Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Teaching the Faith at Home”
Dr. Luther had a way with words. His Preface to the Large Catechism may be one of my favorite things that he wrote. Well, I suppose I appreciate his theological treatises more than this preface. However, the Preface to the Large Catechism puts a smile on my face every time I read it. Read it out loud and try not to …
can hear it now . . . “You’re a funny guy, Joe.” “5 books I should read?” you’ll say. “You realize I have children, right?” I get it. We are all busy. Some words and phrases to describe it might be: tired, overwhelmed, busy, messy, up to my eyeballs, just trying to keep my head above water, etc. I get …
This coming Sunday is Holy Trinity Sunday in the church year. For those of us who have been in the Lutheran Church for a long time, Holy Trinity Sunday may elicit fond memories, though these memories may not have much to do with our thoughts on the Trinity. The Trinity is a part of our daily lives. We mark ourselves …
here is something that I have come to realize in my short time on this planet in the vocation of both husband and father. I was reminded of it on Memorial Day as my wife and I attended the wedding of a dear friend. During our pastor’s homily, he took us straight to Ephesians 5, where Paul lays out the …
he birth of your first child is a life-changing experience. I’m not trying to downplay the importance of the birth of the rest of your children, but there is some major transformation that happens in a microsecond when your first child enters the world. It’s that moment that the doctor hands you your child to hold for the first time. …
or a minute, let me engage in a little thought experiment with you. Complete the following phrases from some popular songs from yesteryear: Don’t go chasing __________________. I heard it through the __________________. Bye, bye Miss _____________________. And I would walk __________________, and I would walk ____________________. I’ll give you a moment . . . Are you done yet? Now …
hat a joy Holy Week was as we broke the fast from alleluias. The resurrection was proclaimed in churches all across the world: He is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! As we traveled from Palm Sunday to Maundy Thursday to Good Friday to the Great Vigil and finally to the great feast, The Resurrection of Our Lord, we were …
e have finally arrived at Holy Week. The penultimate week of the Christian year. The beauty of our liturgy comes to the front as we travel from Maundy Thursday with its stripping of the altar to a host of services on Good Friday (traditionally, Tenebrae Vespers) to the wonders of the Vigil as the light returns to the world, and …
hen it comes to spending time in God’s Word with your family, there are few things more joyful than joining each other in song, especially in the historic hymns of the faith. These songs and canticles allow us to focus on the truths that Scripture proclaims. They also do an amazing job of teaching our children. I don’t know what …
am currently reading a book by Dr. Anthony Esolen titled Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture. In reading the first chapter, “Giving Things Their Proper Names: The Restoration of Truth-Telling,” I was brought to a point of self-reflection. To use an analogy, this was almost a second-use-of-the-Law moment. As Lutherans, we would say the Law has three uses, the curb, the …
