by Naomi Stephens Every paper I wrote as an undergraduate was finished sometime between the magic hours of 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. Wilted in the back corner of a Starbucks, Id bash my head frantically on the keyboard, waiting for my creative juices just to get with the program. Then, wired on yet more caffeine,

Thanks to Rev. Larry Vogel (January 2012) for addressing a difficult subject that bothers many (if not all) of us as we struggle to make sense out of disasters. I will recommend this article to many who are tempted by the devil to question God and His goodness in the wake of disasters in their

by Rev. Philip B. Wolf For many, it is the latest fascination. For those washed shameless in Gods Sacrament of Baptism, it is the latest divine dinner bell calling from Camp Calvary to us, the satisfied, to serve those yet unsatisfied with the permanent solution to their hunger for life and love. For everyone, its

Iwas interested in the article written by the Rev. Dr. Jerald C. Joersz especially due to a recent experience as a young couple left a casino. My wife and I had some friends who wanted to see the inside of a casino, so we stayed inside the car outside and waited for them. As we

by Rev. Dr. Dale Sattgast Tend the flock of God that is in your charge (1 Peter 5:2a). Recently, every congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod was supposed to return its annual statistical report. Most often, the pastor takes the responsibility for making certain that specific information is gathered and the report is sent. The

We were so pleased to see the article on Rev. Josh Lowe in the latest Lutheran Witness. The article captured Josh perfectly! I always read your magazine cover to cover and then share it with a friend. Thanks for your continuing good work. Carol Ann Sander Read More Letters to the Editor Send letters to

by Ed and Ruthie Szeto October Baby is a touching movie about a young woman who, upon learning that she was adopted after a failed abortion attempt, embarks on a journey to find her birth mother. The movie’s tagline, “Every life is beautiful,” plays off of Psalm 139: “For You formed my inward parts; You

Roland Lovstad’s “The Making of a Pastor” in the February Witness made for interesting reading. I notice, however, that the color photo featured with “Quick Facts on CSL” (pg. 13) is a beautiful photo not of the St. Louis seminary, but of the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Rev. William

by Kim Plummer Krull While his name may not ring a bell, the words of the Rev. Stephen P. Starke (STAR-kee) sound familiar to many who enjoy singing from Lutheran Service Book (LSB), the Synods hymnal. The Michigan pastor has penned more than 175 hymns, including 32 in LSB. Scripture and music often inspire his

From smartphones to tablets, kids today have a lot of stuff. How can you remind them that all that we have comes as a gift from our gracious heavenly Father? by Rev. Kurt Ulmer As I was precariously balanced on one foot in the wee hours of the morning, trying to scale Little People Mountain

We have no problem receiving things like food and shelter as gifts from God, so why do we shy away from His gifts of life and salvation.