A blog of the Evangelical Lutheran Liturgy
If we notice carefully, dearest brethren, the holy days of Lent signify the life of the present world, just as Easter prefigures eternal bliss. Now just as we have a kind of sadness in Lent in order that we may rightly rejoice at Easter, so as long as we live in this world we ought to do penance in order that we may be able to receive pardon for our sins in the future and arrive at eternal joy.
Read MoreIn the same way that the fall into sin was tied to the first case of women’s ordination, so the falling enrollment at our seminaries is inversely connected to the surging ranks of the acolythae feminae.
Read MoreAt Gottesdienst we are familiar with the kind of complaints our adversaries like to level: that we’re legalists or modern-day Pharisees, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. I think of these complaints as indicators of very poor worship practices on the part of those who make them.
Read MoreThis is the list of hymns Fr. Karl Hess compiled for the podcast episode on hymns for training martyrs for the prize TGC 352…
Read MoreOur aim with all sinners, including those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, is to point them to the hope we have in Christ, and the encouragement that He never leaves us as we fight the good fight of faith – a fight we should never give up.
Read MoreDuring the decades when we heard little of this from Lutheran pulpits, there were still voices crying in the wilderness. Gottesdienst’s “Sabre of Boldness” award brought to the memory of at least some of the LCMS clergy roster that Scripture bids us to “quit us like men” and “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” But the call to war issued by Scripture was rare indeed in our churches, except in our hymns, where departed saints from the Church triumphant bore witness to us.
Read MoreWhat do we do with chapters like Exodus 25? How are they applicable to the Christian’s life today? It’s easy to slip over these passages. They seem unnecessary to concentrate on the details. But, as the apostle says, “they were written for our admonition” (1 Corinthians 10:11).
Read MoreAn explanation of the range of dates for Septuagesima based on the dates of Easter.
Read MoreWe see the church becoming like the world, in part, because we have not recognized the enemy’s strategy: Something that is simply not done becomes a one-time exception, which becomes an acceptable practice…
Read MoreHow sad that Challies was so bored. But then again, he is of a different “tribe,” and maybe he simply has no interest in history.
Read MoreLet’s start here: how much of the Scriptures are in verse (and not only vers-es)? Leaf through any bible which nicely formats it so it is easy to tell prose from poetry, and there is (to the poetry-averse) an astonishing amount. Like, a lot. And, while I’d like to pretend it doesn’t matter, you get the nagging feeling that it might.
Read MoreMy wife and I were fortunate to hear this homily on the Wedding Feast at Cana in Galilee this morning, delivered by the Revd Kurt A. Lantz, pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church and guest instructor at CLTS; it seems fitting to share this sermon with a wider audience.
Read MoreCalendar and description of events for the Gottesdienst Crowd in Ft. Wayne January 15-18, 2024.
Read MoreWe have daily chapel at our school. Currently, we make use of the readings from the Treasury of Daily Prayer. Over the years this practice has proven to be a great blessing for not only our children, teachers, and few congregation members who attend but also for me as a pastor. Some might sulk at the thought of having to write multiple sermons each week and lament that “there’s not enough time.” In reality, though, it’s what pastors have been called to do, and we need to be doing it faithfully.
Read MoreInformation for the Gottesdienst reception at Redeemer on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 sponsored by LCEF.
Read MoreWhen that our gentle Lord was born
And cradled in the hay,
There rode three wise men from the east—
Three rich wise men were they—
All in the starry night they came
Their homage gifts to pay.
If the Church’s ancient lectionary were intended to cover as much Scripture as possible, then our fathers who compiled and refined it over more than a millennium must not have been very bright.
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