Just to show that I haven’t completely forgotten about things in the realm of churchly politics (and that I haven’t totally ceded that arena to others like Frank! ;^) ), here’s a little tidbit that I came across recently that might be of some interest… One of the perennial ho...

MEMORANDUM To:                 The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod From:              Gerald B. Kieschnick, President Subject:          Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Document “Report and Recommendations on Ministry Policies” Date:      ...

The Holy Scriptures undeniably describe faith as the only thing necessary for salvation.  They also teach that good works cannot justify a person before God or contribute in the least toward the attainment of salvation.  The Old Testament says that Abram ‘believed the Lord, and He counted it...

The church is to be seen as the people of hope, experiencing hope in the God who is present in his promises. The coming kingdom gives the church a much broader vision of reality than a "merely" private vision of personal salvation. The church is to contest all the barriers that have been constructed...

So you want to be a rock and roll star Then listen now to what I say Just get an electric guitar Then take some time and learn how to play... And in a week or two If you make the charts The girls'll tear you apart (The Byrds)Option #2: Get yourself a Mission Church The Wish Dream for Lutheranism pro...

As I’ve written about before here and here, one of the great contributions of the Lutheran wing of the Reformation to Christian theology was the emphasis on vocation and the normalcy of the “ordinary” Christian life.  While Luther wrote on this quite a bit, the emphasis on the the...

Pfotenhauer , the fifth president of the Missouri Synod, also served as the District President of the Minnesota-Dakota District. During his term he encouraged pastors to not give up hope or to consider their labor in vain as they served on America's frontier. In North Dakota, I had the privilege of ...

The Commission on Worship of the LCMS has released a list of 100 "contemporary songs" that LCMS congregations can use for "contemporary worship" if they so desire. This list was created in response to the last Convention's resolution "[t]o Provide Guidance and Direction for Use of Diverse/Contempora...

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM Messiah Lutheran Church Kenosha, Wisconsin Epiphany 1 – (January 11, 2009) The Baptism of Our Lord Matthew 3:13-17 For an audio MP3 of this sermon, CLICK HERE TITLE: “The Least and the Most� Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our ...

Someone posted this as an "Open Letter" to "Blogging Pastors" I read a lot of Lutheran blog sites. I particularly enjoy reading the blogs of Lutheran pastors, like yours. You teach me a lot and I learn a lot, from all of you. I always welcome your fraternal admonishment and correction where you beli...