No Longer Captive: Alleluia!
Easter robs death of the ‘dignity’ it claims for itself. It gives us the sure and certain word that Jesus died for our sins and, therfore, the grave cannot hold us.
A Thing of Beauty
The November issue of The Lutheran Witness was a thing of beauty and a joy forever. From “Partners” through Pastor Wismar’s uplifting explication of Advent through “New Life in Greensburg” and on to “On Words and Vocations” backed by “Harvest and Thanksgiving”–and everything in between with no exception–this issue was exceptional. Thanks for all you …
What’s in a name?
I read with interest the article by Rev. Ronald E. Nelson entitled “Mosaic—a Multiethnic Multigenerational Church Start” (“Fan into Flame,” September). I am pleased that the California-Nevada-Hawaii District is making the effort to reach out in this way, and also with the “successful” results, with 210 people attending the “first celebration event.” But I am …
Reconciled to God and Each Other
Because of Christ Jesus and what He did for us, God forgives our sins, which makes it not only our duty, but our privilege, to forgive and reconcile with those who sin against us.
Jesus (and His Followers) on Trial
by Dr. John W. Oberdeck The Eighth Commandment plays a significant role at the trial of Jesus. Luther’s Small Catechism explains that bearing false witness involves telling lies, betraying, slandering, and hurting a neighbor’s reputation. These do more than damage Jesus’ reputation at His trial, however. They lead to sin against the Fifth Commandment—Jesus’ death …
The Little Church That Could
With just a handful of members, a mission congregation in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, proves you don’t have to be big to make a difference.
Keeping a Holy Lent
The season of Lent offers us an opportunity for penitential reflection and prepares us for the glorious good news of Easter.
The Missionary Who Never Left Home
Wilhelm Loehe never left his native Germany, yet his untiring work for the Kingdom helped the young LCMS–and Lutheran churches around the world.
God’s File Cabinet
Where do unanswered prayers go? Do they pass by the ears of God? Could it be that God hears them and files them away in an ethereal file cabinet?
Playing Second Fiddle
by Dr. Randy Schroeder My mother-in-law is overly involved with my wife. They talk on the phone several times a day, and my wife calls every night to tell her when our 1-year-old son falls asleep. The two of them even take frequent two- to three-day vacations together. At times, I feel like I’m playing …
Shedding Some Light
A ‘Reading’ Lesson Every once in a while, at bedtime, Zachary, my 7-year-old, needs to talk. Sometimes he simply melts down. Everything seems so bad. But if you lie with him long enough and listen, things get better. Last night was one of those occasions. At one point he began to cry. He had lost …
Member vs. Nonmember Privileges
Does the LCMS have a position on the public burial or marriage of a nonmember of a congregation? I always believed that one of the privileges of being a communicant member was to be allowed public baptism of your children, public marriage of yourself or your children, and a public burial, or “Christian burial,” from …