Wir sind alle Bettler! Hoc est verum.

The political season is all revved up. Ads, phone calls, and junk mail are taking up time, space, and attention. I am so tired of it all--the half truths, innuendoes, and political posturing. The news media spends much of its valuable time covering this rat race. The other big story is the economy. Are we doing better? Are we doing worse? What is the outlook for the next year? Power and money, numbers and manipulation. Everything focused on changing some number, some count, some indicator. Its… Continue

Positive news from the LCMS Synodical Convention—Matt Harrison has been elected as the new President of the synod. This change at the top is a reason to rejoice, not because of political power issues, but because President Elect Harrison has exhibited a firm commitment to the Holy Scriptures and to the Lutheran Confessions, has sounded a needed note of repentance, and emphasizes the Gospel message proclaimed through Word and Sacraments, which is illustrated in acts of mercy to our neighbor. God… Continue

If you are a political junky like me you know that the phrase, "That's a difficult question," is often used by politicians when they are asked questions on a hot button issue. The purpose of the phrase is multifaceted. This statement makes the person look to be thoughtful, intelligent, and informed. The statement gives the person a moment to collect thoughts without looking like he is unsure how to answer. The statement may signal that the person answering is aware that the hearers may not like… Continue

The Augsburg Confession teaches: "Concerning church government it is taught that no one should publicly teach, preach, or administer the sacraments without a proper [public] call." [Augsburg Confession, Articles of Faith, XIV. Concerning Church Government] (Kolb, R., Wengert, T. J., & Arand, C. P. (2000). The Book of Concord : The confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.] Note that this article is undisputed. It is the norm accepted by the whole… Continue

The smoke and dust rose in an ever increasing pillar. Our beloved city was gone. In a moment of time it was no more. We stood together, in a small cluster, on the hillside, weeping and singing our laments. "Oh, Citadel, fairest of cities, beautiful sanctuary, our home in this new land. Gone! Gone! Nothing remains. Gone!"



We had come to the new land years ago. We were seeking a sanctuary, a place of freedom, a place to worship God in Spirit and truth. The road was long and difficult.… Continue

"Invincible stupidity"—What a great summarization of the shenanigans at LCMS, Inc. in regard to the entire Issues, Etc. debacle. In a recent broadcast Todd and Jeff briefly mentioned the ongoing silliness perpetuated by the Purple Vatican as they try to silence the voice of Confessional Lutherans within the LCMS. After Issues, Etc. (hereafter simply IE) was cancelled, the Purple Vatican (hereafter PV—Purple Vatican) probably thought that IE would simply wither away. The explosion of… Continue

I know you think this is a crazy idea—Flip Wilson, the comedian, who passed away ten years ago for Synod President? Are you kidding? Well, yes I am, in part. Some of you may not even know who Flip Wilson was. Flip Wilson portrayed humorous characters. The most famous was perhaps Geraldine the flirty black woman, "What you see is what you get!" Fewer people outside of Flip's fans will remember that he also portrayed Reverend Leroy, a smooth talking con–artist, "The devil made me say… Continue

Thanksgiving is fast upon us. About seventy-two hours from now the smell of turkey, dressing, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie will begin to fill homes all over America. Thanksgiving is a peculiarly American holiday. It is not technically part of the traditional church calendar, but most churches have a service of thanksgiving of some sort. It is one of the many ways that the church has accommodated itself to the culture of our nation. And rightly so in this instance. There is nothing wrong with… Continue

The following article was written by a Baptist pastor in New Jersey. As an African–American he says some very sobering things about abortion and moral issues in the Black Community that all citizens and all Christians in the USA should take to heart. I am providing the text of this article in full (in two installments) because of its importance at this time.



"The Complete Story on Barak Obama"

by Rev. Clenard H. Childress Jr.



African Americans make up 12% of… Continue

The following article was written by a Baptist pastor in New Jersey. As an African–American he says some very sobering things about abortion and moral issues in the Black Community that all citizens and all Christians in the USA should take to heart. I am providing the text of this article in full (in two installments) because of its importance at this time.



"The Complete Story on Barak Obama"

by Rev. Clenard H. Childress Jr.



The Democratic Party has for years… Continue