Doctrine
All Hallows’ Eve
Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, Within our culture, October 31 is widely known as Halloween. Most of our culture recognizes this as a day for dressing up to “trick-or-treat.” Many celebrate (or lament) the association this day has with death and horror. But very few recognize the origins of this holiday. The name, “Halloween,” is a shortening of the original name, “All Hallows’ Eve.” Halloween is, properly speaking, the evening before “All Hallows’ Day,” which we know as “All…
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, Each year at the end of October, we celebrate the Reformation. It’s not only an opportunity for a history lesson, but also a great time to refocus our attention on the “eternal Gospel” proclaimed by the church and the angels (Revelation 14:6). In the middle of a world that is in constant flux, forever changing due to the whims of leaders and influencers, God’s Word is eternal and unchanging. As we read in Isaiah…
Humble, Persistent Prayer
Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, This coming Sunday the Gospel readings point us prayer. In Luke 18, we read about the persistent widow who begs for justice. Her story is then followed by the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Taken together these parables point us toward humble, persistent prayer. Prayer is both a command and a gift from God. Prayer has a way of properly orienting us toward God. In prayer we recognize our sinfulness, our…
What is Worship?
Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, This week I was able to join our Wednesday night men’s Bible Study on the Augsburg Confession and an important topic came up. I’ll summarize the topic with this question: What is worship? As with many things, the answer to this defining question will then determine what and how we practice. Many Christians today think that worship is what we do. The idea is that we worship God by offering our prayers, our praise,…
The Heart is Deceitful
Dear Faith Lutheran Church and School, The devil is constantly attacking the human race. He tramples the church and the testimony of Christ in the mud. He lies incessantly. And the hearts of men believe him. For as the prophet Jeremiah reminds us, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) Most of us can see this sickness at work in our world. We see it in those who commit and celebrate…