The Magazine

What is a DCE?

Just what is a DCE (director of Christian education) and how do they serve?

Imparting a treasure

Roger Johnson of inner-city Chicago (May “Letters”) is to be commended for his sincere desire to reach people of the world with the Gospel of Christ through his congregation. However, while I am not living the dynamic of his specific parish environment and situation, having lived 35 years in that greater metropolitan area–29 years prior

Our Gay Neighbors

It is no easy calling to live in witness to the Christian life, but Christ lives in us as the world’s only hope.

Mission Opportunities

I write to encourage other retired pastors to consider serving as short-term volunteer missionaries. My wife and I returned recently from a wonderful two weeks in Taiwan. We served at Concordia Middle School and Concordia English Language Academy in Chiayi. We were very impressed with the dedicated staff there. Only five or six percent of

Hack The Shack?

I have a few comments regarding The Shack and the article by Rev. Steven Borst in the May Lutheran Witness. Even though, as Pastor Borst says, the book has some good points, my concern is its vicious attacks on Orthodox theology and the anti-church and misleading messages the book portrays. Many people may read this

Our magnificent faith

I appreciate Dr. Karl Barth’s response to my April Witness article, “Reservations on the Resurrection?” and I certainly agree that the Gospel writers did a much finer job of recall than did my students in the illustration provided! The point, again, was simply to demonstrate that, in terms of the human dimension, people seeing the

An Old Lutheran?

My husband teases me about being “an old Lutheran.” In this day of universal informality, lots of decency and manners seem to have gone out of style, even in church. Perhaps it is the floor plan of our church, but I can’t help but notice that people don’t seem to observe what was once known

Facing Death

by Dr. William B. Knippa I was diagnosed several months ago with a terminal illness. I think I’m over the initial shock of hearing that news. I have wonderful family support, and I know heaven is waiting for me, but I’m still scared. I’ve heard people talk about dying a “good death” or “dying well.”

Shedding Some Light

‘O Sleeper, Awake!’ My husband’s beloved grandmother was called to her eternal home at the age of 101 (while holding her pastor’s hand). During her funeral service, our 5-year-old son, Jack, became restless. First, he asked to take off his shirt because he was hot. Then he was hungry. When he said he was sleepy,

Sharp Edges

by Rev. Thomas E. Engel Our old barbecue grill was as rusted as an old wreck in a junkyard. So my wife and I spent the early part of April shopping for a new gas grill. When we found one that met our needs, the grill’s big box barely fit in the trunk of our

Convention Reflections

At one convention, . . . I got a question I don’t recall having been asked before: ‘If you could change one thing in the LCMS, what would it be?’

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