No-Name Evangelistic Association: How Faith Comes to Grandchildren
How did the Christian faith come from my grandparents to my grandchildren? It came by mission, but not by missionalism. If this mission…
Category: Steadfast in the Pew
The Blessed Begats
In Junior Confirmation, we read through the Old Testament. We didn’t get very far before I was having trouble. In Genesis 5, we…
Take me to Church.
I work every other Sunday, it’s one of the few things I dislike about my job. Back when I started 13 years ago…
The Silver Spoon Jesus Left in a Drawer
Before 1700, common folk had wooden spoons. Well off people had silver. The saying, “He was born with a silver spoon in his…
Anything but Dull – Convention Report – 2015 Montana District LCMS – Part 2
This is Part 2 of a report on the 2015 Montana District LCMS convention. This part reports on Resolution 5-04, “To Call Upon…
Anything but Dull – Convention Report – 2015 Montana District LCMS – Part 1
This is Part 1 of a report on the 2015 Montana District LCMS convention. Part 2 will report on Resolution 5-04 “To Call…
Bishop Tyranny and Heresy (Part 2)
In part 1, we saw how a congregation of my friends suffered the tyranny of a bishop concerning their pastoral vacancy, and the…
Bishop Tyranny and Heresy (Part 1)
Some friends in a Lutheran congregation of a different synod from mine have been in a long pastoral vacancy. The bishop expressly refused…
A Bereaved Farewell to the Boy Scouts of America
This year I turned 62. As we age, we learn more about bereavement. My latest bereavement is the Boy Scouts of America. The…
Charm, Politics, Waiting Games, and the Vanishing Gospel
[NOTE: This article was written before the recent announcement by Dr. Mathew L. Becker that his ecclesiastical supervisor, the District President of the…
The Saddest Face I Ever Attempted to Paint
Artist Francis B. Carpenter said Abraham Lincoln had “the saddest face I ever attempted to paint.” His law partner said Lincoln’s “melancholy dripped…
The Sins in Our Life Go Round and Round.
We’ve all got them. I like to call them conscience-killing or faith-destroying sins — those sins you just can’t seem to shake, sins…
FiveTwo: Movements and Gifts
One of the problems with FiveTwo is that it is a movement. The thing about movements is that they move (or at least…
FiveTwo’s Wordless, Bloodless, and Christless Theory of Sacrament
FiveTwo recently published an article by Jim Marriot titled, “The Sacramental Nature of Music.” At the outset he claims: “I believe music has…
Which Part of “From the Devil” don’t you understand?
“Therefore we ought and must constantly maintain this point, that God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken…
Dr. Becker’s Ever Shrinking Word of God (Part 3)
Associate editor’s note: In the part 1, we saw Dr. Becker pit Jesus against Scripture and his dismissal of certain biblical books (Hebrews,…
Dr. Becker’s Ever Shrinking Word of God (Part 2)
Associate editor’s note: In the part 1, we saw Dr. Becker pit Jesus against Scripture and his dismissal of certain biblical books (Hebrews,…
Dr. Becker’s Ever Shrinking Word of God
Dr. Matthew L. Becker[1] is known for teaching publicly that qualified women should be ordained as pastors.[2] Many wonder how he can reach…
I don’t enjoy coffee with my pastor — the honest frustrations of a layman
I take that back, I really do enjoy a cup of coffee with my pastor. As long as our conversation stays within the…
The LCMS – The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of Lutheranism.
After attending my first district convention as a member of the LCMS I confess myself disappointed. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much….
Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition
In the movie, Saving Private Ryan, Private Reiben asks, “Where’s the sense of riskin’ the lives of the eight of us to save…
The Liturgy – Putting the “L” in Lutheran.
There are a number of things I remember about the ELCA church I was a member of during my childhood. Some memories are…
That Can’t Be Here. It’s in Chicago.
Marilyn and I were walking in Nice, Provence. While passing a gallery, something on a wall inside caught me. I stopped, stepped back,…
“Speaking of Life” – Homily for the Resurrection of Our Lord
“Speaking of Life” Mark 16:1-8 Other Holy Week sermons from Pastor Asburry: Palm/Passion Sunday Good Friday Maundy Thursday P: Christ is risen!…
“What Great Love!” – Homily for Good Friday
“What Great Love!” John 18-19 When we began the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, we prayed: “Almighty and everlasting God, You hate…