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October 2002
Volume Six, Number Four
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Unlocking the Skeletons in Your Closet By the Rev. Richard Nuffer, Supervisor of Vicarage, Dean of Assessment, and Assoc. Prof. of Pastoral Ministry & Missions at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. You are a Christian--baptized soon after birth, raised in church each Sunday, active in your current congregation, perhaps even holding offices in the congregation, LLL, or LWML. You believe in the forgiveness of sins (including your sins) through Christ's atoning life, death, and resurrection. You believe that you bodily partake of Him in his holy supper. Yet you are troubled. |
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The Keys: An Identification Mark of the Church By the Rev. Terry Cripe, Pastor of Christ our Savior Lutheran Church, Defiance, Oh. Would you think it odd if I stood outside a hospital and asked those entering, "How do you know this is a hospital?" I could walk into ours and find a gift shop inside. Is the hospital's purpose to sell books, magazines, and candy? I could go over to the hospital thrift shop and purchase a nice second-hand shirt. Is this the hospital's mission? Like many people in our community, I could go to the hospital's cafeteria for a tasty, inexpensive meal. Is this why the hospital exists? Obviously, none of these services is an identification mark of a hospital! Our Lutheran Confessions teach that the marks of the Church are the pure teaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments in accordance with that pure Gospel teaching (Apology, Articles VII and VIII: Of the Church). |
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He's OK, They're OK. By the Rev. Larry S. Harvala, President of the North Dakota District in Fargo, ND. A common conversation among the members of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod might be: "What did you think of the pastor's sermon?" Sometimes the work pastors do is considered outstanding by their members. At other times, it is deemed to be downright deficient. Most of the time, however, it is just blandly "ok." |
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In the Field: By Monica Robins Featuring the Rev. Larry Nichols, Pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Smithfield, R.I. |
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