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Our Hope is Built on Nothing Less
By Holly Scheer I love to sing hymns. I sing them in the car (sorry people stuck driving with me), I sing them as I put my kids to bed, I hum them absentmindedly throughout my day. One I find myself coming back to quite frequently is, “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” by Edward Mote. The text of the hymn, if you’re not familiar, is as follows: My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand. 2. When…
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Judge Not: What Does This Mean?
By Sarah Arnold Before the heresy posts continue, a slight, but related, segue, is necessary, because any of us who do point out heresies have heard the following… probably a lot. “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” “No one can judge me but God.” “Who are you to judge me?” Liberal Christians of all denominational stripes like to throw those words at us. Even non-Christians like to start lobbing the “judge not” bomb as often as they can. These same people often tell us to “coexist” and preach a gospel of false tolerance. This goes farther than not just causing division (something else we are often accused…
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Marital Advice From the Sisters
→By the Sisters of Katie Luther Marriage is a blessing– a dear one, at that. It’s a beautiful part of God’s plan for His creation– two become one. Sometimes things are harder than we anticipate, and we need loving advice from sisters who have been there, done that. Sometimes we need to seek pastoral care, or counseling. If advice is all you need, we’ve got you covered with some things we’ve all learned over the years. In no particular order, here’s what the writers said about marriage: Dates don’t have to be expensive, or even out of the house. Sometimes we just put the kids to bed and watch…
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Smalcald Articles– Part III, Article XII. Of the Church
1] We do not concede to them that they are the Church, and [in truth] they are not [the Church]; nor will we listen to those things which, under the name of Church, they enjoin or forbid. 2] For, thank God, [to-day] a child seven years old knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd. For the children pray thus:I believe in one holy [catholic or] Christian Church. 3] This holiness does not consist in albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other of their ceremonies devised by them beyond Holy Scripture, but in the Word of God and true faith. Source.
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Smalcald Articles- Part III, Article XI. Of the Marriage of Priests
1] To prohibit marriage, and to burden the divine order of priests with perpetual celibacy, they have had neither authority nor right [they have done out of malice, without any honest reason], but have acted like antichristian, tyrannical, desperate scoundrels [have performed the work of antichrist, of tyrants and the worst knaves], and have thereby caused all kinds of horrible, abominable, innumerable sins of unchastity [depraved lusts], in which they still wallow. 2] Now, as little as we or they have been given the power to make a woman out of a man or a man out of a woman, or to nullify either sex, so little have they had…
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Graduation and Life Long Vocation
By Elisabeth Urtel The unsolicited question to college graduates, to which there is no single correct response: “What do you see yourself doing in the future? Where do you plan on going with that?” On frequent occasions – encounters with old friends, family reunions, meeting new members at church – I find myself struggling to answer that question gracefully, and with Christian love. I hold a B.A. in music and am working toward receiving a master’s degree in church music plus a master’s in theology – at the same time. Growing up in some unconventional church situations, including my family worshipping in our living room with cassette tapes, I…
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Confession and Shame
Dear Sisters, I’m not sure where to ask this but I’ve seen that you run posts without naming the asker so I thought I’d try. I’m married and we have a new baby. I love my husband and my son but there’s something wrong. Something really, really wrong, and I am ashamed. I haven’t talked to my pastor because I’m worried I’ll make him think I’m horrible. I’m attracted to other women. I’ve never actually typed that out before, but I need help. Do you have any advice for me? -A hurting sister. Dear Sister in Christ, First, I want to tell you my heart hurts for you. I…
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Living life according to The One Thing Needful
By Mary Abrahamson So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3-4 Do you ever compare yourselves to others? Oh, such a bad and dangerous habit! Especially for those of us who tend to feel guilty for not living up to the standards of others. Or put another way, for those of us who set standards for ourselves that are unattainable or that we struggle to…
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Heresy- What Does This Mean Part 1
By Sarah Arnold I was looking for a picture to use with this post and stumbled across this one—and it seems to be a perfect description of heresy. The Church isn’t made for “progress,” so it seems only logical to define the opposite of sound doctrine—heresy—as progressive. The church is made for sound doctrine, and sound doctrine alone, teachings that are unchanging in a world of fluidity and cultural sensitivity. We wouldn’t want to offend anyone, and let’s face it–sound doctrine offends our sin nature. We don’t seem to hear the word heresy much anymore because it’s considered a “divisive” word. Often those of us in Confessional Lutheran circles who do…
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The Besetting Sins Lament with St. Paul (and Anne and Mrs. Allan): Part Two in a series
By Mary Abrahamson “Ruby Gillis thinks of nothing but beaus,” said Anne disdainfully. “She’s actually delighted when anyone writes her name up in a take-notice for all she pretends to be so mad. But I’m afraid that is an uncharitable speech. Mrs. Allan says we should never make uncharitable speeches; but they do slip out so often before you think, don’t they? I simply can’t talk about Josie Pye without making an uncharitable speech, so I never mention her at all. You may have noticed that. I’m trying to be as much like Mrs. Allan as I possibly can, for I think she’s perfect. Mr. Allan thinks so too. Mrs.…
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