Gottesblog

I have gone through roughly three phases in my preaching. 1. Years 1-5ish. Every Thursday at 11am I would write a sermon, come what may. I read through it several times before Sunday and had the manuscript well in hand. I focused on learning how to preach by reading good preaching and then producing good sermons on paper.

That different world being the Missouri Synod at the turn of the 20th century. Father Micah Gaunt found and kindly typed up the following article: Steffens, D.H. “Principles of Liturgics.” The Lutheran Witness. 18.17 (1900): 133.  You can find this whole issue of the Lutheran Witness, and many others, on Google Books.

My dear colleague, Fr. Mark Surburg, and I have been corresponding of late regarding certain aspects of sanctification, namely, what the dogmaticians term renovation. He has a thoughtful piece on it here. We are both somewhat mystified that there seems to be controversy on this point in today's Lutheranism.

The Boston interfaith service is here.

If you filled out the original CPH survey on the bulletins for the historical lectionary, you recently got an email asking how you handle the Trinity season. Whether you got that email or not, I've also put up the same questions for our readers in our latest poll at right.

About a month ago, we at Gottesdienst contacted CPH about the possibility of getting bulletins keyed to the Historic Lectionary with classic and excellent Christian artwork. The project was assigned to the same folks who gave us the wonderful Treasury of Daily Prayer. I, for one, am very excited about the prospect. I've priced out doing something similar at our local printer: 25 cents a copy and I'd have to find the art! In contrast, CPH bulletins run more in the 6 to 8 cent range.

How should we talk with our people about living a godly life? How should we encourage them to progress in godly living and yet not fall into works righteousness? We could start by just telling them about what the struggle is like. Gerhard does a good job, I think.