Am I Willing to Take a Stand?

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

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Lutherans Still Making Impact in New Orleans—and Beyond—Five Years after Katrina

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,

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The Message of Confirmation

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

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Beginning with Repentance

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.

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Shedding Some Light

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

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You Can Go Home Again

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

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