Fourth Sunday in Advent
The Fourth Sunday in Advent, especially if we are in Series B of the lectionary, is a Sunday that has special memories for me. Nine years ago my dad was planning to preach a sermon on the Gospel text Luke 1:26-38. But God had different plans for him on that Fourth Sunday in Advent. God [...]
St. Olaf Christmas Festival
Here’s a last minute reminder for you: Minnesota Public Radio will present a live broadcast — on the air and streamed online — of the St. Olaf Christmas Festival, “My Spirit Sings of Wondrous Things,” Sunday, Dec. 7, beginning at 3:30 p.m (Central Time). MPR will present an encore broadcast Dec. 25 from 8 to [...]
Reflections on a Christmas Chorale
Some of us are fortunate to live close to a college or university that provides opportunities to hear some good sacred music. This Saturday evening I attended Concordia University’s (in Portland, OR) Christmas Chorale – A Service of Lessons and Carols. One thing I appreciated about this service was that it was a worship service [...]
Compline – Prayer at the Close of the Day
“The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and peace at the last.” The Lutheran church has been blessed to have Compline – Prayer at the Close of the Day – included in its service books. While I don’t know how many congregations gather to pray Compline on a regular basis, it is a salutary [...]
O Sing of Christ
Some of you may be familiar with O Sing of Christ (LSB 362) by Stephen Starke – a wonderful Christmas hymn text that will be new to many, but coupled to the tune Forest Green (sometimes sung to O Little Town of Bethlehem). While listening to my Christmas iPod playlist, I came across a recording [...]
Advent Devotions
If you’re looking for an audio devotion for Advent, meander over to Concordia TheoBLOGical Seminary. The faculty, staff, and students at the seminary have put together a daily devotion that you can listen to on their site or subscribe to in iTunes.
Ambrose, the Children, and Advent
A few days back I was flipping through “First Person Singular: Reflections on Worship, Liturgy, and Children” by Carl Schalk. It is is a smallish volume of less than a hundred pages with brief reflections on various topics related to children in the life of the church. Schalk had a reflection that was particularly relevant [...]
LSB 334: O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
Some of you may have already discovered this, but I’ll pass it along for those that don’t know. The stanza numbering for O, Lord, How Shall I Meet You (LSB 334) is incorrect in the LSB pew edition (or at least the copies I have seen). The six stanzas are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, [...]
The Liturgical Fruit Basket
“The perfect church service would be one we were almost unaware of with the least surprises . . . Today it is a liturgical fruit basket upset.” — David Scaer from the Advantage of Liturgical Ruts (Logia 6:2 pg 53-54) At one time a typical American Lutheran church would be using the Lutheran Hymnal or [...]
Heirs of the Reformation CD Set
Today the good folks at FedEx delivered one of two long awaited items I’ve had on preorder from CPH. Hot off the press is a “sequel” (for lack of a better word) to the 4 CD set Martin Luther: Hymns, Ballads, Chants, Truth. This next 4 CD set – Heirs of the Reformation – focuses [...]
Kantor’s Reading List- Circ de Soleil -- From Church to Circus Pastor Peters
- Can We Still Call Ourselves the Church of J. S. Bach? Pastor Peters
- Pastoral Care Done by the Laity; Lay Work Done by the Pastor Pastor Peters
- Your Church May Not Be a Church If . . . Paul T. McCain
- What Makes Lutheran Worship Lutheran? Stephen R. Johnson
Share your thoughts . . .