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

by Kim Plummer Krull One year after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti, more than 1 million people remain homeless, and the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country has struggled with a cholera epidemic. But amid huge challenges, LCMS World Relief and Human Care’s (WR-HC) Rev. Glenn F. Merritt says that the Synod’s mercy ministry, with the

by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar The vocabulary of the church is filled with big words, large and meaningful words that sum up a great quantity of theological content. There are words like redemption and sanctification, words like liturgy and sacramental and words like propitiation and atonement. These great words may well need some reflection and

by Dr. Jerald C. Joersz Q: Tattoos are all around us. As a 60-something lifelong Lutheran, I’ve never liked them or wanted one. Recently someone in my church strongly disagreed with me about this. On the basis of the Bible, what should we say about this practice? A: As far as I am aware, only

by Rev. Heath Curtis Most religions are quite spiritual. They are about teachings, thoughts, philosophies. They are misty and magical and otherworldly. Not so Christianity. Our faith is earthly, tangible; you can sink your teeth into it. The God we know created mankind from the dust of the ground and then stepped Himself into Mary’s

In Greg Wismar’s article “Remembrance” in the June/July Lutheran Witness he states, “The reason for that remembrance is well expressed in the Augsburg Confession  . . .  “That we may imitate their faith and good works according to our calling.” Should this also not apply to the recently departed saints who have served the Synod?

In “Why Read Scripture?” in the June/July issue, Rev. Schaum claims, “You have to feel the cross utterly crush you, make you despair of any attempt you might try to please God.” I am not convinced that Scripture requires us to “feel” a certain way. Is it not adequate simply to trust in Jesus? Bob

In his essay “Come, Lord Jesus,” Dr. David Loy did his best to extol the virtues of inviting Jesus to be our guest. On the night He was betrayed, our Lord served us as our most gracious, forgiving, life-giving Host. I remain convinced that Jesus as Host to His Christian guests is the essential relationship

I so enjoyed the article “Come, Lord Jesus” by David W. Loy (June/July). My father, grandfather and three cousins were all LCMS ordained pastors, and we were taught to say: “Come, Lord Jesus, Be our Guest, and Let this food to us be blessed.” I have always called it the “uncommon” Common Table Prayer. Maybe