by Rev. Donald Anthony Photo © Max Bukovski/shutterstock.com My dad and I enjoyed the CB radio. In order for me to keep my CB privileges, I had the responsibility of taking care of the family lawn. My dad supplied the lawn mower, the gas, and the clippers (that was before the weed-eater). As our CB
by Rev. Donald Anthony The Resurrection by Gustave Doré Each Sunday, our church was providing bookmarkers with information about people from our history. On the opposite side of the marker was a brief excerpt from our church history. Our members looked forward to and enjoyed receiving the markers, which were being designed and donated by
by Rev. Timothy C. Cartwright Several years ago, The Lutheran Witness printed a humorous story submitted by Rev. David R. Liefeld: It was Palm Sunday, but because of strep throat, Sue’s 3-year-old son had to stay home from church with a baby-sitter. When the family returned home carrying palm branches, he asked what they were
by Rev. Timothy C. Cartwright I served a parish in the mountains of Colorado for eight years in the 1990s. While there, I volunteered in the local school district. The school superintendent and a principal, and numerous teachers, were congregation members. Each winter for five years, along with another community volunteer, I cared for a
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
by Rev. William Weedon Have you ever noticed how the theme of joy trumpets through the Church’s hymns at Christmas? “Joy to the World,” “O Rejoice, Ye Christians, Loudly,” “Rejoice, Rejoice This Happy Morn,” “All My Heart Again Rejoices.” And those are just the opening lines of a few hymns! Whence this Christmas joy? Read
by Rev. William Weedon Photo of The Last Judgement frieze, Banberg, Dom St. Peter and St. Georg, by wikimedia commons Advent celebrates three comings of our Lord: historical, mystical, and final. The hymn, “Once He Came in Blessing” (LSB 333), opens a way for us to ponder these: Once He came in blessing, All our
by Rev. William Weedon Sola is the Latin word for “alone.” For the Reformers, four solas rang through Sacred Scripture: grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, Christ alone. With the help of the Hymn of the Day for Reformation, “Salvation unto Us Has Come” (LSB 555), let’s examine what Scripture says about each sola. If
by Rev. Thomas E. Engel Imagine it is 1840. Like many others, you have escaped a famine or a revolution in Europe. You and your family are now immigrants in New York, and you live in a cramped apartment. The summer is hot, the city is dirty, and it stinks from overcrowding. You are working
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
by Rev. Ben Eder There is much discussion today about the state of the family. We are justifiably concerned about the level of dysfunction in many families, as well as societal and cultural pressures being placed upon the traditional family. In the midst of our stress and anxiety, where do we turn? In times like
by Rev. Benjamin Eder Easter is usually observed during the month of April, and for Christians, it is a day of rejoicing. We are a people of hope, for Christ is risen, and the Church boldly proclaims this Good News to the world. Sometimes the question is asked, “What hope did believers have in the