In this series, Benjamin Kolodziej will reflect on several figures in American Lutheran sacred music history. This series is based on his new book Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847–1947 (Concordia Publishing House), which will be released in August and is available for pre-order now. In exploring the sacred music in the Missouri Synod, figures such as C.F.W. Walther, in his preserving of a Lutheran culture of sacred music in the New World, or Karl Brauer and Martin Lochner, ...| The Lutheran Witness
A literary reflection by Rachel Bomberger on John Milton's Paradise Lost. This is one installment of a monthly series providing reflections on works of literature from a Lutheran perspective. Of Man’s First Disobedience, and the Fruit / Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste / Brought Death into the World, and all our woe, / With loss of Eden, till one greater Man / Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat, / Sing Heav’nly Muse, … … What in me is dark / Illumine, what is low rai...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. The calendar page has turned to the month of August. The seasoned steward leader starts to feel the season closing in quickly. For most, if the plans are not already well under way, it is most certainly time to get them ramped up for the fall stewardship emphasis. For generations, the fall season...| The Lutheran Witness
Descending from an ennobled lineage of five centuries, Martin Lochner claimed pastors, musicians, artists and teachers in his ancestral legacy.| The Lutheran Witness
This is the latest installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. As summer wanes and August greets us, the church finds herself deep in the season of Trinitytide. During this season, our church body commemorates the lives of many Chris...| The Lutheran Witness
The August issue walks through the Christian’s “Life in the Sacrament.” From the President: Lutherans and the Lord’s Supper: Holding to the Words of ChristLife in the Church Year: St. Mary Lavender Cookies and Garden Features: ‘With All the Company of Heaven‘: Angels, Saints and Our Departed Loved Ones at the Lord’s Table — Arthur A. Just‘Given and Shed for You’: What does the Sacrament do? — Jeffrey Hemmer‘Let a Person Examine Himself’: Preparing for the Lord’s Su...| The Lutheran Witness
by Matthew C. Harrison We are “Book of Concord Lutherans.” Every rostered church worker in the LCMS; every congregation, district and LCMS institution; every school and LCMS university has defined itself as a Book of Concord Lutheran endeavor. It’s on display most vividly when a pastor is ordained and installed in a congregation. He swears to believe and teach in complete accord with the divinely inspired Scriptures and the Book of Concord. The Book of Concord was ratified in 1580 on ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Arthur A. Just On the Mount of Transfiguration, heaven and earth came together in the glorified body of Jesus. Peter, James and John, three of Jesus’ disciples, came up the mountain with Him for this encounter with Moses and Elijah, two heavenly beings. In this communion between heavenly and earthly bodies around the dazzling white body of Jesus, we see a picture of what happens in the Divine Service around the bodily presence of Jesus in the liturgy of the Word and the Lord’s Supper. ...| The Lutheran Witness
The vocation of the Lutheran teacher at the time required that teachers serve as parish musicians, not only playing organ on Sundays, but selecting music and teaching their students chorales from the hymnal.| The Lutheran Witness
In this series, Benjamin Kolodziej will reflect on several figures in American Lutheran sacred music history. This series is based on his new book Portraits in American Lutheran Sacred Music, 1847–1947 (Concordia Publishing House), which will be released in August and is available for pre-order now. We generally think of Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther (1811–1877) as a spiritual leader, a theologian and an administrator who laid the groundwork for what would become the Missouri Synod. Woul...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s Note: This new series from LCMS Church Worker Wellness is hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page for regular Worker Wellness content. As Lutherans, we understand that the various aspects of our wellness — intellectual, emotional, relational, physical, financial and vocational — relate to and depend upon one another, and are all rooted in our Baptism, our true identity as new creations in Christ. We understand spiritual well-being n...| The Lutheran Witness
But as he realizes his mistake, the stolen gold quickly becomes nothing to him, and he sees the immense worth of tending to this little orphaned girl.| The Lutheran Witness
Catechesis anchors stewards rightly within the created order, and calls them to a faithful, thankful response to all that God entrusts to them. (Lutheran Witness / Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod)| The Lutheran Witness
