
When I was a kid there was a fascinating object that I found on my Grandmother Gieseking’s dressing table. It was an atomizer. The little…
As promised last month, we continue into the next Article: Article XIII: Of the Use of the Sacraments. 1] Of the Use of the Sacraments they teach…
Last month we took a brief excursion into Article XII – Of Repentance. I promised to expand on that a bit this month and so…

As I write this many are wondering just what will be the outcome of this year’s General Election? Me too! There are many pieces of…
Article XII – Of Repentance – (Our churches) teach that for those who have fallen after Baptism there is remission of sins whenever they are…

Last month was a bit of a strange one for me. I made three trips to Arizona for family reasons. One was because Mom and…
For the last two months we’ve been looking at our teaching about the Lord’s Supper. I hope that you will read the article suggested last…

These days there seem to be a lot of voices calling us to stretch out, break the norm, live out some phenomenally bigger-than-life great purpose;…
Last month we moved deeper into the Sacraments by looking at the Sacrament of the Altar in Article X. This month we’ll continue, but will…

Last month’s list of what flows from Christ’s forgiveness and absolution included the freedom to reconcile with our brothers and sisters. We confess our sins…

Martin Luther is most famous for his 95 Theses that were published on October 31, 1517, and which are seen as the start of the…

Last month we dipped our toes into the Sacraments by looking very briefly at Baptism in Article IX. This month, as promised, we are looking…
Way back in March we opened a “can of worms” as we considered the nature and essence of The Church. This month we’ll finish Article…

It’ll come as no surprise to any of you that your pastor is concerned that your faith will grow. Regularly. Constantly. In a good direction.…

As the pandemic unfolds in the world around us, the reactions we hear and ways forward that we are asked pursue can all be mighty…

Way back in March we took up the nature and essence of The Church. We continue answering the important question posed then: “What do you…

Well. This season of Lent has been quite a bit different than any that most of us have experienced. The most recent situation that begins…

Last month we opened a bit of a “can of worms” as we considered the nature and essence of The Church. As promised, we’re going…

So far in our walk through the Augsburg Confession we have been dealing primarily with understanding the human condition with respect to God, and what…

Back in the second quarter of 2013 I first came into Christ Lutheran Church to interview with the Church Council. I’m not sure whether the…

I think that it’s a good time of the year to “withdraw” a little. As I’m writing this there sits on my desk waiting for…

Another recap if you please, to keep us mindful of what’s gone on so far in the Augsburg Confession: I. God II. Original Sin III.…

January comes as a wonder for me every year. Yes, early this month the Christmas decorations will come down, and the dark of winter tries…

Let’s recap here for just a minute. Here are the first four Articles in the Augsburg Confession: I. God II. Original Sin III. The Son…

Last month we talked about how the groundwork was being laid for the Article “on which the Church stands or falls” – i.e., the teaching…

We’re entering the Holiday season – the time of Advent and Christmas. We might think that this is an odd time to have a celebration.…

So far we’ve skated over the surface of the first two Articles of the Augburg Confession – and we will continue to skate into and…

The Church Year calendar is winding down quickly! Later this month (on the 17th) we will have our congregational Thanksgiving Dinner, and on the 28th…

Pastor’s Corner One hundred fifty years. That’s a long time. Well, it is for us in this part of the world anyway. From what I…

Article II: Original Sin This is a complicate one. When the opponents of the Augsburg Confession responded to what was laid out, they denied a…

“On Saturday, June 25, 1530, at three o’clock in the afternoon, Dr. Christian Beyer stood, walked toward the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Charles…

In July’s “Corner” I promised to continue a little discussion of Rich Melheim’s work. You may recall that he was the keynote or maybe more…

In July I promised to begin our time in the Book of Concord with the Augsburg Confession. Before digging into the actual text and looking…

Where has the summer gone? The summer runs away quickly. There’s never quite enough time to take care of what needs to be done. From…

I’ve been placing this “Being Lutheran” series of articles in front of you for nearly a year now. These might get a little thick from…
Synod Assemblies are always interesting events! This year Dusty and Joni Booth served us all as voting members of the assembly representing Christ/Upper Fall River…

There’s a lot of talk these days about spirituality. Go look at the “spirituality” section at the local bookstore (but be careful what you buy).…

One of the most important things I’ve learned so far in my time among you all has been the importance of family. Here we are…

If you have not heard or seen any news items about the recent fire at the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, you almost have to…

During the season of Lent, and now during the season of Easter, we’ve been confessing the Nicene Creed each Sunday morning. During other parts of…

Back in the days prior to the Reformation, the church taught that some humans were in an essentially higher state of existence than others –…

The first day of spring was officially on March 20 this year. So here we are in the middle of this yearly explosion of growth,…

I don’t remember where I read it, but at some place in my ramblings I’ve encountered the claim that one way of showing people Christ…

The trip to Arizona over the weekend of the 10th was really good. Mom is in good health, Dad’s widow continues to be sharp though…

We will be celebrating the 150th Anniversary of our congregation’s founding this year. The official date is in October – and comes from the history…

As Lutherans we are occasionally “dissed” for some of our worship practices. One of the most frequent of these accusations pertains to how often we…

Lutherans have a long and beautiful history of confessing. In one sense it’s about the confessing to “crimes” or sins that we do. This happens…

Linger with me just a little longer at a manger this Christmas. The baby in the manger will soon give way to the accounts we…