A blog of the Evangelical Lutheran Liturgy
Every year, when we swing around to celebrate the Baptism of our Lord, it is such a joy to sing Dr. Luther’s great text: “To Jordan Came the Christ Our Lord.” LSB supplies two tunes for it, but surely the modern tune pales in comparison to Dr. Luther’s own sturdy and memorable one. He packs so much great theology into this hymn that one scarcely knows where to begin, let alone end, in extolling it. But there is one very funny part.
Read MoreA pastor that I like and respect made the following observation on social media:
Read MoreI know it's been said before, but I honestly had NO idea so many pastors were in reality experts on political science, medical science, disease control, economic theories, and the like.
Today the Christian Church celebrates the riches of God’s glorious grace manifested for us sinners in the Epiphany of our Lord. Wise men from the East led by a star and the Word fall down before the Christ Child to worship Him, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Read MoreThere is in my view a strong connection between the philosophical characteristics of what is called postmodernism and the rather mind-boggling things that have been foisted upon our society in the past several months.
Read MoreIt’s far beyond time for the Church to wake from sleep. The hour is at hand.
Read MoreIt came to mind during the past year that while Genesis 3:15 is often referred to as the protoevangelium, or first Gospel, with its announcement to the serpent that the Seed of the woman would crush his head, there is actually an earlier protoevangelium of sorts. Arguably the first Gospel is found already in the first thing God ever said, namely, “Let there be light.” I preached this on Christmas Day this season:
Read Morehe Twelve Days of Christmas are often terribly misunderstood. Even Alexa, the Amazon home interaction device, mistakes them as the twelve days leading to Christmas, rather than what they are, namely the twelve days, counting Christmas, of the Christmas season leading to Epiphany.
Read MoreIn preparation to preach on John 1 this past week I re-read Athanasius’ On the Incarnation. There, among other things, he makes the argument that the goodness of God, having created man, requires Him to redeem man. Here is his summary statement from the end of paragraph 6:
Read MoreThe following is from page 41ff. of Lutheran Prayer Companion, which, if you do not have, you really ought to go purchase it!
O Lord God, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Read MoreThe Epistle for the Fifth and Sixth Days of Christmass, December 29 & 30: Titus 3:4-7
“When the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…”
Read MoreOut of Egypt the God and Father of our dear Lord Jesus Christ calls you to be His own dear child. He calls you through the waters of Holy Baptism into the Resurrection and the Life everlasting. He opens your mouth to show forth His praise in both life and death, by placing on your tongue and on your lips the “new song” of the Cross. So are you called to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, and so do you follow Him through suffering and death into the Promised Land of heaven.
Read MoreMerry Christmas, dear readers, brothers and sisters in Christ! At last, this festival day has once more come, and we reflect upon the mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord, and we connect His manger with His cross, and we celebrate Christ’s Mass as He continues to come to us in His Word and Sacrament: the Gottesdienst.
Read More…of St. John Chrysostom:
Nature here rested, while the Will of God labored. O ineffable grace!
Read MoreThere is something diabolical in us that fears John the Baptist will ruin Christmas. He disrupts things. John is not here to help you have fun. Rather, he is trying to help you prepare for the last day.
Read MoreThe 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”.
Read MoreWhatever 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.
Read MoreSome 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.
Read More… According to St. John Chrysostom
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