A literary reflection by Molly Lackey on Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. This is one installment of a monthly series providing reflections on works of literature from a Lutheran perspective. “One can argue over the merits of most books, and in arguing understand the point of view of one’s opponent. One may even come to the conclusion that possibly he is right after all. One does not argue about The Wind in the Willows. The young man gives it to the girl with whom he is in love,...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. Stewardship leaders in local congregations have a multifaceted task before them. Few doubt the importance and impact of stewarding the Gospel in the present. Cultivating stewards who are faithful in worship, willing in service and consistent in financial support is central for Word and Sacrament ...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the final installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series tackled why now is the time to change our relationship with digital technologies, Part 2 presented crucial strategies for parenting, Part 3 explored coming of age in the digital world, Part 4 encouraged adults to lead the way in forming healthier habits and practices, and Part 5 highlighted the church’s vital role as an embodied, living alternative to the...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the latest installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. When attempting to live out the Church Year at home, figuring out how to celebrate the long season of Trinity, which includes the summer months of June and July, can be p...| The Lutheran Witness
The June/July issue of The Lutheran Witness, “Christian Endurance,” focuses on the theme of the 2025 LCMS Youth Gathering, which is drawn from Hebrews 12:1–3. From the President: Suffering Produces EnduranceLife in the Church Year Series: Two Saints of Summer: J.S. Bach Kugelhopf Features: Endurance in Jesus: ‘Do not lose heart’ — Bryan WolfmuellerEndurance as a People: ‘Build one another up’ — Bryan Wolfmueller Endurance to the End: ‘Be faithful unto death’ — Bryan Wo...| The Lutheran Witness
By Bryan Wolfmueller Christians have need of endurance: that mix of courage and patience that presses on to the end. We are tempted to weariness. Our flesh is discouraged. Thanks be to God, the Scriptures are full of passages that spur us on to faithful endurance. The Bible sets the joy of the Gospel, the hope of eternal life, and the strength of the Holy Spirit before our weak and weary hearts. The Bible encourages us on the way. Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord says: “Fear not, for I ...| The Lutheran Witness
by Matthew C. Harrison “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame” (Rom. 5:3–5). Do you ever feel like quitting? Quitting friends? Quitting family? Quitting a class? Quitting sports? Quitting school? Quitting church? Quitting life? Of course you have. We all have, and the reasons vary. Life is painful and complicated. It’s a good thing to get out of toxic s...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the fifth installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series established why it’s necessary to live intentionally in the digital age, Part 2 offered core principles for parenting, Part 3 explored coming of age in the digital world, and Part 4 highlighted how adults should lead the way in forming habits of living that anchor us in our embodied nature as creatures made in God’...| The Lutheran Witness
by David Ramirez We are blessed to be able to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea this year. The lion’s share of attention will be rightly paid to the Nicene Creed, the triune nature of God, and heroic confessors of the faith such as Athanasius. However, we ought not overlook the man who convened the council — Imperator Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantinus Augustus. No bishop convened the council, and certainly no pope, but the ruler of the Roman Empire. In the calen...| The Lutheran Witness
A literary reflection by Kate Deddens on George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin. This is one installment of a monthly series providing reflections on works of literature from a Lutheran perspective. “Let no one think himself too wise, and disdain … child’s play. When Christ wished to teach men, he became a man. If we are to teach children, we must become children. Would God we had more of this child’s play,”[1] wrote Martin Luther. Children should be taught in “a childlike...| The Lutheran Witness
In this booklet, Lutheran historian Molly Lackey traces the history of the church, from the time of the apostles through the 20th century. As the Body of Christ, our history transcends time, country and citizenship. As one of our hymns puts it, “God’s Word is our great heritage” (LSB 582). Originally published as an online series, we have repackaged this in booklet form for ease of use in the home, for personal study, or in a Bible class setting. This booklet is free to download, print ...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s Note: This new series from LCMS Church Worker Wellness is hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page for regular Worker Wellness content. As Lutherans, we understand that the various aspects of our wellness — intellectual, emotional, relational, physical, financial and vocational — relate to and depend upon one another, and are all rooted in our Baptism, our true identity as new creations in Christ. We understand spiritual well-being n...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the fourth installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series established why it’s time to take action regarding the ubiquitous role of digital devices in our lives, Part 2 explored some core principles for parenting, and Part 3 offered some ways to counteract the unique challenges faced by those coming of age in the digital world. Now, Part 4 focuses on why this is not just a...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. No matter how hard we try, whenever the word “stewardship” is brought up, there seem to be any number of responses. Few of those responses are marked with eagerness or excitement. In over a decade of presenting Philippians Conferences across the LCMS, I’ve noticed that hesitancy and curiosi...| The Lutheran Witness
