by Rev. Terence Groth Early every fall a milestone event takes place all across America: Mothers send their children off to the first day of school. For some pupils this is a partial day in preschool or kindergarten. For others, it is a full day as a first-grader. For still others, it is the first …
In the middle of a cornfield in western Iowa, God is using ordinary people and an old set of farm buildings to accomplish His work.
Because life issues are spiritual issues, the responsibility to address them belongs to the Church.
Three years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, Lutheran volunteers are still making a difference; and after devastating Midwest floods, Christian faith and love sustain families.
As you can see from this contents page, we’re bursting at the seams this month—with stories about Katrina, the flooding this summer in the Midwest, and Mission Central, to name just a few.
Some days, it seems, our 24/7 news cycle brings us little but glum news. Fuel is at an all-time high. The stock market is in the doldrums (or worse). When will the housing market recover? For Christians, each day also seems to bring a new challenge to our faith. Among those challenges: differing assertions about the structure of marriage.
Having extensively researched the history of cremation and then published my book Ashes to Ashes or Dust to Dust: A Biblical and Christian Examination of Cremation (Regina Orthodox Press, 2005), I was deeply saddened to read Dr. William Knippa’s April “Family Counselor” response to a question about cremation. His counsel simply reflects our secular culture’s …
Dorothy Staub writes concerning “grotesque, repulsive covers for The Lutheran Witness” (“Positive covers, please!” May 2008, Letters), specifically in apparent reference to the March 2008 issue featuring the painting The Three Marys at the Tomb, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905). In response to Mrs. Staub’s concern, I would like to offer a couple of points. First, …
Thank you for your cover on the May 2008 issue of The Lutheran Witness. I have waited for such a cover for years. This is what God’s people are all about: 2008, new life, Baptism, joy, sharing, calling to confession, receiving forgiveness, vibrant, full of the power of the Spirit, and, you guessed it, it …
It was with great delight that I read the May article that featured Dr. Dien Ashley Taylor. I met Dr. Taylor at Fordham University when we were both pursuing studies for the doctoral program. He not only excelled in his academic studies but also became noted as a talented musician. Dr. Taylor freely shared his …
Dr. Gerhard Bode, in “The Gift of the Holy Spirit” (May 2008), had the right idea when he wrote, “The Holy Spirit active in the apostles on Pentecost is the same Spirit who works in believers today.” But he really did not say how, when, or why this is true. How can you write an …
I must express my profound disappointment and sorrow that you chose for your April issue to print such a mean-spirited letter from a reader directed toward Paine Proffitt’s illustrations in the December Lutheran Witness. It was a serious lapse in judgment. We Christians are called to encourage one another, not to tear each other down. …