Preachrblog

An interesting article with a hypothesis about the connection between terrorism in Islam and the practice of polygamy (multiple wives) . While I don't agree with the evolutionary framework or the suggestion at the end, the idea that "polygamy creates dysfunctional societies" certainly makes sense to my biblically-informed worldview. God made marriage for good reason(s!). When you mess with what God made, bad things happen....

Issues, Etc. (at KFUO.ORG ) Wednesday, July, 27 has a program on blogging, with guests Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer and Sandra Ostapowich . You can download and listen to it for free!

I have recently read the CPH published book, "The Anonymous God" edited by David Adams and Ken Schurb (that's the Amazon link, the CPH link is here ). A colleciton of writings mulling the topic of "civil religion", it was helpful in understanding where we have been, as well as where we are when it comes to the intersection of "government and God" in the U.S. Here is an interesting article which pertains to the topic. While the article seeks to prove America is a Christian nation by citing references to God in state constitutions, it is an "anonymous God", for I failed to notice any references to JESUS CHRIST therein. For your information: Here's the article.

10th Sunday after Pentecost – July 24th, 2005 Matthew 13:44-52 “You are the Treasure!” I. Introduction – Pretend with me for a moment that it is the day of your death. The doctors have told you that there is nothing more they can do. Your family stands around your bedside helpless to prevent your death from coming. It no longer matters how much money you have, how expensive your house is or the kind of car that you drive. Your education and your job are now meaningless and now you have only a past with no future. But as you lay there in bed a song from childhood keeps going through your mind: “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” Now pretend with me again. Jesus has returned to judge the living and the dead….and now you stand before him and see him with your own eyes. And as you stand before him you fully understand why he is the most valuable treasure you have in all of life for your eternal destiny of eternal life or eternal damnation will be sealed. For Jesus says:...

In Christ, The Love Of God Is Sure Tune: Magdalen (“My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less” Hymn # 368 from Lutheran Worship) Based on Romans 8:35-39 In Christ, the Love of God is sure, In Christ, we ever rest secure, Though facing death the whole day long, We sing the conqueror’s vict’ry song: In Christ the love of God is found, In Christ, to God we’re ever bound. No trouble sore, no hardship drear, No persecution need we fear, No peril, famine, want nor sword, Can sever us from Christ our Lord, In Christ the Love of God we know, That love which conquers every foe. Not life nor death, nor spirit pow’rs Not present times nor future hours, No lowly depth nor airy height, No threat brought on by earthly might, Nor other thing in all the world Can break God’s love in Christ our Lord. © Thomas E. Chryst, 2005.

Daring in St. Louis My first time attending the Higher Things Youth Conference was this July. We gathered in St. Louis, my former place of residence while attending seminary. Some 1500 or so attendees (mostly youth, of course) joined us. And it was hot. Really, really, hot. We arrived just in time to register and get a seat for opening worship, which was held in the college church (of St. Francis Xavier). What a beautiful gothic building this was! Nice and cool too. This very ornate, formal, echo-friendly chamber would serve as the setting for most of the conference chapel services. The choice of an excellent venue was as signal of what type of worship would take place there. The liturgical excellence of the conference worship was seen in the leaders’ great attention to detail. While purposely formal, the pastors who preached and performed the liturgy modeled a solemnity and seriousness that served to focus one on the event, and lent a tone that was wonderfully reverent. The ...

Hey, all. Having a great time at the Higher Things "DARE TO BE LUTHERAN" conference (see previous post). Wish you were here, unless you already are! While checking my email and the news stories of the day, I ran across the following article regarding the ELCA. It uses the allusion to Jesus' words, "A house divided against itself cannot stand..." I find another biblical text to be applicable here, from Daniel 5, 5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote....25 "This is the inscription that was written: Mene , Mene , Tekel , Parsin Here's the ELCA article: Conservative Lutherans Tell ELCA 'Not to Divide Our House' Leaders of Solid Rock Lutherans, Inc., a large reform movement within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has announced their movement's strong opposition to ELCA proposals that would ...

We are off, as of Tuesday (tomorrow) morning, to St. Louis for the Higher Things conference, "Dare To Be Lutheran". This is the first HT conference I will attend, and I am looking forward to see how it compares to the national youth gatherings hosted by our synod. So far, I am fairly impressed with this organization, the magazine, and their expressed approach to "youth ministry". I know some other Lutheran bloggers will be there, and I look forward to meeting you. I will also try to give an evaluation of the conference here on the blog once I return. If you are interested in finding out more about Higher Things, of course you can go here, to their website.