By Joel Elowsky 1,700 years ago, there was a newly united Roman Empire headed by a young emperor from Serbia named Constantine. The horrific persecution of Christians under Diocletian (A.D. 303–313) had just ended, and decrees pronouncing toleration of Christians had been issued by Galerius in 311 and by Constantine I and Licinius with the Edict of Milan in 313. In 312, Constantine had made his famous defeat of Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge: During the battle, “he saw with his own eyes ...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the latest installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. If you’ve ever read any children’s fairy tales, you’ll know that with every great victory comes a feast and celebration. It should be the same with the Lord’s gre...| The Lutheran Witness
The May issue of The Lutheran Witness, “Councils and Conventions,” recognizes the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and discusses our own LCMS conventions. From the President: Very God of Very God: The Nicene Creed’s Faithful TestimonyLife in the Church Year Series: Eastertide: Lamb Cake and Ascension Picnicking Features: The Council of Nicaea: How the Early Church sought unity with the help of an emperor — Joel ElowskyThe Nicene Creed: Biblical foundations — Jonathan Mumm...| The Lutheran Witness
by Matthew C. Harrison We live in strange times of exploding scientific knowledge and deep ignorance of the Bible and Christianity. Our young people are taught the Bible is myth. They are told that the books included in it were selected for political and prejudicial reasons, while the “gospels” excluded from the canon of Scripture (the “Gospel of Thomas,” for example) were rejected for their broader, more open views of women, sexuality and so on. In reality, these other “gospels...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the third installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling Part 1 of this series laid the groundwork for why it’s time to do something about our relationship to screens and digital devices. Part 2 focused on key principles for parenting and family life. In Part 3, we will zoom in on the challenges teens and twenty-somethings face as they are coming of age in the digital world. Reality Check A rec...| The Lutheran Witness
By Brian T. German Read Isaiah 2 and 13:6–13 and Luke 23:26–56. The Old Testament is saturated with special days. The creation of humanity certainly makes the list (Gen. 1:26–27), as does God’s day of rest (Gen. 2:2–3). The day the Israelites were brought out of Egypt was to be remembered throughout the generations (Ex. 13:3), along with the day that the temple was consecrated (1 Kings 8) — and rebuilt (Ezra 3). And who could forget the day the sun stood still (Joshua 10:14)? But ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Geoffrey R. Boyle Read Exodus 12:1–28 and John 13:1–15. When we talk about figures in the Old Testament, we’re not just talking about things that are like other things. Nor are we imposing later things onto earlier things, as if forcing the Old Testament to say something it doesn’t want to say. Instead, when we turn to the Old Testament — the people, places, institutions and events — we’re looking at real things that actually happened, real people who actually did what is rec...| The Lutheran Witness
By Kevin Golden Read Zechariah 9 and John 12:12–19. In their accounts of Palm Sunday, both Matthew (21:5) and John (12:14) report that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9: “Behold, your king is coming to you.” Mark (11:10) and Luke (19:38) also reflect the Lord’s promise through Zechariah in their narratives, reporting the joyful words of the people: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” It is rather straightforward, after all. Read Z...| The Lutheran Witness
A literary reflection by Liv Booth on Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter. This is one installment of a monthly series providing reflections on works of literature from a Lutheran perspective. “‘May God help me,’ said Erlend in a low voice. ‘I’ve been a foolish man.’” God hears the cry of the wanderer and rushes in. Kristin Lavransdatter, Sigrid Undset’s absorbing tale of sin and family, feels like a memory. Though we did not grow up on a manor farm in medieval Norway, the l...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. Dear Pastors and Steward Leaders, Every month for over a decade, this feature has been shared with you to help change how the teaching and practice of stewardship is viewed and carried out in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. We have endeavored to strike a balance between the theology of stew...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the second installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Joshua Pauling In Part 1 of this series, we laid the groundwork for why Christians must think clearly and act intentionally regarding the role of screen-based, internet-connected devices in our lives. (To summarize: Such devices and technologies easily nudge us in ways contrary to human flourishing and contrary to our design as enfleshed souls.) We don...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the latest installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. All things in the church year point toward the death and resurrection of Jesus, the origin and fulfillment of the church’s life. And in April this year we reach the hig...| The Lutheran Witness
