The gospel in song
Luther’s first congregational hymn puts the gospel right where it belongs: in the mouths of God’s people. Not everyone rejoiced when Luther’s first congregational hymn “Dear Christians, One and All,…
Q&A: Should Christians pray to saints?
My in-laws are Catholic. They ask people in heaven to ask God to help them. They also ask Mary to ask Jesus to help them. What do I say about…
The need for a bold confession
“Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Public ministers of the gospel are called to serve
Priests in the Middle Ages had two primary tasks: Correctly perform the sacraments of the church to earn God’s grace on behalf of the people and listen to confession. The…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: God’s different work in two kingdoms
There has always been tension between the church and government. At various times and places in history, the government has tried to wipe out the church. At other times, the…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Living a life of repentance
When Martin Luther posted his Ninety-five Theses, he was seeking a debate on the issue of indulgences, especially as they related to the repentance of the Christian. He emphasized this…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: The means of grace
As Martin Luther carried out his reformation, there were other reform movements at work throughout Europe (Anabaptists, Zwinglians, Calvinists). He was often critical of these other movement. He opposed them…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Faith alone
How does a person have a right to stand before God and obtain eternal life? The Bible presents two answers. Perfect obedience of all the commandments is one answer. Jesus…
What it means to be truly Lutheran: Original sin
“There’s a little bit of good in everyone.” “Such a cute baby . . . so innocent.” “Everyone’s got the choice to be good or bad. We just have to…
