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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Ministry Without Fear, Krister Stendahl
Ministry Without Fear, Krister Stendahl
Concordia Theological Monthly
I worry a lot about speaking to you senior seminarians. I feel honored and moved by the occasion. I sense much of the feelings and the fears and the joys and hopes, sometimes together and sometimes in clash, that are present in this room and in your branch of the church. It is the kind of situation in which it is difficult for anyone to speak who doesn't have to pay the price of staying and sweating it out. I will not give a very delightful and happy dinner speech, although, I guess, real humor is not to tell stories …
The Gospel And The Spiritual Life Of The Pastor, John Damm
The Gospel And The Spiritual Life Of The Pastor, John Damm
Concordia Theological Monthly
And yet, though the requirements of this biblical and confessional call to a life of personal prayer and meditation have not changed, the circumstances of contemporary life apparently make it difficult for today's busy pastor to fulfill these requirements. William Hulme suggests that it is often embarrassing to question a person about his prayer life. "Well, it's not what it should be" is the usual response.
The Gospel Approach To Counseling, Kenneth Siess
The Gospel Approach To Counseling, Kenneth Siess
Concordia Theological Monthly
Pastors are discovering today that the issue of pastoral counseling comes up repeatedly, both in their pastoral practice and in their study. A survey conducted several years ago revealed that of the people interviewed 42 percent indicated that they sought out a clergyman as their first source for help in an emotional crisis in their lives. Most pastors can attest readily to the reality of such a statistic. Day after day they are being sought out by people who find themselves in some kind of stress and are looking for help. In response to this demand pastors are becoming increasingly …
The Gospel, The Pastor, And "Culture.", Warren Rubel
The Gospel, The Pastor, And "Culture.", Warren Rubel
Concordia Theological Monthly
Actually the word "culture" continues to evoke an unmanageable number of responses from most of us. So much so that we need to distinguish quickly among a number of ideas clustering around the term in order to place the understandably complex relationships among the Christian gospel, the pastor, and culture in a meaningful if limited perspective. Here, after offering a quick sketch of some of the main currents and crosscurrents surrounding culture today, we attempt to suggest a rough plot for personal action. Our assumption is that the pastor as perpetual "student and literary worker" will fill in the details …
The New Hermeneutic And Preaching, Richard R. Caemmerer
The New Hermeneutic And Preaching, Richard R. Caemmerer
Concordia Theological Monthly
The first unit in this series discussed the implications for Christian preaching of current studies in the philosophy and theology of language, studies which are usually identified by some such term as linguistic analysis and connected with names like Ian Ramsey and Frederick Ferré As we now turn to the contemporary study of the Sacred Scriptures, we do not make a clean break with the preceding discussion. The Biblical studies reveal the dominant question: What is the language of faith? The purpose of this review, however, is not to analyze the field of Biblical studies in general but to assess …
The Pastor As Administrator Of The Christian Fellowship, Harry G. Coiner
The Pastor As Administrator Of The Christian Fellowship, Harry G. Coiner
Concordia Theological Monthly
It may be helpful to say immediately that a church office, receptionist-secretary, an electric typewriter, a motorized mimeograph machine, and a mahogany desk are some of the trimmings and tools of parish administration but not the real substance of it. Parish administration is concerned with Christian discipleship. It is an activity rooted in what God is doing through the Word and the sacraments in the lives of men and women and children and in how they are being built up, trained, and committed to spiritual tasks.
The Pastor's Role In Social Action, Norman Temme
The Pastor's Role In Social Action, Norman Temme
Concordia Theological Monthly
As the world knocks at the doors of the churches, however, it finds closeted within a sometimes confused, a more often unconcerned, congregation of Christians. It comes seeking help in the form of counsel and guidance, and ends up frequently giving out some advice instead.
The Social Worker And The Pastor As A Team, Ruth Wiederaenders
The Social Worker And The Pastor As A Team, Ruth Wiederaenders
Concordia Theological Monthly
In approaching the topic of the teamwork of a pastor and a social worker in meeting a particular need of a Christian, we must first treat the concept of teamwork to determine the possibilities of any action being performed. Webster defines teamwork as "joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group; coordinated effort." The group or the team is specified as "a group of people working or playing together, especially as one side in a contest."
Walther's Pastoral Theology, Frederick Niedner
Walther's Pastoral Theology, Frederick Niedner
Concordia Theological Monthly
It is unfortunate that the pen that is writing this article should be in my hand. It would be vastly more appropriate and of greatly increased value if this could have been written by one of the men who were in the classroom of Concordia Seminary when Walther taught Pastoraltheogie. I wish it could have been done by the man who held the position of pastor in Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Mo., during the 22 years before I held the same position for 32 years, my very worthy predecessor, Dr. Julius A. Friedrich.
The International Student-Test Of A Living Church, William J. Danker
The International Student-Test Of A Living Church, William J. Danker
Concordia Theological Monthly
In a world in which the process of homogenization is being stepped up constantly, it is not surprising that we have reached the era of the International Man. Amid the strident cries of nationalism from newly independent nations of Asia and Africa and in the complacently preoccupied provincialism of America's Midwest it is easy to overlook him, but he is there.
