Pulpits and Politics

Robert Schmidt Editor’s Note: Robert Schmidt has taught theology and political science at Concordia University in Portland. He has also taught homiletics in the Lutheran Seminary in Nigeria and in the Lay-Assistant Program of the Northwest District, LCMS. “Should I say something in my sermon?” The political issues and the religious values behind them are…
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Who Is Reconciled?

Dr. Norman Metzler Emeritus Professor of Theology, Concordia University, Portland, Ore. Scripture uses various images to portray salvation. Lutherans have tended to emphasize the legal image of “justification” that was frequently used by St. Paul. There is also the economic image of “redemption,” or “ransom,” and the military picture of Christ as the victor over…
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The Nature of Heaven

Rev. Dr. Norman Metzler, professor emeritus of theology Traditional Christian theology believes that salvation as the gift of eternal life with God in his heavenly kingdom – the Gospel that Jesus proclaimed – is the hope of all Christians. It is always appropriate for Christians to reflect upon heaven as God’s destiny for his people,…
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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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A Better World Is at Hand

By Robert Schmidt* The nation was bitterly divided. On one side were the religious nationalists who wanted to make Israel great again. Realists were on the other side. They recognized that the future was in the hands of the Roman military which could enable and control world trade. Heightening the tension was the threat of…
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Evangelical – What’s in a Name?

Rev. Eugene Brueggemann We live in a country and in a time when the religious word evangelical has been politicized. It is a term traditionally used to describe an expression of Protestantism which has thrived in this country practically from its beginnings. It emphasizes evangelism and a more or less literal reading of the Bible….
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