How Lutheran Hymns Lost Their Monopoly in the Missouri Synod
An opinion piece by Paul Raabe on what happened to traditional hymns in American Christianity
The Political Temptation Facing Churches and Ministers
Politics dominates nearly every aspect of American culture. What’s the church to do?
Strong on Doctrinal Topics But Weak on the Books of the Bible
Paul Raabe on how the Bible often plays second fiddle
Is the Goal To Be “Distinctively Lutheran”?
The problem with a slogan
Six Elephants in the Room
Paul Raabe follows up on the lively discussion he started with “A Geographical Mismatch.”
A Geographical Mismatch
What do we do with a flyover church body in a bicoastal country?
My Greatest Hope for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation
Is it time for a new ecumenical creed?
Lutheran Churches charged with Anti-Semitism
According to JNS News (8/17/2016), Special Envoy to the United Nations Laurie Cardoza-Moore criticized the ELCA’s resolution that the U.S. stop giving military aid to Israel. She said, “The Lutheran Church’s decision to single out the Jewish State for rebuke is nothing short of anti-Semitic heresy based on its anti-Semitic roots. It would seem that ..
Proper 11 • Luke 10:38-42 • July 17, 2016
By Paul R. Raabe The Gospel lesson appointed for the ninth Sunday after Pentecost is the Mary and Martha account. It illustrates the priority of the word over food. The psalm for that day prays, “Teach me your way, O Yahweh” (Ps 27:11). That prayer expresses the desire of Mary. When tempted, Jesus himself said, ..
Do Non-Lutherans Pay Attention to LCMS Theology?
…or is it the best kept secret in American Christianity?
Epiphany 4 • Luke 4:31–44 • January 31, 2016
By Paul R. Raabe This gospel lesson records part of Jesus’s Galilean ministry, after he went down from Nazareth to Capernaum. Here we see Jesus teaching, casting out demons, and healing the sick. It is important when preaching on this text to put it into the right slot or category. Here the malady is not human ..
Reflections on the state of Biblical Studies
. . . from the SBL Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia (Nov 21-24, 2015)
Easter 3 • 1 John 3:1–7 • April 19, 2015
by Paul R. Raabe During the Easter season the epistle lessons come from 1 John. The epistle lesson appointed for the third Sunday of Easter is 1 John 3:1–7. Here is the helpful translation and lineation given by Bruce Schuchard in his commentary on the Johannine Epistles: See what kind of love the Father has given us, that ..
Lectionary@Lunch Live – 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Paul Raabe continues the discussion of the Old Testament pericopies in Advent Year B
Easter 7 • Acts 1:12–26 • June 1, 2014
By Paul R. Raabe Acts 1:12–26 narrates what the followers of Jesus did after his ascension. They remained in Jerusalem as Jesus had commanded (Acts 1:4). Luke names the eleven disciples and then summarizes that they were together in unity dedicated to prayer. “All these were continuously devoted (present participle) with one accord to prayer together with women, also ..
Innocent Suffering: A Lenten Thought
In the piety of Lenten self-reflection, the confession of our sin holds a prominent place. Especially for Lutherans who recognize that, as simul iustus et peccator, our confession of sin is comprehensive. The words of Isaiah 64 quickly become our own: “we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like ..