I hate this phrase. "Hate the sin and love the sinner". God does not do this. It simply aint in the book. Rather, we read: Psalm 5:4-6 (New International Version) 4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. 6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors. Apparently God hates the sin AND the sinner. This is his justice, his righteousness. So then how do we square this with John 3:16? "For God so loved the world..." (assuming the world is full of those who "do wrong"). The answer, my friends, is found in the paradox of Law and Gospel. The Lord who hates sins AND sinners also LOVES sinners - so much that he sends his own Son to save us. This is a deep mystery. But God will not angrily send people's SINS to hell. He will send sinners. He does not separate sins fr...

Predestined, Oh, What Comfort Here Tune: O Jesu Christe, Wahres Licht (Hymn # 314 from Lutheran Worship “O Christ, Our Light, O Radiance True”) Based on Romans 8:28-30 Predestined, oh, what comfort here, To know you Lord, who calms our fear, Who works for good for all who love, Him who reigns, thron’d, in heav’n above. Called by your Spirit, in your word, There in our hearts, true faith is stirred. Make us like Christ; our lives conform. Sanctify, strengthen and reform. Justified by the blood of Christ What precious treasure, pearl of price. There at the cross, your love complete. There in your son, we are redeemed. Glorified, yet, with glory to come, When, in your time, we reach our home. When heaven’s gates are opened wide, With you forever, to reside. © Thomas E. Chryst, 2005.

My wife saw this story on the nightly news, and I googled it. Sounds like a rather unusual, but perfectly ethical use of stem cells. Notice, no human beings are destroyed in the process... Foot wounds dangerous to diabetics Monday, July 04, 2005 By Kathleen Longcore The Grand Rapids Press GRAND RAPIDS -- Dennis Rogers is still trying to heal a foot burned by hot grease last Thanksgiving when he was taking the turkey out of the oven while in his stocking feet. For most people, a burn like his would have healed in a month. But Rogers, 54, is diabetic, and he still has an open sore on his right foot. Foot and leg wounds that don't heal are dangerous complications of diabetes that can lead to infection and amputations, said Dr. Richard Hodgson, a wound care specialist at Spectrum Health. However, they are common, with about 2.5 million people in the United States suffering from a chronic unhealed foot or leg wound. [and later in the article] Rogers, a Greenville father of 10, said tw...

I would like to have a discussion on the appropriateness of Lutheran Clergy making political comments/observations in the form of a blog. I have been thinking about this for some time, as it is the convergence of three topics I find very interesting personally. To the current time, I have chosen NOT to make political comments (I mean national, secular politics, etc..) in the context of my blog. I understand that as a private citizen I am free to participate in the left hand kingdom. But as a pastor, functioning in the right hand kingdom, I think it would be inappropriate for me to speak of politics in a public fashion. (Just to be clear, I do think that moral issues are fair game - even those that overlap into the realm of politics - like abortion, euthanasia, etc...) I know some Christian clergy have no qualms about political endorsements and electioneering, even inviting candidates to take the pulpit. I expect that most Lutheran clergy, especially of the LCMS and more conservati...

Will this never end? What next, movie tag? Pet tag? Food tag? Favorite color tag? Ok, Ok, Ok. I will play along. Pastor Stiegemeyer smacked a tag on me, and I respect that. So here goes: My "probably best song ever" candidates: - "A Mighty Fortress" (had to throw in a hymn here) - "One" by U2. Actually, most songs by U2. - "For the Beauty of the Earth" by John Rutter (composer) - "Anna Godda Da Vida" (sp?) by Iron Butterfly. Especially the drum solo. - "Heaven" Los Lonely Boys - "Traffic" by Techno-Dj Tiesto - "Rain King" by Counting Crows. Actually, most songs by them. - "Played A-Live" (The "Bongo" Song) by Safari Duo Is that enough? I TAG: Bob Waters , Tim the Enchanter , and Disgruntled World Citizen

Lord, Holy Spirit, Pray For Us Tune: Erhalt Uns, Herr (“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” Hymn # 334 from Lutheran Worship) Based on Romans 8:26-27 Lord, Holy Spirit, pray for us With groans that words cannot express For, we, not knowing what to pray Trust you to know what best to say. Lord, Holy Spirit, pray for us Your called and holy temples bless, That in accord with God’s own will Our lives with heaven’s blessings fill. Lord, Holy Spirit, pray for us As by your power we confess When God does search our heart and mind Then his own Spirit he will find. © Thomas E. Chryst, 2005.

