Up and down and all around…for the summer schedule of conferences and meetings, the Admission staff at CTS has been traveling the country.  We’ve been in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and St. Louis, Missouri…we’re on our way to Irvine, California, and Seward, Nebraska.  Currently the National Lutheran Youth Workers’ Conference is our stop, but soon we might be in your corner of the world.  So are you going to the California Higher Things Conference?  Did you see us in St. Louis or the Poconos?  Do you plan on going to the Commission on Worship’s annual conference in Nebraska?  We’d love to run into you and chat a bit…stop by and say hello!

With the vicarage placement and candidate call services behind us and the baccalaureate and graduation ceremonies soon to occur, our wide-eyed seminarians will have heard several helpful exhortations before embarking on their new ministries.

Read more …

I expect to be soaking in the blood of Jesus when the preacher says, “Amen.” That bright red river of life from the cross of Calvary makes the robes of God’s people white like snow. The professors at Concordia Theological Seminary would say that a sermon should be a good exposition of Law and Gospel in a liturgical context. There should be Law that cuts you down and Gospel that picks you up. BUT the Gospel should always predominate. In other words, when the preacher opens his mouth - Jesus picks you up. The preacher must give you Jesus. He shouldn’t just tell you about Jesus. He shouldn’t just mention the cross. Preachers should never tell you about telling the story. Preachers are called to preach the Christ. They are called out of darkness to proclaim light and life into this dark and dead world. Preachers do that by preaching Jesus to your person. Pastors bring the forgiveness of sins from the cross and wrap you with it, like a warm blanket on a cold, winter’s night. They take his blood and wash you with it. Like a mother after you’ve played in the mud, a pastor scrubs you clean (even behind the ears) with Christ’s blood. They do it because only that blood can take away your sins. They are faithful to this call because God resurrects the sinner from his watery grave and gives him new life. How does God do it? He does it by opening the mouths of preachers, and then soaking you in his Son’s blood. He does it by opening your mouth and pouring that blood down your throat. He does it through weak and sinful men. He does it through your pastor. Expect to be soaking in Christ’s blood when the pastor says, “Amen.” Expect to be alive because Christ has wrapped you with his love and breathed new life into your ears. Not only should you expect it, you should demand it. It is your heritage. It is God’s good gift. AND…it’s yours.

Here is a link to a sermon preached a couple weeks ago by Rev. Jason Braaten here in Kramer Chapel:

Audio // Text

Read more …

A nice post from Rev. Paul McCain for this, the eighth day after celebrating our Lord’s birth.

Do the names Suri, Maddox, or Apple ring a bell? C’mon all pop culture gurus and celebrity magnets… These are the names of Tom and Katie Cruise, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Gweneth Paltrow…and her husband, lead singer of Coldplay’s (name???) children. I thought it appropriate this Advent season to highlight the babies who are getting a lot of press, based on Forbes.com’s Top Ten List of “Hollywood’s Most Influential Infants.”

Read more …