Tuesdays with Forde Presented as the Opening Address at the Eighth International Congress for Luther Research, Gerhard O. Forde, President (Originally printed in the Luther Jahrbuch 62 (1995): 13-27) Exsurqe Domine, et iudica causam tuam! Arise, 0 Lord, and judge your cause!…. Arise O Peter…, Arise thou also, O Paul, we beg thee…Let every saint [...]

LCMS President Dr. Gerald B. Kieschnick issued the following statement on November 20th, in response to an announcement by Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal) leaders to begin work on a proposal for a new Lutheran church body separate from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: In response to actions taken at the Evangelical Lutheran Church [...]

Via LCMS World Mission News At the corner of two dusty streets in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, sits a brand new building. This building is not only unusual because of its new, clean exterior, but because it is the first Lutheran church in Bishkek and the headquarters of the emerging Lutheran church body in Kyrgyzstan, which is [...]

On this day in 1621, poet and cleric John Donne (1572–1631) was elected dean of Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. … any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. Here is one of Donne’s sonnets, “Thou hast [...]

Via Lutheran CORE News ELCA synods will not have the option of upholding traditional Christian teaching on marriage and homosexuality in their standards for pastors and other rostered leaders according to a draft of candidacy rules released Oct. 10 by the ELCA churchwide organization. No synod or bishop may make decisions on ministry standards that [...]

Mondays with Martin “The German Mass and Order of Divine Service, Jan. 1526″ by Martin Luther from Documents Illustrative of the Continental Reformation, B.J. Kidd, ed., (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911), pp. 193-202. (i) The Preface of Martin Luther. Above all things, I most affectionately and for God’s sake beseech all, who see or desire to [...]

Mondays with Martin “On that day the Lord their God will save them, for they are the flock of His people.” (Zecheriah 9:16) Through the Gospel God will gather into one faith, as into one group or flock, those who have been scattered throughout the world and seperated by various ways of teaching. For the [...]

Weekends with Bach COMPOSED:(?) July 15, 1714 (Weimar) for Oculi (Third Sunday in Lent), First and Twentieth Sundays after Trinity, and probably for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity. TEXT: Georg Christian Lehms, Gottgefälliges Kirchen-Opfer (Darmstadt, 1711) 1. ARIA Widerstehe doch der Sünde, Resist in spite of sin, sonst ergreifet dich ihr Gift. lest its poison [...]

Weekends with Bach BWV 2 Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein Second Sunday after Trinity. Poet unknown. 1. Martin Luther, verse 1 of the hymn, based on Ps. 12, 1524 (Wackernagel, III, #3); 2-5. based on verses 2-5; 6. verse 6 of the hymn. 18 June 1724, Leipzig. BG 1; NBA I/16. 1. Chorus [Verse [...]

Franz Friday Via Franz Pieper, Kirche und Kirehenregiment – Dreiundzwanzigster Synodal Berieht der Allgemeinen Deutschen Ev. Luth. Synode von Missouri, Ohio und Andern Staaten, [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1896, p. 40-41] Our entire synodical arrangement has the very opposite purpose. Through it we work to assist one another so that the Word of God [...]

Thursdays with Iwand Excerpts from “Faith & Knowledge” (1962) The ‘homo-religiosus’ is precisely the person under the law. This is the new ‘post-Schleiermacher-knowledge’ which makes theology today the most exciting and important matter. If that be true, what is going to happen to atheism, what to the church, what to science?… Jesus Christ alone stands [...]

Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. (Psalm 24:8) Today in 1861, abolitionist Julia Ward Howe (1819–1910) wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” It was during the darkest days of the Civil War, and Howe on a visit to Washington was touring a local Union [...]

On this day in 1095, Pope Urban II opened the Council of Clermont, which was attended by both clerics and several laymen, who had been invited at Urban’s request. Urban’s speech given on the 27th of November marks the beginning point of the first crusade. In the version written by Fulcher of Chartres, the only [...]

Wednesdays with Augustine Via The Harmony of the Gospels Chapter I.—On the Authority of the Gospels. 1. In the entire number of those divine records which are contained in the sacred writings, the gospel deservedly stands pre-eminent. For what the law and the prophets aforetime announced as destined to come to pass, is exhibited in [...]

Here is the handout from Bob and Cathy Mattson for Christ the King Sunday. Christ the King (.doc) Christ the King (.pdf) 09 Christ the King Sunday

Tuesdays with Forde Caught in the Act

Mondays with Martin Via Luther’s “Introduction” to the Commentary on Romans Faith is not that human notion and dream that some hold for faith. Because they see that no betterment of life and no good works follow it, and yet they can hear and say much about faith, they fall into error, and say, “Faith [...]

Mondays with Martin A Sermon by Martin Luther August 27, 1525 Dear friends, you have often heard that there has never been a public sermon from heaven except twice. Apart from them God has spoken many times through and with men on earth, as in the case of the holy patriarchs Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, [...]

Weekends with Bach BWV 61 Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland I First Sunday in Advent. Erdmann Neumeister, Geistliche Poesien (Eisenach, 1714) and Fünffache Kirchenandachten (Leipzig, 1717); Facs: Neumann T, p. 293. 1. Martin Luther, verse 1 of the German adaptation of Veni redemptor gentium, 1524 (Wackernagel, III, #16); 4. Rev. 3:20; 6. Philipp Nicolai, conclusion [...]

Have you ever been puzzles by Lutheran events that include a “free will offering?” Why not use a “bound will offering,” and make a teaching moment out of it? Moreover, as one of my parishioners once said, “When you’ve got free will, you don’t get much.” Of course something like an offering might be a [...]

And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not go after them. (Luke 21:8) Paul T. McCain published a warning today at Cyberbrethren concerning some of the false prophets of this present evil age. Not [...]

Franz Friday Pieper, St. L. III: 1887 The question how the theologian attains subjective certainty, how he attains personal assurance of the truth of the Christian doctrine (erkenntnis-theoretische Frage), is much discussed today. The moderns, both of the “conservative” and the “liberal” wing, raise the “problem,” and some of their spokesmen are free to confess [...]

Update: for a running list of informational meetings on LCMC, go to Friends of LCMC Several meetings are being organized around the country to inform people about Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. Check the ist below, or contact LCMC, to see if there is one near you. Sunday, November 15th @ 1:30 PM Bethany [...]

Thursdays with Iwand Via Hans Iwand, Glaubensgerechtigkeit nach Luthers Lehre, p. 193 Jesus Christ alone stands among us all as true human being – this is the significance of his incarnation… Ergo, the incarnation of Christ is the very opposite of the deification of Adam. The crucified, ‘as true human being,’ stands in a world [...]

Here is a hymn for today from Anne Steele, who died on this day in 1778 (b. May 1716). For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious [...]

Wednesdays with Augustine Of the Letter and the Spirit Chapter 15 [IX.] – The Righteousness of God Manifested by the Law and the Prophets. Here, perhaps, it may be said by that presumption of man, which is ignorant of the righteousness of God, and wishes to establish one of its own, that the apostle quite [...]