Audio for the hymn: A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Defiance—a bad thing, or good? The parents of a defiant teenager might give a very different answer from that given by those who defy illegitimate tyrants. In truth, the moral character of defiance depends on what is being defied. Defiance can be sinful rebellion… TLH Hymn 262 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/417.mp3 Bernard of Clairvaux, whom Luther once called “the most pious monk that ever lived,” said that the office of the public ministry is “Sacerdotium non est otium, sed negotiorum negotium.” Fortunately for me, the source where I came across that quote also contained the translation. The first… TLH Hymn 485 “Lord Jesus, Who Art Come” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Do you remember the last time you felt elated? If you’re an avid Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, it was probably this past February 7th, when “your” team won Superbowl LV. Maybe it was when you caught your largest-ever walleye or bagged a whitetail buck with Boone and Crockett… TLH Hymn 188 “Hallelujah! Jesus Lives!” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/128.mp3 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and… TLH 128 “Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Historically, Lutheran churches have placed great emphasis on the study of the Bible, God’s Word, because that Word is the only true source and norm of theology. Apart from God’s self-revelation, man cannot know truth about God. Apart from God’s self-revelation, all religions would be merely the products… TLH 337 “Our Lord and God, Oh, Bless This Day” Read More

Hymn 383 is referenced to Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Clearly, this Bible passage teaches that only Jesus saves. Numerous other Bible verses teach the same thing. However, many today strongly object to that… TLH 383 “Seek Where Ye May to Find a Way” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Paradox and perspective are two elements which, along with the lofty melody of “Winchester New” (http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/012.mp3), stand out in Henry H. Milman’s Palm Sunday hymn, “Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty.” Paradox A paradox is a statement that seems self-contradictory but which may, in fact, express a profound… TLH 162 Ride On, Ride On, in Majesty Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Can you guess what all the following products have in common? Victor Radio (early 1920’s), Hotpoint Appliances electric range (1928), DuMont Electronics television with AM/FM/Shortwave radios (1948), RCA Victor televisions (1963), Kodak Camera (1977), and Godiva chocolates (2016)? Hint: the common element showed up in their Christmas advertisements… TLH Hymn 85 “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING What do you think of when you hear the term Christian Education? Many CLC members might answer, “Christian day schools,” or “Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary.” Some might think of home schools where both the content and methods of education are governed by Christian parents instead… “Oh, Blest the House, Whate’er Befall” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING “The King of kings, and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:15-16 Because God dwells in inapproachable light, the only source of man’s genuine knowledge… TLH 233 “Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest” Read More

DEVOTION – LENT “But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.”  (Psalm 22:6) When the term “Easter egg” is applied to a movie or other such medium, it does not refer to the hard-boiled and brightly colored eggs that some families hide for their children to… Is This Worm an “Easter Egg?” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Have you ever noticed that “firsts” seem to have special interest for us? We remember them as being particularly notable. For example, • First humans: Adam and Eve, created on the sixth day of Creation. • First President of the United States of America elected after adoption of… “All Praise to Thee, Eternal God” – TLH 80 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-FOURTH IN A SERIES) “What pleaseth God, that pleaseth me.”  (Hymn 529 refrain) One of the Christian’s most important attitudes—and also one of the most difficult to achieve and maintain—is conformity of our will to God’s will.  This is not simply a matter of submitting our will to… I Leave All Things to God’s Direction – TLH 529 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-second IN A SERIES) The doctrine of the Trinity has been called “The supreme mystery which theology is to proclaim.”1 The Bible clearly teaches that there is one and only one God, and that this one true God exists as three separate persons—yet each person individually is fully… TLH Hymn 240 “Father Most Holy, Merciful, and Tender” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-FIRST IN A SERIES) “On Christ’s ascension I now build/ The hope of mine ascension.” (verse 1) When Christ returns on Judgment Day, you, along with all believers, will ascend bodily into heaven, to be forever with Him where there is no sorrow, no tear, and everlasting joy. … “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build” TLH Hymn 216 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-NINTH IN A SERIES) To “take it for granted” is a shorthand way of saying that frequency and abundance of blessings can breed a lack of appreciation for those blessings. That lack of appreciation then hinders thankfulness. That which is part of our usual routine tends to have… TLH Hymn 310 “Thy Table I Approach” Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”   (Hebrews 11:30-31) Hebrews 11 has been called “The Honor Roll of the… The Power of Faith Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-FIFTH IN A SERIES) God had not spoken to His people for 430 years.  More than four centuries had come and gone since Malachi had declared God’s final Old Testament promise, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day… Hymn 272 “When All the World was Cursed” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-SECOND IN A SERIES) Contrary to the oft-repeated cant1 of collectivists, it does not “take a village” to raise a child; it takes parents.  God entrusts parents—not society in general, not educational or governmental institutions, and not villages—with the responsibility of the proper upbringing of children.  This responsibility… Christian Education—Hymn 630 “ Ye Parents, Hear What Jesus Taught” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (NINETEENTH IN A SERIES) Think a moment about your daily prayers. To whom do you pray? The obvious answer would be, “I pray to God, of course.” But press the question a bit further, and you might respond, “I pray to the one true God; the God of… Hymn 226 “Come, Oh Come, Thou Quickening Spirit” Read More