St. Augustine is one of the greatest teachers the church ever had. In his book The City Of God he says this about the duration of wars: "Thus also the durations of wars are determined by Him as He may see meet, according to His righteous will, and pleasure, and mercy, to afflict or to console the human race, so that they are sometimes of longer, sometimes of shorter durat...

Yesterday Christ Lutheran Church did not celebrate "Coronavirus Sunday," but "The Third Sunday in Lent" We did speak on the subject both before and after Divine Service. There were also references in the sermon, but current events never set the agenda for the church. God be praised that yesterday we had an attendance of 29 at worship. Normally we see about 30 to 40 on a g...

Brothers: It appears that a crisis rapidly coming our way and may already be here. I think we do well to know what to expect, and to plan for our response as pastors. Beyond the obvious items of disinfecting and so on, there are others to consider: Some people are already suggesting the suspension the Eucharist, and even of worship itself until the crisis is over. How w...

March 11, 2020Christ Lutheran Church A Pastoral Letter Regarding Coronavirus Grace mercy and peace to you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen! Beloved Children in Christ: It is the Lutheran faith that God, "defends us from all danger, and guards and protects us from all evil." (Small Catechism 1st Art.) In the Lutheran Litany (LSB p. 288) we pray ...

In this brief post I call your attention to what Lutheran had to say in his preface to the Small Catechism. I fear that in America we have returned to worse than Luther's day. People (even many Christians and more than a few Lutherans) are wholly ignorant of the most basic Christian doctrines, prayers, commandments and so on. This is why no matter how far we advance in t...

"To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." (Jude 1:1-2) Teaching on Christian giving must always be reviewed and renewed. Like all other things we forget; and so hear the word of the Lord. The first thing that we should learn today is that Christian giving is an act of Christian worship...

O God, you see that of ourselves we have no strength. By your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul....

What is Scripture? Until we answer that question we will not properly understand it's message. I submit this simple proposition: The Bible is not a text book, but a worship book. For the last 300 years Scripture has been treated as if it were a text book that can only be comprehended only by historical and literary dissection and analysis. But Scripture is not a text b...

When a person has believed in Christ he has made a huge leap of faith! He has broken the iron fetters of mere earthly and human powers. Those who have not so believed are still bound by the strictest of limitations. And so Scripture says, "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.(presum...

In the famous hymn "A Mighty Fortress" that Lutherans love so dearly Luther writes this of the devil: "The old evil foe, now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might; are his dread arms in fight. On earth is not his equal." This picture shows in art what Luther pens in song. Namely that ourfirst parents, with all the marvelous powers that their Creator bestowed up...