Background:Much of St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians leads me to believe that it is not merely an abstract epistle, but that it has all the marks of a homily for those who are about to be baptized, and anointed (chrismated or confirmed) with the Holy Spirit. For this seems to be the church's earliest practice, that candidates were baptized, and upon emerging from the font...

This article nicely highlights the things Lutherans are in the midst of recovering, and so I commend it to you. There is one little gliltch in the last paragraph, however. Our worship is not a return to Eden and its tree of life. Rather those looked foward to the Cross and the Supper which do not look backward, butlook forwardinsteadto the New Heaven; where we will eat fro...

The Psalms have been an essential part of Christian worship from its inception. Today we find only traces of such usage in the Introit and Gradual. But in earlier times multiple Psalms were sung aloud to prepare God's people to rightly hear the reading of the Holy Scriptures. But why? What is the logic? According to St. Augustine, "in them the Lord Jesus Christ himself sp...

The Formula of Concord is one of our official Lutheran Confessions of Faith. Today someone reminded me of this beautiful passage, found in Article 7, concerning the consecration of the elements in Holy Communion. In it the 16th Century Reformers hearken back to St. John Chrysostom (born ca. 347 AD), one of the church's greatest theologians ever. May this beautiful theologi...

By now you are probably familiar with my remonstrations that Lutherans need to learn how to read / hear Scripture. That we must rid ourselves of the Fundamentalist,a-ecclesiastical, a-sacramental, a-liturgical reading / hearing of it. Should we be so blessed as to accomplish this high goal I think that many of our ecclesiastical ills might also dissolve. In preparation for...

As often as we hear the term "servant" in Scripture such as:Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins ... Psalm 19:13James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, James 1:1 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 In such verses Servant = Worshiper. So that whe...

This article by the Rev. Doctor John Pless is a good refresher on the confessing of our sins, and receiving of absolution. Officially private confession and absolution is a sacrament of the Lutheran church. But you would never know it by how rarely it is offered and practiced. But it's never too late to hope for a revival. To that end I hope you will read this article, an...

The landscape of the Christian religion in America in 2017 -- the good, the bad and the ugly....

What about the Blessed Virgin Mary? Why ask? For two reasons. Firstly, because there is a breed of activist Roman Catholic (RC) that delights in imposing its Marian faith on others; and scorning all who don't agree with a triumphalism that is unbecoming. Secondly,because Lutherans need to re-think the importance of the Blessed Virgin. Indeed, all generations must call h...

On Trinity Sunday many Lutheran churches confess their faith in the language of the Athanasian Creed as it is found on page 53 of TLH. The Athanasian Creed was named after St. Athanasius one of the church's most important teachers; and defenders of the Trinitarian faith. The Athanasian Creed is an official confession of the Lutheran Church. This Creed was established over...