The Book of Revelation: Part 7
Comfort in the midst of conflict: Revelation 14 Timothy J. Westendorf We’ve seen the first three of the seven “visions”—the dragon and his two beastly allies. Chapter 14 reveals the next three. The…
The shiny penny
A three-year-old puts his shiny penny in the hands of Jesus. Holly J. Beckman It was time to leave for church. My three-year-old grandson had a weekly ritual. He would gather all his little treasures…
God’s promised rest
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. Hebrews 4:1 Daniel J.…
Congregational Services launches Welcome Home
“Welcome home.” It’s what one says to a spouse who’s been gone on a business trip or to a child who’s been away at school. With a new program from WELS Congregational…
An unexpected mission field
Mark G. Schroeder Every congregation has them. Every member in our congregations knows them. They may be out of sight, but in Christian congregations, they should never be out of mind. “They” are members of…
New location for Northwestern Publishing House
Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) has moved. In May, it packed up its offices and relocated to its new home, the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry (CMM), the synod’s headquarters…
Light for our path: KARMA?
What is karma? How is it different than “reaping what you sow”? Is it okay to use the term in conversation? James F. Pope We do hear that word karma frequently today, don’t we?From commercials to conversations,…
WELS World Missions updates
Vietnam In April, WELS leaders, including Mark Schroeder, WELS president; Larry Schlomer, World Missions administrator; Sean Young, director of Missions Operations; and Bounkeo Lor, Hmong Asia ministry coordinator, traveled to Vietnam to…
The harvest is on!
Pentecost celebrates the harvest of souls that has continued through the ages. E. Allen Sorum Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to help his church testify about him, but he told his…
Moments with missionaries: Hendersonville, North Carolina
Paul E. Zell I was practicing my sermon on a recent Sunday morning when I got a phone call. Doris* wanted to confirm what time the service was. “I can’t come to church today,…
Walk by the Spirit : Part 2
In spite of the First Commandment, idolatry still persists in our world. John A. Braun Idolatry? Today? Yes! And in familiar and unfamiliar forms. Paul walked the streets of Athens and noted the statues of idols…
Confessions of faith: Nelson
Unable to pay for her sins even as a nun, one woman finds the peace of the gospel. Jennifer Nelson I grew up as a Roman Catholic, but I confess…
Heart to heart: Parent conversations: How can we prepare children for summer camp?
How can we prepare children for summer camp? When I was going into eighth grade, I went to band camp for a week during the summer. I had a blast,…
Ambassadors: Help them see Jesus : Part 8
Quiz the intimidator Thomas H. Trapp In my early years as a full-time campus pastor, I attended a gathering of diverse university religious clergy. Intriguingly, they invited a Christ-centered scholar to speak to a group of mostly skeptical…
Welcome Home: Part 1
A man finds a sense of belonging after returning to a WELS church. Rachel Hartman After growing up in a WELS congregation in Wisconsin, Kyle Oppermann left to join other church bodies as an adult.…
Teen Talk: We pray
Time with Grandpa brought lessons about praying to our heavenly Father. Joshua Van Sluytman When I was little, I enjoyed spending time with my grandpa on the farm. My favorite time was riding with him on the tractor while…
Christian roots
Old photos lead to a special golden wedding anniversary moment. John A. Braun The journey all started early in their marriage with a box of old family photos in the attic—a big box,…
On grief and grieving: A Christian perspective
Glenn L. Schwanke In 1969 Elisabeth Kübler Ross published her groundbreaking book On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families. The…
A gospel-filled life: Part 5
Pray to know God better Jeffrey D. Enderle Someone was bound to invent an easy button. One office supply company has already used an “easy button” to advertise solutions to office headaches. But we…
Light in the darkness
John A. Braun The longest day of this year will be June 21—the day of the summer solstice. In the United States, we will have about 15 hours of light. The sad realization is that…