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Smalcald Articles- Part III Article IX Of Excommunication
The greater excommunication, as the Pope calls it, we regard only as a civil penalty, and it does not concern us ministers of the Church. But the lesser, that is, the true Christian excommunication, consists in this, that manifest and obstinate sinners are not admitted to the Sacrament and other communion of the Church until they amend their lives and avoid sin. And ministers ought not to mingle secular punishments with this ecclesiastical punishment, or excommunication. Source.
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Death and the Pastor’s Family
By Holly Scheer “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”” Revelation 14:13 Congregational deaths can be hard on the pastor and his family, and they’re certainly hard on the family of the dear one who died. Being present with the family and having the chance to help them as they grieve their loved one is a blessing– and a great opportunity to serve our neighbor. But losing a member of our earthly church to the Church Triumphant also…
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Celebrate the Church Year in August
By Marie McNary Can you believe it is August? As we begin looking at our calendars and to prepare for a new month, don’t forget to look at the Church Year Calendar as well. Use the Church Year in your home. In your personal Bible Study (the Treasury of Daily Prayer is an amazing resource). Use it in family devotions and activities. Here is what is coming up this month. I’ve chosen to link to many of the places you can read about this month’s Church Year in Scripture. It is easy to get bogged down thinking we need to do something “Pinterest worthy” to celebrate. But the most…
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“…I will have failed.”
By Holly Scheer Today I had a conversation with a friend about child rearing and how terribly serious our vocations as mothers and parents are. We talked about education and faith. My conclusion is a simple one, but it’s not one that came quickly or easily to me. Even if my children are launched successfully in careers with families, happy and productive and well positioned in the eyes of the world– if they leave the faith I will have failed. Raising children is hard. But figuring out what really matters isn’t– its our faith. It’s Jesus. ***And beyond my personal feelings, let’s remember the Third Article of the Creed.…
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Our Pet Sins
By Holly Scheer The name “pet sins” has always made me uncomfortable. When I think of pets I think of cute, warm, cuddly animals– the kind of thing you nuture and like to keep around. That’s not how I like to think about my sins. It’s fitting, though, isn’t it? The sins we take in, hold close, and nuture through our lives. The ones we hold close. The ones that we excuse as just part of us. Pet sins. Having a predisposition to something doesn’t make it something that’s good for us, though. Sometimes the sins that come easiest to us are the hardest to really call sin– because that’s…
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Sparring with Marilla: Part One
By Mary Abrahamson If you are an Anne of Green Gables fan as am I, you will be familiar with Marilla Cuthbert. Marilla is practical. She has little time for imagination. She has no patience with vanity. Marilla is a strong pioneer sort of spinster woman who, together with her bachelor brother, Matthew, adopts dear Anne from the orphanage. They had asked for a boy to help Matthew with the farm. But instead, got red-headed lively Anne. Anne who has known nothing but poverty and hardship comes complete with imagination galore and dreams of elegance and love. I have much Marilla in me. And much of Anne. The character of…
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Smalcald Articles– Part III, Article VIII. Of Confession
Part III, Article VIII. Of Confession. 1] Since Absolution or the Power of the Keys is also an aid and consolation against sin and a bad conscience, ordained by Christ [Himself] in the Gospel, Confession or Absolution ought by no means to be abolished in the Church, especially on account of [tender and] timid consciences and on account of the untrained [and capricious] young people, in order that they may be examined, and instructed in the Christian doctrine. 2] But the enumeration of sins ought to be free to every one, as to what he wishes to enumerate or not to enumerate. For as long as we are in the…
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Book Of Concord– Part III, Article VII. Of the Keys
Part III, Article VII Of the Keys 1] The keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding and loosing sin, not only the gross and well-known sins, but also the subtle, hidden, which are known only to God, as it is written in Ps. 19:13: Who can understand his errors? And in Rom. 7:25 St. Paul himself complains that with the flesh he serves the law of sin. 2] For it is not in our power, but belongs to God alone, to judge which, how great, and how many the sins are, as it is written in Ps. 143:2: Enter not into judgment with…
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Children’s Book Review- God Makes Me His Child in Baptism
By Bethany Kilcrease God Makes Me His Child In Baptism After buying Whisper, Whisper: Learning about Church for my daughter’s first baptismal birthday, I thought it would also be appropriate to round out the gift with something from Concordia Publishing House about baptism. A quick search of the website led me to God Makes Me His Child by Janet Wittenback. Wittenback’s original text was published in 1968. You can see the original cover here (I would have expected something a little more groovy given the year of publication). It was then revised and republished with some now rather dated looking illustrations in 1985. The current 2007 edition has been re-illustrated…
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On Getting Along
By Holly Scheer I don’t like being disagreeable. Conflict makes me nervous. The idea of upsetting the people near and dear to me is, well, upsetting. There’s peace and then there’s false peace. Do you have friends or family that you get along with, but only because you’re silent on things that matter, like the faith? What can you do when it feels like relationships chug along at the cost of keeping the peace and avoiding contentious topics? First, decide where the relationship fits with your vocation. Is it given to you as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, Ect to engage this person on this subject? Next, pray about…
