The Smalcald Articles are a confession of the Christian faith, written by Martin Luther in 1537. Last month, our adult class began an eight-week study of the Smalcald Articles. One remarkable thing about Luther’s confession is its structure. The Articles begin with God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, through whom all things were created. They confess Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is both true God and true man. But Luther does not leave the confession of Christ at who

Fall is nearly upon us, and that means it’s time for our Fall Ministry Kick-Off at St. Paul Lutheran in Osceola! On Wednesday, September 9, Confirmation classes begin for 7th and 8th graders, as well as other young people who have not yet completed Confirmation. Our first meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. and is for students and their parents. Pizza will be provided! Confirmation classes will meet on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. throughout the school year. Please contact Pastor Raleigh

What is the Church? “Likewise, they teach that one holy Church will remain forever.” (Augsburg Confession, Article VII). In the last newsletter, you read how everything in the Augsburg Confession – and in matters of our teaching and practice – flows from the article of justification: that we are justified by faith alone, apart from works. That confession has profound implications for what we understand the Church to be. Martin Luther wrote: “God be praised, a seven-year-old

From February to May of this year, our adult class studied the Augsburg Confession. As I consider topics for when we resume this fall, I keep returning to the Smalcald Articles. In 1537, there was talk of the pope calling a church council. Martin Luther’s health had been in decline, and many of his family and friends — and even Luther himself — believed he might not live much longer. In preparation, as he put it, “for the eventuality that…we would be condemned,” Luther wrote

As May comes to a close, we enter the season of the Church Year after Pentecost. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is given through the preaching of Jesus Christ crucified and risen for the forgiveness of sins. It is through faith in this promise that you are justified before God, and even this faith is itself the gift of the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther writes that justification by faith alone is the article by which the Church stands or falls. In his 1535 commentary on Galatians,

“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted Him at His right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:30-31 Throughout the Easter season, our lectionary readings include much of Peter’s preaching. Peter is blunt and to the point: You killed Jesus. God raised Him. And Jesus is raised, not for His own sake, but for you–to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins. This is not a

On the evening of Jesus’ resurrection, we don’t find the disciples rejoicing; instead, they're hiding in fear. What were they so afraid of? Of course, Jesus had been killed. But, even more than that, every last one of them had fallen away, just as Jesus had said they would (Matthew 26). When Jesus was arrested, “all the disciples left Him and fled.” Not only Judas, but all of the disciples had betrayed Him, fleeing to save their own skins. Therefore, even the reports of J

“Jesus was destroyed in our place. He entered the darkness of that punishment and forsakeness to do battle and–wonder of wonders–emerged victorious. It is not a transaction, but a battle between life and death that is joined. Nor is he strictly speaking, a ‘substitute’ for us. That idea is too trivial–as though he goes through it all instead of us in such a way to leave us untouched or uninvolved. Rather, as we have said, he dies in our place, i.e. he identifies himself with

God created you. That’s really something to consider, isn’t it! Not only did God create everything, but He created you. Despite any delusions you may have, you’re not a god, but you do have one. When God, who made the heavens and the earth, creates, He does so by speaking. And when He created human beings, God said, “Let us make man in our image.” What does it mean to be made “in the image of God”? It means that God created you to hear His word and to trust it. Fait