The Gottesdienst Crowd

Pastor Paul Schultz (filling in for Braaten) continues a two-part conversation with Pastor Joe Meunch on the baptismal theology of 1 Peter, this time working through Luther's catechism questions on baptism as a framework for the epistle. They trace how Peter's language of salvation, sonship, and the gift of the Holy Spirit echoes the Exodus pattern explored in part one, and dig into the notoriously difficult baptism passage in 1 Peter 3:21, weighing how Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz understood the "answer of a good conscience toward God" as the faith that clings to God's promise rather than any work performed in the rite. Along the way they consider the flood narrative as a type of baptism, the destructive and saving dimensions of water, and what it means for the baptized to be marked off from the world and tested through suffering, much as Israel was tested in the wilderness and Christ in his own baptism and temptation. A rich resource for preachers working through baptismal texts or the Easter-season lectionary readings from 1 Peter. ----more---- Host: Fr. Paul Schulz Guest: Fr. Josef Muench ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support.

Rev. Jason Braaten welcomes back Rev. John Bussman to work through the CTCR's December 2025 report, "The Proper Administration of the Lord's Supper: Applying Scripture and the Confessions to Contemporary Issues." Prompted by 2023 Synod Convention resolutions, the report addresses three practices that have crept into LCMS congregations: substituting grape juice for wine, using prepackaged communion elements, and substituting non-wheat bread for those with gluten intolerance. Braaten and Bussman walk through each section, weighing the report's appeal to the words of institution and the Lutheran Confessions against its reluctance to flatly call these practices illegitimate. They discuss why clarity—not nuance—serves the truth, how exceptions tend to become rules, and what faithful, pastoral care looks like when a congregation's practice doesn't match Christ's institution. A frank conversation for pastors who want to know not just what the document says, but where it falls short. ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Guest: Fr. John Bussman ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support.

In Episode 3 of Saving the Sons of Missouri, Rev. David Ramirez moves from diagnosis to response—offering a candid and pastoral path forward for engaging the rising generation of young men in the LCMS. Building on the cultural, economic, and familial realities outlined earlier, this episode wrestles with how older generations can faithfully respond to the zeal, frustration, and searching of younger men today. Rather than dismissing or fearing that zeal, Rev. Ramirez calls for understanding, repentance, and intentional leadership: removing generational blind spots, making careful distinctions, and guiding young men with wisdom shaped by Scripture. Drawing on biblical examples—from David’s failures as a father to the exhortations of Colossians—he highlights both the dangers of neglect and the opportunity for renewal. The episode also tackles practical questions: how to direct youthful energy without crushing it, how to avoid bitterness on both sides, and how to rebuild strong families and congregations through mentorship, inheritance, and embodied teaching. The goal is not nostalgia, but faithful continuity—passing on the faith, forming leaders, and strengthening the bonds of Christ-centered households. At its heart, this episode is a call to action: to turn hearts between fathers and sons, to cultivate holy zeal, and to seize what may be a providential moment for renewal in the Church. TGC 583 – Saving the Sons of Missouri, Part 1 https://www.gottesdienst.org/podcast/2026/3/2/tgc-583-saving-the-sons-of-missouri-part-1 TGC 585 – Saving the Sons of Missouri, Part 2 https://www.gottesdienst.org/podcast/2026/3/11/tgc-585-saving-the-sons-of-missouri-part-2 Tell the Good News about Jesus Convocation (2025) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAL2mMQkURReJEKYKZtJlMhjZth7bWFAt The Great Awokening https://www.gottesdienst.org/podcast/2022/3/2/tgc-172-the-great-awokening?rq=great%20awokening Aaron Renn's Negative World https://firstthings.com/the-three-worlds-of-evangelicalism/ ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Regular Guest: Fr. David Ramirez ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support.

In Part 2, Rev. Jason Braaten and Rev. David Ramirez discuss what happens when a society reaches the end of its cultural experiment. After decades of secularization, humanism, and cultural revolution, many younger people—especially young men—are beginning to recognize that the modern project has failed to deliver the promised freedom and happiness. The result is a renewed search for truth, order, and tradition. Drawing on historical parallels such as the religious revival in France following the French Revolution, the conversation explores how periods of intense cultural upheaval often produce two opposite reactions: some people become even more hostile to Christianity, while others return to it with renewed seriousness and conviction. One visible sign of the current reaction is the growing cultural “battle of the sexes,” as younger men and women respond differently to the failures of modern culture. Rather than dismissing these developments, the hosts consider how this moment may present an opportunity for the Church to offer something the modern world cannot: a clear moral vision, stable family life, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. TGC 583 – Saving the Sons of Missouri, Part 1 https://www.gottesdienst.org/podcast/2026/3/2/tgc-583-saving-the-sons-of-missouri-part-1 Tell the Good News about Jesus Convocation (2025) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAL2mMQkURReJEKYKZtJlMhjZth7bWFAt The Great Awokening https://www.gottesdienst.org/podcast/2022/3/2/tgc-172-the-great-awokening?rq=great%20awokening Aaron Renn's Negative World https://firstthings.com/the-three-worlds-of-evangelicalism/ ----more---- Host: Fr. Jason Braaten Regular Guest: Fr. David Ramirez ----more---- Become a Patron! You can subscribe to the Journal here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/subscribe/ You can read the Gottesblog here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/ You can support Gottesdienst here: https://www.gottesdienst.org/make-a-donation/ As always, we, at The Gottesdienst Crowd, would be honored if you would Subscribe, Rate, and Review. Thanks for listening and thanks for your support.