We have come to know and to believe
the love that God has for us.
1 John 4:16

Church Blog

Christmas Schedule, 2023

We are planning two services for the feast of Christmas: 4 PM on December 24 for Christmas Eve. There will be no service that Sunday morning. 10:30 AM on December 25 for Christmas Day. After the service we will enjoy hot cocoa of various kinds. Beyond the festival, this year’s Christmas season will include a…

A Concise Definition of Marriage

On the website of a church, what follows is obviously meant to be a definition in a Christian context. We can acknowledge that outside the Christian community, people are free to use words like marriage in the ways they think are best. Yet we must also claim the right to do the same within our…

✠ Lesta Herr ✠

Lesta Herr was translated by our gracious Lord from this world to eternal glory on Sunday, September 3 at 8 AM. A funeral service is planned Wednesday, September 13, at 12:30 PM. A viewing will be possible before the service beginning at 11:45, and there will be a reception in the church basement after the…

Objective Personal Virtues

Objective personal virtues are not limited to Christians. They can be appreciated both through the lens of the Bible and through natural law. Natural law is the understanding of God’s order in Creation that a thoughtful person can discern with reason and observation. Natural law is behind the work of governments, for example. The more…

Beware of Unhealthy Pride

In Proverbs 16:18, God’s Word says something famous. I recall it most easily in the old King James version in which it first came to my attention: “Pride goeth before a fall.” Or in more contemparary language (ESV), “Pride goes before destruction.” There are certainly some people who will not want to listen or read…

Bethany Seminary and College Commencement and Assignments

You can watch the livestream to see the service and find out who has been assigned as a new teacher at Lakewood Lutheran next year! Here are the details. The Bethany Seminary graduation and call service will be livestreamed Wednesday, May 9, at this link: https://blts.edu/2023-seminary-commencement-and-call-service/. The service will begin at 2 PM Pacific time.

Moderate Christianity?

In high school, I was in a class where we read certain pieces of literature. One that has stayed with me all these years is Enemy of the People by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen was a progressive-minded writer in the 1800’s, the same period when the play was set. The main character, Dr.…

Congregational Singing Practice

Update: Our next scheduled congregational singing practice will be Wednesday, April 12, at 5:00 PM. Our experience with music has changed over the centuries. Lutheran services have made heavy and constant use of music to beautify the service and support the preaching of the gospel and the response of the congregation. This kind of service…

✠ Moses Lai ✠

This announcement is from the Parkland Lutheran Church “Bench”: The Lord called ✠ Moses Lai ✠ to his eternal rest on Thursday, December 29th. Moses is the father of Ga-Wing Obenberger and Shu Ting Lai, the principal at Bethany, Port Orchard. You are invited to the Committal at Parkland Lutheran Cemetery on Sunday, January 15…