A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-NINTH IN A SERIES) Several years ago on a family vacation, we were traveling Highway 401 between Toronto and Montreal around one o’clock in the morning. The children were drifting in and out of restless sleep when the headlights illuminated a blue and white sign announcing the “Joseph… Read More »“What a Friend We Have in Jesus” TLH 457, LSB 770 Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service. The three best known New Testament “hymns” all occur in the Gospel of Luke. The Magnificat (Mary’s song when she greeted her relative Elizabeth) in… Read More »SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT: NUNC DIMITTIS Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service. Martin Luther did not ordinarily get involved in telling congregations how to conduct their worship services. He recognized correctly that we have a significant amount… Read More »SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT: THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service. The Proper Perface for the liturgy of the Lord’s Supper often used in our churches (The Lutheran Hymnal, page 24-31) begins with words that have… Read More »SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT: THE PROPER PREFACE Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service. Some pastors begin their worship services by stating a worship theme for the day along with a short explanation of it. This helps people focus… Read More »THE HYMN OF THE DAY Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service. Martin Luther once wrote, “The Alleluia is the perpetual voice of the church, just as the memorial of His passion and victory is perpetual.” The… Read More »THE HALLELUJAH Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our Lutheran worship service. My father was a pastor, so for many years I was there when he led the congregation in worship on Sunday mornings. As a young… Read More »The Salutation Read More

In many of our churches, the customary order of worship includes a section known as the Kyrie (pronounced KEER- ee-eh ). In The Lutheran Hymnal, it can be found on page 7 (also pages 17, 39, 44). The Kyrie as used in the liturgy has a rather interesting history. It comes from a Greek clause… Read More »The Kyrie Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our worship service, beginning with the history of Christian worship itself. When Isaiah saw the Lord in a vision, sitting exalted upon His throne, he was afraid that his… Read More »The Absolution Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our worship service, beginning with the history of Christian worship itself. When the apostle Paul said goodbye to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he told them, “I did… Read More »The Beauty of the Liturgical Year Read More

When a small Lutheran congregation was organized in the southwest corner of lower Michigan in January 1963, the name Redeemer was chosen. Over the years, those who have attended here have been assured that “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed . . . but with the… Read More »Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church Sister Lakes, Michigan Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (SEVENTEENTH IN A SERIES) Death seems final to us. Leaving the room where a loved one has just drawn that last breath, we don’t expect to turn around and meet him for lunch the next day. Our general experience is that the dead stay dead. Yet it has… Read More »“This Joyful Eastertide” WS 733, LSB 482 Read More

Listen to hymn at: http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/493.mp3 Hymn Text: Luke 6:12 ff. Author: Christopher Wordsworth, 1862, cento, alt. Composer: Dimitri S. Bortniansky, 1822, ad. Tune: “St. Petersburg” Public ministers of God’s Word are faced with a challenging task. They bring that Word to bear in a world that increasingly resents it. They must deal with many different… Read More »Hymn 493 “Thou Who the Night in Prayer Didst Spend” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-Third IN A SERIES) SOLA Gratia Although there was some congregational singing before Martin Luther’s time, there is no disagreement that during the Reformation in Germany, the laity were transformed into the “singing church.” New hymnals were published as fast as printers could set up their Gutenberg presses.… Read More »TLH 377, LSB 555 “Salvation unto Us Has Come” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (TWENTY-SIXTH IN A SERIES) It was on the second day of creation that God made the expanse of the sky, and since then He has used it from time to time as something of a billboard for important announcements. Abraham, for example, was told to look up into… Read More »WS Hymn 717 “Bright and Glorious Is the Sky” Read More

Ever wonder why we Lutherans use the form of worship that we do? In this series we examine the depth and meaning of the various elements of our worship service, beginning with the history of Christian worship itself. The word liturgy means “service.” In our worship services, liturgy refers to the order in which we… Read More »The Roman Mass Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-Third IN A SERIES) History indicates that nations or governments almost never last more than five hundred years. By that measure, the United States of America today would be considered middle-aged. Although she may seem a great power that can never be toppled, so did the Roman Empire… Read More »TLH Hymn 577 “God Bless Our Native Land” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-FIFTH IN A SERIES) On what is now known as Maundy Thursday, Jesus gathered in an upper room with His disciples to celebrate the Passover with them before He died. In the course of that evening, He said to them, “I give you a new command: Love one… Read More »LSB 845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING For most, the turning of the year is a time of personal reckoning. We look at where we have been, where we are now, and where we hope to be in the future. Often, this yearly appraisal can be discouraging because we notice how many things we have… Read More »“Evening and Morning” WS 782; LSB 726 Read More

Because of editing deadlines, I am writing this Easter piece for the Spokesman today, though Easter itself lies many weeks in the future. Looking out my office window, I see nothing but snow, the thermometer stands at -9° F, and most schools in the state are closed for the next two days. It’s the end… Read More »Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain TLH 204, WS 726, LSB 487 Read More