Dr Winger on The Confession of St Peter

For your edification, check out Dr Winger’s homily at this morning’s Chapel Eucharist for the Confession of St Peter:

John StephensonJanuary 18, 2023Comment

9 Degrees. "Feels Like -4."

I really don’t like the words “feels like” after the temperature announced by the weatherman.

John BussmanJanuary 18, 2023 Comment

The Donkey and the Tiger Re-Revisited

This little parable illustrates the ontological difference between the idea that reality is objective vs the idea that reality is subjective. We are increasingly culturally captive to the latter, and this philosophical framework is known as Postmodernism.

Larry BeaneJanuary 17, 2023 Comments

“I Don’t Get Anything Out of the Service”

A Lutheran can never say this, at least if the service is liturgical, and especially if the service includes the Most Holy Sacrament.

Larry BeaneJanuary 14, 2023 Comments

Dr. Ferry Knows What’s to Blame for Everyone Else’s Membership Loss

By nearly every measure, Christianity is in decline in America.

Synod, PolityJason BraatenJanuary 13, 20232023, LCMS Convention, LCMS Presidential Election Comments

Aphorisms on Church and Office, Old and New

The debt which confessional Lutherans owe to Dr. John R. Stephenson just continues to climb.

William WeedonJanuary 12, 2023Comment

Same Old, Same Old: Continuing the Look at the 2023 Convention

It has been eerily quiet from the “Never Harrison-ers” corner of the Synod. By the time we were this close to convention last time around, shiny postcards had already filled personal and church mailboxes several times over.

John BussmanJanuary 12, 2023 Comments

Gottesdienst Events in Ft. Wayne Jan 16-19, 2023

A description of Gottesdienst activities during the week of January 16-18 in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

First Look at the LCMS Presidential Election 2023

So the 2023 election is shaping up a lot like the 2019 election in this regard: the Coalition of the Dissatisfied is once again afraid and/or unable to make the election about anything overtly theological. They will not campaign on reinstating Wichita 1989. They will not openly state a desire to overturn closed communion or a male-only clergy roster. They can’t: their coalition is too theologically diverse. Instead, they will stick to platitudes about being “evangelical” and “loving” and trust that each faction of their coalition will interpret those words according to their own lights.

Polity, SynodJason BraatenJanuary 11, 20232023, LCMS Presidential Election, LCMS Convention Comments

We Have Found the One!

And he’s not even from Texas!

Larry BeaneJanuary 8, 2023 Comments

This is my day, and these are my kind.

In perhaps my favorite novel by Evelyn Waugh, Helena, he imagines the life of the mother of Constantine, culminating in her journey to Jerusalem. In the below excerpt, she travels to Bethlehem for the feast of the Epiphany.

Stefan GramenzJanuary 6, 2023 Comment

On Leadership

The Progressive Wing of the LCMS loves the word “leadership.” Get ready to hear that word a lot more as the LCMS political season heats up in anticipation of our convention and election.

Larry BeaneJanuary 6, 2023 Comments

The Rolling of the Years

One of my granddaughters was stricken with great sadness as she said goodbye to all her cousins and relatives when the Christmas vacation was over and it was time to return home to everyday life again.

Burnell EckardtJanuary 3, 2023 Comments

“Do it again” by G.K. Chesterton

A few paragraphs from Chesterton recognizing the Divine goodness and joy of repetition against the temptation to novelty.

Joseph Aloysius Ratzinger RIP

In his entrance into and departure from this transitory world Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI displayed exquisite sensitivity to liturgical time.

John StephensonDecember 31, 2022 Comments

Year End Love Mail Round Up!

Not all comments get published on the blog. Most of them do, but many are just no-value added. Some of them are really funny, though. So I wanted to share with you some of the “love mail” we receive.

Larry BeaneDecember 31, 2022 Comments

C.F.W. Walther On Church Ceremonies

“We do not deny that we are geared up to retain the external worship service as it has long been retained for centuries by the ancient Lutheran Church…”

Fr. Mark BradenDecember 29, 2022 Comments

The Lord Is for You and for Your Children

As before in the history of God’s people, another Joseph now brings his Father’s family into Egypt, lest they perish, in order to preserve the world from death. But as this story is unfolding, in the middle of the night, St. Joseph has no way of knowing what the outcome of these events will be. He has nothing to guide him or go by except the Word of the Lord, His warnings and His promises. With that, he goes in faith, and everything ensues and is fulfilled according to the Scriptures. Which is really to say that his situation then was not so very different from your own.

Gottesblog