Sebastiana!- July 28, 2008 Happy heavenly birthday, Mr. Bach!Technorati Tags: Johann Sebastian Bach J. S. Bach Bach Soli Deo Gloria history Church Year liturgical calendar Christianity orthodox Christianity Christian Christian Lutheranism Lutheran Lutheran Confessions festivals saints&8217; days Scripture Bible biography hagiography commemorations lectionary theology practical theology Church history Christian history German history European history Aardvark Alleyhttp://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/sebastiana.html Calls and Rumors of Calls- July 18, 2008 Q: I like what I read in your column. I was thinking about visiting and maybe even joining your church. Then I heard at another area church (not Lutheran) that you were leaving. Is this trueA: At present, this is patently untrue — and an excellent example of failure to keep the Eighth Commandment in the matter of gossip. Our normal Lutheran practice is for congregations to call pastors, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide a proper candidate to their midst. Once installed, our pastors...http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/calls-and-rumors-of-calls.html Confessing Christ to a Non-Christian- July 17, 2008 Q: Last week I tried to witnesses to some Jehovah&8217;s Witnesses and I ended up learning more about what I do not know then being able to effectively witnesses to them. One of their positions was that since Jesus was human he could not take his body back to heaven with him. Heaven is the place where spirits dwell. How could I have effectively answered this question In my mind, I have no problem with this: He&8217;s God.A: You have no problem because your faith lies in the &8220;main...http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/confessing-christ-to-non-christian.html Jobs Problems- July 14, 2008 Q: Tonight I read Job 31:34. I do not quite grasp it, though. I understand the words but not the historical context of the situation or the background information. To me, the passage means that Job had some social anxiety. He wasn&8217;t sure if he feared &8220;the world&8221; or just a select few. Possibly he felt trapped Am I far off I really feel like God directly led me to this passage and I want to understand fully what it means. Can you help meA: We must read and understand this verse in..http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/job-problems.html Gods Gift of Government- July 13, 2008 Q: 1 Samuel 8 shows how the Israelites rejected the Lord and asked for a king to lead them. By voting for president and our other leaders are we similarly rejecting the LordA: God desires to be acclaimed as the King of all Creation — a position He holds by default, since He is our Creator. However, we can acknowledge and accept His royal rule regardless of the form of government under which we live. We can participate in democratic elections without rejecting God as King over...http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/god-gift-of-government.html Pro-Adultery Pastor- July 11, 2008 Q: Help me understand the Lutheran position on the sanctity of marriage. My husband is engaged in a long term affair with the daughter of a Lutheran minister. The minister accepts this situation, and, in fact, has been actively involved in thwarting attempts to reconcile the marriage. The minister called my husband, telling him he is the only one who can help his daughter get her life straight. While not a Lutheran, I am a Christian. I pray for the restoration of my marriage, but the...http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/pro-adultery-pastor.html Is Pretend Kissing a Real Problem- July 9, 2008 Q: I am a Christian who also happens to be an actor. Recently I was asked to do a stage kiss. It was nothing intense, only something to suggest the relationship between my character and her husband. I am really trying to seek the truth to set up my own boundaries in my career, so I do not let the wrong influences into my life. Can you please tell me if this is wrong, and what God has to say about thisA: A Christian involved in acting should probably begin by asking an even more basic question:..http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/is-pretend-kissing-real-problem.html Christian Disunity and Lutheran Alphabet Soup- July 5, 2008 Q1: I worship at an LCMS church in Minnesota. Here, the ELCA &8220;branch&8221; of the Lutheran Church is dominant. My understanding is that many of their positions are unbiblical, including, their support for abortion in their employees&8217; health insurance coverage as well as other areas. My question to you is, what caused the creation of the different synods in Lutheranism I know of LCMS, ELCA, WELS, and ALS. Why all the different &8220;confessions&8221; and how did they come aboutQ2: I...http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2008/07/christian-disunity-and-lutheran-soup.html |