The Magazine

Harvest and Thanksgiving

by Terence Groth More often than not, we Americans today live in an urban or suburban environment that is disconnected from the vocation of agriculture. Our lives are not measured by the cycles of seedtime and harvest. Most of us do not wrestle with nature in order to eat. We simply select a supermarket, fast-food

Shedding Some Light

School Daze All through the month of November, the children at the local school had been learning about the Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, and the many blessings the Creator had bestowed on their country. Bulletin boards, decorated in fall colors, depicted themes of harvest, families, and thanksgiving. There were pumpkins, squash, straw bales, and corn stalks arranged

Hanging Up the Keys

by Dr. Leslie (Jack) Fyans My elderly father is at a point where he is becoming confused, and he really shouldn’t be driving his car. My sister and I have gently tried to persuade him to give it up, but he’s a stubborn man. I don’t even feel safe letting my children ride with him.

Images of heaven?

Gene Edward Veith is most certainly to be commended for so much in “Only One Road to Heaven?” (September 2007), but he most certainly contradicts himself when he states, “The very concept of ‘heaven’ … is a distinctly Christian belief. Supplemented with the belief in the resurrection of the body, the Christian teaching … means

Worldwide Partners in the Gospel

Partner church relationships promote good stewardship. Our partners continue the work we began—unencumbered by language and culture barriers that face American missionaries overseas.

Making Hay

The answer given to the farmer troubled about missing Sunday services (“Q&A,” September 2007) wisely avoids giving a general answer to a question that must be considered individually with each Christian struggling with the question of balancing work and worship. But the answer also fails to re-explain critical truths about how God works in the

Funeral Planning

The article about Christian funerals by Pastor Jonathan Watt (Setember 2007) was excellent. I liked his emphasis on “focusing on the cross.” The cross gives peace, certainty of heaven, and comfort at funerals. It can help people answer the question, “Did the deceased go to heaven, and will I go to heaven?” At a funeral,

‘The Good Lord Was with Us’

Everybody who rode out the May 4 tornado in Greensburg, Kan., has a story. And many of those stories reflect a strong Christian faith.

Groups Ablaze!

Thank you for the article on Groups Ablaze! I want to comment in regards to the article Groups Ablaze!  From the Beginning by Rev Lonnie Jacobsen. I am thankful and praise God that Christ Lutheran Church in Arlington, Tenn. is growing and bringing Christ to many people, that they use small groups to do this, and that

On Chaplains

I have been “composing” this letter ever since I read the article on chaplains in the August 2007 “Lutheran Witness.” They served not only members of the armed forces but civilians as well. Chaplain William J. Reiss was stationed at Camp Crawford, Sapporo, Japan immediately after WWII. He was instrumental in helping the first LCMS

National Youth Gathering

Thanks for the brief yet delightful article on the National Youth Gathering, “Chosen!” I was pleased to see the colorful images of our youth and adults side by side and to read about the many different ways the Gathering impacts the Church and the community. My deep appreciation to our Synod for hosting and supporting

“On Words and Vocations”

Dr. Uwe Siemon-Netto makes an excellent point about the deformation of the language. Almost 60 years ago, George Orwell wrote a book, 1984, where language was controlled by the government.  “Free” could mean “Free from fleas”, but could not mean “political choice.”  In that society, people could not voice, or even comprehend, certain issues because words

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