Pastors: Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin

When I was a first-year seminarian, one of our professors told us that we had to become comfortable in our own skin.

Larry BeaneApril 25, 2021 Comments

Who's the king of the castle?

This homily was preached at the CLTS Eucharist for Wednesday in the Week of Misericordias Domini by Associate Professor the Revd Dr Harold Ristau

John StephensonApril 21, 2021Comment

The Onus of Preaching and Hearing

“People don't have to be taught how to listen to the sermon. Preachers have to be taught how to preach sermons that people want to listen to. The onus is on the Shepherd, not the sheep.”
~ Recent commenter on Gottesblog

Larry BeaneApril 20, 2021 Comments

"What God does for us" - Dorothy Sayers

Jesus: Come here, Thomas. Put out your finger and feel my hands. Reach out your hand and thrust it into my side. And doubt no longer, but believe.

Anthony DodgersApril 19, 2021Comment

Jesus Doubles Down

As the Church becomes increasingly marginalized and under attack - particularly church bodies that accept Scripture as inspired, infallible, and normative - Christians are going to be pressed harder and harder by strident forces of political correctness…

Larry BeaneApril 18, 2021Comment

Take the Vaccine!

The above meme was posted by a Facebook group called “The Christian Left.” An interesting discussion followed…

Larry BeaneApril 17, 2021 Comments

Addendum to the Podcast on "Preaching Renewal How To"

When Petersen and I sat down to record his thoughts on fostering a preaching renewal in the pulpits of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, it immediately became clear that this was a project that was going to be done by real pastors in their studies, pastors who are committed to perhaps the most central task of the pastor.

PreachingJason BraatenApril 15, 2021Preaching Comments

"Here I Stand" Sunday

Back on March 2, an article was published that mentioned that the Synod had resolved to celebrate “Here I Stand” Sunday on April 18. This, of course, is in remembrance of Luther’s stand at the Diet of Worms 500 years ago this coming Sunday.

John BussmanApril 14, 2021 Comments

On Liturgical Layers

If you’ve ever visited the Grand Canyon (I have not yet), I’m told that there are explanations of the various strata on display in the layered effect of the rock. Each one, supposedly, bears record to a different era of the earth’s history.

William WeedonApril 11, 2021Comment

Easter by George Herbert

Rise heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise Without delays, Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise With him mayst rise: That, as his death calcined thee to dust, His life may make thee gold, and much more just.

Anthony DodgersApril 9, 2021Comment

The Strangeness of Easter

To my great surprise and delight, as I was paging through the Wall Street Journal last Saturday, I ran across a brilliant feature article by Robert Barron, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Los Angeles, entitled, “Recovering the Strangeness of Easter.” It highlights the irrefutable evidence of the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection.

Burnell EckardtApril 8, 2021 Comments

May 3-5 Conference in Ft. Wayne

Details about the Gottesdienst Conference at Redeemer Ft. Wayne May 3-5, 2021.

David PetersenApril 8, 2021Conference, Psalter, Psalms, Reverence, Fort Wayne Comments

Mortal Flesh before the Living God

In the Western Church, the historic Gospel for Easter, the Resurrection of our Lord, is Mark 16:1-8. The Gospel reading includes the angel announcing that Christ is risen from the dead, but ends with the women fleeing the tomb in fear. How can this be? What does this mean? Is fear the end of the Gospel?

Jonathan ShawApril 6, 2021Comment

The Resurrection of Our Lord

And his resurrection was also on this day made manifest to Mary Magdalene, and to Peter, and to all the disciples, to whom he appeared.

Burnell EckardtApril 4, 2021 Comment

Why did you doubt?

Do you not this day have infallible proof that he has done what he said he would do? O ye of little faith! Why did you doubt?

Burnell EckardtApril 3, 2021Comment

A Great Silence and stillness

Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

Guest AuthorApril 2, 2021 Comment

Romans 13 and Constitutional Power amidst emergencies

This post raises questions about how Romans 13 applies to American Christians as living under different sorts of authority than that exercised by the Roman emporer.

David PetersenApril 2, 2021 Comments

An Exciting Announcement

Gottesdienst has the reputation of being inflexible in matters of liturgy, with the editors marching in rigid lockstep like Prussian soldiers with pointy helmets. In fact, there are lively debates and disagreements among our editors,

Larry BeaneApril 1, 2021 Comments