The April issue of The Lutheran Witness provides “An Old Testament Walk Through Holy Week” — discussing how the events of Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday are prefigured in the Old Testament. From the President: Most Righteous God, Most Kind FatherLife in the Church Year Series: Holy Triduum & Hot Cross Buns Features: Introduction: How to use this issueBehold, Your King Will Come To You: A reflection for Palm Sunday — Kevin GoldenThe Anointed Prophet, Priest and King: A reflection fo...| The Lutheran Witness
This letter was published in the April 2025 issue of The Lutheran Witness. by Matthew C. Harrison It’s LCMS district convention season and time is at a great premium. Seven down, and 28 to go! This month, I share with you a striking devotion from the great Lutheran scholar Johann Gerhard (1582–1637). He wrote an enormous series of books on Christian doctrine that brim with the Bible and faithful scholarship. The English translations have recently been published by Concordia Publishing H...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the first installment in a six-part series, “Reclaiming Humanity in the Digital Age.” Check back for more installments soon. By Josh Pauling In recent years, there has been a significant rise in public concern about the impacts of the digital revolution on human life — everything from rising anxiety to declining attention. Increasing numbers of people are now willing to acknowledge we have a problem.[1] But what are we to do about it? There has been no shortage of recent books, ...| The Lutheran Witness
by Liv Booth You can create a powerful Resurrection celebration at home — in the middle of the night! And I’m here to help. Lutheran spirituality is incarnational. Jesus gathers up our minds, souls and bodies in Word and Sacrament, and is preserving us in His family until the Last Day, or really the First Day — eternity begins with a Wedding Feast. Imagine that feast! Really, take a minute and picture it. Is it a banquet hall with many tables? Is it a grassy lawn in the evening, with pa...| The Lutheran Witness
Robin Phillips and Joshua Pauling, Are We All Cyborgs Now? Reclaiming Our Humanity from the Machine. Basilian Media, 2024. 453 pages. Order here. By Stacey Eising This new book, co-authored by an LCMS student of theology, offers a solution to our digital technology predicament: life together in the church. Perhaps you also saw this rather disturbing ad on TV recently: A man is sitting in a diner designing a new website on his laptop. As he types, the bodies of those sitting around him are vio...| The Lutheran Witness
By Jon Furgeson If you have listened in the last several years to Oprah Winfrey or heard interviews with Ariana Grande or dipped into the world of spiritual social media influencers, then you will have heard about “manifestation.” It is the power we have within, they say, to send out positive energies into the cosmos to manifest the positive persons and events we want in our lives. Rhonda Byrne’s bestseller, The Secret, popularized the idea and is one of many popular trends in American ...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s Note: Articles from Set Apart to Serve, the LCMS’ church work recruitment initiative, are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page for regular content on church work recruitment and formation. By James Baneck What do we mean when we say “against all odds”? We mean something has been accomplished, when it seemed virtually impossible that it would ever happen. We also hear it said this way: “no matter the stacked deck” or “despite t...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. A seminary professor once quipped to a group of soon-to-be pastors just before Call Day: “Congratulations, brothers. You are about to graduate and become pastors. You will likely get two weeks of vacation your first year. This means that for 50 weeks in that year you will get to say the same th...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the third installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. This year, March brings the end of Epiphanytide, officially closing out the Christmas cycle. Immediately afterward, the church shifts its eyes to Easter, as it embarks on ...| The Lutheran Witness
For many Christians around the globe — as noted in the Snippets this month — life is a daily struggle as they face persecution and even death for the sake of the Gospel. The culture that surrounds them is actively hostile toward them for their faith. In the U.S., our feature writer Aaron Renn contends, Christians now face a “negative world” — while we do not have to fear death or even outright persecution for our faith, for the first time in our nation’s history Christians do face...| The Lutheran Witness
