Schumacher and Raj in latest Lutheran Mission Matters
Articles by Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, faculty appear in latest issue of missiology journal
Proper 19 • James 3:1–12 • September 13, 2015
By William W. Schumacher The text of this passage from the Epistle of James is interesting both grammatically and lexically. The passage is rich in imagery, and the vocabulary is rather unusual. The preacher is invited to echo the colorful, creative language in a sermon that does not reduce the message to simplistic platitudes and ..
New Books by the Faculty
Just in time for your summer reading list, here are the books written by Concordia Seminary faculty (and staff) in the past year
Symposium Sneak Peek #4: Will Schumacher
The final of four sneak peeks into the main plenary presentations for the 2014 Theological Symposium (September 23-24)
Proper 8 • Jeremiah 28:5–9 • June 29, 2014
By William W. Schumacher On May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the British parliament as he was about to become prime minister. Hitler’s troops had already invaded Poland, and they had just begun their Blitzkrieg advance into France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. War was crashing upon the world as Churchill stepped into leadership. And unlike so many politicians, Churchill did ..
Concordia Journal Currents – David Lumpp’s “First Things First”
Will Schumacher talks with David Lumpp about his book “First Things First,” one of the latest books from Concordia Seminary Press. Dr. Lumpp is professor of theology at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn
Msafiri: Uganda
Lira is not a big town, not an important place by most measures. It’s not on the way to anywhere most people want to go (though a signpost in town points to Juba, well to the north in southern Sudan). Lira itself is not much of a tourist destination, being neither glamorous, nor exclusive, nor ..
“The Hermeneutical Naiveté of the Supreme Court”
Jim Voelz makes a case for the hermeneutical naivete – past and present – of the U.S. Supreme Court, in a reprint from Concordia Journal
Reformation Day · John 8:31-36 · October 25, 2009
By William W. Schumacher The assignment of this text for the festival of the Reformation suggests the question: Was the Lutheran Reformation about freedom? Luther’s famous early work, “The Freedom of a Christian,” developed the idea of the paradoxical identity of one who has faith in Christ: both utterly free and completely devoted to service to ..
Easter 7 · John 17:11b-19 · May 24, 2009
By William W Schumacher The vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of this text are rather simple. In fact, a pastor whose Greek has become rusty would be well advised to return his attention to the original languages with this week’s Gospel lesson. The impact and rhetoric of the text are another matter. Embedded in the narrative ..
Epiphany 5 · Mark 1:29-39 · February 8, 2009
By William W. Schumacher The season of Epiphany is about the self-revelation of God in Jesus Christ, and the texts of the season relate in various ways how Jesus Christ shows himself to us and to the world. And so, in this Epiphany season, one question we always bring to texts is, “What does Jesus ..
Baptism of Our Lord · Mark 1:4-11 · January 11, 2009
By William W. Schumacher Jesus Christ, the Son of God—that is who Mark identifies in the opening tide verse of his gospel (1:1). As such, of course, Jesus was in no personal need of the “repentance and the forgiveness of sins” attached to John’s baptism (1:4). Yet, there he is, going down into the water ..
Proper 12 · Romans 8:28-39 · July 27, 2008
By William W. Schumacher, We sketched a connected theme in the previous two lessons, both of which dealt with the struggle of faith in a fallen world. The first focused on “Life by the Spirit of Christ,” and the second celebrated “Hope in the Midst of Suffering.” This third of our consecutive readings turns our eyes ..
Proper 11 · Romans 8:18-27 · July 20, 2008
By William W. Schumacher, The previous text (Ro 8:12-17) presented us with “Life by the Spirit of Christ.” The present text, the second of three consecutive readings from this chapter, encourages us under the theme of “Hope in the Midst of Suffering.” Paul does not pretend that faith in Christ removes life’s difficulties. In fact, ..
Proper 10 · Romans 8:12-17 · July 13, 2008
By William W. Schumacher, The texts for Propers 10-12 are consecutive readings from the eighth chapter of Romans, closely related thematically, and therefore can naturally be grouped as a three-week sermon series. All three texts deal profoundly and realistically with a common theme: The struggle of faith in a fallen world. The first part, following this ..
Proper 6 · Romans 5:6-15 · June 15, 2008
By William W. Schumacher, This pericope is an interesting selection for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the assigned verses for this Sunday’s Epistle lesson combine two rather different thoughts. Verses 6-11 develop the theme of peace with God through justification, introduced in the beginning of the chapter. Verse 12 starts a new idea, vividly ..