historic perry county

A tour of historic Perry County, MO - the area where the Saxon Lutherans first settled in 1839.



the spot where the Saxons hit a rock and were stranded in the middle of the MississippiRiver..



Wittenberg - the very first settlement established by the Saxon Lutherans in Perry County.
Not much there now due to the flooding of the mighty Mississippi ...



Trinity Lutheran in Altenburg



the first school built in in Altenburg in 1839

augsburg confession

Apart from the Lord’s salvific events recorded in the Old and New Testaments, particularly Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and ascension, “one of the greatest days in history” (says Eugene Klug) was when the Augsburg Confession was first publicly read before the emperor. Martin Luther called the Diet of Augsburg where the Augsburg Confession was read, “the last trumpet before Judgment Day.” The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession 481 years ago changed the world. Arguably, the Presentation of the Augsburg Confession is even more important than when Luther nailed the Ninety-five Theses on the castle door in Wittenberg in 1517. 
The Augsburg Confession was read in German on June 25 at 3 p.m. by Chancellor Beyer. He read with a clear, loud voice for nearly two hours. At least seven Electors and Princes of the Holy Roman Empire signed the Augsburg Confession. George of Brandenburg declared, “Rather than deny my God and suffer the Word of God to be taken from me, I will kneel down and have my head struck off.” 


The Augsburg Confession continues to be the bold confession of the Lutheran Church, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.


(from the wmlt blog)

a cool church

cool lutheran church - cool, california

family reunions

Summertime is the time for weddings, anniversaries, and reunions. Along with most of you, I'll be attending a number of these this summer. Each one is special and unique in its own way, and yet each one is also the same. For each one reminds us of God's covenant and commitment to His people.

God instituted marriage between a man and a woman with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was and is a beautiful picture of God's love and commitment. God loved His people so much and was so committed to them, that even after they strayed and disobeyed, He sent them His own Son to lay down His life for them, so that they might be His forever. As the bridegroom, Jesus has come to redeem His bride, the church. He has claimed His bride as His own, and will come back to take her home to be with Him someday.

This mystery is not something that is distant and far off, but a reality in which all God's people can share. Every time we share in the Lord's Supper together, we celebrate an anniversary. We partake in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, and we proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again. And as we celebrate, we look forward to that great family reunion together in heaven someday. It will be the best wedding, anniversary, and reunion you've ever attended - all wrapped up into one! It will be the best party you have ever been to, because it's the one party that will never end.

In the mean time we await with eager anticipation the coming of the Bridegroom on the last day, the day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

free-est states in the union

I'm quite happy to be living in Missouri - the fifth free-est state in the union. Other notables in the study done by George Mason University are Illinois at # 41, California at #48, and New York in dead last place at #50.

tec

TEC is a special weekend set aside to experience the Risen Christ, and to share in His life, death and resurrection in a personal way. Participants experience the mystery relived in their own daily life of struggles, joys, and triumphs as they move forward on their pilgrim journey in their life with God.
If you ever have the opportunity to go on a TEC weekend - by all means do it!

it's pentecost

"vigorous lutheranism"

"What do I hope for at this moment? My hope is for time, for patience, for prayer, for love, for kindness. My hope is for a time of peace, as God wills. My hope is for a church, which is and remains faithful to the inerrant word of God, and unreservedly to the Lutheran Confessions. My hope is for pastors and people who love the Word of God and read it vigorously. My hope is that wherever I fail, wherever we fail, whatever we have done or do to make our life together bitter, that God grant us repentance, and faith. My hope and dream is for a church which loves its pastors, pastors who care for their people, pastors who visit their members, pastors who head into their communities to “seek and save the lost.” My hope is for preaching which is lively and pulsing with damning law and the joyous, forgiving and faith-creating gospel of free forgiveness in Jesus’ cross. My desire is preaching which is both textual (biblical) and grabs the hearer by the neck, heart and toes, throws him/her to hell, then carries them to heaven. My hope is for laypeople equipped to share Christ in their vocations. My hope and prayer is for laypeople who are delighted to invite friends and family to church. My hope is for a lively mission of mercy where zeal is as great for orthodoxy as for mercy and vice versa. My hope is for continuing joy and success in reaching different ethnic communities, and through them, reaching the nations of the world. My hope is for a growing appreciation for the Synod’s national and international mission, for improvement in that mission, for advancement in what is good, and the support and participation of our pastors, congregations, districts, and people."

“I’m praying for you….” I hear that every day. Though my prayers often falter and are weak, very often I respond, “I’m praying for you too.”  I would ask that you pray for repentance, for me and for all of us. And for strong, undaunted faith in Jesus, to stand into the future with courage and joy."

"God grant us repentance, and a vigorous Lutheranism."

(Matthew Harrison - from his WMLT blog)

cicadas

The cicadas are here, and they're singing and/or screeching depending on where you live.

The new thing this year is figuring out how to make a meal out of them -  Cicada stir fries, cicada salsa, cicada cookies, cicada ice cream, as well as quiche, tacos, and pasta.

There are lots of tips for gathering and fixing cicadas for dinner if you are interested.  Just watch out for the legs - they tickle a little going down.

old-school ascension day

"The Ascension of Christ"   by Domingos Antonio de Sequeira   (1768-1837)

when meta-narratives meet...

(ht - anthony cook)