Who Do You Think You Are? (A Sermon)

Rev. Dr. Steven Albertin Luke 6:20-31 All Saints Sunday November 6, 2022 Pilgrim Lutheran Church Carmel, Indiana You are patiently waiting in a traffic jam. You know those long lines of traffic when the road narrows from two to one lane because of construction. Everyone is patiently taking their place in line. Then you see…
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Do I HAVE TO Go to Church? (A Sermon)

Rev. Dr. Steven Albertin Luke 13:10-17 August 21, 2022 Pilgrim Lutheran Church Carmel, Indiana “Pastor, how many times to I HAVE TO go to church a year in order to remain a member?” “Pastor, how many services do I HAVE TO attend so that I can be confirmed?” “Pastor, how much money to I HAVE…
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ON STAGE: MYTH and HISTORY

Joel Nickel In November 2022 the Festival Chorale Oregon sang (once again after 40 years) Benjamin Britten’s “St. Nicolas,” a cantata dealing with the legends of Saint Nicolas, Bishop of Myra during the early years of the fourth century. The music was first performed in England in 1948. There seems to have been much historical…
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LCMS, Christian Nationalism, and the Risk to our Faith

Robert Schmidt Introduction Religious nationalism is happening around the world. Netanyahu’s victory in Israel was dependent on a right-wing Jewish extremist party. In India, Modi stays in power with appeals to Hindu nationalists. In like manner, appeals to “Christian” values have impelled Orban of Hungary to authoritarian rule, and Putin enjoys support for war from…
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The Kingdom of God is Near for a World in Crisis

Dr. Robert Schmidt We live in troubled times. It is a constant refrain and introduction to what comes next. Few disagree. We grieve for those lost in the pandemic. We flinch as we learn more about climate change, conflict in the Middle East, wars in Africa, and Ukraine. Poverty condemns millions to live on barren…
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