Pastor Kory's Page for Sun, August 25, 2024

I recently wrote about some recommendations for Bibles and other Christian books for your growth in Christ. This time, I’d like to share some online, radio, and podcast resources for you to explore. Links are included for you. I hope that you will check out some of these resources – and please also let me know if there are other apps, websites, podcasts, and the like which you’ve found helpful!

Facebook and Instagram – Let's start close to home: St. Matthew has both a Facebook page and Instagram profile. Please follow us on social media and engage with our posts. Liking, commenting, and sharing helps St. Matthew’s content to reach more people!

LCMS – Visit our Synod’s website at lcms.org to explore a wide variety of information about doctrine, synodical programs and missions and much more. The LCMS also has an app for your smartphone.

Lutheran Hour Ministries – The “Connected by LHM” app includes excellent, free daily devotions and weekly sermons from the Speakers of the Lutheran Hour. You can also sign up at lhm.org to receive their devotions in by email.

Bible Hub – This is both a website and a smartphone app and includes many easy-to-use Bible study tools. You can compare different Bible translations and listen to free audio Bibles. (I’ve recently begun using their audio Bibles to accompany my daily devotions.)

YouTube – This platform is of course filled with both much edifying content and much questionable content. However, there are plenty of reliable Lutheran videos. You might look up Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller (an LCMS pastor from Austin, TX) and explore his many videos. Dr. Jordan B. Cooper is another well-known Lutheran on YouTube. He is the President of the American Lutheran Theological Seminary. While intended more for youth and families, Higher Things, Inc. includes Lutheran content which Lutherans of any age could benefit from.

Radio – The LCMS operates the oldest continuously operating Christian radio station in the world: KFUO. (Ruth Reese worked for KFUO many years ago.) You can listen to KFUO at kfuo.org or on their app. A separate radio ministry, Lutheran Public Radio, has several popular programs, including Issues Etc., an interview-based program on theology and current events, and The Word of the Lord Endures Forever, a daily 15-minute Bible study). LPR also plays 24-7 sacred music. Check out LPR on their app or at lutheranpublicradio.org.

Podcasts – Both KFUO and Lutheran Public Radio’s programing are available on podcast providers. Additionally, you might listen to some of the many podcasts produced by 1517. While 1517 is not exclusively a ministry of the LCMS, many of its content producers are LCMS members. In addition to podcasts, 1517.org includes free academy courses, articles, and more. Another podcast, produced by Concordia Seminary St. Louis, features seminary staff and faculty discussing a wide range of issues. It’s called “Tangible: Theology Learned and Lived.”

Bonus Podcast – I also enjoy listening to “Core Christianity”, a Q&A program with Presbyterian Pastor, Adriel Sanchez. While I can’t endorse all his theological positions, I think that Pastor Sanchez does a great job of answering Bible questions on the fly.

Bonus Website – yaag.org, which stands for “Year At A Glance”, includes a full list of all weekly Scripture readings for our services. It also includes links to read the Scripture lessons online.

I hope that you might find something beneficial on this list. Need help locating or downloading any of these resources? Just let me know. God bless your reading, watching, and listening!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Kory Janneke

Pastor Kory's Page - Sun, August 18, 2024

Many people in our tech-focused culture scarcely read books anymore. It’s a shame, especially because it’s through the “Good Book” of Holy Scripture that we read of God’s revelation to us, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and our Lord’s will for our lives.

In addition to the Bible, reading Christian books is one of the ways that we can “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). We do, however, need to be discerning with what we read. Some Christian literature can promote false or confusing teachings. With all things, we need to heed John’s guidance and “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).

For this Pastor’s Page article, I’m simply recommending some Christian books. All of these come from our Synod’s own publisher, Concordia Publishing House (CPH). While there are a variety of authors and perspectives represented among CPH’s resources, everything they publish is doctrinally reviewed for faithfulness to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. Soon, I’ll write a “part two” of recommended resources (with a digital focus), but for now, here’s my list of Bibles and books:

The Lutheran Study Bible – Filled with study notes written by Lutheran theologians, the Lutheran Study Bible is a great Bible choice for Lutheran households. It’s available in several sizes and as a phone app.

Today’s Light Bible – This is available as both a devotional Bible and as a quarterly devotional reading guide for use with your own Bible. It’s my favorite devotional resource.

Lutheran Service Book (LSB) – We use the LSB hymnal as the basis of our services at St. Matthew. It also makes a great in-home resource for learning the music and prayers of the Church.

Luther’s Small Catechism (2017 Edition) – Martin Luther wrote his Small Catechism in 1529. Nearly 500 years later, it continues to be the standard summary of the Lutheran Christian faith. The Catechism is available in several formats and as a phone app.

