“Part of the problem . . .” No doubt you too have read lately about the formation of another “branch” (synod?) within Lutheranism. We speak of a group or association calling itself “Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ” (LCMC) within the 10,000-congregation and three-million-plus-member Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA). The association (also called the… Read More »FROM A PASTOR’S DESK– Read More

With this issue we are happy to take note also of the graduation of four young men from our Bible School (Seminary) in India as well. Two of these men — Binoy and Mani — completed their studies last December. The other two, Mark and Paul, were scheduled to graduate at the end of May.… Read More »Graduates Of The Martin Luther Bible School Read More

Sign Posts Six young people formed the 1995 graduating class at Immanuel Lutheran, an area CLC High School in Mankato, Minnesota. Their graduation service was conducted at 2:30 p.m. on Pentecost Sunday, June 4. Pastor L. Dale Redlin served both as liturgist and speaker. His encouraging remarks to the graduates, their family and friends, were… Read More »Graduation In Mankato Read More

Those who keep abreast of what is going on within the churches know that the larger Lutheran synods are often recipients these days of many thousands of dollars of fraternal grant monies. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS — and its little… Read More »Floundering In A Sea Read More

A word of clarification perhaps needs to be given regarding violence, and even murder, at abortion clinics by pro-life activists. No, we are not for it! In “The Diary of a Fetus” in our January issue we used what some might call inflammatory rhetoric when we quoted Revelation 21:8 which says: “But … murders …… Read More »Violence At Abortion Clinics Read More

HELP THE SPOKESMAN SPEAK! IT’S RENEWAL TIME! The Lutheran Spokesman is printed in just one language, but it speaks both near and far. The monthly fun is just short of 2500 copies. Thirty-four states and seven foreign countries (Finland, Nigeria, Australia, Denmark, West Germany, Canada, Japan) are included among the addresses to which this magazine… Read More »From the Editor’s Desk — Read More

The perfect and eternal rest the Savior promises to all His believers (see Matt. 11:28-30) received the focus of attention at the funeral of Karl Brandle on Tuesday, February 21, 1995. The funeral service was conducted by Pastor Mark Bernthal whom Karl had so ably assisted for many years as assistant pastor at Gethsemane, Saginaw,… Read More »“…And I Will Give You Rest” Read More

(The undersigned presented the following to a Senior Ladies Luncheon in his home congregation; many of the thoughts, including those in the accompanying prayer, are taken from the devotionals “The Yoke Made Easy” and “The Burden Made Light” by Alfred Doerffler.) Sometimes those who are shut-in or on the sickbed wonder what they can do… Read More »What Can Shut-Ins Do? Read More

Adapted from a Christmas sermonette on Hebrews 2:9-18– “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity . . . “ Have you heard of the Moravian Church? The Moravians are a Protestant sect which sprang up around the time of the Reformation. They are more Calvinistic and pietistic than they… Read More »CHRIST OUR BROTHER Read More

Creation/Evolution Debate Your pastor attended a debate on February 22, 2001 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. The participants were Dr. Duane Gish for Creation and Dr. Edward Max for Evolution. Both men are noted speakers and renowned in their respective fields. Dr. Gish, a UCLA graduate, represented the Institute for Creation Research in… Read More »FROM A PASTOR’S DESK– Read More

(Adapted from the February 1995 Newsletter of Grace Lutheran Church, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota) The pastor of the ELCA church in our city recently took his turn writing an article for the church page of the our local paper. In connection with something called “The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” he called for all denominations… Read More »“That All May Be One…” Read More

* ANOTHER CANADIAN MILESTONE (This report is courtesy of Pastor Em. Bertram Naumann) On Sunday, July 29th, the Rev. Steven E. Karp was installed as the resident pastor of Resurrection Ev. Lutheran Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Pacific Coast Conference Visitor Robert List performed the rite, assisted by Pastor Emeritus Bertram Naumann. Pastor Naumann addressed… Read More »SMORGASBORD Read More

CAVING IN This week’s local paper brought a clergy column titled “How we can pray in unity?” with which we are compelled to express our disagreement. The writer, a pastor of the local Community Church, is writing from the backdrop of the recent terrorist attacks. He begins by calling attention to the ecumenical prayer service… Read More »FROM A PASTOR’S DESK– Read More

CAVING IN (PART II)? A few weeks back we wrote something in our church bulletin (cf. January, Lutheran Spokesman, p. 16) in which we took exception to what a local pastor wrote in the clergy column of the Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch. You may recall we referred to the fact that the pastor of a… Read More »FROM A PASTOR’S DESK– Read More

In the aftermath of the Reformation celebration, we append to this “Cross Purposes” feature a brief but timely commentary by Pastor Fleischer. — Editor “Pope John Paul II whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and slept on the floor as acts of penitence and to bring him closer to Christian perfection, according to… Read More »When will they Ever Learn Read More

It all began as a book review intended for the Lutheran Spokesman. Early in 2009 your editor had in mind to inform our readers of a book of sermons titled Morning Bells at Our Saviour’s by Rev. Norman A. Madson(1886-1962)—a book compiled and edited by his son Norman A. Madson, Jr. in memory of his… Read More »Defending the Good Name of a Seminary Dean Read More

Concluding Our Observance Of The Clc’s 50th Anniversary In the calendar year now drawing to a close, our church body with its respective congregations has individually and collectively marked a half-century of wonderful blessings. As the synod’s official “spokesman,” our little magazine too has been noting the event. Together we have looked back to the… Read More »…No One But Jesus Only Read More

A Christmas Sermonette… As the opening narration for the children’s service will tell us, our Christmas Eve service is constructed around Dr. Martin Luther’s hymn “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come,” echoing the Christmas angel delivering the good news of the Savior’s birth. I would summarize my remarks this evening with the statement, “Yes,… Read More »Yes, We Believe in Angels! Read More

I apologize for an editorial oversight, failing to mention in the hard copy magazine that Brother Paul Koch, “retired” member of our staff, took it upon himself again this year to compile the Daily Readings. Well, they were first compiled for Messiah, Eau Claire, in 2007 (as the cover indicates), but beyond that, Paul readies the copy for… Read More »Many Thanks… Read More

Most people, Christian or not, are aware of the debate about the identity of Jesus Christ. Most recently the Holy Week 1996 issues of three national news magazines — TIME, Newsweek, US News & World Report — featured Jesus Christ on the cover. The cover stories featured the latest attempts of the self-appointed Jesus Seminar… Read More »It’s A Matter Of Faith Read More