Word « St. Mark's Lutheran

Stewardship 6: A Cheerful Giver.

By Parson Brown, on 5:10 pm%

Here are the links to the prior posts in this series.
post #1.
post #2.
post #3.
post #4.
Post #5

Last time we looked at the OT background of the tithe – both where it has gospel roots and where it is a command of the law. What the OT stories confirm is that while the law doesn’t save, it . . . → Read More: Stewardship 6: A Cheerful Giver.

Hymns We Sing – All Saints Edition

By Parson Brown, on 5:21 pm%

Tuesday was All Saints proper. We will celebrate it this Sunday. All Saints is the Christian feast day that originally inspired Halloween or All Hallows Eve. There are all kind of explanation stories about where this feast day came from. You can read some of them at the wikipedia page or is you want something more . . . → Read More: Hymns We Sing – All Saints Edition

It’s about the gospel…

By Parson Brown, on 1:04 pm%

This post from Scot McKnight strikes at a theological nerve. It is the latest and most clear in an grouping of posts.

First the caveats. McKnight is a big-tent evangelical. He has a new book to sell. My sympathies lie with McKnight’s general bent. Last caveat – Luther said a lot of . . . → Read More: It’s about the gospel…

Stewardship 5: The Tithe – where it comes from and what it means

By Parson Brown, on 3:35 pm%

This is a link to post #1 in this series.
This is a link to post #2 in this series.
This is a link to post #3 in this series.
This is a link to post #4 in this series.

In our prior posts we talked about three things:
1) Stewardship or how we use our possessions is part of the sanctified . . . → Read More: Stewardship 5: The Tithe – where it comes from and what it means

Religion and Truth in a Pluralistic Culture

By Parson Brown, on 9:21 am%

This short write up is well worth the 3 mins on Pope Benedict’s conception of interfaith or ecumenical interaction. Its starting point in an event that just took place in Assisi. 25 years ago the previous pope was at the same place involved in prayer with “Buddhists chant[ing] to the accompaniment of gongs and . . . → Read More: Religion and Truth in a Pluralistic Culture

Hymns We Sing – Reformation Day Edition

By Parson Brown, on 4:19 pm%

You all know the big Reformation Day Hymn – A Mighty Fortress is Our God. If you want to start a real fight, ask a Lutheran which tune is the better – the Bach setting or the original Luther. Parson and Parson’s mother disagree on this. It’s not a pretty fight.

But Ein Feste Burg is not . . . → Read More: Hymns We Sing – Reformation Day Edition

Sin, death and the power of the Devil – post 2

By Parson Brown, on 11:07 am%

First post in series.

Ask yourself what is the summary or shorthand for the gospel. Go ahead, think for a second, what is the gospel……
My guess is that most would answer something like: the forgiveness of sins.

That is good news. It is gospel. But is it the full gospel or even a good summary?

If . . . → Read More: Sin, death and the power of the Devil – post 2

Stewardship 4: The goal of stewardship

By Parson Brown, on 10:29 am%

This is a link to post #1 in this series.
This is a link to post #2 in this series.
This is a link to post #3 in this series.

In the last post we looked at the question what does faithfulness in stewardship look like through the story of Cain and Abel. We came to the . . . → Read More: Stewardship 4: The goal of stewardship

Breadth and Depth…Creating a People that Love the Word

By Parson Brown, on 10:44 am%

Here is Ben Myers, Aussie Prof and preacher, on a problem with one of my favorite things, the lectionary.

First, he has a great hold on the difference between preaching and teaching. Preaching is about proclaiming. Teaching is about exploring. You can teach from the pulpit, but it better be a secondary feature. . . . → Read More: Breadth and Depth…Creating a People that Love the Word

Hymns We Sing #1, Cont.

By Parson Brown, on 9:38 am%

I ran out of room yesterday, so I’ll continue this today. I want to talk about Lutheran Service Book #782 Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings. We have sung whole or parts of this hymn 9 times in the last three years. The text has a special connection to St. Mark. It was written by . . . → Read More: Hymns We Sing #1, Cont.

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