The LCMS
Q and A

by Rev. Dr. Jerald C. Joersz  Q: Do the Lutheran churches have an opinion concerning the Masonic Lodge and other similar organizations? A: Lutheran churches in the United States in varying degrees and at various points in their history have taken positions opposing lodge membership (particularly the Masonic Lodge), although some have relaxed or even removed their
Learning Is the Bridge

How can we encourage religious literacy in our homes, schools and neighborhoods? Find out how to cultivate your curiosity about God and His work on your behalf. by Rev. Travis J. Scholl I am convinced by Stephen Prothero’s thesisstated most notably in his book Religious Literacy that we live in a society that is religiously illiterate
Special Occasions

by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar Many events in the worship life of every congregation happen on a regular basis. Each year, it can be expected that Christmas, Easter, Pentecost and the other major festivals will be celebrated as they occur on the annual Church Year calendar. The weeks from the First Sunday in Advent to
Shedding Some Light

404 ErrorAfter the Divine Service ended on New Year’s Day, I greeted the four-year-old great-granddaughter of a member of my congregation. “I have a purse,” she told me. I responded, “That’s wonderful. All I have is a wallet and a couple of pockets.” She then observed, “Yeah, but you’re wearing a dress!” Rev. Philip HouserPapillion,
A message of repentance

I wholeheartedly agree with President Harrison’s point that we need Advent and its message of repentance (December 2011). Rev. Karl A. FrinckeFort Wayne, Ind.   Read More Letters to the Editor Send letters to Letters, c/o The Lutheran Witness, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295; or send them via e-mail to Lutheran.Witness@LCMS.org.
What Does the Bible Say About Pastors?

by Rev. Matthew Zickler Upon His resurrection, Christ appeared to His disciples and sent them with a particular, unique sending, making them apostles. However, as He did this, He also instituted the apostolic office that we still recognize in the Office of the Holy Ministry (see John 20:1923; Matt. 28:1620; Mark 16:1416; Luke 24:4649). Under
A blessed Christmas

Thank you for the magnificent artwork on the cover and pages 1013 of the December issue. The unique poetic meditation by Pastor Neugebauer was excellent, particularly linked with the artwork of He Qi. Can you feature more of his work in a future issue? Thank you again. Christmas was made more blessed for me because
Try Before You Buy: The Dangers of MaterniT21 (Web-exclusive Story)

by Dr. Debra L. Grime A new prenatal blood test called MaterniT21 can now evaluate the DNA of a baby before he or she is born and determine if the child has Down Syndrome with 99 percent accuracy. But now that the option is available, will more women opt for such tests? And more importantly,
The night our Savior was born

I love The Lutheran Witness magazine. The articles are great, and the illustrations are great. I would like to know the artist or photographer who did the pictures for the December issue on the article “A King Pronounced.” They are so vibrant, and to me, the colors would be so like the night our Savior
A Sacred Precious Gift (Web-exclusive story)

by Rev. Christopher Hall He formed our inward parts. He knitted us in our mothers womb (Ps. 139:13). God has created each and every person. But God creates and forms the inward parts of every insect, each and every bird, each and every microbe. What makes human life sacred? What makes Christians defend the born

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