If you want to know how the church fathers understood Scripture, and preached, you will find no better example than this Easter sermon by Melito who was Bishop of the Church in Sardis (in Western Turkey), and was martyred for the faith around 180 AD. ...

A thumbnail sketch of why incense has always been part of the worship of the true God; and why Lutheran piety should re-admit it to its worship....

Yesterday I wrote a post entitled:Is Your Church Too Friendly? As a greater number of visitors enter the church doors tomorrow ask yourself: Is your church too-mission minded? By this question I wish to re-affirm that Holy Worship is not a mission event. The church does not assemble to convert the world but, at the risk of stating the obvious, to worship. To worship the...

As a larger than normal number of visitors will attend Services this Easter let us ask ourselves: Is my church too friendly? As a pastor who is busy every Sunday morning I don't often get to observe other churches in action. But I keep my ear to the ground; I make inquiries; I get reports from others; and I check out church websites; and what I observe is embarrassing. C...

I thought this to be a wonderful article by Rev. Larry Peterson, Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Clarksville TN about the "liturgical movement" that is afoot in the LCMS. He is spot on....

This discussion is based on the Epistle for Easter Mass (Series C) of the Lutheran Service Book....

As a preview of Easter joy I here present the Old Testament lesson for Easter from the Prophet Isaiah with commentary to follow. 17 "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her peopl...

I consider 1 Cor 10 to be specifically sacramental. The earlier part of the chapter considers baptism, because the Eucharistic assembly is comprised of the baptized only; and remember Paul is preaching in their Sunday worship assembly via his letter / sermon. Verse 11 is, in my reading, particularly Eucharistic. "Upon whom / to whom the end of the ages is come," The "is c...

Some thoughts on Sunday next's epistle. 17 Brothers, become imitators of me, and carefully observe those who conduct themselves in accordance with the pattern you have from us. 18 For many walk, as I have often said and now say again with tears, as enemies of the cross of Christ; 19 whose end is destruction! whose god is their belly and who glory in their shame -- who set...

The Bible needs to be interpreted. The possibilities are not limitless, but there is room for interpretation. To be sure everyone who practices the holy Christian religion does interpret Scripture, or subscribe to an already existing interpretation / school of thought. My first move, whenever possible, is to seek out the incarnational (perceivable by one or more of the fi...