The Magazine
Lutheran Witness: October 2011

In this special edition of The Lutheran Witness, we give thanks to God for Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther, the first president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Q & A

by Dr. Jerald C. Joersz Q: Tattoos are all around us. As a 60-something lifelong Lutheran, I’ve never liked them or wanted one. Recently someone in my church strongly disagreed with me about this. On the basis of the Bible, what should we say about this practice? A: As far as I am aware, only
Shedding Some Light

Words Save Lives This morning, the kids and I were talking about upcoming events, and we came to the topic of our pastor’s retirement. I said, “In a few weeks, it will be Pastor’s last day at church because he is retiring. Then we will get a new pastor.” My son Matthew asked, “Then what
Marking Time is Making Time

by Rev. Travis J. Scholl If you’ve ever been there, it is impossible to forget Pentecost Day at Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Bronx. The church is awash in red— deep, bright, fiery red. The red of vestments and altar linens, the red of balloons and banners, the red of people. Shirts, ties, jackets,
An Army of Angels

by Rev. Dr. Dennis J. Goff Each year on September 29, the church remembers the minor festival known as St. Michael and All Angels day. The 29th day of September is closest to the first Sunday following the autumnal equinox. From now until the following March when the spring equinox occurs, the hours of darkness
Be Bold in Your Prayers

Our hearts are purified by forgiveness in the Sacrament of the Altar, and we have access—unhindered and rendered holy by Jesus—to stand in the holy presence of God Almighty.
Mighty Little Words

by Rev. Dr. Greg Wismar The vocabulary of the church is filled with big words, large and meaningful words that sum up a great quantity of theological content. There are words like redemption and sanctification, words like liturgy and sacramental and words like propitiation and atonement. These great words may well need some reflection and
10 Minutes with . . . Dr. Paul L. Maier

by Adriane Dorr Dr. Paul L. Maier is a true Renaissance man—professor, campus chaplain, author and lecturer who just so happens to serve as the Synod’s third vice-president. He also recently retired from teaching in Western Michigan University’s Department of History for the past 50 years. He is the author of several best-selling books, such
Rev. Glenn Merritt (web exclusive Q&A)

by Kim Plummer Krull One year after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti, more than 1 million people remain homeless, and the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country has struggled with a cholera epidemic. But amid huge challenges, LCMS World Relief and Human Care’s (WR-HC) Rev. Glenn F. Merritt says that the Synod’s mercy ministry, with the
To the Reader

by Adriane Dorr I miss Holy Week,” a friend of mine sighed as we left church a few weeks after Easter. I knew what she meant. For many of us, there are particular seasons in the Church Year that stand out in our minds, certain services or commemorations that open God’s Word up to us

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