Author Archives: Matt

About Matt

Software engineer by trade; lay theologian by nature; Lutheran by grace.

Doing Lines

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Matt

Where is the line that separates abortion from infanticide?  A rather remarkable video has been making the rounds in which a Planned Parenthood representative argues for the legality of post-birth abortion at a Florida legislative hearing.  The question is whether … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, Ethics, Politics | 1 Comment

Closer to God

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Matt

How do we get closer to God? The question occurred to me while I was reviewing a passage from William P. Young’s The Shack for a class I plan on teaching this spring on the heresy of Modalism (among others).*  … Continue reading →

Posted in The Modern Church | 1 Comment

Why We Don’t Worship With You

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Matt

It’s not because “those are our rules.”  It’s because we believe our religion is actually true. That’s the long and the short of it.  And as shocking as the concept might be in a postmodern age, the fact that our … Continue reading →

Posted in Lutheranism | 5 Comments

Rightly Understanding Good Works: Purpose vs. Substance

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Matt

To say that the value of our good works is their benefit to our neighbor is nothing more than an extension of the doctrine of justification.  Our works do not make us righteous before God–Christ has completely taken care of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Lutheranism | Leave a comment

You Can’t Fix Wicked

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Matt

How do Americans deal with tragedy?  The recent murders in Connecticut offer an unfortunate insight.  Both before and after the most basic facts were in, a familiar set of cries arose:  “Ban guns!”  “Ban violent video games!”  “Put an armed … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics | 2 Comments

Marriage Civilizes

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Matt

Shocking news:  there’s another trashy and dehumanizing reality tv show out there.  Apparently, this one involves a rapper who fathered children by 10 different women, and their life “together” as they compete for attention and whatnot.  The “star” of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chastity, Ethics | Leave a comment

Sharing the Same Error: Some Thoughts on Medium & Message

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Matt

There are times when errors are so deeply ingrained in a culture that they show up on all sides of a hotly debated issue.  The result is often that two people who hold vehemently opposed positions do so because of … Continue reading →

Posted in Lutheranism, The Modern Church | Leave a comment

The Origins of an Ignorant Postmodernist

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Matt

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…  Not because of the snow or the lights, but because of the emergence of critics clamoring to cast doubt on Christ and His birth.  In this piece on CNN’s belief blog, Professor … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, The Modern Church | Leave a comment

Debunking a Myth: Contemporary Worship is not Inclusive

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Matt

When a congregation begins toying with the idea of contemporary worship, one of the usual driving factors is an attempt to be more “inclusive.”   “The Church needs to appeal to more people than the gray-hairs that attend every Sunday.  … Continue reading →

Posted in The Modern Church | 4 Comments

The Responsibility to Vote?

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Matt

Presidential elections bring more than political ads and disappointment; they also mark the season for a peculiarly American form of moralizing.  We are reminded that voting is a great honor & privilege that we have received at an equally great … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Politics | Leave a comment