Gottesblog

Most of us in the Chokehold Nation™ live a somewhat sheltered life when it comes to liturgical practice and hymnody. As a result, we may not be aware of how precipitous the decline is.

The President of the Southern District of the LCMS, the Rev. Eric Johnson, encourages pastors to have a father confessor, to make private confessions and receive absolution, and he wisely encourages pastors under his oversight to not make confessions to him because of the nature of his office.

Some ecumenism is built around mutual suffering.

The Rev. Eugene Schmid is remembered joyfully by my congregation: Salem Lutheran Church in Gretna, Louisiana. Pastor Schmid took a call (his second) to Salem in 1919. He served until his death in 1967 - forty-seven years. His name dominates our parish records. He baptized the babies, confirmed them, communed them, married them, and baptized their babies - and then confirmed them, married them, and baptized their babies.