On June 12-15 I attended the Annual Conference for our Association of Free Lutheran Congregations on the campus of the Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary in Plymouth, MN. The whole family went. It was the first time all five of us have gone. We also went a day early so we could watch the… Read More ›
In the Lutheran Church we consider two things to be Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. And they are great gifts to us. We treasure them because God promises to create faith, strengthen faith, and forgive sins through them. Many churches today teach that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are merely symbols. They might consider… Read More ›
Who is Jesus? There are many answers we might give to this question. We might answer by saying what Jesus means to me. “He’s my Savior. He’s my friend. He’s everything to me.” Those answers are good, but the best thing we can do is be as objective as possible. As Christians, we should be… Read More ›
What do you think about when you hear the word “sin”? Do you think about the sinful things you have done? Do you think about the sinful things other people have done? Maybe it’s the things they have done to you, or maybe it’s the sinful activities that are becoming more and more common in… Read More ›
Christians believe things. If you’ve been around Trinity for a little while, you’ve probably noticed that we are a congregation that believes things, and we take our beliefs seriously. And it’s not just me. This attitude isn’t something that a pastor sets, but then if another pastor comes along, things change. The teaching doesn’t change… Read More ›
In Luke 7:36-50, a sinful woman came to Jesus. She wept on his feet, wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with oil. Picture it in your mind. It is a stunning act of worship. It happened at a Pharisee’s home. That Pharisee knew who this woman was, and just how sinful… Read More ›
What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you? Notice I didn’t ask, “What does it mean to you.” That would be too subjective. When we talk about the resurrection of Jesus, we are talking about a real, historical event with eternal implications. So we ask, “What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you?” Because it does impact… Read More ›
Christian hymnody takes us through a wide range of emotions. There are joyful hymns. There are contemplative hymns. There are triumphant hymns. There are peaceful hymns. And there are mournful hymns. During the season of Lent, we get more of the contemplative and mournful hymns. But they’re not devoid of joy. They might not sound… Read More ›
Recently, while we were confessing our sins together, this phrase caught my attention: “Grant us forgiveness of all our sins.” It’s not like I hadn’t noticed the phrase before. It’s the central phrase in the confession of sin. But it struck me how audacious that request is. Who do we think we are, that we… Read More ›
This part of the church year feels a little bit rushed. I’m specifically thinking of the Christmas season (Dec. 25 through Jan. 5) and the beginning of Epiphany (Jan. 6). There is so much biblical ground to cover that we would need to have church three or four times a week to cover it all…. Read More ›