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions – In addition to the Small Catechism, Lutherans also adhere to several other confessional writings from the 16th century. Concordia includes the Augsburg Confession, Luther’s Large Catechism, the Formula of Concord and more. (We will be starting a new Sunday Bible study this fall on the Augsburg Confession. Participants will receive a copy at church.)

The Lutheran Difference: An Explanation & Comparison of Christian Beliefs – This is an in-depth comparison of Lutheran teaching with what other Christian denominations believe and teach.

Luther: Biography of a Reformer – This is an easy-to-read biography of Martin Luther by Frederick Nohl. If you’ve never read a basic summary of Luther’s life and times, I’d recommend this book as a place to start.

The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals – This book, by Gene Edward Veith Jr., describes his journey into the Lutheran tradition and what sets Lutheranism apart from other beliefs. I highly recommend this – and Veith’s many other books.

Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today – This book, by Australian Lutheran writer, John Kleinig, reflects on how we are recipients of God’s amazing grace. Kleinig writes in a biblically-rich, devotional style. (I like to read this book a few pages at a time.)

Books on Revelation – Let’s end this list on the topic of the Bible’s last book! Christians regularly have questions about Revelation. Two books I recommend are The Revelation to John: A Commentary by Martin H. Franzmann and Concordia Popular Commentary: Revelation by Louis A. Brighton. Either of these books would help you to navigate through the challenging passages in the book of Revelation.

Please let me know if you have questions about these or other resources or if I can help you order something. Visit cph.org or Amazon to find any of these books. Most are also available on Amazon Kindle. Used copies are readily available online as well. God bless your reading and reflecting on your faith in Christ, and please let me know what Christian books are a blessing to you!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Kory Janneke

Pastor Kory's Page - July 2024

What are some of the best ways of describing the Lutheran Church – who we are, what we believe, and how we fit into the wider Christian Church? There are many directions we could go, but I’ve selected a handful of terms for this summary while also trying to provide some explanation about what these descriptions mean and how they help to characterize us as Lutheran Christians. 

Lutherans are orthodox – This is not to be confused with Eastern Orthodox churches, which are common in Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries. The Greek term orthodox refers to “right teaching.” Orthodox beliefs are the foundational truths of the Christian faith as taught by Holy Scripture. Christian author, C.S. Lewis also referred to orthodox faith as “mere Christianity.” Lutherans are orthodox because we believe the classical, essential teachings of the Christian faith.

Lutherans are catholic – This is not to say that Lutherans believe and practice the same things as Roman Catholicism, which is centered around the Vatican in Rome and headed by the office of the Pope. (There is a great deal of overlap, however, between Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism.) The basic meaning of catholic is “worldwide” or “universal.” Lutherans confess the three historic creeds of the Christian Church, the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian creeds, which summarize the faith universally taught by Christians throughout time and throughout the world. Martin Luther and his colleagues in the sixteenth century sought to make it clear that they were not departing from the catholic faith but seeking to reform the Church and to restore the Gospel to its proper prominence.

Lutherans are evangelical – We hear the term “evangelical” a lot these days as a way of referring to Protestant (or non-Roman Catholic) Christians. However, did you know that Lutherans are the original evangelicals? Early Lutherans referred to themselves as “evangelical” to show that their faith was centered on the Gospel. The Greek word, evangelium, means “Gospel”, which is, “good news.” Lutherans believe in and confess the Gospel that our sins are graciously forgiven by God through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. This evangelical message is the heart of everything we believe and do as Lutherans!

Lutherans are confessional – Unlike some modern Christians who may vaguely claim to follow “no creed but Christ”, Lutherans continue to confess the Christian faith just as it was articulated by many previous generations of believers. Lutherans believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant Word of God and that the Bible is the sole standard for our Christian faith and life. As mentioned already, Lutherans also confess the Church’s ancient creeds. Additionally, we subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions, also called Concordia and The Book of Concord (1580). These Confessions include The Augsburg Confession, The Apology [or defense] of the Augsburg Confession, The Smalcald Articles, The Power and Primacy of the Pope, Martin Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms, and the Formula of Concord. Lutherans confess that these documents, written between 1529 and 1577, are a correct exposition of the Bible. (If you are unfamiliar with the Lutheran Confessions, I would suggest that you begin by reading Luther’s Catechisms and the Augsburg Confession.)

Lutherans are Christ-centered – Most importantly, our faith as Lutheran Christians is centered on Jesus Christ alone! We read the Bible in a Christ-centered way. We live and work together in the Church because it is the Body of Christ on earth. We receive God’s gifts of Baptism, Absolution, and Communion because in them, Christ is at work, forgiving our sins and renewing our faith. And just like 2,000 years of Christians before us, we believe and we share the Good News that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ is coming again!

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Kory Janneke