“Bible Sunday” — November 23, 2014
It was December 1941. Two noteworthy things were about to happen within hours of each other. First, there was the kick-off of the first-ever National Bible Week, which was to begin on Monday, December 8th.…
Look to Jesus When the Assignment is Tough
Professor Paul Schaller • Eau Claire, Wisconsin “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9) When Jesus proposed to…
A Prayer For Our Pastor
In his retirement Pastor Emeritus Arthur Schulz, Black River Falls, Wis.,
has perused archived copies of Lutheran periodicals for hymns and poems and shared them with our pastors. This hymn—which may be sung to the tune of TLH #483—first appeared in the Lutheran Witness of January 29, 1946. It was written by Adela Kretzmann Weber of Canton, Ohio.
The Reformation Blessing Above All Others
Many blessings of the Reformation of the 1500’s still affect us today.
We could mention having a Bible translation in our native tongue, having many hymns to sing praises to God, putting into practice the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers (that Christ has given every believer—not just to the pope and his priests—the keys to forgive or to retain sins), and parents and pastors using Luther’s Small Catechism to instruct children in the basic Bible teachings.
What is a Lutheran (according to Luther)?
You meet a new colleague and to your surprise you discover she is a Lutheran. You are delighted to find you have this in common.
In the course of time, however, after several discussions you realize your colleague does not believe God created the world in six days, as the Bible says. Then, come to find out, she doesn’t really believe the account of Jesus’ resurrection is to be taken literally. When it really comes down to it, she isn’t even sure there is a literal heaven and is pretty sure there is no such thing as hell.
You finally ask, incredulously, “You call yourself a ‘Lutheran’?”
JOHN BUGENHAGEN
FAITH OF OUR FATHERS: Brief sketches of other influential figures at the time of the Reformation. Includes Bugenhagen, Melanchthon, Jonas, Cranach, Spalatin, and Chemnitz. [These vignettes of men associated with Luther and the Reformation first…
PHILIP MELANCHTHON
[These vignettes of men associated with Luther and the Reformation first appeared in connection with our CLC’s daily website devotions during Reformation season, 2013. Pastor David Schaller, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Sister Lakes, Mich., reports that…
The Reformation Blessing Above All Others
“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud…
Restarting of School— a Wonderful Opportunity!
“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.” 2 Peter 1:12-15
One of the most difficult and challenging things with the restarting of school every fall is what has been called the “summer slide.” During the school year students receive regular reminders combined with the introduction of new material. This helps to keep the material fresh in their memories.
But then comes summertime when those daily reminders are inclined to turn into a three-month moratorium. And it is going to happen that many things have been forgotten.
So it is that during those first days back at school much time is spent reviewing what was taught at the end of the previous school year.
Shooting Our Arrows
Those who lived during the really cold war might recall that there was a red phone in the White House connected directly to one in the Kremlin. You might also have heard someone compare the…