Living Well is the Best Revenge by Travis Berg

Note: This blogpost was written by the Rev. Travis Berg

Others have mentioned George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) in his capacity as a metaphysical poet.

Larry BeaneOctober 26, 2021 Comments

What's sacred about sacred theology

The dethronement of theology in the church is the attempted dethronement of God in the church. The church speaks definitely because it understands God’s revelation in Holy Scripture to be definitive in its source and in its relevance.

Doctrine & Practice, Ministry, Synod, TheologyAdam KoontzOctober 23, 2021 Comments

A Tale of Two Magazines

When I was in seminary (twenty years ago), we had a nickname for the Lutheran Witness. We called it the Witless. Frankly, it was not much of a witness and it was barely Lutheran.

Larry BeaneOctober 22, 2021 Comments

Burnell EckardtOctober 21, 2021Comment

On the Blessing and Benefits of a Seeing Eye and Hearing Ears

“It is a very rare blessing for godly priests to have a safe and quiet place where they may teach. It is an extraordinary gift, which the devil, the most malevolent enemy of God and the salvation of man, often obstructs and disturbs. But where there is such harmony that the princes of a land honor, protect, and support ministers for spreading abroad spiritual things, one may truly say that a paradise of the world is there. But if ministers are despised, ridiculed, and treated with contempt, as happened to Isaiah and other Prophets, although they were most excellent and faithful teachers, it is the surest evidence of God’s wrath and of impending disasters; for contempt of so great a blessing as is tendered to men by godly ministers has never gone unpunished.”

Ministry, Preaching, TheologyRick StuckwischOctober 20, 2021Luther's Lectures on Genesis, Father Abraham, Preaching, Church and StateComment

On the Sign of the Holy Cross

After our district pastoral conference a few weeks ago, a brother asked me about making the sign of the cross during the opening versicles of Matins.

Rites/CeremoniesBen BallOctober 19, 2021Holy Cross, Sign of the Cross Comments

The Flexibility of the Liturgy

The detractors of The Gottesdienst Crowd often create a caricature of our advocacy for liturgy, and then beat the stuffing out of that strawman.

Larry BeaneOctober 17, 2021 Comments

Jesus Priceless Treasure

This homily was preached by Revd Dr Harold Ristau at the weekly Eucharist celebrated at CLTS on 13 October 2021.

John StephensonOctober 14, 2021Comment

Oh where, oh where?

Oh where, oh where has my Gottesdienst gone?

Burnell EckardtOctober 14, 2021Comment

The Heart of the Conflict...

… regarding the never-ending “worship wars”:

Larry BeaneOctober 14, 2021 Comments

When the "Literal-ness" of Simeon's Song Actually Happens

It’s one thing to sing Simeon’s song confidently. It’s another when God seems listen and to take them at their word!

John BussmanOctober 13, 2021 Comments

On Martyrs

A couple of months ago, as I was preparing for the Decollation of St. John the Baptist, I ran into a few interesting things as I planned the service. I surveyed the appointed propers from Lutheran Service Book, and then, as I tend to do, looked around in some sixteenth and seventeenth century books to see what they had.

Stefan GramenzOctober 11, 2021 Comments

Ego Te Absolvo

In a panel of a tract taking aim specifically at the Roman Catholic Church, the late comic book evangelist for Fundamentalism, Jack Chick, tries to use Scripture to disprove Confession and Absolution.

Larry BeaneOctober 10, 2021 Comment

Gottesdienst Conference Redeemer Ft. Wayne May 2-4, 2022

Announcement of Gottesdienst Conference in Ft. Wayne May 2-4, 2022

David PetersenOctober 9, 2021Redeemer Lutheran ChurchComment

Prudentes Sicut Serpentes, et Simplices Sicut Columbae

Trouble just follows certain people. Sometimes such people are troublemakers and criminals. And that fits our expectation about how the world works. But trouble also follows those who tell the truth, especially those who follow Jesus.

Larry BeaneOctober 8, 2021Comment