I can’t remember an issue of The Lutheran Witness I’ve enjoyed as much as your March 2009 offering. I grew up in the WELS and joined the LCMS as a young adult. I’ve been active in church music in some form for my entire ministry. I’m in the music ministry today because my fifth-grade teacher
I had to e-mail you immediately after reading Susan Rosselli’s March Lifeline story, “God Hears, God Cares, God Moves.” I was moved to tears upon reading about her struggle to secure the basics for her and her then 9-year-old daughter during a difficult time in their lives. It was such an unbelievably compelling article to
I was very heartened by Diane Strzelecki’s March article about LCMS Lutherans at Harvard. My own time at Yale Divinity School confirmed a similar situation there: It, too, is “not the hotbed of pagan activity” that many believe it to be. LCMS students at Yale (there were five LCMS students in the divinity school alone
I enjoyed reading your March issue cover to cover. Many times I merely glance at The Lutheran Witness. However, the March issue fascinated me, especially the stories behind the music of Bach and Mendelssohn. The article on the beginning of a campus ministry at one of the most prestigious universities in the country was also
by Dr. William B. Knippa As a husband and father of three, I have been struggling to make ends meet, due to the general state of the economy. My income has remained steady, but the increase in my monthly bills, along with college on the horizon, has meant cutbacks in other areas—not the least of
It’s All in the Name My 3-year-old daughter, Analiesa, discovered last night that God has the same name we do. I was once again teaching her the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven,” I began. We got to “hallowed be Thy name,” and Analiesa stopped me. “That’s our name,” she stated. I looked
by Dave Ficken Living with the Gospel in church is often comfortable. But in an age when people no longer come to the church, the church has to go to the people. Living with the Gospel in the secular world can be uncomfortable. What if I don’t know the answer someone’s question? What if they
A coffeehouse offers ‘Peace, Coffee, More’ … and conversations about Jesus by Roland Lovstad At the crossroads of a university campus and a regenerating city community is a coffeehouse that may be as close to a church as some people ever encounter. “Peace, Coffee, More,” reads the business card of Donna Green. She’s the manager
Living with the Gospel in church is often comfortable. Living with the Gospel beyond the church doors is often less so.
by Gary J. Ellul When you picture a pastor, what do you see? My oldest daughter recently told me how surprised some of her friends were when they met me for the first time. My daughter had told her friends I was a Lutheran pastor, but somehow my size and build didn’t fit their idea
From seminary student to vicar is a big step, but it’s a step you do not take alone. And it is an incredible learning experience.
Thank you for the especially fine March issue of The Lutheran Witness, with its emphasis on liturgical music and hymnody. I am personally well acquainted with the excellent Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival program for high-school students. I would also like to emphasize the fact that these young musicians have real fun and enjoyment