What Keeps Us Together
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Being Lutheran
Last month we took a brief excursion into Article XII – Of Repentance. I promised to expand on that a bit this month and so…
Wonder or Worry?
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…
Being Lutheran
Article XII - Of Repentance – (Our churches) teach that for those who have fallen after Baptism there is remission of sins whenever they are…
Faith?
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Establish the Work of Our Hands!
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;…
Being Lutheran
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…
Repenting, Another Installment
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…
Repenting
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Learn the Language
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.…
Love Your Neighbor Fearlessly
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Hold on to the Promises of Christ
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
A House of Prayer
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…
He Withdrew To Galilee
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…
Being Lutheran
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.…
I Wish It Could Be Christmas All Year Long
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
The Dawn From On High
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.…
Being Lutheran
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…
Working Together for God’s Purpose
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…
150 Years of Faith
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…
Being Lutheran
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…
Being Lutheran
“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…
Daily Routines for Growing in Christ
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…
Augsburg Confession
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…
Back To School Priorities
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…
Concordia
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…
Central States Synod Report
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…
Being Spiritual
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).…
Family Connections
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…
The Loss of Notre Dame
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…
“One holy, catholic and apostolic church.”
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…
Your Vocation
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 ultimate gift
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,…
Words – Sola Scriptura
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…
Coming together during Lent
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…
Sharing our inheritance
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…
The prayer
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…
Confess!
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 a little longer at the manger
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…
