Category Archives: Uncategorized

We Christians at First Lutheran in Benton love our country. We are proud to be Americans, we are thankful to our God for our nation, and we pray for it. But we must be candid about this: there are things about America and its culture that are not only not very good, but are reallyContinue reading “Separation of Truth and State”

Our life with God is the work of God’s Spirit, which comes to us in His Word.  Life in Christ is planted in us through the Word, and it is sustained in us by the Word, and only by the Word. (1 Pet 1:23-25) The Word is our connection to Christ. Without the Word weContinue reading “The One Thing Needful and its Enemies”

Political issues are by and large moral issues, and the Church not only has a right but a duty to speak clearly about them.  Matters relating to life and sexuality and discrimination and economic, social and legal justice are all highly political, but they are also deeply moral.  How can we Christians not teach andContinue reading “Church, Politics and Partisanship”

Christian Nationalism is an ill-defined concept.  The term is often used simply to smear Christians merely for being politically active and to conjure up terrifying thoughts of authoritarianism and theocracy.  I’ve never met a Christian, however right-wing politically, who actually wanted a theocracy!  Nevertheless, this is a fear among some fellow citizens who evidentially knowContinue reading “Christian Nationalism”

This is Pride Month. Did you know that? I bet you did. There’s a presidential proclamation announcing it, you know. And everybody’s getting in on the act.  Commercials go out of their way to let us know that, whatever it is they’re hawking, and whether we even know or care what they’re trying to sellContinue reading “Not Proud”

Christian teaching regarding sex and sexuality is as straightforward to understand as it is often challenging to practice.  Put simply, it requires all sexual activity to occur within a monogamous, lifelong, heterosexual marriage relationship. Sexually, anything beyond this comes of evil. This is not just a quirky, arbitrary religious rule about sex — although itContinue reading “Human Sexuality, Chastity and Christian Witness”

Why Denominations, especially Confessional Denominations, are Good for Us Almost every major denomination in America is and has been losing membership for some time, including the Missouri Synod, and the trend is likely to continue. The primary beneficiaries of all these losses are so-called “non-denominational” churches.  Many Christians in America are simply switching to non-denominationContinue reading “In Defense of Denominations”

Brothers and sisters, let us assume for a moment that the draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court yesterday evening will ultimately be the Court’s ruling concerning Row v. Wade.  May it be so!  This has been a dreadful law since its beginning in 1973. It is well passed time to lay it to rest.Continue reading “Roe Gone? God Willing!”

Cleaning an old shed, or a garage, which hasn’t been cleaned in a long, long, time, is not only a dirty business, but sometimes comes with surprises. Dirt on the floor, dust everywhere, boxes stacked on boxes, some broken open, some fallen over.  Junk.  Lots of junk.  Pick through it, one item at a time,Continue reading “Sicknesses and Demons”

For a Christian, a human person is a sacred thing, the pinnacle of God’s creative work. God Himself became a human being. He didn’t become an angel, but a human person. All creation is designed by God to support human life, and human beings themselves are specifically commanded by God to support it. The mostContinue reading “After 49 years of Roe v. Wade, Life is Still Sacred”