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St. Antony’s Cave Cenobitic Monasticism is Overrated Home About Rev. Paul R. Harris Missouri Megatrends For Anyone who dares For Pastors Only Contemporary Worship General Families LCMS 2007 Convention Ablaze Blast from the Past Uncategorized ← Older posts Close(d) Communion Across Three States Posted on May 6, 2024 by Paul Harris At the 2006, Texas District Convention, my congregation submitted the following resolution: Subject: To Clarify Synod’s Reaffirmation of Close(d) Communion Continue reading → Posted in Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment Obergefell v Hodges – Nine Years In Posted on April 29, 2024 by Paul Harris You have to read the below carefully. It’s about the 2015 ruling that redefined marriage, as if that could be done. You might as well redefine” gravity. That ruling recognized the right to oppose gay marriage for religious reasons. But see what two judges, on the dissent side, thought of this recognition. Continue reading → Posted in Families , Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment Just a Tool? Posted on April 22, 2024 by Paul Harris But is it? Are smartphones, social media, tablets, smart watches, and more just tools? They can be used for good or bad. Sure they can be abused, but the ancient dictum applies abuse doesn’t destroy use. Executives in charge of Big Tech sure don’t see it as an inert tool. Continue reading → Posted in Families | Leave a comment A Statement of 46 Years Ago Posted on April 15, 2024 by Paul Harris The Statement of the 44” made in 1945 was one of the sharpest turns the Good Ship LCMS ever made. Actually, the turn was made when they were allowed to withdraw it with no consequence, no repentance. It was a theological mulligan. And that ilk has been hacking up the theological course of the LCMS ever since while truly confessional men are marginalized. Dr. Scaer and I think Dr. Preus too thought the Good Ship LCMS made a turn in the late 60s and especially early 70s, and it was due to the laity. Truthfully, I never bought that. My father was one of the layman involved, but if not for the theological leadership of men like Drs. Scare and Preus and Professor Kurth Marquart as well, no turning would have occurred. Of course, you need layman who will read, study, listen and know gold when they’ve found it. Here is truly a golden nugget from St. Kurt of 46 years ago, 1978, found by one of my members. Continue reading → Posted in Ablaze , Blast from the Past , Contemporary Worship , Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment Impacted by Which Spirit? Posted on April 8, 2024 by Paul Harris I attended a virtual service of Impact Family Church, Austin on Sunday, June 19, 2022. I started with the service for that day and my computer crashed while livestreaming, so I switched to the Sunday before. This was serendipitous if not downright led by the Spirit for the message in the sermon series Jesus My Healer” for the Sunday my computer compelled me to go was Jesus My Healer – When Loved Ones Die Unexpectedly.” You would be impacted indeed by listening to his hourlong sermon ( https://www.impactatx.org/copy-of-live-stream-chat ) even as a whack upside the head impacts you. It disorients; it confuses; it confounds. Continue reading → Posted in Ablaze , Contemporary Worship , Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment It’s the 1980s Calling…. Posted on April 1, 2024 by Paul Harris Visiting Our Savior Lutheran Church, Austin, is like stepping back into 1980’s Missouri Synod. Before the liturgy, vestments, and creeds were completely thrown out. When contemporary music was starting to filter in; when the emphasis was on giving and evangelizing; when women were only reading the Scriptures; when Open Communion still had some standards. Continue reading → Posted in Contemporary Worship , Families , Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment Mixed Messages – Visit to Holy Cross Lutheran Church (LCMS), College Station, Texas Posted on March 25, 2024 by Paul Harris Paul’s warnings about trumpets giving uncertain sounds (I Cor. 14:9), go unheeded by the modern church. Entering Holy Cross, College Station, Texas new sanctuary in April 2022, my sensory impressions were all sound stage not church. They have paid little if any heed to about 2,000 years of church architecture. They have the pulpit higher than the altar. In 2000, St. Kurt was asked what he thought of Our Savior, Houston, Texas Continue reading → Posted in Contemporary Worship , General , Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment Carrie Underwood Does Church Better: Visit to another Non-denom Posted on March 18, 2024 by Paul Harris All the markings are there: the Untuckit shirt, the ironed jeans, save for no high-dollar, colored tennis shoes. He wore boots. Fitting for Bryan, Texas. But of all the churches out there who fly the colors of not being sure what they do and don’t believe, why choose this one? Continue reading → Posted in Ablaze , Contemporary Worship , Missouri Megatrends | Leave a comment Rick Perry Leads the Way into the Brave New World Posted on March 11, 2024 by Paul Harris This blog is a follow up to the September 9, 2019 blog Let’s Get Chemical” and it carries the warnings and advisories of the June 29, 2021 blog The Emperor’s New Clothes”. So you might want to read these before reading further. Continue reading → Posted in For Anyone who dares , For Pastors Only | Leave a comment Dialog between Pauline and a Pastor Posted on March 4, 2024 by Paul Harris Christian News published this in late 2022. It’s 21 pages long. This really is only for those who dare, but for those who do I think there is insight into those who came of age with the smartphone a given. Continue reading → Posted in For Anyone who dares | Leave a comment ← Older posts May 2024 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 « Apr Categories Ablaze Blast from the Past Contemporary Worship Families For Anyone who dares For Pastors Only General LCMS 2007 Convention Missouri Megatrends Uncategorized Search Search St. Antony’s Cave Proudly powered by...