At death I believe that Christians, while absent from the body, are present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). At death unbelievers are forever lost. So judgment came at death. So how can there be any judgment at Christ’s second coming (Matt. 25:31–46; 2 Cor. 5:10)? For all human beings, physical death—which is the
How a New York congregation helps ‘keep the home fires burning’ and serves as an example of the work of Operation Barnabas.
by Dr. William B. Knippa Every once in a while I hear our pastor say how we all sin much daily. What does he mean? What does it mean to repent of our sin? Photo by shutterstock.com I commend you for posing a question that, I suspect, many worshiping Christians ask themselves but feel hesitant
Practical Advice On starting out on a gloomy day: First, realize that it is the day that is gloomy, not you. If you want to be gloomy, too, that’s your business, but it’s not mandatory. George Kottwitz Trinity Lutheran Church Edwardsville, Ill. Poor Pastor? In 1969, I was serving Trinity Lutheran Church in Alice,
It was no coincidence that Martin Luther chose Oct. 31 as the day to nail his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. by Rev. Mark Loest For most people, October means cooler weather, raking leaves, and, at the end of the month, celebrating Halloween. For Lutherans, October includes the commemoration
Dr. Mark Press’ article, “Singing Our Mother into Eternity,” in the August Lutheran Witness touched my heart because we also sang my dear husband, Elmer, into heaven in January 2007. We, too, had sung numerous hymns those last hours, many from The Lutheran Hymnal. They included “Abide with Me,” “Nearer My God to Thee,” “I
by Dr. David P. Scaer October 31, 1517, the day on which Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, is remembered as the beginning of the Reformation. Luther protested the sale of indulgences, the then common church practice of selling the forgiveness of sins. His 95 Theses must rank with
LCMS World Mission and partners around the world are striving toward the goal of a movement.
As a former DCE who “defected” to the pastoral ministry, I found Dean Nadasdy’s tribute in the August Lutheran Witness to be one of the finest and fittest tributes to these servants I have ever seen. In the fall of 2006, DCE Larry Biel accepted the call to family-life ministry at Anchorage Lutheran Church, Anchorage,
In the midst of profound struggles, Martin Luther wrote his most memorable hymn as a reminder that God is our refuge and strength.
President Kieschnick is not the only one wanting the “climate of distrust” gone from among us as LCMS Lutherans [“From the President,” August]. I, too. But how has this climate come about? It has come about as one pastor and congregation practice open Communion week after week and a neighboring pastor and congregation don’t. It
Our Synod and our German partners move ahead with the ‘Wittenberg project.’