Pastors

Did you know that October is Pastor Appreciation Month? Pastors do so much beyond what we see on Sunday mornings— they visit the sick and dying, provide counseling, and are leaders for...

What is Confession? Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness from the pastor as from God Himself, not...

A few months back, I wrote a post about how you can support your pastor’s wife. In it, I mentioned that because the role of the pastor’s wife comes with so many challenging aspects, there...

During nearly thirty years of professional church work, I have often wondered which sin is most damaging to the local congregation. In my experience, it is not disregard for worship and...

The following has been adapted from the Lutheran Bible Companion.  To understand the Books of History, it is imperative to understand what came before them. The Books of the Law and the...

Telling nice people things they don’t want to hear is an unavoidable part of being a faithful pastor. On one occasion, a pleasant couple from the neighborhood came to my office. The...

It seems the land on which our house is built is the perfect breeding ground for thistles, a particular type of weed that is painfully prickly and extremely difficult to remove. No matter...

A few months back, I wrote a post about how you can support your pastor’s wife. In it, I mentioned that because the role of the pastor’s wife comes with so many challenging aspects, there...

The financial situation of congregations and nonprofit ministries is very important, though it is a topic that does not garner enough attention in leadership. Pastors need to be involved...

In this study, Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Gibbs explores what it means to make disciples. Jesus commands us to make disciples, but what does that entail? Dr. Gibbs’ perspective helps us understand...

A quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin regarding taxes is “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” I have yet to encounter anyone who is pleased to pay...

This blog post is adapted from the Lutheran Bible Companion. The Hebrew name for the Books of Moses is “Torah.” (The Greek title is “Pentateuch”). The conventional translation of “Torah”...

Once, my pastor asked me if I liked his reference to Shakespeare in his sermon. I should have been able to laugh with him and comment that I appreciated the way it connected to the Gospel...