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
Your recent Q&A question from a Catholic “eucharistic minister” leads me to ask this question: How is Lutheranism different from Catholicism? —via the Internet At the risk of oversimplification, and keeping in mind that individual Lutheran (and Catholic) theologians would undoubtedly disagree about the success of recent Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogues in lessening or even “resolving”
Inauguration Day found me eating breakfast at a restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind. My waitress was pretty upset about a congressional bill called the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), written in 2007. This bill was on her mind, and protest was coming out of her mouth, because our soon-to-be-inaugurated president had previously pledged to throw
by Dr. Randy Schroeder My 18-year-old son wants to host a party at our house—one that includes beer. His rationale is that he and his friends will end up drinking anyway, and at least at our house I’d be in control (no driving would be allowed). This, apparently, is OK with other parents. If I
Not a Spot in Sight On Sunday, Feb. 15, the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, the Gospel Lesson included Mark 1:40–42: A man with leprosy came to Him and begged Him on his knees, “If you are willing, You can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man.
by Rev. Benjamin Eder Easter is usually observed during the month of April, and for Christians, it is a day of rejoicing. We are a people of hope, for Christ is risen, and the Church boldly proclaims this Good News to the world. Sometimes the question is asked, “What hope did believers have in the