by Kim Plummer Krull While his name may not ring a bell, the words of the Rev. Stephen P. Starke (STAR-kee) sound familiar to many who enjoy singing from Lutheran Service Book (LSB), the Synods hymnal. The Michigan pastor has penned more than 175 hymns, including 32 in LSB. Scripture and music often inspire his
From smartphones to tablets, kids today have a lot of stuff. How can you remind them that all that we have comes as a gift from our gracious heavenly Father? by Rev. Kurt Ulmer As I was precariously balanced on one foot in the wee hours of the morning, trying to scale Little People Mountain
by Rev. Dr. Jerald C. Joersz Q: Why is the archangel Michael referred to as St. Michael? I thought that only believers in Christ are called saints, on earth and in heaven. A: Some historicaland biblical background may help to explain why the archangel Michael has been remembered traditionally as St. Michael. For centuries, Christians throughout the
Unpack Lutheran education and the philosophy from which it stems, focusing on the joy of residential seminary education, instructing Christ’s little ones and teaching the faith in the home.
It’s not difficult for us to think well of ourselves and what we’ve accomplished in this life. We’ve gone to the best schools, we tell our friends, the most well-known colleges, the most prestigious universities. Never mind that our friends, who went to different schools and colleges and universities, say the exact same thing. But
by Dr. Debra L. Grime A new prenatal blood test called MaterniT21 can now evaluate the DNA of a baby before he or she is born and determine if the child has Down Syndrome with 99 percent accuracy. But now that the option is available, will more women opt for such tests? And more importantly,
A significant mission field is opening before the LCMS: the growing unchurched population in rural settings.
by Rev. Christopher Hall He formed our inward parts. He knitted us in our mothers womb (Ps. 139:13). God has created each and every person. But God creates and forms the inward parts of every insect, each and every bird, each and every microbe. What makes human life sacred? What makes Christians defend the born
How can we encourage religious literacy in our homes, schools and neighborhoods? Find out how to cultivate your curiosity about God and His work on your behalf. by Rev. Travis J. Scholl I am convinced by Stephen Prothero’s thesisstated most notably in his book Religious Literacy that we live in a society that is religiously illiterate
Richard Wetzel, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologista neuropsychologist with a Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
I wholeheartedly agree with President Harrison’s point that we need Advent and its message of repentance (December 2011). Rev. Karl A. FrinckeFort Wayne, Ind. Read More Letters to the Editor Send letters to Letters, c/o The Lutheran Witness, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295; or send them via e-mail to Lutheran.Witness@LCMS.org.
Thank you for the magnificent artwork on the cover and pages 1013 of the December issue. The unique poetic meditation by Pastor Neugebauer was excellent, particularly linked with the artwork of He Qi. Can you feature more of his work in a future issue? Thank you again. Christmas was made more blessed for me because