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Picking the Perfect Lutheran Name
By Vanessa Rasanen The job of naming someone is quite daunting, isn’t it? Sometimes I think Adam sure had it easy. You know, aside from that whole plunging the entire world and all of creation into sin… But really, he gave names to all the creatures and to his wife, and I’m guessing he didn’t have quite the same issue we have today where every other name considered is tainted by some person we’ve met, character we hate, or abominable figure in history. He didn’t have to worry about what initials spelled or whether they rhymed with swear words or embarrassing bodily functions. He just picked a name, and there it…
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Growing Up: Remembering the Saints
By Emily Cook “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It is a common question that leads to an entertaining conversation around our dinner table. “I want to be a mommy and have ten babies when I grow up!” “I want to be a car fixer!” “I’m going to give spankings when I grow up.” While we may occasionally get a glimpse into what is important to each child as they answer this question, more often we just get a good laugh. Children really cannot comprehend life that far in the future. As we all know, kids tend to think that life is going to stay just…
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On This Veteran’s Day
By Ellie Corrow The Christian can walk a very dangerous pilgrim road, riddled with doubt, fear, complacency, and temptation that can easily lead a defenseless sheep astray. Our Lord did not desire that His sheep would be without defenders of their souls, so He gave to His church pastors who would feed His sheep His very body and blood, comfort and admonish them with His Word, direct them on the correct path, and defend them from Evil One with the keys to the Kingdom. Indeed, though the road seems perilous, Christ Himself intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. He cares about our protection, and the security…
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Our Freedom to Give
By Vanessa Rasanen People aren’t perfect. You’re shocked, I know. We screw up — sometimes in big ways. We get angry. We covet our neighbors’ livelihood. We struggle with lust. We choose to sleep in instead of cherishing God’s Word and Sacrament. We are sinners (Romans 3:23). Enter God’s Word. That awesome Word gives us the slap upside the head we need, teaches us how we ought to behave, and then soothes that stinging with the sweet balm that is salvation through Christ Crucified. It’s all we need from our Father in Heaven: Discipline. Correction. Forgiveness. The Word of God can sting, though. I mean, it delivers a swift kick…
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Article XXVI: Of the Distinction of Meats
It has been the general persuasion, not of the people alone, but also of those teaching in the churches, that making Distinctions of Meats, and like traditions of men, are works profitable to merit grace, and able to make satisfactions for sins. And that 2] the world so thought, appears from this, that new ceremonies, new orders, new holy-days, and new fastings were daily instituted, and the teachers in the churches did exact these works as a service necessary to merit grace, and did greatly terrify men’s consciences, if they should omit any of these things. 3] From this persuasion concerning traditions much detriment has resulted in the Church. 4]…
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Article XXV: Of Confession
Confession in the churches is not abolished among us; for it is not usual to give the body of the Lord, except to them that have been previously examined and absolved. And 2] the people are most carefully taught concerning faith in the absolution, about which formerly there 3] was profound silence. Our people are taught that they should highly prize the absolution, as being the voice of God, 4] and pronounced by God’s command. The power of the Keys is set forth in its beauty and they are reminded what great consolation it brings to anxious consciences, also, that God requires faith to believe such absolution as a voice…
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A Litany Primer
By Mary Abrahamson Embracing the richness of this beautiful prayer Sometimes we hear or read churchly words and feel like they are far above us. We don’t understand their history, or why such high-falootin’ kinds of words have to be used. In short, they don’t have to be used. But they have been used for generations of church and home worship. And these words are part of the rich history of Christianity. These complicated sounding words define a shared tradition that unites us with all of the Holy Christian Church throughout time. In this article I’m going to share what I’ve learned about the Litany so that…
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Have You Noticed the Change?
By Keri Wolfmueller A prayer request for the Scheer family. “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” 2 Corinthians 1:11 Dear Readers, We feel it has become time to share with you an important event happening in the life of this blog’s creator and Editor, Holly Scheer. Perhaps you have noticed a change around here. Maybe there hasn’t been the consistency you’ve come to expect. Maybe you’ve noticed there are fewer posts. Does it seem a bit disorganized? There is a reason. Holly has another vocation aside from the Editor…
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Miss Mary’s Rules for Love and Marriage
By Mary Abrahamson Much has been written within (and without) our Confessional Lutheran circles on the topic of dating and finding a Christian spouse. So, let me cut to the chase. There is no Mr Right. That said, here are the words of wisdom on the topic that I try to implant into my daughters as they approach the age to begin thinking of marriage. Do you and your guy share the same life foundation (aka RELIGION!)? Yes, we can all point to wonderfully strong Lutheran couples who did not start out sharing the same Lutheran vision. But we can also point to couples who did not start out…
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A Mother’s Confession
By Vanessa Rasanen This morning I failed. Despite every effort to tackle those few hours of solo-parenting with grace and love and patience, I was running around like a banshee. The kids — though dressed, fed, and happy — weren’t listening. They were outright ignoring me, disobeying, and breaking the fourth left and right. And I was flipping out. The playroom was a pit. The roast needed to get in the slow cooker. The dogs needed to be kenneled. One kid needed water. One needed help opening the sippy cup. Another needed a diaper change. And my coffee — my poor, sad, neglected coffee — was cold. I was running…
