At this time, based on my studies and thinking, I am ready to say that Scripture has no independent life apart from liturgy. That is, apart from the liturgizing of God. (The fact that liturgy is comprised of Scripture, though true, is not my point here.) But I say this in contradistinction to the notion that I learned and have worked with for over 40 years, namely that Sc...

To realize this is to hear Scripture differently than we do. The Lord's infancy narrative, for example, is not simply the story of Baby Jesus in Bethlehem but the solemn invitation for all men Jew and Gentile, King and Shepherd alike, to worship him at the manger of the altar in the Bethlehem of the church. The infancy narrative ceases, then, to be simply a story and becom...

The following is based on the epistle lesson for Pentecost 2 (Series C) which is quoted below....

It is traditional in Lutheran parishes to confess the Athanasian Creed on Trinity Sunday, which is June 16th this year. Here is said Creed with an introduction to it in preparation for Sunday. INTRO: Early in the fourth century, a new teaching appeared which claimed that Jesus was not true God.Arius, the north African priest who first proposed this theory, was extremely p...

It is my contention that Christians don't know what Scripture is, and consequently don't know how to read it or employ it. Scripture is not simply to be read for information, or systemitized into dogmatic propositions. Nor is it anyone's personal devotion book. But it is the church's book to be prayed by the church in the church. It is worship. It does not only contain lit...

Time is precious, expendable, and non-renewable.In this world one can always get more money, power or prestige by working harder and smarter. But, as Jesus says, no one can add a moment to the span of his life.Time, because of sin, is a curse. When one's time has run out it is out! It is non-renewable. Whatever else one might have hoped to be or do or have is over! Now en...

"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 tend to 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...

Most Lutheran pastors and parishes (LCMS) still place a high value on orthodoxy. But what is orthodoxy, and how is it determined? For Lutherans orthodoxy is determined by doctrine. If Scriptural doctrine is rightly formulated, confessed, and taught then a church is orthodox. These of course are all good things, but there is a problem. Orthodoxy means "right worship", but...

It has been said that "Scripture may be more than literature, but it is not less than literature." This is a logical fallacy, a case of "ignoratio elenchi" (appeal to ignorance). It is the informal fallacy of presenting an argument that may in itself be valid, but does not address the issue in question. The logical conclusion of said assertion is that Scripture is literat...

(John 16:26 "In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say toyou that I will ask the Father on your behalf, 27 for the Fatherhimself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that Icame from God. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world,and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father."} I read Sunday's gospel through expressly nup...