By Francis C. Rossow From childhood on we’ve known the scriptural truth that hearing affects living. Only the word of God can create faith in our hearts and good in our lives. The more we hear the word of God, therefore, the stronger our faith and the better our behavior become. Right? Right! A colleague once ..
By Paul Philp Jesus has just concluded speaking words of woe upon the cities where the response to his proclamation among them was ignored and rejected. This word of harsh condemnation makes it clear that those in these cities remain outside of the context of the faith. These are they who do not know the Father, ..
By David Peter Liturgical Context This text is appointed for this date simply because it falls in the sequence of the lectio continua for the gospel readings from Matthew’s Gospel. The theme is that of division, conflict, and strife which inevitably accompany the faithful proclamation of God’s word. The appointed Old Testament reading from Jeremiah 28:5–9 ..
By Jeffrey A. Oschwald Trinity Sunday is “the celebration of the richness of the being of God . . . the occasion of a thankful review of the now completed mystery of salvation, which is the work of the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit.”1 But when we sit down to write a Trinity ..
By R. Reed Lessing “The Fly-Over Lands of our Lives” John’s Use of Water Our Lord’s turning water into wine at the Cana wedding (Jn 2:1–11) makes Jesus the focal point of water symbolism in John’s Gospel. Speaking to Nicodemus, Christ links water and the Spirit (Jn 3:5), while “living water” (Jn 4:7–15) is symbolic of ..
By William W. Schumacher In the Heidelberg Disputation (1518), Martin Luther drew a stark contrast between a “theologian of glory” and a “theologian of the cross,” and that distinction may still make a Lutheran preacher reluctant to dwell on the glory of God in a sermon. But this present text, the first part of our Lord’s ..
Textual Considerations John 14:1–14 serves as the gospel for the previous Sunday, the fifth Sunday of Easter. While John 14:15–21 is the gospel for the sixth Sunday of Easter, the words of Jesus have their setting in the pre-Passion days of our Lord. This study follows the text of NTG and treats the verb τηρήσετε ..
by Charles Arand “And That’s the Rest of the Story” [This text provides an excellent opportunity for instruction on the Trinity. The following provides a potential pattern for how the sermon could be constructed. It moves from our knowledge of God in creation to our knowledge of the Father through Jesus Christ to the trinitarian ..
By Joel P. Okamoto Notes on the pericope This pericope consists of a paroimia (“parable” or “figure” or “illustration”) and part of Jesus’s explanation. The parable follows an exchange recorded in chapter 9 between Jesus and the Pharisees after he had healed the man who was born blind. Jesus had raised doubts about himself by ..
By Travis J. Scholl Does it strike anyone else as odd that the three-year lectionary assigns this classic Lucan text in every year but year C, the “year of Luke”? Nevertheless, here we are in the “year of Matthew” listening to Cleopas and his companion tell of all that happened on the road (v. 35). ..
No, I did not get up early to watch Will and Kate tie the knot. But, to ask the age-old Sesame Street question, is one of things not like the others?
Two CSL students recently had essays recognized and published. The online journal Let’s Talk states their goal as follows: The mission of this journal is to encourage theological reflection, writing and dialogue on issues vital to the life of the Church by publishing articles, essays, and responses authored by lay and professional members of the ..
Renowned preacher, scholar, and hymnwriter Thomas Troeger will keynote the ninth annual Day of Homiletical Reflection at Concordia Seminary, May 11, 2011, 9:00am to 4:15pm
A couple weeks ago Dr. Erik Herrmann discussed the singing of the passion narrative. He and seminarian Dallas Dubke sang Matthew’s narrative in chapel this past Monday. Even as you worship with the Body of Christ over these next days, may this help you in your individual preparations. [FMP width=”480″ height=”360″]http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/FeedEnclosure/csl-public-dz.6769737377.06769737379.7387430175/enclosure.mp4[/FMP]  
Dr. Thomas Troeger will be the featured speaker at the 9th annual Day of Homiletical Reflection – Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Concordia Historical Institute, in cooperation with Concordia Seminary, will host a special exhibit on Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, April 26-May 20, 2011, at CHI museum on the Seminary campus. The exhibit opens with a special event, including lectures by Bob Kolb and Gerhard Bode, on April 26, at 3:45pm