Concord Matters from KFUO Radio

What is important to for us to know about the incarnation of Christ? What connection is there between Christ's incarnation and other parts of our doctrine? Where do we learn about the two natures of Christ in Scripture and Lutheran Confessions?Rev. Dr. Karl Fabrizius, pastor of Our Father's Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the incarnation of Christ.

Where do we learn about the Advent of Christ in our Lutheran Confessions? What does the Advent of Christ mean for us in these gray and latter days? How do we participate in these parts of the church year in our Christian vocations?Rev. Dr. D. Richard Stuckwisch, Jr., Pastor of Emmaus Lutheran Church in South Bend, Indiana, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss the Advent of Christ.

What is the foundation for discussion of Concord within the Christian Church? What does unity look like in the Christian Church? How is such unity preserved? How do we handle disunity, heterodoxy, and heresy in the Church? Where would be a good “first-step” place to go in the Book of Concord to help us handle these matters?Rev. David Wiist, pastor of Concordia Lutheran in Evansville, Indiana, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss how our Lutheran confessions matter for us to live peaceably as the body of Christ.This is a rebroadcast from September 22, 2020.

How does Luther's theology on soul care flow into Christian counseling? How does pastoral care differ from counseling from a licensed therapist? What do Lutherans uniquely bring to Christian counseling, and how should you find a good counselor?Rev. Dr. Rick Marrs joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Christian counseling. Dr. Marrs is Associate professor of Practical Theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he also serves as the director of the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Residential Alternate Route (RAR) Programs and author of the book Making Christian Counseling More Christ Centered. Find his book on Amazon.com.

What is a soul? What does it mean to care for souls, and why is that important? Is it different from mental health therapy? How does right understanding of the care of souls affect how pastors care for their flock?Rev. Brady Finnern, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Sartell, Minnesota, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss Concord Matters for the care of souls. This is a rebroadcast from September 15, 2020.

What do we confess through the liturgical clothing of the pastor and the fabrics we use to adorn our altars and pulpits? How do these vestments and paraments connect us to Christ and what He has done for us? Where do we find these things in scripture and our Lutheran confessions?Rev. Anthony Oliphant, pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Elmhurst, Illinois, joins host Rev. Sean Smith for this discussion.

Rev. Dan Torkelson, pastor of St. Johns Lutheran Church in North Prairie, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study 2 Samuel 21.“There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” A deal’s a deal. Long before King David, God had forbidden the Israelites from making covenants with the people west of the Jordan River. Joshua only accepted the Gibeonites’ proposal because he’d been deceived. And yet, even though the covenant was based on fraud, God still held Israel to their word, and He demanded justice for the Gibeonites. Similarly, for the sake of his covenant with Saul, David has mercy on Mephibosheth and Rizpah. We too are undeserving, but God shows us mercy for the sake of the covenant written in Christ’s blood. We’re weak and ignoble enemies of God, but He always keeps faith. For Him, by His grace, a deal’s a deal.

How does an artist express and confess our Lutheran beliefs and doctrine become sacred art? What is unique about Lutheran sacred art, and how do artists pull together doctrine, scripture, and the life of the church to create visual representations of the faith?Artist Edward Riojas joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss how to create sacred art with our Lutheran doctrine. Find his work at edriojasartist.com.

What do we confess through our art in both our personal and worship spaces? How does liturgical or sacred art help us to keep our minds on things above? What are common symbols in liturgical art, and how do these symbols and common threads teach the faith?Rev. Jim Roemke, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. Sean Smith to discuss how our confessions translate into art in our liturgical spaces.

What does a church's form and structure say about the services that happen in it? How do our theology, confessions, and doctrine translate into how a worship space looks? Are lighting and acoustics really pastoral matters? (Hint: yes.)Rev. Randy Asburry, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in St. Louis, Missouri, joins host Rev. Sean Smith for this discussion. See photos from Hope's renovation at facebook.com/hopelutheranstl.