Mollie here. So I was reading my copy of the Reporter tonight and see that the quarterly newsletter from the LCMS Board of Directors is included in the July issue. A copy of the 2008/2009 Mission and Ministry Operating Budget … Continue reading
(from Mollie) Today we commemmorate Johann Sebastian Bach, the most wonderful composer of all time. Or, as the Aardvark put it last year: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is acknowledged as one of the most famous and gifted of all composers … Continue reading
(From Pr. Preus) 10. Overseas missionary. Really bad job security. 9. Any one whose sole job is working for Fan into Flame. “How do you explain that two year gap in your resume during the years 2007-2009?” 8. Executive director … Continue reading
(from Pastor Rossow) Because the relationship between BJS and Issues, Etc. is informal, based on mutual benefit, (BJS does not manage Issues and Issues does not manage BJS but each benefits from mutual support) questions often arise about the nature … Continue reading
(from Pr. Rossow) Before I get to my day in Texas, I suggest you take a gander at a new blog site. A friend of BJS, Cantor Phil Magness is live blogging from the LCMS worship conference in Seward, Nebraska. … Continue reading
(Something LCMS Inc. doesn’t want you to know!) A short story: We were sitting in a district meeting with a mission executive from Synod. (Sounds boring already? It was. But stick with me.) The mission exec. was scolding the … Continue reading
(from the Texas Confessional Lutherans) Most of you, if not all of you, will be shocked how the offering dollar is used! The following information has been relayed to me from the Purple Palace in St. Louis. FROM THE … Continue reading
(from Mollie) I can’t remember how large the six-figure salaries are that the bureaucrats in St. Louis make each year. Some certainly are worth more than others in terms of how much they help the church at large. Either way, … Continue reading
(from Mollie) Richard John Neuhaus in First Things: A priest on Long Island tells me that, when he was newly ordained, he had the chance to visit with the legendary Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who was famed for, among other … Continue reading
(from Pr. Preus) The Synod brought James May home and our church’s presence on West Africa has been virtually lost. We have withdrawn most of our international Word and Sacrament missionaries over the last few years simply because we can’t … Continue reading
Some of our comments are so good I have to make sure you all get a chance to read them. This one comes from Gayle in response to the “Bred Lutheran” column. “I, too, am bred Lutheran and in some … Continue reading
A couple of times a month we will be posting new cartoons from Pastor Blazek. He is a brilliant satirist and excellent draftsman. We encourage you to not only get a snicker or two from his work but spend time … Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This is a new column that will introduce to us those who were not born Lutheran but have been bred so in the rich Gospel soil of such gifts as Issues, Etc. Look for a new post in … Continue reading
(from Pr. Preus) In a recent blog I made a comment about the use of projection screens during services which solicited no small amount of response. In a private conversation, one of the pastors in my district made the same … Continue reading
Check out this AP story: A man says he was so consumed by the spirit of God that he fell and hit his head while worshipping. Now he wants Lakewind Church to pay $2.5 million for medical bills, lost income, … Continue reading
Mollie here. Among the books I’m planning to read in the next month is one recently published by a Lutheran friend in the DC area. A Love for Life: Christianity’s Consistent Protection of the Unborn reviews the strong pro-life witness … Continue reading
Mollie here. This really has nothing to do with Lutheranism, but it’s so universally awesome that I had to post a link. Apparently a group near St. Louis hosts an annual Tour de Donuts: For every donut eaten, five minutes … Continue reading
(from Pr. Rossow) Our first chapter start-up kits went out less than a month ago and already we have chapters formed in New York, Florida, Illinois, and Kansas. The chapter is really the key to the long term effectiveness of … Continue reading
(from Pr. Preus) I believe that I have studied more theology and learned more during the last seven years than at any other time in my life except while at the seminary. And I am better for it. Let me … Continue reading
When I was a young man, I served in the U.S. Navy. During my service, I made three tours to Vietnam. On one of those tours, I served in the air wing of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bennington. She was … Continue reading
(from Pastor Rossow) I need your help. On July 24 I will be addressing the monthly meeting of the Texas Confessional Lutherans. One of the lesser goals of this website is to help bring confessional Lutherans from all different stripes … Continue reading
(from Pr. Preus) I was listening to Pearl Jam today and it got me to thinking. Pearl Jam is a grunge rock and roll group from Seattle which was very popular about a decade ago and still enjoys some following. … Continue reading
Mollie here. For those of you putting together your bulletins for this coming Sunday, please include this announcement: LUTHERAN TALK RADIO. You can listen to Issues, Etc. on-demand at www.issuesetc.org. Issues, Etc. is hosted by LCMS Pastor Todd Wilken and … Continue reading
(from Rev. Mark Hein) When I was first approached to write a column for this website, I was more than just a little hesitant. With a busy ministry, I wasn’t sure if anything more would fit on my plate. That … Continue reading