A Retake On John 15:1-8April 26, 2018by: Rev. Dean Kavouras John 15:1-8 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the ...

We know that liturgy is Scripture, but do we also realize that Scripture is liturgy. Sometimes Scripture is liturgy in that it is lectionary: God's narrative spoken in the presence of men. But sometimes it appears to be liturgical form as well. This is what I think we encounter in Sunday's epistle lesson 1 John 3:16-24. An indicator that we are reading actual liturgical fo...

Beloved in Christ, By means of this post I would like to inform you that your pastor has been nominated for the Office of President of the Ohio District. The election will take place in June at the District Convention. The Ohio District covers all LCMS congregations in Ohio, the northern part of Kentucky and WV. In the event that I am elected I will remain pastor of Chr...

BIOGRAPHY -REV. DEAN KAVOURAS Rev. Dean Kavouras, born June 1, 1950, graduated from Concordia Seminary St. Louis in 1978 with a Master of Divinity degree. He served parishes in Ohio and Wisconsin, and has been serving Christ Lutheran, Cleveland since 1999, first as Assistant Pastor, then as Pastor. Pastor Kavouras also serves as a chaplain for Cleveland's police, fir...

Lutheran pastors are not always mindful of who they are, or what their calling is. One way this is made evident is the way they dress. Some, it seems, take a certain pride in dressing like businessmen, golf pros, hikers, bikers or hobo's, rather than clergymen. But poor choice of outfit is more the symptom, than the problem. May the pastor remember who he is. He is Christ...

Christian art preaches the gospel, and teaches the faith, without a single word spoken. Here is a perfect example in a piece known as the Melismos. In it the incarnate Christ is pictured on the paten, so that worshipers might know for certain that it is Christ's own flesh and blood that they are receiving "in, with and under" the elements of bread and wine. ...

The Liturgical and Sacramental Nature of St. Paul's Epistles by: Rev. Dean Kavouras, PastorChrist Lutheran ChurchCleveland, Ohio to: Circuit PastorsMarch 27, 2018 Fellow Pastors: Thank you for your interest in my topic. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received is: Don't believe everything you think. With that caveat I am going to tell you what I think, and als...

The Sacrament (Mystery) of Christian Baptism by: St Cyprian Bishop of CarthageFrom a Letter written to a new convert, 246 A.D. Cyprian was born into a rich, pagan, family in Carthage sometime during the early third century. His original name was Thascius; he took the additional name Caecilius in memory of the priest to whom he owed his conversion. Before his conversion, h...

This article is written by Rev. Larry Peters, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Clarksville, TN The curse of practicality. . . In the modern world, the liturgy is often treated as a thing. It may be an important thing but it is still a thing, something to be done. It is handled the way you would a meal. It may be simple or it may be more elaborate but it is, und...

When we moved into our new sanctuary a year and a half ago we made some liturgical changes. Among them was a change in the words of distribution for Holy Communion. We changed from repeating the words of institution (which are said in the consecration) to the formula: the Body of Christ, the Blood of Christ, to which God's people answer "Amen" completing, as it were, the c...