Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for [...]
Is the Christmas tree the place for grace?
Before we knee-jerk in the affirmative, consider one of the ways we use St. Nicholas of Myra:
You better not shout,
You better not cry;
You better not pout,
I’m telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town.
Thus the Santa Hammer: Be good, or we take back presents!
During Compline I’ve been picking out an Advent hymn to accompany the office. The last couple of times, I got a request for “Once He Came In Blessing,” LSB 333.
I like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” for a solo chant, but “Blessing” is a more singable melody in a soft voice, with scales that make [...]
The President of the Ohio District of the LCMS, Rev. Terry Cripe, has made some encouraging observations on the Ohio District blog. He makes the case that today’s “contemporary worship” shares a common thread with worship in the early church: the lack of specificity and clarity in worship about what we believe.
Rev. Cripe notes that [...]
For our congregation, which follows the three-year lectionary, the Gospel was Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats.
The pastor’s sermon was full of sufficient Gospel to choke a horse: you are the blessed, you are the sheep, you are the ones who inherit the kingdom, you are the ones who in Christ [...]
