Category Archives: Contemporary Worship
Sobriety, Ecstasy, Revivalism, and Church Growth
Here’s a title to rival Lutheran sermon titles from the 17th and 18th centuries. Let’s see if I can make it make sense.
The Relationship Between Trophies for all and Elitism for None
All my kids (I think) played Little League in Louisiana. It was in the mid to late-nineties that one of them came home from his last game with a foot or taller trophy. I know his team was not in … Continue reading
Vermicular Hymns
It started as an ordinary Midweek Lenten Service. Befitting such a somber season the opening hymn was Alas! and did My Savior Bleed. Then we sang “for sinners such as I”. What? Did my ears deceive me? Where did the … Continue reading
State of the Arts
I don’t know whether or not to recommend State of the Arts, a 1991 book by Gene Veith. I’m not an artist. I appreciate art, but his book exposes the limited validity of thinking “I know what I like” is … Continue reading
DIY Thanksgiving and Forgiving
“Today’s Focus Give Thanks to the Lord” was the printed theme for this Thanksgiving service. The subtitle could’ve been “and you can do it if you try really hard”. This is my fourth visit to a Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod … Continue reading
What Every Confessional Lutheran Pastor Should Know
Master of Divinity trained pastors are going to become as rare as hen’s teeth. With upwards of 9 ‘alternate’ and much easier, quicker, and funner ways to ordination, the educated way is going to go by the wayside. So how … Continue reading
Synods Make for Strange Bedfellows
Having been blessedly free of the Lutheran Church Misery Synod overall and its Texas District for 6 years now, I have no standing with either. Truth be told, even for the 36 years I belonged to the former and the … Continue reading
The Excruciating 21st Century
You can say something is excruciatingly funny or that a comedy is excruciating. “But the root sense, all pain, is: ‘to crucify.” The Lain ex functions as an intensive. Cruciare ‘to crucify’ has the generalized sense to torture. That’s from … Continue reading
21st Century High Place – Life.Church
I’ve had my eye on this “church” ever since they bought the building Kohls vacated, tore half of it down, and rebuilt a big box to replace the big box retailer that was there. This really is a Big Box … Continue reading
Give us 18 Minutes, we’ll give you the world
The Satellite News Network (SNC) debuted in 1982 with this slogan. It would be more accurate to say that if you give them 18 minutes they will give you their world, the world as they see it, believe it, edit … Continue reading