Acts 2:41-44: The Fulfilled Synagogue and Temple in the Divine Service

Long ago, in ages past, the Creator remembered, recalling the promise He made to Abraham.  “Through [Abraham, God will bless], all the people of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).  So, years […]

Understanding New-Covenant Worship as the Fulfillment of the Old

This lesson is part of individualized instruction in adult catechesis.  A deeper understanding of the origins of Christian worship and how it developed was desired.  Here it is. Cultural Assumptions […]

How We Got the New Testament

This is part two on the lesson in adult catechesis on how we got the Bible.  Click here if you want to go to the Old-Testament Lesson.   The Early […]

How We Got the Old Testament

This lesson is part of adult catechesis after studying the Small Catechism.  It in, we look at how we received what we call the Old Testament.  Warning: This may be […]

Our Life with God, Lesson 11: Christian Prayer, Pt. 4: Prayers for the Sainted Dead

After taking a look a one-lesson excursion on what it means to praise God, we again approach the topic of prayer.  Today, we examine the topic of praying for those […]

A Primer on the Use of Incense in the Divine Service

By Pr. Rich Futrell Introduction The Lutheran Church deliberately chooses to worship in a historical, liturgical way. Part of this practice is simply claiming our mantle of being part of […]

2 Corinthians, Lesson 3: An Excursus on Confirmation

This is an excursus that we took on the origins of Confirmation while studying 2 Corinthians. In the last lesson, Paul and Timothy referred to themselves by saying, “God has […]

“It’s a Relationship, not a Religion”

We’ve all heard others say, “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.” At best, that statement is incomplete; at worst, it’s deceptive. But why isn’t Christianity defined as someone’s relationship […]

Understanding Five Bible Verses in a Better Way

This is our pastor’s newsletter article for May, 2015.   We each have our favorite Bible verses, which we quote, which may even help us get through dark times. But, […]

Infant Communion and the CTCR’s Response

This is a theological paper that our pastor originally presented at his circuit winkel in November 2011.  It looks at infant communion from the Scriptures and also from within the history of the […]