Here is an essay that I wrote about the javelin like nature of the Word of God that’s a bit too long for an article on BJS. I’ve included the excerpt here and then included the PDF file for you to read the remainder of it.   The chief god in Scandinavian mythology, Odin, carried a javelin called Gungnir. This javelin was no ordinary javelin, for it was created by a group of dwarves known as the Sons of Ivaldi. It was fashioned from the holy wood of Yggdrasil, a tree centered in the cosmos that reached to the heavens.   More…

Talking points are concise statements that are used to support a side of an issue. Such statements can either develop through popular use or are designed by political think tanks in order to tactically frame public opinion to their favor. Frankly, everybody has talking points. Republicans and Democrats have them. Atheists and Christians have them. The Pro-choice movement and the Pro-life movement have them. Talking points are not inherently bad and I am certainly not advocating that we dismiss them. It is helpful to have pithy statements in order to clarify positions. It is healthy to have succinct avowals that   More…

Here is an article that I wrote about Predestination that’s a bit too long for an article on BJS. I’ve included the first few paragraphs here and then included the PDF file for you to read the remainder of it.   Predestination, Why Bother? A Facebook friend once asserted to me that the historical controversies, as well as the present ongoing debates, over the doctrine of predestination are nothing more than opposing sides stirring up trouble by arguing over linguistic nuances; hence, to become engaged in the controversy over predestination is to be pulled into a futile theological war. Is   More…

Evangelicals face very large hurdles, obstacles, and bring with them several presuppositions that need to be addressed and resolved during their Lutheran catechesis process. Research conducted in this area through the author’s ongoing and unpublished Major Applied Research Project at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis will serve in a foundational manner to this teaching aid. This catechesis aid is not designed to replace the catechism curriculum of the local Lutheran parish. Otherwise stated, this aid is not to be a substitute for the Small Catechism, it does not function independently from a more comprehensive catechism curriculum. Rather it is an educational   More…

Early on in my ministry I downplayed the sacraments of baptism and communion. I believed the church growth ideologies that said the sacraments were stumbling blocks to the growth of the church and that if I wanted to be a successful pastor I needed to downplay these supposedly controversial Lutheran teachings. The problem with de-emphasizing the sacraments though, as many Lutheran pastors have done and are tempted to do, is that you may lose Lutheranism. Yes, the sacraments are inseparable from Lutheranism, for they are not secondary doctrines or a matter of adiaphora.  Rather, the sacraments have a primary place   More…

So, let’s have a quick lesson on the teachings of Plato. In Platonic thought there are two categories. In the first category there is the true essence; the wonderful perfect form of something; the ideal. Then in the other category there is the visible copy of the ideal in the here and now. Confused? Yes, I get confused in thinking about this stuff too. Let me see if I can boil it down a little more simply. Take a baseball bat for example. In Platonic thought/philosophy there is a perfect bat that exists ‘out there’ (i.e., the good form) and   More…

The journey from American Evangelicalism into Confessional Lutheranism is a long, difficult, and sometimes scary road. The journey is neither something that just happens overnight, nor is it an easy shift. The shift has linguistic, emotional, worldview, and epistemological challenges that accompany it, thus producing a great deal of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty for the individual. Not only does one experience this shift ideologically, but one also experiences misunderstandings, hesitations, and struggles with the changes from non-liturgical worship settings to the worship practices of the Lutheran liturgy. In order explore this subject more thoroughly I conducted a survey several weeks   More…

Another great post found over on Ad Crucem (To the Cross) by our very own Pastor Matt Richard — posted on BJS by Norm Fisher.   Ezekiel 2:1-5 says, “And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and   More…

It has been said before that the church is in need of a continuous reformation. In other words, this call for reformation is a plea for the church to daily reclaim her fundamental roots. The reason why the church is in need of constant reformation is that we as sinners are prone to wander; we are prone to leave the God that we love. Due to the tactics of the old Adam, there is a tendency for churches to drift away from a Christ-centered and Christ-crucified Gospel to an ‘ism.’ Generally speaking, the church will drift into one of the   More…

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is   More…

Thank you to all of you who have donated so far to the colloquy fundraiser campaign that began March 22nd on BJS.  The proceeds from this fundraiser will help me in my colloquy transition, a transition that will allow me to join the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.  As you can see from the thermometer to the right, we are almost to our goal of getting the entire $5,000 matched by a generous BJS reader.  Right now, with the $4,846 that has been donated, I have received $9,692 in funds to be applied to my summer colloquy tuition, colloquy moving expenses,   More…

During my past 9 years of pastoral ministry the discussion with Evangelicals that has resulted in the most confusion, tension, and conflict is most definitely the dialog over infant baptism. Otherwise stated, in my humble opinion there is nothing more offensive to our Evangelical brothers and sisters (those who believe that it is only proper to baptize those who are able to make a profession of faith) than the Lutheran view of infant baptism. Now, for you lifelong Lutherans you may find this hard to believe, how a precious gift from God can cause such strain, but it is true   More…

In case you have not heard the news yet, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple has signed legislation that would ban most abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected, something that can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. With the signing of this legislation, North Dakota is now thrust into the national spotlight and social media pages are full of dialog on this issue. Some individuals are posting on social media websites that they are, “Proud to be a North Dakotan,” whereas others are, “Grateful that they are not living in that backwards state!” Obviously there are   More…

In Bible studies I have at times asked a provocative question to stimulate discussion, “Who is the world’s greatest sinner? Who is the most sinful; the vilest person the world has ever known?” In response to this question I often get answers like, Bin Laden, the Unibomber, Hitler, Ted Bundy, Saddam Hussein, etc… After several moments of brainstorming on this subject, I usually throw out an uncharacteristic answer to simply grab people’s attention, “What about Jesus Christ?” Without hesitation I find that I am bombarded with dropped jaws and thoughts of, “I don’t know if our pastor is serious, trying   More…

Many people are unaware that before ministry I was a finance and economics major in college. In fact, during my senior year of college at Minot State University I was hired by American International Group (i.e., AIG). This new job position forced me to study and take what is called the Series 6 and Series 63. These securities tests allowed me to work with mutual funds, unit investment trusts, variable annuities, and municipal fund securities. With my schooling I also received a great deal of business management skills. For example, through classes in strategic management and risk management I was   More…