A blog of the Evangelical Lutheran Liturgy
Last week, I had the privilege of speaking with the Revs. Joseph and Jesse Schlie on The Didymus Podcast. Twin brothers, pastors, and 2019 graduates of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, their podcast takes on various cliches that are commonly heard in our corner of Christendom, such as “Closed Communion is unloving,” “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe in Jesus,” or, most recently, “That’s Too Catholic” (Part 1).
Read MoreHere goes. The entire video collection (four videos) of this year's Oktoberfest in Kewanee has been provided by Mr. Gene Wilken, to whom we owe a debt of gratitude.
Read More“Usury and avarice have burst in like a flood and have been made lawful … [and yet] are contrary to God.” (SA Preface 12)
As mentioned in the previous part of our series, Luther took his 1519 Short Sermon on Usury and reworked it into a much-expanded sermon, published early the following year and now known as his Long Sermon on Usury (LW 45:273–310). Four years later, this sermon was revised once more and published together with his extensive treatise on trade, translated in the American Edition under the title Trade and Usury. Before turning to this text, however, it is necessary to outline certain events that transpired between 1519 and 1524.
Read MoreOne of the interesting things in Eusebius concerns the genealogies of Jesus. While modern scholars often argue that one genealogy is for Joseph (our Lord’s legal line through adoption), while the other is Mary’s genealogy, (showing our Lord’s biological descent). Eusebius, however, citing a letter from an earlier scholar named Julius Africanus (c. 160-240 AD), whom Eusebius considers to be “no ordinary historian,” makes the case that both genealogies are for Joseph.
Read More“Lutherans continued to use the five ancient liturgical colors as well as the liturgical vestments in the service and for sacramental acts; this usage lasted amazingly long, partly up to the brink of the nineteenth century…
Read MoreWith District Convention season largely behind us, and with our 2026 LCMS National Convention looming ahead, those who weary of our internal disputes might find some historical perspective from Ramsay MacMullen’s Voting About God in Early Church Councils (2006). MacMullen (1928-2022) served as a history professor at Yale. The American Historical Association awarded him for his great contributions to scholarship and called him “the greatest historian of the Roman Empire alive today." His special areas of interest involved the social history of the Roman world, in particular the transition from paganism to Christianity.
Read MoreIn years and cultures past, society valued young men. There was a common-sense realization that strong men meant a strong fabric of society. Christianity recognized the divinely-ordered family structure of the godly leadership of husbands and fathers, as well as masculine leadership in society. Indeed, God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, describes the leadership of women and children as a curse (Chapter 3).
Read MoreAs a continuation of my thoughts in an earlier piece that I wrote called “The Church is Not a Business,” I wanted to reflect on the concept of entrepreneurship. This is part of running a business under the capitalist, free market model of economics.
Read MoreFor the next several parts of our series, we will turn our attention to Luther’s writings on usury. Although Luther addressed the subject in a number of works and letters, three texts in particular are worthy of study: his 1519 Short Sermon on Usury (WA 6:3–8), his 1520 Long Sermon on Usury (LW 45:273–310), and his 1539 To Pastors, That They Should Preach Against Usury (LW 61:284–328, Kindle). In addition, we will consider the broader questions and controversies that emerged during Luther’s lifetime concerning usury, in particular the “usury controversy” (Wucherstreit) of 1523 dealing with fellow evangelical pastor, Jakob Strauss.
Read More“How big is your church?” is often the first question a pastor gets. It usually isn’t “What confession does your church hold?” or “Is it interesting to serve as a pastor?” Rather, they want a number. And if you say, “A thousand,” you will get a nod of approval and raised eyebrows. But the reaction would be quite different if you were to say “twelve.”
Read MoreI have always described the confirmation rite as a rite of initiation. I still think this is the best understanding. A child becomes an adult in the eyes of the Church by confirming that he has examined and accepted for himself the faith into which he was baptized
Read MoreOfficially, we in the LCMS don’t practice selective fellowship. We view official fellowship as a matter of doctrinal agreement between church bodies. And this is a matter of our polity.
Read MoreThe Church (sic) of England has elected a dame to be the “archbishop” of Canturbury. While some naïfs within the Anglican Communion have expressed shock and surprise (aren’t they adorable?), it’s not like we couldn’t see this Canturbury Tailspin into Dante’s concentric circles of infernal excrement coming.
Read MoreThe Tenth Commandment drives a stake into the heart of feminism.
Read MoreBelow are recordings of the three presentations that I gave at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Union Grove, Wisconsin on The Greatness of Difficulty. I hope to get the audio and make it available as a special release on the podcast for those who would prefer to listen.
Read MoreI have often heard Confirmation and Confirmation instruction touted as the pride and joy of the Missouri Synod but I have always feared what Confirmation might be inadvertently confessing and my experience with the biblical and doctrinal literacy of our Church body has been very disappointing.
Read MoreIn a short article titled “Is the Law Eternal?” from the 2019 Eastertide LOGIA, Jack Kilcrease tries to steer a middle ground between two camps: “The Radical Lutherans” and the “Pro-nomians”. Kilcrease’s article raises a number of questions that this response article will explore.
Read MoreThe Michaelmas issue is on its way!
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