A Pirate’s Prayer for the New Year
Dec 28, 2012 No Comments ›› John EidsmoeChoosing someone to pray for the New Year, a 16th-century pirate would not be the likely choice. But the prayer of Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596) is reverent, eloquent, and inspiring. Calling Drake a pirate might be a little strong; privateer might be a better term. Drake had been commissioned by England to attack and plunder ...
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Who Needs the Star?
Dec 21, 2012 1 Comment ›› John Eidsmoe"Guiding Star, o may we heed thee, May we know we ever need thee, Lead us to our Savior King! Lead us to our Savior King" This 1810 Danish carol by Grundtvig, "Delig Er Den Himmel Bla," retells the Matthew account of the Star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to Bethlehem to worship the Infant King. But what was ...
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Interposition: Lutheran Pastors Under Siege!
Nov 27, 2012 No Comments ›› John EidsmoeAmerica was built on two seemingly-opposite principles: respect for legitimate authority and resistance against tyrants. But these concepts go hand-in-hand. A tyrant is a ruler who has exceeded his legitimate authority and has usurped the higher authority of God and His Law. Resistance against tyrants, the American colonists, said, is obedience to God. The problem is, ...
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Are You a Pilgrim?
Nov 21, 2012 No Comments ›› John EidsmoeBefore returning from our annual Board meeting of the Plymouth Rock Foundation last weekend, I visited the Old Burial Hill and stood at the grave of Governor William Bradford (1590 - 1657), the quintessential pilgrim. At the top of his gravestone is the Hebrew inscription "Jehovah Is My Help." In a sense, Bradford was a pilgrim ...
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Marching Orders for the Next Battle
Nov 8, 2012 1 Comment ›› John EidsmoeAt 6:00 AM election day, I left home to drive to one of the largest and most Democratic precincts in Montgomery, Alabama, where I was to serve as a Republican poll watcher. When I arrived at 6:30 AM, a half hour before the polls were to open, I was stunned to see hundreds of people ...
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