“Christ was handed over by God into the hands of sinners.” Now normally we think of that expression in terms of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, trial, condemnation, and execution. But “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” He gave His Son to the world. In other words, it was at the birth of Jesus God handed over His Son into the … [Read more...] about God Comes Near Us
November-December 2022
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ
Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) was organized in 2001 by 31 congregation from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that for some time had been dissatisfied with the theological drift of the ELCA. These congregations had previously been part of a reform movement within the ELCA called the WordAlone Network (which … [Read more...] about Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ
Pastor, I Have a Question
The four Gospels relate many instances of Jesus healing the sick and demon-possessed, not just with the power of His Word, but also with the use of His body (touching people, making mud out of spit and rubbing in a blind man’s eyes, etc.). When Jesus performs a healing through the use of His body, is it a display of the genus maiestaticum (the … [Read more...] about Pastor, I Have a Question
Luther’s New Testament Translation: Why should English speakers care today?
I might as well start by admitting the obvious: It’s probably hard to get excited for the anniversary of a German Bible translation when we use English and most of our churchgoers and pastors (understandably) don’t read German today. For us English speakers, however, Luther’s translation is still worth caring about because it demonstrates what … [Read more...] about Luther’s New Testament Translation: Why should English speakers care today?
150 Years of Common Confession
Four leaders comment on common confession and fellowship as we celebrate the unity that has endured for 150 years between the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. | John A. Braun “You believe what?!” When we confess our faith in Jesus and what the Bible teaches, sometimes we hear such a response. At other … [Read more...] about 150 Years of Common Confession
Songs Out of Zion
“What are the three main festivals of the Christian Church Year?” I include this question for extra credit on my Catechism Class tests. How do you think the students do? Most of them get Christmas and Easter, but not many of them get Pentecost—at least not until year two. One way our synod’s pastors emphasize these festivals is with a special … [Read more...] about Songs Out of Zion