The Magazine

Hack “The Shack?”

“The Shack” is a publishing blockbuster and a cultural phenomenon. What are we to make of this exercise in ‘Christian’ fiction? A Lutheran pastor takes a look.

Fixed on Eternity

Because she was too tired to hold him, I held him as the water was poured over his head and he was baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Gratitude for Our Pastors

In addition to preaching and teaching matters of faith and life on the basis of God’s Holy Word, pastors are called to be a part of the lives of people in good times and bad, in happy times and sad.

Making music

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

Moved to tears

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

A winsome presence

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

Cover to cover

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

Spiritual Support for Living Today

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

Shedding Some Light

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

Would St. Paul Work at Starbucks? Going Where the People Are

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

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