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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Marbury v. Madison (Wisc.): Faith, Football, and Freedom OF Religion
Nov 2, 2012 No Comments ›› Ben DuPréThis morning I had the privilege of standing with hundreds of students, parents, and citizens at Marbury High School in Autauga County, Ala., as they held signs and displayed shirts (like the one above) proclaiming Philipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." These good citizens of Marbury were gathered this ...
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IS AMERICA EXCEPTIONAL? An Independence Day Meditation
Jul 3, 2012 1 Comment ›› John EidsmoeAmerican Exceptionalism! Today we frequently hear that term in the media and academia, sometimes derisively, seldom defined. It refers to the belief that there is something special about America, something that makes America different from, and perhaps better than, other nations. Americans of older generations have grown up believing America is the greatest, the best, the ...
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No Freedom of Speech From the Pulpit
Jun 29, 2012 No Comments ›› Site AdministratorThe following post was guest-authored by 3rd-year law student Adam Parker, a 2012 summer intern at the Foundation for Moral Law. SHH! Freedom of Speech… As Long as That Speech isn’t Coming from a Pulpit! Most people that are a part of church ministry know of the travesty that is often referred to as the “Johnson Amendment”—if not ...
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A Toast to Doolittle’s Raiders
Apr 26, 2012 No Comments ›› Site AdministratorLast night, as Trinity Presbyterian Church held a special patriotic program to dedicate five military flags (Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Air Force), I was asked to represent the Air Force and present the story of Doolittle's Raid over Japan. The text of my speech is below. My thanks to Justin Rojek for the ...
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The Easter Bunny, the Empty Tomb, or Both?
Apr 6, 2012 No Comments ›› John EidsmoeGenesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:18-23; Romans 1:22-25 The War on Easter Many of us are seasoned veterans of the War on Christmas, the campaign to drive the recognition of Christmas out of the public square, replacing Jesus with Santa Claus, "Silent Night" with "Please, Santa Baby," and the creche with Santa's workshop. Is there also a War on Easter? ...
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Lutherans for Life on HHS: “Here We Stand!”
Feb 20, 2012 1 Comment ›› John EidsmoeLast Saturday 18 Feb 2012, during our Lutherans for Life Board of Directors meeting at Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO, the Executive Director asked me to prepare a statement concerning the recent Health & Human Services directive requiring religious organizations to provide contraception for their employees. I drafted the statement, and with a ...
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