In Scripture, we read what Jesus said to His disciples when they had argued among themselves about their importance. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:27–28).
by Rev. William M. Cwirla Halloween has become a major commercial holiday in this country, second in potential profit making only to the Christmas season. The average American family now spends well over $100 each year in tricks, treats, and scary decorations. What do we Christians do with Halloween? Is it innocent fun or something
by Dr. Lane R. Seitz This past Sunday I worshiped in one of the smaller congregations in our district. There were approximately 50 people in wor-ship. We have approximately 40 congregations in our district that average less than 50 people in worship each week. In most of those situations, the congregation is served by a
by James H. Heine Rev. Matthew C. Harrison was installed as the 13th president of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Sept. 11. Several days before his installation, The Lutheran Witness sat down with President Harrison for a conversation about the LCMS, his new responsibilities, his family, and himself. ~~~ TLW: We suspect the past few weeks
by Adriane Dorr Rev. Gary Benedix recently retired from full-time ministry . . . but not really. “I have been a pastor and missionary for 42 years; the last 30 of those years were at Peace Lutheran Church in Filer, Idaho,” he states. Although he retired as Peace’s pastor in June, he continued to serve
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.
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,
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 Cindy Steinbeck Newkirk Barbara Amelia Matthes wrote an incredible memoir of her life journey before she died. My mind’s eye travels with her as her family journeyed from Germany to Illinois to California in the 1800s. The joys and hardships she recounts in this short memoir condense 95 years of vibrant life to a
by Dr. Albert B. Collver In John 17:11, Jesus prayed to His Father that the Church “may be one, even as we are one” (ESV). Yet, already in the early Church, St. Paul writes, “For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you” (1 Cor. 1:11). From the earliest
by Sandy Wood Dr. Lang Yang’s story highlights how a flexible, non-traditional route to ordination is expanding the ethnic diversity within the LCMS and supporting the leaders of immigrant churches in using their knowledge of language and culture to spread the Gospel. Yang, 42, is of Hmong origin. He was born in Laos and immigrated
by Sandy Wood Becoming a pastor of a church in Hawaii was not what Rev. Joshua Schneider had in mind when he decided to pursue a degree in biology and chemistry in college. But God had a plan. “By the last half of my senior year in college, through a variety of influences including my