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
The Holy Art of Dying Part V: The Blessed Death
Eaten alive. Roasted on a grill. Lit on fire. Hit with rocks. Skinned alive. If we think about the way we’d like to die, these sorts of deaths never make the list. They are not what we’d call a “good death” or a “blessed death.” And yet these and many other grisly deaths are the means by which the martyrs of the Christian church have entered into … [Read more...] about The Holy Art of Dying Part V: The Blessed Death
Crossing Paths…on the Road to Jericho Part 5
The Friend Who Asks (Mark 10:46-52) It’s the Friday before Memorial Day. Folks at work are discussing their plans for the summer. What if you said you were going to take your family to a big city? An excited colleague might immediately bludgeon you with helpful advice: “You need to see this! You need to do that! You need to stay here! You need … [Read more...] about Crossing Paths…on the Road to Jericho Part 5
Remembering the Service Industry
“Good help is hard to come by!”… or so goes the saying. And whether you’re a consumer, an employer, or an employee, you’ve experienced the reality of this proverb in recent months, perhaps more than ever before. I’ve even noticed an extraordinary social media effort being made by one local restaurant group lately. They’re giving special honor to … [Read more...] about Remembering the Service Industry