ten representatives of U.S. church-bodies and synagogues, including President Harrison of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, gave testimony in a hearing…
Text: Mark 1:40-45 [Sermon for Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, with commentary on the present abortion issue] When Christians look at the many…
When Lutherans face controversy or difficult decisions, they can turn to several resources. First in line are the Scriptures and Confessions. Second are…
One of the recurring themes in the recent discussions about the LC–MS “Specific Ministry Pastor” (hereafter SMP) program is the matter of a…
Because of comments and additional information received by email, the post has been completely revised. I did the best research I could on…
For at least twenty years I have been puzzled about the place, or function, of ecclesiastical law (i.e., synodical constitution and bylaws) in…
By Martin R. Noland, December 20, 2011 The recent history of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, i.e., the internal ecclesial conflicts of the 1960s…
(LCA just released the January 2012 issue of the Lutheran Clarion. We are pleased to post articles on the BJS website from one…
Sermon based on the text: Matthew 10:34-42 [2nd Sunday after Pentecost] for June 26, 2011: In our Gospel lesson this morning, Jesus talks…
I have being wondering what the LCMS moderates have been thinking since the election of President Matthew Harrison and his fellow conservatives in…
(LCA just released the May issue of the Lutheran Clarion. We are pleased to post articles on the BJS website from one of…