The March issue of The Lutheran Witness discusses how we can live faithfully in a culture increasingly hostile toward the Christian faith. From the Editor: The Sanctified Life in a Hostile World Features: The Negative World: Facing a new social reality as Christians — Aaron M. RennOur Youth Are Ready to Serve: A ‘Set Apart to Serve’ feature — James BaneckLutheran Life in ‘the Negative World’: Holding to the Gospel in a Shifting Culture — Scott AdleChristians in Enemy Territ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Scott Adle Aaron Renn’s Life in the Negative World has spurred many Christians and Christian leaders to think again about a question that is old, yet perennial. Perhaps it could be summarized as: “What is the way forward in this culture for the church, and for us as Christians?” The italicized bit is what has gotten Renn traction. His framework posits that something has changed in our culture over the last few decades, and that the ways we do things should perhaps change too. An Age ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Julianna Shults In my years of writing and speaking about youth ministry, one statement has gotten more looks of surprise and skepticism than others: “A congregation can have healthy youth ministry even if they have two or three youth.” I make this statement when sharing the Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry, designed by LCMS Youth Ministry after careful study of Scripture, Lutheran theology, research and practitioners. Each practice is something any congregation, regardless of...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s Note: This new series from LCMS Church Worker Wellness is hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page for regular Worker Wellness content. As Lutherans, we understand that the various aspects of our wellness — intellectual, emotional, relational, physical, financial and vocational — relate to and depend upon one another, and are all rooted in our Baptism, our true identity as new creations in Christ. We understand spiritual well-being n...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. In his recent book, The Gift of Small, Allen Stanton gave the following encouragement to small-membership congregations: Small-membership churches are places of deep potential, but it is not necessarily the potential to be bigger … It is the potential to grow the kingdom of God in delightfully ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Troy Neujahr Is bivocational ministry on your horizon? Does it seem scary? Can it be good? Imagine a pastor and his church leaders sitting down together to hammer out next year’s budget. As the evening wears on, the income and expense columns show a resolute resistance to meeting one another. The light joking slowly becomes somber; smiling good humor hardens into serious faces. On the one hand, everyone at the table knew this day would come — and had known it for years — but to see t...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the second installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. The month of February can feel dull and drab after much of the merriment of Christmas and Epiphany has passed. Winding down from a season of festivity and anticipating a ...| The Lutheran Witness
How do you know God loves you? Stated so baldly, I’m sure you know the answer: Because He has declared it to be so. He sent His only Son to suffer and die for the sins of the world — yours included — and declares that you are forgiven on account of Christ’s sake and that you are His child. In practice, however, this question can become more difficult to parse. Consider two men: One has a successful job and nice house, a wife and four upstanding children. He donates regularly to church...| The Lutheran Witness
The February issue of The Lutheran Witness is all about smaller congregations — that is, the vast majority of congregations across our Synod. From the President: A Kingdom Not of This WorldFrom the Editor: The Small Congregation Features: Where We Stand: A look at data on LCMS congregational attendance ‘Where Two or Three Are Gathered’: Large or small, what makes a church is the same everywhere — Matthew RichardThree Starting Questions for Smaller Congregations: How is God using you...| The Lutheran Witness
by Matthew C. Harrison “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). The kingdom of heaven is God’s good Gospel gift. Luther commented, “If our dear Father were not to give the kingdom to us, we would never buy it from Him or earn it. The word is give, give, give. Therefore, we should thank Him with a cheerful heart and not boast about our worthiness” (Luther, St. L. IX.1812; my translation). John the Baptizer saw this king...| The Lutheran Witness
This article originally appeared in the February 2023 print issue of The Lutheran Witness. When you sit down in your pew this coming Sunday, do you see the pew with five persons in it? It is a young family, and how lovely they look. Notice the other pew with 10 persons, with people happily crowding together. Fellow worshipers are a delight to behold. That joy is not tempered by knowledge of sickness and death. It would not surprise you that one of those sitting in the row ahead is receiving c...| The Lutheran Witness
