by Martin S. Sommer Editor’s note: Along with Prof. Theodore Graebner, Prof. Martin S. Sommer shared the editorship of The Lutheran Witness for 35 years, from 1914 to 1949. This column is from 75 years ago, Jan. 1, 1935, in many respects, a time not unlike our own–economic uncertainty, high unemployment (more than 20 percent […]
God’s Prescription for Happiness Read More »
I have come joyfully and thankfully to cherish the words, “This is My body and blood, given and poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins.”
by Rev. Timothy C. Cartwright The Celestial Surgeon If I have faltered more or less In my great task of happiness; If I have moved among my race And shown no glorious morning face; If beams from happy human eyes Have moved me not; if morning skies, Books, and my food, and summer
Epiphany (A Message for a Post-Church Culture) Read More »
Say What? Leaving church one Sunday morning not long ago, my niece and her husband asked Kiera, their 3-year-old daughter, what she had learned in Sunday School. “Jesus was boring,” she responded proudly. Relieved she wasn’t overheard by someone, they proceeded straight to their van. Once again, Mom and Dad asked the question: “What did
Shedding Some Light Read More »
by Dr. Leslie (Jack) Fyans I have lived in the upper Midwest all my life but have always dreaded the winters. The gloomy weather depresses me. Do other people have this problem, or is it just me? All of us are affected by our natural environment, and our bodies seem to be especially sensitive to
Sadness and the Seasons Read More »
For me, the beginning of the new year is always exciting. What will the ensuing months bring? Where will I fail? Where will I succeed? How will I grow? Coupled with looking ahead, I always make it a practice to look behind. To reflect on the closing year, to remember, and to ask, “What has God been up to in my life?”
One of Those Years Read More »
It’s the beginning of a new year. It’s an opportunity also to review how we employ—and treat—our volunteer staff.
Volunteers Are Not Free! Read More »
Unbelievers…will not, on their own, choose to come and hear the Gospel. We (the Church) must go to them.
What Is Your Areopagus? Read More »
From the differently formed to the unborn without an opportunity to ever form, Luther links our mission with how we live.
Which is more important? Doctrine or mission?
Our Confessions Make Us Missional Read More »
In an increasingly secular and pluralistic society, what is the status of the Church, and how do we engage the unchurched around us?
Missionary Churches: Navigating in a Post-Church World Read More »
At the heart of it all, as so vividly expressed by Luther’s famous Christmas hymn, “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come”—the focus of two of our stories this month—is the birth of God’s Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Lutheran Witness: December 2009 Read More »