Brief Studies, Harry G. Coiner
What About Vestments For Pastors?, Arthur Carl Piepkorn
What About Vestments For Pastors?, Arthur Carl Piepkorn
Concordia Theological Monthly
In various forms this question has been asked again and again. The following pages are an attempt to answer the question for the Church of the Augsburg Confession in America.
Brief Studies, John W. Klotz
Brief Studies, John W. Klotz
Concordia Theological Monthly
The Pastor, Modern Science, and our Society
The Confirmation Instruction Of Children, Harold Dorn
The Confirmation Instruction Of Children, Harold Dorn
Concordia Theological Monthly
Purpose. We are all interested in improving our confirmation instruction. It was thought that one of the most practical ideas to find out how we might improve our individual techniques would be to make a survey of what our brethren were doing in the field. Such a study would indicate what materials and procedures were in use, our principal difficulties, and such matters that needed special study. The study might also point up new ideas and trends.
The Pastor After The Heart Of God, C. August Hardt
The Pastor After The Heart Of God, C. August Hardt
Concordia Theological Monthly
In the first of his Pastoral Letters (1 Tim. 3:1) Paul calls the office of a bishop (ἐπιοχοπή) a good work, χαλὸν ε̈ογον. That is a brief but beautiful and most significant characterization of the Christian ministry.
A Physician Of Souls, Charles A. Behnke
A Physician Of Souls, Charles A. Behnke
Concordia Theological Monthly
Twenty-Five years ago Anton T. Boisen, who as a patient in a mental hospital had wandered in strange places of the spirit, began an experiment with four theological students in the State Hospital at Worcester which gave birth to the Council for the Clinical Training of Theological Students. Today thirty training centers in mental and general hospitals, prisons, corrective institutions and guidance clinics, assist twenty-five seminaries in preparing ministerial students for more adequate services as pastors of churches and chaplains in hospitals and reformatories. Concordia Seminary of St. Louis has initiated a course of its own which is deeply rooted …
Let's Not Forget The Teacher, Wm. A. Kramer
Let's Not Forget The Teacher, Wm. A. Kramer
Concordia Theological Monthly
In education, as in other pursuits, it is easy to lose oneself in matters of secondary importance. Educators are known to have followed a pet subject for more than a decade, until it seemed that the educational symphony had only one theme. It is enough here to recall the protracted and all-absorbing attention given to methods, tests and measurements, and curriculum revision, each in its turn. Important as these are, the teacher ought to occupy first place in the thoughts of educators at all times, because the success of any school hinges first of all on the teacher. Curriculum, methods, …
Youth Guidance In Marriage Problems, Elfred L. Roschke
Youth Guidance In Marriage Problems, Elfred L. Roschke
Concordia Theological Monthly
"Youth Guidance in Marriage Problems" is the topic of this article. Before we begin the actual consideration of the topic, it may be well to get our bearings and to give some definitions. What do we mean by guidance? We believe that this term designates, or should designate, any effort by means of example and by means of precept, by direct or indirect instruction, to show people, especially young people, the true and right way, the best course to follow. Since this guidance, according to the topic, is to be a guidance of youth regarding the problems of one of …
The Lutheran Pastor As Teacher, P. E. Kretzmann
The Lutheran Pastor As Teacher, P. E. Kretzmann
Concordia Theological Monthly
That every Lutheran pastor should be able to preach is a fundamental requirement. Every graduate of every theological seminary, whether this be a Lutheran institution or not, is expected to present the truths of salvation in the form of an address, speech, or oration, be it more or less formal or more or less technical and scientific. But many a person, in referring to this self-evident presupposition for graduation from a theological seminary, has in mind only the person of the preacher and the form. of his message. That is to say, the emphasis is on the art of preaching …
The Administration Of The Sacraments, Th. Laetsch
The Administration Of The Sacraments, Th. Laetsch
Concordia Theological Monthly
Our Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which He was betrayed instituted, and Himself administered, His Holy Supper. To this day this Sacrament remains His Holy Supper, a heavenly banquet which He Himself has spread and which He Himself serves to all attendants Says Luther: "We know that it is and is called the Lord's Supper, not the supper of the Christians. For the Lord ha not only instituted it, but also prepares and administers it Himself.