This came to me via Grace member Bill Kindschy. Thanks, Bill. Very funny. You Know Your Church Is A Redneck Church if ... The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one. ... People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em. ... When the pastor says, "I'd like to ask Bubba to help take up the offering," five guys and two women stand up. ... Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday. ... A member of the church requests to be buried in his 4-wheel-drive truck because "It ain't never been in a hole it couldn't get out of." (Love it!) ... The choir is known as the "OK Chorale". ... In a congregation of 500 members, there are only seven last names in the church directory. ... Baptism is referred to as branding". ... High notes on the organ set th...

After my recent letter in the local paper refuting the UCC pastor who supports homosexuality, I expected to get the usual hate-mail response. Today it came, and it actually made me laugh out loud. A card, actually, which read on the cover, "What Jesus Said About Homosexuality". When you open the card, the inside is blank. So, if I am to understand this right, if Jesus didn't speak directly against it, then it's ok, right? Then we must also list as acceptable moral beahviors: -child abuse -money laundering -insider trading -polygamy -voter fraud -impersonating a police officer -domestic violence -abortion Well, I suppose I could do this all day. Too bad these anonymous opponents of mine don't have the courage to engage in a civil discussion of the matter. But then when your position lacks substance - it's hard to do that, isn't it?

“Sowing Seeds of Kingdom Teaching” Tune: O Durchbrecher (“Hail, O Source of Every Blessing” LW #84) Based on Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 Sowing seeds of kingdom teaching, Our Lord taught the crowds that day, From a boat began his preaching, Jesus Christ sat down to say, “Once a farmer, his seed sowing, Cast his handfuls all about, Then the seed began its growing, All in various soils to sprout,” “Some seed fell on trodden places, And the birds snatched it away, Some seed fell in rocky spaces, And survived for just a day, Some seed fell where thorns had rooted, Soon those plants were choked by weeds, Some seed fell in soil that suited, This seed would produce indeed.” “Hear the meaning of the sowing, Of my parable take heed, For the message now I’m showing: God’s word is the kingdom’s seed. Some the message, when receiving, Hardened hearts make hardened soil, On a path far from believing, Satan comes, their faith to foil.” “Some, who hear the kingdom’s calling, Joyful at the first are found,...

7th Sunday after Pentecost July 3rd, 2005 Matthew 11:25-30 “Rest for the Weary” I. Introduction – As we celebrate this holiday weekend, I hope you have a chance to get some rest. Rest isn’t always easy to get, you know. A man had been driving all night and by morning was still far from his destination. He decided to stop at the next city he came to, and parked somewhere quiet so he could get an hour or two of sleep. As luck would have it, the quiet place he chose happened to be on one of the city's major jogging routes. No sooner had he settled back to snooze when there came a knocking on his window. He looked out and saw a jogger running in place. "Yes?" "Excuse me, sir," the jogger said, "do you have the time?" The man looked at the car clock and answered, "8:15". The jogger said thanks and left. The man settled back again, and was just dozing off when there was another knock on the window and another jogger. "Excuse me, sir, do you ...

THE 2005 HOMILETICS AWARD recipients were announced June 30th, 2005. The annual award recognizes and promotes outstanding achievement in effective Christian preaching. It is one of the Acton Institute's many programs designed to assist future religious leaders in developing an understanding of the relationship between morality and the marketplace. This year’s Homiletics Award included entrants from more than 47 different seminaries and universities. Contestants were asked to prepare and preach a sermon targeted toward a group of corporate executives at a weekend retreat. This year, participants preached a sermon based on James 5:1-6 "The Warning to Rich Oppressors" Here's the $2,000 winning sermon that I wouldn't pay a dime for. Jesus mentioned twice by name in the whole thing, neither time to say what he has done for us. And this from a "Lutheran" seminary student?

Today appeared my recent letter to the editor of our local paper, the Racine Journal-Times. You can read the column I was responding to, as well as my letter here . You can also read what some have said in response to my piece, here, at the paper's own blog site.