by Rev. Ken Lampe It’s popular today to talk about being spiritual but not religious. Some people want to be considered spiritual, but they are not sure they want to take a stand for Jesus. Other people tend to think about religion in terms of family or tradition. Children or spouses act as though someone …
by Paula Schlueter Ross It’s been five years since the Aug. 29, 2005, landfall of Hurricane Katrina. And today–even with five years of restoration efforts involving millions of dollars and untold hours of volunteer labor–the parts of New Orleans that were damaged are still only “26 to 60 percent recovered,” according to Rev. Kurtis Schultz, …
Lutherans Still Making Impact in New Orleans—and Beyond—Five Years after Katrina Read More »
by Sandy Wood From Chicago to Ghana and in between, a ministry carrying Christ’s love and a cushioned place to sleep is spreading to homeless people through Lutheran congregations and beyond. Each sleeping mat is approximately 3 feet by 6 feet, contains between 500 and 700 plastic bags, and takes approximately 35 hours to make. …
A Sleeping-Mat Ministry: Bringing Comfort to the Homeless Read More »
by Rev. Tim Pauls Ah, confirmation–a defining mark of Lutheran congregations. It’s supposed to be a good thing, the pastor preparing youth for communicant membership. Too often, though, it’s seen only as a necessary rite of passage to endure rather than a blessing to enjoy. For some reason, teenagers just don’t seem to enjoy memorizing …
The greatest eras in the history of the Church have all begun with repentance. Those times when the Gospel of free forgiveness by faith in Jesus Christ has shone brightest in missionary witness and expansion—in a burning desire to care for the weak and needy with Christ’s own mercy, and in zealous and creative endeavors in church life and organization—have all begun with the preaching of repentance.
The Lutheran Service Book includes a list of commemorations and festivals honoring God for His work through various people in Scripture and in the history of the Church. But one is different than all the others: St. Michael and All Angels.
Random Thoughts for the Last Days of Summer A mousetrap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. Kathryn Gritts St. Louis, Mo. You know your commute to work has become too much when you sit at your desk …
by Dr. William B. Knippa Our son is graduating from college, and as parents, we couldn’t be prouder. But we are a bit chagrined that he plans to move back home with us while he looks for a job. We’ve gotten used to being empty-nesters and aren’t sure how we can make this work for …
by Dr. Jerald C. Joersz We are longtime Missouri Synod Lutherans who believe in the real presence of the body and blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. However, we and other members of our congregation are offended by a practice recently introduced by our pastor. During the Communion service, he communes himself. Is this proper? …
In response to your letters about organists at church I had to share this tidbit: While visiting in Canada a few years ago, we walked into a small church located just off the street. It was very hot and humid that morning and threatening rain. The pianist was playing the prelude when there was a …
While I was not a delegate to the Synod convention, I was looking forward to action on the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Synod Structure and Governance’s exhaustive study of the need for reorganizing the LCMS, as brought to the convention by Floor Committee 8. Now that the convention addressed only about 50 percent of …
In the opening paragraph of your story on the LCMS’ Houston convention, you described Houston as the “fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.” Unfortunately, you are misinformed. The fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, behind New York (19,069,796), Los Angeles (12,874,797), and Chicago (9,580,567), is Dallas–Fort Worth (6,447,615). Houston (5,867,489) comes in at …