ministry

Give them something to eat

January 13, 2010

We’re studying Luke’s Gospel in our Wednesday morning Bible study, and this morning we’ll cover the Feeding of the 5000 (Luke 9.10-17). The Apostles want Jesus to send the people away so they can find food and lodging, but Jesus instead says to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they despair. They have [...]

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The irresponsibility of open communion

October 10, 2009

Important words from Piepkorn: I am suggesting that it is wrong to admit individuals to the Holy Eucharist indiscriminately merely because they are physically present, with no effort to determine if they have been baptized, with no effort to determine their continuing status as members of the church, and with no assurance that they have [...]

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LCMS President Kieschnick responds to ELCA decision affirming homosexual clergy

August 27, 2009

The two largest Lutheran church bodies in the United States are the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with 4.8 million members and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) with 2.4 million members. On Friday, Aug. 21, the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to open the ministry of the ELCA to gay [...]

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Consecration of Deacons

August 9, 2009

At Immanuel, I inherited a practice of a permanent order of men who assist the pastor in the reading of Holy Scripture and distribution of the Sacrament in the Divine Service. They also assist in other ways, such as crucifer for processions and helpers at Holy Baptism. I love and trust these men; they are [...]

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The Office of School-Teacher in the LCMS

June 26, 2009

I’ve often thought that the late Professor Kurt Marquart’s discussion of the one divine office and auxiliary offices in his book The Church: Her Fellowship, Ministry, and Governance (Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics, vol. IX, pp142f) is the most excellent explanation I’ve encountered: [The office of school-teacher] belongs … to the “offices of parents” to see to [...]

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Do our people truly believe in resurrection?

April 11, 2009

It wasn’t until my late twenties, as a newly-minted pastor, that I had my first real encounters with common beliefs about death and afterlife among Christians. My vicarage was at a fairly large congregation, but no one died that year, and I had few family experiences of death at that point. The most significant death [...]

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3 things I love to hear

March 4, 2009

Pastor, will you hear my confession? Pastor, could you visit me and bring the Sacrament? Pastor, I’ve been reading _______/troubled by __________ and wondered if we could talk about it. Sometimes I feel very busy and overwhelmed; but I’m never too busy for these things. Doing them is what makes me happy to be a [...]

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Trinity 26 sermon

November 17, 2008

  It’s never good to be on the left. The left is where the goats are. Today, Jesus tells us about the Day of Judgment. When Jesus, the Son of Man, “comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations [...]

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In memoriam: the educated pastor

October 16, 2008

SED President Diefenthaler is reporting to the district this morning that one-third of our new pastors are being trained “in the field” via the SMP program, among other alternate tacks to ordination. “This is a significant development,” he said. He meant it positively, but I think it is a sign of the end. Pastors of [...]

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The kindness of the Ministry

October 6, 2008

The last few times I’ve been to private confession, I have been struck with this thought afterwards: the Minister is so kind to me. It’s not that the Minister himself is a nice guy – although he is. But that’s not the kindness of which I speak. Many people are nice to me, but that [...]

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