Luther's Answer: The Church Is Where Christ's Gospel Is Taught In his 1537 Smalcald Articles, Luther wrote: Thank God, today a child seven years old knows what the Church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd. For the children pray thus: I believe one holy Christian Church. This holiness does not consist in albs, tonsures, long gowns, and other of their ceremonies devised by them beyond Holy Scripture, but in the Word of God and true fa

On June 26, 2026, the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission (PRLC) issued its draft report, as required by Pres. Trump's 2025 executive order. As the report is pretty lengthy, I will not discuss the whole thing but focus on the question stated in the title of this post: Does religious liberty flow from religious duties to the Creator? What Is the PRLC? The PRLC is an advisory committee Pres. Trump created by an executive order. The members of the commission--12 conservati

The Fifth Sunday After Easter in the historic liturgical calendar of the Western Church focuses on prayer. It is the Sunday before Ascension Day, which is observed on the 40th day after Easter (see Acts 1:3). The Latin name of this Sunday is Rogate, which in English means, "pray!" The traditional gospel reading is John 16:23-30, which focuses on answered prayer to the Father in Christ's name. In 1537--after his return to Wittenberg from the meeting of Protestant princes at Sm