by Kendall A. Davis “Savior.” “Lord.” “Son of God.” If you asked someone in the ancient world who these titles referred to, they might tell you “Jesus.” But depending on who you were talking to, they might also tell you “Caesar.” Modern readers of the Bible often miss the fact that some of the language the New Testament uses to talk about Jesus was also commonly used to talk about the Roman Emperor, who was not just a political leader, but someone whom people worshipped an...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. What is the difference between an athlete and a champion? What is the distinction between one who competes in business or academics and the one who achieves at the highest levels? Certainly, no athlete becomes a champion or the greatest of all time without talent. No student or business leader ac...| The Lutheran Witness
By Martin Dicke On Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, we laid my Uncle Bill, the Rev. Dr. Willard Burce, to rest next to his beloved wife Elinor, my dad’s sister, and his youngest son Charles. The funeral was at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, Wis. The interment was at his family’s cemetery several miles from Drammen Lutheran Church, where he was baptized. Known simply as “Boos” in the mountains of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Bill left a great legacy of service for the sake of the Gospel thr...| The Lutheran Witness
This is the first installment of “Life in the Church Year,” a series by Dr. Kristen Einertson and Tessa Muench of All the Household. This series will provide guidance for living out the seasons of the Church Year at home with your families. Find month-by-month lists of Lutheran feasts, festivals and commemorations here. In a cultural milieu that so easily distracts us from the Christian faith, many Christians ask: How do we order our lives outside of Sunday mornings in a distinctly Christ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Cameron MacKenzie Five hundred years ago, in the mid-1520s, a series of riots and revolts now known as the “Peasants’ War” broke out in Germany. These revolts were waged by groups both small and large against the established orders of church and state. They were regional, uncoordinated and inspired by local grievances like high prices, rents and taxes. By the time they were over, half of the German lands had been torn apart and as many as 100,000 people lay dead. To Luther’s grief,...| The Lutheran Witness
Inaugurations of a U.S. president often reverberate with religious overtones. The ceremonies blend the sacred and the secular, infusing the launch of a new political era with the weight of a religious experience. One presidential historian claimed that the rituals and ceremonies of inauguration day bore all the “solemnity of a sacrament.” Into this civic religion, into this attempt of government — and those who see it as a savior — to take for itself religious meaning and fervor, good...| The Lutheran Witness
The January issue of The Lutheran Witness is all about the two kingdoms — the church and the state — and how God rules in and through both. From the President: The Home: A Kingdom of Law and GospelFrom the Editor: God’s Two Kingdoms Features: Two Kingdoms, One Lord: Jesus is already reigning, both in heaven and on earth — Jason Lane‘When the Lord Has Not Spoken’: Luther’s response to the Peasants’ War teaches about political life today — Cameron MacKenzie‘City on a Hill...| The Lutheran Witness
by Matthew C. Harrison Luther says that the Fourth Commandment is the most important commandment in the second table of the Law (Commandments 4–10). It’s the source of all temporal blessings; good order in the home; and love, peace and even joy in society (LC I 126). “Honor your father and your mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth,” as the old translation of the catechism said. This temporal promise is a good reason, says Luther, for us ...| The Lutheran Witness
by Stephen P. Starke This article was originally published in the December 2017 issue of The Lutheran Witness. Of the Father’s Love Begotten, From Heaven Above to Earth I Come, All My Heart Again Rejoices, Once in Royal David’s City, Silent Night, Joy to the World… How does one begin to choose a favorite from the treasure trove of Christmas hymns and carols? We are blessed with enough good Christmas songs to keep us singing merrily throughout all the 12 days of Christmas, but for me, th...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s Note: Articles from Set Apart to Serve, the LCMS’ church work recruitment initiative, are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page for regular content on church work recruitment and formation. By James Baneck Let me tell you a Christmas Eve story about a Lutheran mom and dad and their six children. Their oldest was an 8-year-old boy. The next child was a daughter. She had died six years ago as a 1-year-old. The next was a five-year-old daug...| The Lutheran Witness
An art reflection by Liv Booth on the hymn "The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns" (LSB 348). This is one installment of a series providing reflections on works of art and music from a Lutheran perspective. The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (LSB 348; the hymnal references Matt. 25:31; Rev. 22:20; Dan. 7:13–14) The King shall come when morning dawns And light triumphant breaks, When beauty gilds the eastern hills And life to joy awakes. Not as of old a little child, To bear and fight a...| The Lutheran Witness
