Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS)

06/16/2026

THE ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF NICAEA, AD 325
June 12

The first Council of Nicaea was convened in the early summer of 325 by the Roman Emperor Constantine at what is today Isnuk, Turkey. The emperor presided at the opening of the council. The council ruled against the Arians, who taught that Jesus was not the eternal Son of God but was created by the Father and was called Son of God because of his righteousness. The chief opponents of the Arians were Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, and his deacon, Athanasius. The council confessed the eternal divinity of Jesus and adopted the earliest version of the Nicene Creed, which in its entirety was adopted at the Council of Constantinople in 381.

"Forasmuch as the great and holy Synod, which was assembled at Nicaea through the grace of Christ and our most religious Sovereign Constantine, who brought us together from our several provinces and cities, has considered matters which concern the faith of the Church, it seemed to us to be necessary that certain things should be communicated from us to you in writing, so that you might have the means of knowing what has been rejected and investigated, and also what has been decreed and confirmed.

"First, then, in the presence of our most religious Sovereign Constantine, investigation was made of matters concerning the impiety and transgression of Arius and his adherents. And it was unanimously decreed that he and his impious opinion should be anathematized, together with the blasphemous words and speculations in which he indulged, blaspheming the Son of God, and saying that He is from things that are not, and that before He was begotten He was not, and that there was a time when He was not, and that the Son of God is by His free will capable of vice and virtue; saying also that He is a creature. All these things the holy Synod has anathematized, not even enduring to hear his impious doctrine and madness and blasphemous words."
—The Synodal Letter from the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
And of all things visible and invisible:

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God,
Begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
Very God of very God,
Begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father,
By whom all things were made;
Who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven,
And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,
And was made man,
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried,
And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,
And ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Ghost,
The Lord and giver of life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the Resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the world to come.
Amen.

06/16/2026

It's ✨ ! ✨

At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8)

Hear Christ for you at kfuo.org!

06/16/2026

Anxiety is like a "Check Engine" light for the soul that leads us to take all our concerns to the Lord in prayer.

Listen to "Journey Through Anxiety" by Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler at lhm.org/lutheranhour, on our Connected by LHM app, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

06/16/2026

06/16/2026

We all know about Martin Luther—but what about the Second Martin, Martin Chemnitz? And why is he called that, anyway? Find out the answers to your Chemnitz and second-generation Lutheran reformer questions at our online exhibit, MARTIN CHEMNITZ AT 500: THE SECOND MARTIN'S LIFE, WORK, AND LEGACY.
https://concordiahistoricalinstitute.org/martin-chemnitz-at-500/

06/16/2026

This season, which stretches forth as a seemingly endless “green” pasture from Pentecost through the end of the Church Year, is a time meant for slowing down and for learning more about our Lord’s work.

06/16/2026

This week, you are invited to pray for the Synod presidential election, especially for the electors, who are preparing for the second round of voting.

In place of a collect, consider praying and meditating on the following verses:

The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:8–9)

06/16/2026

One surprising omission from the guest list to Martin and Katie Luther’s wedding was Philipp Melanchthon. Melanchthon and Luther were close friends as well as colleagues but perhaps Luther foresaw his friend’s objection. Writing just four days after the wedding, on June 17, 1525, Melanchthon wrote to his friend Joachim Camerarius:

“Unexpectedly Luther has married Bora, without even informing at least one of his friends beforehand of his intentions …. you are probably surprised that in such serious times, when good people everywhere suffer so much, that he does not share others’ suffering, but even more, so it seems, indulges himself and compromises his good reputation, at a time when Germany right now especially needs his spirit and his authority … the man can be easily misled, and the nuns who in every way lay wait for him, have ensnared him, although he is a noble and stout-hearted man, have papered him and caused the fires of passion to blaze up in him … At this point one must not take amiss what has happened and find fault. For, as I see correctly, he was subject to a natural compulsion to marry. Even though this way of life - marriage - is also lowly, it is nevertheless holy and more pleasing to God than the unmarried state. In addition, I hope that the married state will make him more dignified, and because of that he will give up the tomfoolery, with which we have often found fault,…. Through the many missteps of the holy ones in the first times God has shown us, that we should use his word as the touchstone and not guide ourselves according to the reputation and the person of a human being, but solely according to his word. ‘Whoever condemns the teaching because of a misstep of the teacher, one can on the other hand say, is totally ungodly.’” (Translation from the book “Katherine von Bora: Luther’s Wife” by Martin Treu pp. 31-32)

Was Melanchthon’s frustration true concern for his friend or disappointment over not being invited to the wedding? We can’t tell for certain but it’s possible that it could be some of each. He soon came around and continued to be the most frequent visitor to the Luther house.

Gustav Spangenberg’s famous painting “Luther Making Music in the Circle of his Family” is just one of several that includes Philipp Melanchthon in a painting of the Luther family. It is from about 1875 and in the public domain.

Rebecca DeGarmeaux for Katie Luther

06/16/2026