“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7 ESV). I remember it like it was yesterday—driving a U-Haul from St. Louis to Albany, New York, with my wife after Seminary. I remember walking into my office for the first time and feeling overall joy and excitement. If there were any negative emotions that were part of that day—or walking into worship, meetings, Bible studies, or any othe

One of my favorite Gospel stories is Jesus’ encounter with the rich young ruler in Mark 10:17-31. It perfectly illustrates the way I feel sometimes about going to church. (Feel free to pause here and go read the story! I’ll wait for you!) Before we judge the man too quickly, it’s important to realize that he was probably being sincere. He wasn’t lying about his piety. He had kept the law since his youth. In that day, much like in our own, his status and wealth were evidence o

Dear Jesus, You love the LCMS, sinful warts and all. You’ve sustained us since 1847. You’ve sustained us through the chiliasm controversy (look it up) doctrine of election diverse teachings battle over the Bible blunders (Seminex) liturgical style conflicts red and blue and maroon screens and guitars and organs chanting and praising and prancing— oh my— the role of women trust and distrust of leaders church fellowship concerns, and through faithfully conversing on how to

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is a family of congregations and pastors bound together by confession and mission. The statistics in our official reports can feel like a numbers game, yet behind every digit are saints and shepherds trying to live by faith in Jesus. When we look at the data across the past two decades, some patterns emerge that call for honest reflection, creative planning, and faithful prayer. What the numbers are saying Slow but steady decline in c