Ever wonder why we Lutherans do what we do in church? 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 first mention of Christian worship in the book of Acts occurs immediately following the account of Pentecost. The… Worship in the Apostolic Era Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Bible History is the substance of our congregations’ educational programs for children. Sunday school and vacation Bible school lessons cover history that God Himself has caused to be recorded so that every new generation can know Him. From accounts such as the Creation, the Flood, and the Passover,… “Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds” TLH Hymn 629, LSB 867 Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Years ago, pastors would sometimes introduce the Creed in the Sunday service with words such as these: “Let us unite with the whole Christian Church on earth in confession of the Christian faith.” That formula, repeated week after week, was a worthwhile reminder of something easily forgotten. When… WS 798 “God We Praise You” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING As we come to receive the Lord’s Supper, what is it that is on our minds? Is it the meaning of the sacrament and the great blessing from God that it is to us? Is it the cares and troubles of life in this world? It is probably… TLH Hymn 305 (LSB 636) “Soul, Adorn Thyself with Gladness” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING In the Old Testament, the kings of Israel were anointed to their office. We read of how Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon as king by pouring oil on his head (1 Kings 1:34, 39). This ceremony of anointing publicly identified Solomon as the one… TLH 59, LSB 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” Read More

One of the blessings that we enjoy as members of a congregation of like-minded Christians is the opportunity for joint prayer. Though the Lord assures us that our individual prayers are both heard and answered, He also encourages us to join our hearts in prayer when we are gathered for worship. He promises that if… TLH 53, LSB 919 “Abide, O Dearest Jesus” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Jesus ended His Sermon on the Mount with an illustration involving two men who built houses; one built on rock, the other on sand. The house built on rock withstood the onslaught of rain, flood, and winds and remained standing, while the one built on sand was destroyed.… TLH 245, LSB 571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING In His instruction on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against the use of “vain repetitions,” or “babbling.” That’s the way of those who don’t know the true God, He says. They think that their god will hear and answer them if only they keep… TLH 146, LSB 434 “Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING A hymn that is written for a special occasion can have a short lifespan. References to specific events and circumstances can make a hymn inappropriate for general use. This could have been the case with a hymn that was first written as a prayer of thanksgiving for a… TLH 568, LSB 785 “We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Our lives consist of periods of work followed by periods of rest. We finish our shift or complete our daily tasks, and then we go home to get a night’s sleep. But all the while that we are sleeping, our God is awake and active. “He who keeps… WS 782, LSB 726 “Evening and Morning” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Christ’s final act before He ascended into heaven was to lift up His hands and bless His assembled disciples. And it was while He was blessing them that He was parted from them and taken up into heaven (Luke 24:50-51). This parting picture of Jesus with His hands… The Lutheran Hymnal 51 “Now May He Who from the Dead” Read More

Christ’s final act before He ascended into heaven was to lift up His hands and bless His assembled disciples. And it was while He was blessing them that He was parted from them and taken up into heaven (Luke 24:50-51). This parting picture of Jesus with His hands raised in blessing is most meaningful, a… “Now May He Who from the Dead” The Lutheran Hymnal 51 Read More

The creation account gives surprisingly little attention to the stars. It tells us that on the fourth day God made lights and placed them in the sky, but it calls our attention mostly to the sun and the moon. The stars almost seem to be just mentioned: “He made the stars also.” Yet the stars,… WS 717 “Bright and Glorious Is the Sky” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING Listen to hymn at: http://lutherantacoma.com/hymns/609.mp3 We know that trials will always be a part of every believer’s life, for the Bible tells us that “we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22) But we would never go looking for trials, nor would we… TLH 609 “Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying” Read More

A HYMN OF GLORY LET US SING (THIRTY-THIRD IN A SERIES) On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through a village where He was met by a group of ten men who were afflicted with leprosy. Not daring to approach too closely—for lepers were forbidden close contact with the general population—they called out to Him… TLH 6, LSB 924 “Kyrie, God Father in Heaven Above” Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped… Does My Name Belong on This List? Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather… The Calculation of Faith Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they… Faith’s Journey Ends in Our Homeland Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things… A Window to the Unseen World Read More

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of… One Sacrifice for Sins Read More