Is Lutheran Higher Education for the Church?

By Robert Schmidt The director of church relations of a local Concordia University was leading a Bible class at the church he was visiting.  He was hoping that the congregation would put the university in their budget.  In the Bible class he had the opportunity to talk about the university.  He talked about their programs in education, management,…
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Grouches or Gracelings

By Robert Schmidt The 46th Convention of the LCMS passed this resolution in 1965: “Resolved, That we affirm as Lutheran Christians that the Evangelical Lutheran Church is chiefly a confessional movement within the total body of Christ rather than a denomination emphasizing institutional barriers of separation.” In the intervening years that resolution has been challenged again and…
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Babylonian Captivity of the Church

The Babylonian Captivity of the Church By Robert Schmidt High sacramental doctrine should make men eager…to provide the sacraments for Christians, and to remove all hindrances which prevent men, anywhere, from using them; but we see those who most glorify the sacraments, glorifying them by external adornment and standing most stoutly for those very things…
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On Jon Nelson

Submitted by Robert Schmidt FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES When Jon and Juni Nelson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, they amended their wedding vows with this caveat: “Whoever leaves the marriage first has to take all the children.” All 14 of them. The last time the Rev. Nelson, a longtime civil-rights and peace protester, was arrested, his…
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