Technical Difficulties

The image above is taken from our 11:00am Divine Service this past Sunday - the second try for our livestream of the day. At the 9:30am Divine Service, the one we usually stream on Sunday mornings, we had “technical difficulties”.

Ben BallDecember 22, 2020 Comment

Fear Gives Way to Peace at the Voice of the Lord

Whatever it is in you that would oppose or prevent the coming of the Christ, the preaching of the Forerunner removes. Where you are arrogant and exalt yourself, he humbles you. Where you are doubtful and afraid, he silences your unbelief and quiets your fears, that he might speak the tender mercies of God to your troubled heart. For the Lord is at hand to visit and redeem His people, and this Word of salvation comes to all who fear God — not in terror, but in the reverence of faith.

Rick StuckwischDecember 21, 2020 Comment

The Church Must Gather and Faithful Stewards Must Preach Against the World

Some may think the Church doesn’t need to bother condemning sin and false teaching in the world. We should just focus on the sins we have right inside the Church. It’s true that judgment must BEGIN at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), but that does not mean we turn a blind eye on the world or cease to warn our people to avoid the false teaching that surrounds them. An occasion presented itself for me to do so this past Sunday.

Anthony DodgersDecember 19, 2020Comment

How to Identify the True Church...

… According to St. John Chrysostom

Larry BeaneDecember 17, 2020 Comments

Annual Lay-Led Eucharist?

In a comment to an earlier post, a Gottesblog reader asks:

The Eucharist was established as part of an annual observance over which the head of the household presided, and in which children took part. About 130 years later it had become a observance over which only an ordained minister was allowed to preside, one which was observed weekly and even more frequently, and from which children, at least in the West, were banned. Could anyone point me to a book which documents how these changes came about?

Larry BeaneDecember 16, 2020 Comments

Lectionary Preaching defended

David PetersenDecember 15, 2020Lectionary, Hughes Oliphant Old, Preaching, Confessional Lutheran Preaching, History of Preaching, Sermon, Sermon writing, Scripture, hermeneuticsComment

Luther on the Sacrament of the Altar

John BussmanDecember 14, 2020 Comments

An Advent Wreath Lighting Tip

Ben BallDecember 13, 2020Comment

Living with Santa Lucia in the Light of Christ Jesus

Whether or not you are joined to a husband or wife here on earth, you have been joined to Christ in the waters of your Holy Baptism, and you are knit together with Him as one flesh in the Holy Communion of His Body and His Blood. Thus are your body and life redeemed and sanctified in His Body. You live and die with Him who is your Savior and your Head. And you confess Him with all of your words and actions as you go about your days and fulfill your duties here on earth.

Celibacy, Saints, SermonRick StuckwischDecember 13, 2020Sermon, saints, LuciaComment

Audio of Blog Posts

We’re trying something new to see how it goes. You’ve all seen those posts where the scroll bar is so short you know you need some time to sit down and focus on it. Often our immediate reaction is TLDR.

AnnouncementsJason BraatenDecember 13, 2020Audio Blog Comments

Trent vs. Augustine

In his Examination of the Council of Trent, Martin Chemnitz carefully goes through the writings of the Council and exposes the voluminous errors contained therein.

Larry BeaneDecember 13, 2020Comment

A Time for Misbehaving

Christians and those of Judeo-Christian principle have been far too well behaved in the recent past.

Larry BeaneDecember 9, 2020 Comments

Year End Predictions

One of our anti-traditional baby-boomer LCMS pastors posted one of those "Ten Ways Church Services Will Soon Change" (yawn) blogs from a fellow-traveler.

Larry BeaneDecember 8, 2020 Comments

Singing the Priestly Song of Christ with St. Ambrose

Whether you are a pastor or a parishioner, a priest or a bishop, a deacon or an acolyte, or a member of the choir; whether you are male or female, young or old, rich or poor, married or unmarried, you also sing the Church’s song. With King David and the Levites, with St. Mary and St. Elizabeth, with St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, Dr. Luther, and all the faithful who have gone before us in the Word and faith of the Holy Trinity, you also sing and confess the Lord Jesus in His Holy Church.

Advent, Music, SaintsRick StuckwischDecember 7, 2020Sermon, Advent, Ambrose, Visitation, SingingComment

On Charity that Increases and Overcomes the Unreal

December 6 is the day of St. Nicholas of Myra, that saint of great charity who, at the 325 A.D. Council of Nicaea, slapped the heretic Arius for preaching the unreal to steal from the children right faith, hope, and love in Christ.

Jonathan ShawDecember 6, 2020Comment

Thy truth repeated o’er and o’er

I just discovered this wonderful little hymn for the beginning of a new church year. And it’s a defense for the Historic Lectionary!

Anthony DodgersDecember 5, 2020 Comments

Restoration of the Latin Mass!

Latin Masses have become exceedingly popular among younger Roman Catholics, and the Extraordinary Form is popping up in RC dioceses everywhere, even as gray-haired boomer pastors and lay people continue trying to reach “the youth” with acoustic guitars and St. Louis Jesuits songs from the Woodstock era.

Larry BeaneDecember 4, 2020 Comments

The Damascene

On Dec. 4th, the holy Church rejoices to commemorate St. John of Damascus. There is no question that Martin Chemnitz relied heavily on this last of the great eastern dogmaticians in his Two Natures in Christ.

Guest AuthorDecember 3, 2020Comment