Letters On The Page

  Book of Concord Lutherans Over the past couple of years, President Harrison has made an appeal that we should aim to be “Book of Concord Lutherans,” and I have resonated with that approach and emphasis. Others, too, have positively embraced this description, although I’ve noticed – with some regret – that, at least in some cases, it appears to be interpreted and understood in a rather minimalistic fashion, as though our Lutheran Confessions were setting a low bar standard of theology and practice. I can’t help but view that reading of the Book of Concord as really missing the mark. It is no surprise that differences of opinion regarding what it means to be a “Book of Concord Lutheran” center on worship practices. As I mentioned recently, I’ve been even more aware of such divisions over the past few months, beginning with my study of Augsburg Confession XV for the April meeting of the Council of Presidents, and then persisting with some of the overtures assigned to my floor commit...

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 5   Jeremiah 28:5-9  Romans 7:1-13  Matthew 10:34-42 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Who do you trust? Who do you believe? Someone who told you something that you don’t agree with or like? Or someone that tells you what you want to hear? Adam and Eve faced that choice in the Garden of Eden. The LORD God put restrictions on the one tree in the garden. They could eat of any other tree, but THAT ONE. Along comes Satan in the guise of a smooth-talking serpent and he tells them what they want to hear. As the Bible tells us, they saw that the fruit was indeed good to eat. They took. They ate. We are living through the rest of the story.  Adam and Eve had the pleasure of making their choice in the idyllic setting of the Garden of Eden. The choice to believe their creator or this creature was clear. They followed the desire of their heart and believed ...

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison has served as LCMS president since 2010. The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison is the president-elect of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for a sixth term of office, which runs from 2026 to 2029. JUNE 24, 2026 LCMS.org Presidential election process concludes The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, having received more than 50% of the votes cast, is the president-elect of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) for a sixth term of office, 2026–2029. The election for the position of Synod president began last fall with an online nominating process, conducted by YesElections, that concluded Feb. 18, or five months prior to the start of the Synod convention, with a report to the secretary of the Synod. The resulting candidates for the office of president were the five ordained ministers who received the highest number of votes in the nominations process and who consented to serve if elected. The voting began, according to Bylaw 3.12.2.4, starting June 6 (six wee...

On the back of the monthly calendar I include information pertinent to Christian faith and practice. As the Bible is a central source of information, doctrine, and guidance for our  spiritual life, a wider audience might find the information below useful.  If not, then the two cute little amusements at the bottom will bring you a much needed chuckle. God be with you, dear Reader! July 2026 – Back Page May 27-29 I was at a CTSFW (Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN) Continuing Education event in Cassopolis, MI called “English Bible Translations” taught by Dr. Cameron MacKenzie. One of the questions I had going into the seminar was “What translation of the Bible did Shakespeare use?” Before I learned the answer to that question, we learned about early English Bible translations. The King James Version of 1611 is not the first English translation. That distinction goes to John Wycliffe’s (1330-1384) hand printed 1382 translation of the Latin Vulgate. Wycliffe’s trans...

 The response to Zena Hitz's book Lost in Thought  led her to develop a free program that connected interested persons with others to read and discuss Great Books. This is a great conversation and spectacular program. 

Video of Divine Service at St. Luke, Rensselaer Fourth Sunday after Pentecost   Jeremiah 20:7-13  Romans 6:12-23  Matthew 10:5a, 21-33 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.  At the bottom of the hymns in our hymnal, the authors and composers of the hymn is cited. The explanation of who is the author of today’s Hymn of the Day (LSB 659 Lord of our Life) is misleading. According to Professor Robert Kolb, Matthaus Apelles von Lowenstern (1594-1648) wrote a hymn text that Philip Pusey (1799-1855), two hundred years later, very much liked. Pusey liked it so much that he translated it and re-wrote the hymn for his situation in England. Apparently, enough of the original hymn survives that it must ultimately be attributed to Lowenstern.  Both men, in different centuries, countries, cultures, and languages, found themselves in the midst of strife and threats from Satan and the world.  Lowenstern is from Silesia. He and his fami...