The Institutional Missionary And The Sick, E. A. Duemling
The Institutional Missionary And The Sick, E. A. Duemling
Concordia Theological Monthly
Visitation of the sick is one of the most important duties of an institutional missionary. While on earth, Jesus, the Physician, had compassion on the sick and freed them from their ailments, not only physically but also spiritually. Jesus is no longer visibly with us, no longer performing miracles of healing, and sickness is still causing untold agony and misery in the world. It is very sad indeed to see so much pain and suffering, principally in our large hospitals. As long as we are living in a sinful world, there will also be pain, suffering, and, finally, death. There …
Why Should A Pastor Continue To Study Church History?, W. G. Polack
Why Should A Pastor Continue To Study Church History?, W. G. Polack
Concordia Theological Monthly
The history of the Church, the account of the progress of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the world, with all the many ramifications it presents, the great characters it introduces, and the stirring and dramatic events it portrays, strangely enough does not interest every pastor, as it does not interest every theological student at our Seminary. Some pastors sagely declare that they do not care about the study of church history, what they are interested in is making church history. The latter may be a most laudable ambition, but one wonders whether real, worth-while history can be made by …
The Pastor's Professional Bible-Study, Th. Laetsch
The Pastor's Professional Bible-Study, Th. Laetsch
Concordia Theological Monthly
The term ''professional Bible-study" may be taken in a twofold sense, either making Bible-study one's profession or studying the Bible in connection with, preparatory for, in a manner appropriate to, one's profession. In both senses the faithful pastor should be a professional Bible-student. Above all, a pastor is to be able to teach, 1 Tim. 3: 2; 2 Tim. 2: 2, teach, not man's wisdom, but that wisdom of God in a mystery revealed only in Holy Scripture, 1 Cor. 2: 6-15. Hence he cannot be and remain a faithful pastor without making this Book the subject of his life's …
The Pastor A Bible Student, W. Arndt
The Pastor A Bible Student, W. Arndt
Concordia Theological Monthly
To make an attempt in this journal or anywhere else to create enthusiasm in ministers for a study of the Holy Scriptures would seem to be about as superfluous as urging a professional concert Pianist to keep in practise by frequently playing approved exercises, or a surgeon to continue performing and witnessing operations. Is there a minister who is not convinced that faithful, regular study of the Bible is a necessity for him? Still, human weakness being what it is and hindrances of thorough, consistent Bible-study by the pastor increasing with alarming rapidity, a few words on this subject, introductory …
The Pastor And His Guide, O. A. Geiseman
The Pastor And His Guide, O. A. Geiseman
Concordia Theological Monthly
When God created Adam and Eve, He did not at once provide them with a radio set and a vacuum sweeper, but He did say to them, Subdue the world. The task of complying with that command has taxed human strength, wisdom, and resourcefulness from that day unto this. Employing processes of investigation and experimentation, man has slowly, unevenly perhaps, but nevertheless surely made remarkable progress in his struggle to subject the forces of nature to his will.
The Pastor And Youth;, O. P. Kretzmann
The Pastor And Youth;, O. P. Kretzmann
Concordia Theological Monthly
At any given moment in his ministry the pastor in active congregational service is face to face with three age groups. A local church is a cross-section of the family of God. There are the old, for whom the ministrations of the servant of the Word are largely a preparation for a near eternity. There are the middle-aged who must be carried through sorrow and defeat even though their religious habits and attitudes have been fixed by the years. And there are the young, at one and the same time a very precious and a very unstable part of the …
The Pastor And Intracongreptional Organizations, W. E. Hohenstein
The Pastor And Intracongreptional Organizations, W. E. Hohenstein
Concordia Theological Monthly
Little has been written on the history of intracongregational societies, except with reference to young people's societies. The ladies' aid is the oldest society within the congregations of our synodical organization. Then follows the young people's society (or societies) and, more recently, the men's club. Some congregations with parish-schools have a parent-teachers' organization and in connection with it a preschool mothers' circle.
The Pastor And The Pastoral Cure Of Souls, H. F. Wind
The Pastor And The Pastoral Cure Of Souls, H. F. Wind
Concordia Theological Monthly
As the pastor of today surveys the scene presented by life In twentieth-century America, the setting in which he must practise his profession, he cannot but be impressed by the increasing magnitude of the task set for him. This task is indeed many-sided. It includes the functions of the public ministry, the preaching of the Word and the public administration of the Sacraments; it includes the teaching functions of the ministry in the educational activities of the Church; it includes administrative tasks as executive head of a rather complex organization; it includes missionary activities and frequently service in synodical offices; …
The Pastor And His Audience, P. E. Kretzmann
The Pastor And His Audience, P. E. Kretzmann
Concordia Theological Monthly
In that delightful book by Arthur Stevens Phelps entitled Speaking in Public we find, among the many scintillating epigrams and pungent sayings, this thought-provoking sentence: "It takes two to make a speech, the man that speaks and the man that listens." And again: ''If a speaker may be 'too full for utterance,' a congregation may be too full for audience." Both of these sayings contain much food for thought, especially for the Lutheran pastor.
The Pastor And His Office, J. H. Fritz
The Pastor And His Office, J. H. Fritz
Concordia Theological Monthly
"Our office is a different thing now than what it was under the Pope; it has now become earnest and salutary. Hence it involves much more trouble and labor, danger and trial, and secures but little reward and gratitude in the world; but Christ Himself will be our reward if we labor faithfully." So Luther wrote in the preface to his Small Catechism four hundred years ago. Does the pastor of today think in such terms of his pastoral office?