Luther for Today
From the differently formed to the unborn without an opportunity to ever form, Luther links our mission with how we live.
Our Confessions Make Us Missional
Which is more important? Doctrine or mission?
Missionary Churches: Navigating in a Post-Church World
In an increasingly secular and pluralistic society, what is the status of the Church, and how do we engage the unchurched around us?
Lutheran Witness: December 2009
At the heart of it all, as so vividly expressed by Luther’s famous Christmas hymn, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come”—the focus of two of our stories this month—is the birth of God’s Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Responsibility: a two-way street
I was disappointed with Dr. Randy Schroeder’s response to the worried wife in the October Family Counselor section of The Lutheran Witness. It suggests a sin-and fear-based stance leading to control and limitations. The husband is encouraged to modify and limit his interactions with the opposite sex due to his wife’s anxiety. Nowhere is the …
Mission multiplication at sea
The Lutheran Witness’ October stories on “Mission Multiplication” and the Reformation surfaced online on a Norwegian cruise ship during a recent holiday. The ship carried about 2,000 people from 60 countries. After visiting about a dozen countries and historic places such as Ephesus, my wife and I were struck with the possibilities of doing Christ’s …
A song to treasure
I received my copy of the October Lutheran Witness today and was skimming through the articles. Seth Long’s “Foolish Things of the World” caught my eye, and I began to read the story. I got to the line that all understanding is trivial as long as we come to understand those six simple words: “Jesus …
Affirming God’s law
We were blessed by President Kieschnick’s clear explanation of a biblical stance on homosexuality in his “Our Synod and Recent ELCA Actions” article in the October Lutheran Witness. We have shared this article with church friends confused by headlines about “Lutherans and homosexuals” in the media. It is both a source of “truth telling” and …
A mighty fortress: comfort multiplied
Thank you for the most salubrious article on Luther’s hymn, “Ein feste Burg,” by Dr. Albert Collver. I view the church as a MASH unit, so I especially relish that particular hymn as care to those whose fortresses have fallen. When your job is gone, when your home is gone, when all things that you …
Singing at the gates of eternity
Dr. Mark Press penned a touching article in the August 2009 issue of The Lutheran Witness. He tells of being with his mother in the final moments of her life and the privilege he and his family members had of “singing her into eternity.” I could not help but reflect on the passing of my …
With me, not for me!
As someone living with Asperger’s syndrome, I feel compelled to write a few words regarding the “Foolish Things of the World” article in the October Lutheran Witness. Autism is a spectrum disorder, with degrees of severity and variance. This means that many of us can understand deep theological concepts, although one’s level of communication may …
Regarding trust
This is a response to Pastor Michael Brockman’s October letter regarding distrust in the Missouri Synod. Over the years, I consistently told the people in my congregation that one of the great things about the Missouri Synod is that regardless of where they worshiped, they will never hear false teaching from an LCMS pulpit. Therein …