Advent – Misty Blue?

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

Advent as a season of preparation for the Nativity originated in France. Its observance was general by the time of the Second Council of Tours, 567. In some places six or seven Sundays were included. When Rome adopted Advent, she limited the period to four Sundays as we now have.  It was probably not until the 13th century that Advent was universally recognized as the beginning of the Church Year. Up until that time it had begun with the Festival of the Annunciation, March 25, or in some places at Christmas.

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Grace Bible Church – Seeking Soft Hearts with Wrong Theology

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

               I attended a bilingual service of Grace Bible Church, Bryan, Texas on 1-2-2022. In summary, the contemporary songs, though repetitious ad nauseum, were far better theology than what was preached. Unlike other non-denom churches, these folks did actually sing. Like all the other contemporary services I’ve been to eliciting emotion was its aim.

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Blighted Thinking

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

(This was originally published by Christian News in 2021 and Life Issues February 2022 (https://lutheransforlife.org/?s=blighted.)

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From Fox News – Thousands of churches raise alarm about scope of new Canadian ‘conversion therapy’ ban

Posted on October 2, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

            This was the title of an email recently sent to me. It was based on a Fox News headline of January 16, 2022 which said in part, “An initiative begun by Liberty Coalition Canada and promulgated in the United States by Pastor John MacArthur of Los Angeles secured the support of more than 4,000 Christian pastors who publicly expressed their willingness to protest from the pulpit regarding” this. Here is my response below. If you attend Bible Class, and the sender of this email does, you’ve heard my answer to this many, many times.

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The Truth About Grief – And Why It Won’t Matter

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

The Truth About Grief came on my radar in 2012. The book is an exposé of the myth perpetuated in the name of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. I first heard about it, I think, on NPR. It is well-researched and well-reasoned, and will certainly change how you minister to the grieving and think about grief in general. But be warned. You’ll be swimming up stream, you’ll be with Bob “running against the wind.” Myth-busters, along with slayers of sacred cows, are the only groups lesser appreciated than a prophet in his own town. Below is the ad for this book that caught my eye. (PS. You can get this for a lot less than 26.00.)

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Effeminacy and the Liturgy – Part II

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

This was first posted here on July 27, 2009, but I’m doing more than emphasizing. I’ve added more thoughts and documentation.

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Great Book Cheaply Bound

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

               Concordia Publishing House published the book (Dis)ordered: Lies about Human Nature and the Truth that sets us Free. This will upset many. The last point I record him as making does me. But overall Rev. Esget is that guy who is willing to say, “Hey the Emperor has no clothes on!” and then point out the errors of conventional wisdom. If you love getting your theology from the internet, Reformed theology, and think psychology is part of God’s truth, get ready to be a hater. But if you had this creeping suspicions that these three are linked, you will be glad. Oh what’s with my title? This is a very cheaply bound book. It’s not ‘bound’ to last, but in point of fact, it is bound to last.

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From Synod, to Corporation, to Bodily Function, to a Typo

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

               It starts with the synod not being a church. Congregational polity rules the day. Then the Synod incorporates and must function as one. Synodical president, District presidents, and even Circuit Counselors – oops now visitors – as officers of a corporation can’t hear, or keep confidential anyway, anything that they hear in Private Confession. Can’t get any more unchurchly than that. Watch.

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Posted in Ablaze, LCMS 2007 Convention, Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment

Danger – Close

Posted on June 26, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

(This is sermon I wrote in 1994. I had the secretary retype it in this format because if I did it, I would edit as I go. And I wanted you to hear it as I wrote it almost 30 years ago. The sermon is based on Ephesians 4:17-21. In a May 1, 2023 blog I published a letter I had written to WORLD magazine in regard to an article that said pornography would not be dealt with till after the Baby Boomers had gone. I mentioned that almost 30 years ago this Boomer had addressed this issue from the pulpit. Here’s the original sermon.)

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Buy This Book

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Rev. Paul R. Harris

            In 1971 Abbie Hoffman’s book titled Steal This Book was published. It was a call and guide to “fighting against the man.” When I came to Trinity, Austin in 1999, Gene Veith’s Spirituality of the Cross was all the rage. This was the book to give to the non-Lutheran, particularly those coming from Reformed Christianity, to introduce them to Lutheranism.

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