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Article XXIII: Of the Marriage of Priests
There has been common complaint concerning the examples of priests who were not chaste. 2] For that reason also Pope Pius is reported to have said that there were certain causes why marriage was taken away from priests, but that there were far weightier ones why it ought to be given back; for so Platina writes. 3] Since, therefore, our priests were desirous to avoid these open scandals, they married wives, and taught that it was lawful for them to contract matrimony. First, because 4] Paul says, 1 Cor. 7:2,9: To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife. Also: It is better to marry than to burn. Secondly…
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On Contention, Love, and Feelings
By Holly Scheer Have you ever found yourself in a discussion that, when it turns heated, becomes more about feelings than facts? If so, you may have found it to be a frustrating experience. I know that I do. Most people don’t want to proceed when someone says that a certain line of argumentation is upsetting to them or is hurting their feelings. Our natural care for each other can cause us to pause and reflect at this moment. It’s never, ever a bad thing to think through thoroughly whether what you are saying in the moment is true, needful, and appropriate. Sisters, sometimes we have to speak hard words…
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Katie’s Bookshelf- Ann Voskamp and 1000 Gifts
Life’s busy, really too busy to waste time on bad books, and The Sisters of Katie Luther are here to help! Feel free to eavesdrop on Sandra Ostapowich, Holly Scheer, Tabitha Moldenhauer, Annie Riley, and Ellie Corrow as they use technology available to regularly e-chat about books we’ve chosen to read and discuss together. These reviews are informal, probably slightly snarky, but always informative, and designed to help you determine what is worth your consideration. Pull up a chair, a cup of tea, or something else, if you prefer, and help yourself to our conclusions, as we explore what is on offer. Our book this time is One Thousand Gifts:…
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A Parents’ Guide to beginning Catechesis- Part Two
By Mary Abrahamson A Parents’ Guide to beginning Catechesis or put more simply, How do I teach my small child about God? Part II First Memory Work In the first article I wrote for this series, I laid the Law on pretty thick. But we all need it. Myself included. The devil, the world, and our own flesh are all conspiring to pluck our little ones from the faith they were given in their Baptisms. We are commanded to baptize and also to teach. The Baptism part, as I mentioned last time, is less often forgotten in our Lutheran circles than is the daily and weekly teaching that will feed…
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Heresy: What does this mean? (Part 2)
By Sarah Arnold There are a number of categories for heresies. Major heresies are those which change the essence of Christian doctrine substantially enough to effect salvation; minor heresies are deviations from understood Christian doctrine without necessarily corrupting the faith enough to effect salvation on their own (although they are still mostly false teaching—some heresies listed here have been condemned by the Roman Catholic Church, but are not considered heretical outside of the RCC, like Heliocentrism). For the purposes of my own research and subsequent posts, I’ve categorized heresies in the following manner. Major: Antitrinitarian (heresies that deny the Trinity in form or substance) Arian (heresies that deny the divinity…
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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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Smalcald Articles– Part III, Article II. Of the Law
Part III, Article II. Of the Law 1] Here we hold that the Law was given by God, first, to restrain sin by threats and the dread of punishment, and by the promise and offer of grace and benefit. But all this miscarried on account of the wickedness which sin has wrought in man. 2] For thereby a part [some] were rendered worse, those, namely, who are hostile to [hate] the Law, because it forbids what they like to do, and enjoins what they do not like to do. Therefore, wherever they can escape [if they were not restrained by] punishment, they [would] do more against the Law than before.…
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Narrator-mothers
By Emily Cook Sometimes, serving one’s neighbor means doing things out loud. I remember, before children, when I would make dinner in silence. I just did what had to be done, and I didn’t explain myself to anyone. Now, when I make dinner, I prattle on and on: “Move, honey, so mama can get the pot out. Look, I’m filling it up with water. We will wait for it to boil, then we’ll add the yummy pasta. Do you want to watch me cut the carrots? Maybe you can help me put them on the plate when I’m done. One, two, three, four carrots. Yum, carrots. Should we cut some…
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Smalcald Articles– The Third Part
THE THIRD PART OF THE ARTICLES. Concerning the following articles we may [will be able to] treat with learned and reasonable men, or among ourselves. The Pope and his [the Papal] government do not care much about these. For with them conscience is nothing, but money, [glory] honors, power are [to them] everything. Part III, Article I. Of Sin 1] Here we must confess, as Paul says in Rom. 5:12, that sin originated [and entered the world] from one man Adam, by whose disobedience all men were made sinners, [and] subject to death and the devil. This is called original or capital sin. 2] The fruits of this sin are…
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How I Pray
By Holly Scheer My prayer life has changed as my life has changed. When I was younger, the main prayers I can remember saying were the ones at bedtimes and meal times. The bedtime prayer I grew up with is the one I have taught my own children, “Now I lay me down to rest/ Angels guard my little nest/ Like the wee birds in the trees/ Heavenly Father please care for me/ Amen.” We’ve also taught our children Luther’s Evening prayer and they pray that before going to sleep. The older I get, the more prayer has become intertwined to my daily life. We pray before we eat, we…
