December 13 marks the feast of Santa Lucia or Lucy. She is regarded as a virgin martyr who was put to death during the Diocletian persecution, 304 AD.

Karl FabriziusDecember 13, 2021 Comments

Watch Your Language!

In response to my piece “Judaizing Christians: Yesterday and Today,” I received some angry correspondence from a guy who, in his reaction against judaizing, repeated the same fallacy as the judaizing Christians.

Larry BeaneDecember 12, 2021 Comment

The Second Reformation in Brandenburg

As I, along with many others, continue to chip away at the Lutheran Missal Project, we spend a great deal of time with PDFs of liturgical books from the late fifteenth through the early seventeenth centuries. Spending a substantial amount of time in the missal or service book of any diocese is something like acquainting yourself with a pen pal. It isn’t nearly the same as being present, but you can gain both a sense of the scribe’s scrupulous (or lackadaisical) nature, as well as a sense of the priorities and peculiarities of each diocese or region.

Stefan GramenzDecember 11, 2021 Comments

On Post-Evangelicalism

I ran across a fascinating article from the Washington Post called: “In a Post-Trump World, These Pastors are Ditching the Evangelical Label for Something New” by Religion Editor Sarah Pulliam Bailey - October 22, 2021. It is illustrative about the spiritual bankruptcy of Progressivism.

Larry BeaneDecember 10, 2021 Comments

The Kingdom to Come

In our western rite, we’re used to the notion of proper prefaces. That is, the preface (the prayer of thanksgiving) prior to the singing of the Sanctus will lift up one or another aspect of our salvation to thank God for, changing with the progress of the Church’s year of grace.

William WeedonDecember 9, 2021 Comment

Judaizing Christians - Yesterday and Today

In response to this Internet meme, I take a look at modern Judaizing Christianity…

Larry BeaneDecember 8, 2021 Comments

Scaerisch Tischreden

Rev. Jody Rinas has done it again, as he has for nine years now: provided a calendar (this for 2022) with snappy quotes from our revered teacher the Rev. Dr. David P. Scaer.

Burnell EckardtDecember 6, 2021 Comments

“Being careful not to turn his back on the Blessed Sacrament”

Do not turn your back on the elements, most particularly at the moment of consecration.

Burnell EckardtDecember 3, 2021 Comments

Sermon on The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents, for a March for Life

David R. Mueller, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church of Goodland, Indiana and St. John’s Lutheran Church of Rensselaer, Indiana…

Burnell EckardtDecember 2, 2021 Comment

Psalm 19 as Preparation for Advent 2

In the Gospel for this coming Sunday (Advent 2, Luke 21:25-26) Jesus tells us that there will be signs of the end in the sun, the moon, and the stars…

David PetersenDecember 2, 2021Psalm 19, Luke 21:25-36, Eschatology, Advent, Prayer, Signs, WordComment

Homily at Chapel Eucharist on St Mark 11:11-25 preached at CLTS by Revd Dr Harold Ristau on Wednesday of the Week of Trinity XXII 2021

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

John StephensonNovember 30, 2021Comment

Luther on the Adventus Domini

“This is what is meant by ‘Thy king cometh.’ You do not seek him, but he seeks you. You do not find him, he finds you….

Fr. Mark BradenNovember 29, 2021Comment

Wonderfully Made: Seeing Yourself as God Sees You

“Since the spiritual life is produced by the Holy Spirit for people with bodies, Christian spirituality is embodied piety. We human beings are not just spirits, like the angels, nor animated bodies, like the animals, but are embodied spirits, or, if you will, spiritual bodies. We do not just have bodies; we are bodies. They are not just what we are as people but an essential part of who we are. That is why the body is so important. It has been designed to be a temple of the Holy Spirit rather than an amusement park. Like the human mind, it is meant to live in harmony with God and His Holy Spirit. It was created for eternal life with God, not merely temporal life on earth. No matter how damaged it may actually be, every human body is designed for perfection in eternity" (John Kleinig, Wonderfully Made, p. 4).

On Whataboutism

Progressives have certain tricks in matters of argument, sleight-of-hand techniques in which they commit logical fallacies and then gaslight their opponents by accusing them of logical fallacies. It is so common as to be an architype.

Larry BeaneNovember 26, 2021 Comments

Epic Liturgy

The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender’s inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual.

Anthony DodgersNovember 24, 2021 Comments

Classical Lutheran homiletics: Does the preacher matter?

The preacher matters because God chooses to have His Word proclaimed by men who have hearts, minds, souls, and strengths that should be entirely given over to His purposes.

Preaching, SermonAdam KoontzNovember 23, 2021Preaching, Pastoral Practice, Rhetoric, LCMS Comments

The PURRfect Christmas Pageant Collection

A quick note to the Bradford Exchange:

Larry BeaneNovember 18, 2021 Comments

We Remember the Dissenters, not the Pharaoh

When the “new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” enslaved the Hebrews, he issued an anti-toxic-masculinity post-partum abortion mandate. In response, several faithful women refused to comply.

Larry BeaneNovember 17, 2021 Comments

Gottesblog