On my bookshelf is a picture book from 1980 that tells children how babies come into being. The text says, “Since a family is happier with children, your mother and father wanted a baby. They wanted you … to love and to care for.” Thirty years ago, it was normal to assume that getting married and having children made life better. In 1980, 33% of women had four or more children. Childlessness was rare, and the childfree movement unheard of. Now, approximately one third of millennial an...| The Lutheran Witness
Editor’s note: Monthly articles from LCMS Stewardship Ministry are hosted here on The Lutheran Witness site. Visit the “Ministry Features” page each month for additional stewardship content. Recently I assisted with a Philippians Conference, a stewardship workshop based on St. Paul’s words in Philippians 1. As usual, the participants, upon hearing that the topic of the retreat would be stewardship, approached the retreat with the typical hesitance that often accompanies one of our ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Daniel Grimmer In just a short time, multitudes of families will be journeying home for Christmas to visit parents, siblings and grandparents. For many, this will be a time of unbounded joy. But for others, that joy will be mingled with anger, fear or shame. Not everyone is able to visit a childhood home that is filled with mirth. Many face the painful reality of returning to homes and families that have been fractured by sin — sometimes their own sin, but many times the sins of their fa...| The Lutheran Witness
The December issue of The Lutheran Witness explores the family — what we can learn from the Holy Family, how the church can act like a family especially during the Christmas season, how to address difficult family situations, how the church can welcome singles, and more. From the President: Christ Heals the Conscience Torn by AbortionFrom the Editor: A Family Community Features: The Family of the Last Adam: The church is a family; how can we operate like one? — Christopher NuttelmanThe...| The Lutheran Witness
One of the worst sermons I have ever preached was on the “Christmas doldrums.” I preached it on Christmas Eve. Every time I think about it, I feel so ashamed I want to go and apologize to the beautiful saints of Trinity Lutheran Church in Livingston, Texas, for their great patience in putting up with this poor learning preacher. The fact remains, however, that for many, the Christmas season doesn’t always feel like a time of joy. And often times, that has to do with family. Families can...| The Lutheran Witness
by Matthew C. Harrison The word “conscience” appears hundreds of times in our Lutheran Confessions. The central issue for the Reformation was the assurance of the forgiveness of sins for those dealing with guilt. The word “conscience” appears 27 times in the New Testament. It hardly appears in the Old Testament at all. In Scripture, internal belief and external actions are understood as either in concert with the Word of God or not. Genesis 42 notes that Jacob’s sons were ashamed ...| The Lutheran Witness
An art reflection by Liv Booth on the hymn "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" (LSB 892). This is one installment of a series providing reflections on works of art and music from a Lutheran perspective. Pumpkins, candlelight, evenings of earlier dark … Autumn is the best time of year. Do not argue; I will not listen. My blood runs pumpkin spice. Once November has really settled over the world, and we’re almost ready for Advent, we Americans pause on a Thursday to thank the Lord for His provi...| The Lutheran Witness
By Lyman Stone As a demographer who studies religious communities, I get one question more than any other: How can churches grow? Despite the many problems surrounding a focus on “church growth” as a goal, I take the question with the earnestness with which it is usually asked. It is a tragedy to see faithful churches close, to see the clear numeric dwindling of Christ’s people in the United States today. While simply getting high numbers to report isn’t the goal of evangelism, there ...| The Lutheran Witness
By Joel Biermann Many of us have fond memories of small-town life: summer festivals, unlocked doors, school pageants, common friends, heartfelt patriotism and a uniform morality. In years gone by, even those living in urban areas typically enjoyed the ordinary delights of life shared in tight-knit neighborhoods. Today, however, experiences like these are increasingly relegated to memories and nostalgia. In the 21st century, for a host of reasons, such communities are becoming quite uncommon. ...| The Lutheran Witness
Each time we recite and reflect upon the creed, we are brought further into its story and its story is brought further into us. We’re doing more than stating bare facts or reinforcing social bonds in the local congregation. We are responding to what God has said and done by saying “this faith is mine; this is my story.”| The Lutheran Witness
Born noble, raised to be a nun, then marrying an outlaw reformer and dying in poverty — Katharina understood the cost of clinging to Christ.| The Lutheran Witness
