How are Recognized Service Organizations of the LCMS influencing the culture with words of mercy and life?

As a pastor with some tattoos, I want to thank you for your Q & A response to the letter regarding tattoos. Aside from having personal meaning for me, my tattoos have opened many doors to witnessing, both to those who question why a pastor would do such a thing (to speak of Gospel freedom

by Rev. Dr. David Benke Why art thou cast down, o my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God! (Ps. 42:11). In the months angling toward the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001, I

by Kim Plummer Krull Helping congregations bring neighborhoods back to life by sharing Christ’s love: That’s one simple way to describe the work of Lutheran Housing Support (LHS), say Deborah Rutt and Nicole Ridley. But the challenges these women tackle are anything but simple. “We work with and walk alongside congregations as they work to

by Melanie Ave In this interview, Doris Knuth, director of the Concordia University Chicago Early Childhood Education Center, explains the many benefits of a Lutheran education, particularly in the lives of the very young. Congregations and Christian day schools within The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) operate more than 2,200 early childhood centers and preschools nationwide,

by Dr. Beverly Yahnke In most churches, as we gather each Lord’s Day, we recite either the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed. We find both joy and certainty in our profession of faith. We speak the words with confidence, binding ourselves to one another within the Body of Christ and worshiping our God who

Steve Jobs, the head of Apple Computers who died Oct. 5, was by all accounts a brilliant man, a visionary. No one can deny that Steve Jobs was gifted. And gifts imply a Giver. No one can deny that Steve Jobs was good at his jobs. He had a vocation, a calling. And a calling implies a Caller.

by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar The calendar of the Christian Church is filled with special observances. Some are called feasts while others are festivals. The month of October brings both kinds of celebrations. But what is the difference? Is the distinction between feast and festival an important one? Perhaps it is. A look at the

by Melanie Ave The Rev. Matthew Heise serves as a career missionary to Russia and other former Soviet republics for The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). This October, as we celebrate World Mission Month, Heise (www.lcms.org/heise) offers a glimpse into his life overseas. The following is an edited Lutheran Witness (LW) interview with Heise (MH): LW:

C.F.W. Walther was the Synod’s first president. How does this pastor still matter to the church today?

Rev. Dr. Jerald C. Joersz I have a question about prayer. A friend of mine lost her only sibling to cancer in 2005. Shortly after that, her husband discovered that he had cancer. He died in 2009. And then her mother died. Now she just found out that her childrens father, whom she divorced but