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Yearly Archives: 2020
Going to War
I believe it was German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder who accurately noted that “no plan survives first contact with the enemy” or something like that. Applying that observation to the present situation in our congregations, it means that abstractions and pious ideas won’t survive the daily slog of doing ministry. Jesus didn’t […]
My Background
I am Pastor Paul Lauer – a pastor of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). I am the son of an LCMS pastor, raised in several communities of Southern Minnesota: rural Blue Earth, Glencoe, Rochester, and Hutchinson. I attended Concordia University in St. Paul, MN (1983-1987) and was graduated in pre-seminary studies with a Bachelor […]
I Believe
I want there to be no doubt that I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and not only the Savior of the World but my own Savior who has taken upon Himself the guilt and suffering for my personal sins and my sinfulness (guilt/iniquity) and paid the price for them in […]
Difficult Funeral Requests
Things to consider when asked to officiate a funeral for a non-member. Continue reading
Answering Serious Questions
A pastor will field many, many questions in a year, month, or even a week. Not all questions are as serious as others. Some are ponderings and some are wonderings but others are serious and in need of a prompt, thorough, and pastoral reply. The hard part is in knowing which questions are of which […]
Disagreement Among the Laity
What doctrines must one accept and believe as true in order to be a Christian? How much of our dogma must be accepted as true in order to be a member of this congregation? I believe that some pastors and congregations have wrongly held the laity to the same doctrinal standard which is properly reserved […]
An Essential Command
What is the Church (through congregations) commanded to do? Preach/Teach the Word of God and administer the Sacraments? Of course! But there are many things churches/congregations do which go into that – more than simply Sunday services, Sunday school, Bible classes, and traditional pastoral acts like confession/absolution or visitation of the sick and dying. Jesus […]
Congregations Test Post
This is a test post for the “Congregations” category.