Savior of the Nations, Come

Verse one of my favorite Advent hymns, originally attributed to Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century: Savior of the nations, come, Virgin's Son, make here Your home! Marvel now, O heav'n and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth. Lutheran Service Book, 332

Another Fun Dance...

Last weekend we kicked up our heels at a dance our friends' church. Elise and I went "1940's"; John and Bethany are in their Regency outfits.

Thanksgiving

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven of earth. What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. From Luther's Small Catechism, The First Article of the Creed.

November Birthdays

Great Read!

"The Not-So-Great Commission" by Todd Wilken and "Lutheranism, Just In Time" by Kelly Klages are the articles in the Issues, Etc. Journal.  Click here to read it.

What's the difference?

What's the difference between Calvinism and Lutheranism? They both flow from the Reformation, but the starting points are different. Calvinism begins with the glory and sovereignty of God, while Lutheranism begins with the cross of Jesus Christ and justification. Here is a link to a Reformation week show on Issues, Etc. comparing the "TULIP" of Calvinism to confessional Lutheranism: Confessional Lutheranism and Calvinism with Dr. Ken Schurb

Grace-full Parenting

Getting Grace is an excellent article by Susan Olasky in the November 5, 2011 issue of World magazine. (You do have to pay to read the whole thing if you are not a subscriber). I won't try to give a thorough summary, but the article basically says that homeschoolers who think that their parenting choices give them a guarantee that their children will grow up to be outstanding Christians may be in for a rude awakening. My *bottom line* reaction to the article is hooray that some homeschool families are realizing that THEY don't "make Christians." If a family has an undue focus on *being good*, that will bring only pride or despair into the family. Let God's Law (not man's rules) be the standard, but give the Gospel (Christ for you for the forgiveness of sins, spoken as "I forgive you", and "Jesus forgives you") to the one who has admitted his transgression. And remember that we all are sinners. It is Christ's forgiveness that makes us Christians, not our "family values." For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:21b-22