Ian Heinze

Years ago, I began a project of putting together a thread of the oldest Lutheran Church in every state. Now that I am back, I am reviving the project. Reminder: I can make mistakes at times. Some states are difficult to pinpoint exactly which parish is the oldest. Enjoy!

Played matchmaker at the all-Illinois Districts supper tonight to try and connect my young men with faithful and pious young ladies from our Districts. They hear it from me often: "Marry a faithful Missouri Synod Lutheran." Marriage is hard enough. Be united in your confession.

I was not in communion with the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod until I was a senior in high school. I am exceedingly thankful each day for the purity of the Gospel, the clarity of doctrine, and the faithfulness of our dear Church body. We are richly richly blessed.

I have finished planning the three Divine Services for our upcoming Pastors Conference in October. It's glorious. In the Central Illinois District, we have a full Divine Service each day of the Conference. Twenty-three great hymns, two coming from the Liber Hymnorum.

"What do you Lutherans believe about the Holy Communion?" Let Albrecht Dürer tell you through His masterful woodcut.

Saint Brynlee was baptized into Christ this morning, brought into the Lord's kingdom through water and the Word, and forgiven of all her sin. "Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation."

One of the best ways to adorn the Christian household is to take the Baptismal Certificate of each family member, frame it, and hang them in a prominent space in the home.

At the Dying Well in Christ Forum at Concordia Seminary, we are going through a Funeral Sevice following every rubric and using every ceremony to model what a full Funeral Service can look like. Well, it looks like they decided to kill off @lymanstoneky

[T]he Confessions doctrinal content is expressed in the liturgy. For the liturgy is dogma prayed. Baptismal doctrine and baptismal liturgy, communion doctrine and communion liturgy, belong inseparably together. We cannot understand one without the other. Hermann Sasse Logia, 10

What a terrific joy and surprise to have a mini Concordia Seminary St. Louis reunion at St. John Lutheran in Wheaton, IL this morning!

Driving through Chicago traffic today continues to reaffirm that I never want to live in such a massive city or even the suburbs. Give me the quaint prairie every day over this. Thankfully, the Lord also raises up pastors who enjoy the metropolises.