The Lutheran Witness

The Lutheran Witness: Interpreting the Contemporary World From a Lutheran Christian Perspective
Whether you prefer to read it in print or online, The Lutheran Witness, the official publication of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, is a must-read for Lutherans of all ages!

Published 11 times a year—monthly, with a combined June/July issue—The Lutheran Witness keeps you updated with news from around the Synod, and addresses topical issues with feature articles, columns, Q&As, and more that will both inform and inspire.

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Our Church Family

Our Church Family
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25

VIDEO: Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - Complete Service

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Audio: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Audio: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Rev. Dr. Edward O. Grimenstein

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First Reading – Numbers 23:4-28 
and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam took up his discourse and said, 

“From Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’
How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
For from the top of the crags I see him,
from the hills I behold him;
behold, a people dwelling alone,
and not counting itself among the nations!
Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!” 

And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?” 

And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.” And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” And Balaam took up his discourse and said, 

“Rise, Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
Behold, I received a command to bless:
he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.
He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, 
nor has he seen trouble in Israel. 
The LORD their God is with them, 
and the shout of a king is among them. 
God brings them out of Egypt 
and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. 
For there is no enchantment against Jacob, 
no divination against Israel; 
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 
‘What has God wrought!’ 
Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up 
and as a lion it lifts itself; 
it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey 
and drunk the blood of the slain.” 

And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD says, that I must do’?” And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. 

Gospel Reading -- Luke 22:47-71 
While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” 

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. 

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. 

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” 

Confession 
What is the Office of the Keys?* 
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent. 
Where is this written?*
This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:22–23) 
What do you believe according to these words?* 
I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself. 

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In this issue of Lutherans Engage the World, you’ll read about many amazing things that God is doing around the world: engaging youth in the faith, caring for refugees, forming deaconesses for service to the church, sharing the Gospel with people in far-flung places. But the mission of the church is not something that “they” are doing “out there.” It’s work that all Christians are involved in — whether in their own neighborhood or by partnering with others across the globe.

In the article “Inviting Mission Partners to the Table,” Eurasia Regional Director Rev. Dr. David Preus says that he hopes the people who attended the recent Germany FORO will return home and tell others, “We have a mission in Germany, and this is what we are doing.” In the same way, we hope you will be encouraged by these examples of how your church is sharing the love and mercy of Jesus Christ all around the globe — all to the glory of God.

Bulletin: Wednesday May 27, 2026

Bulletin for Wednesday, May 27, 2023
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2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: The Book of Galatians
This service will be LIVE STREAMED on our YouTube Channel

Preview: LWML Eastern District Retreat Keynote Speaker

(From left) The Rev. Dr. Steven Hokana and Deaconess Raquel Rojas, who serve as educators for Lutheran Visitation Education, were recognized by Deaconess Dr. Tiffany Manor (right) during daily chapel at the LCMS International Center on March 21. (LCMS/Frank Kohn)

LWML Eastern District Retreat
The LWML Eastern District Fall Retreat will be held at Pioneer on the Lake, Angola, NY September 18-20, 2026, and hosted by the Central NY South Zone.
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The guest speaker at our Fall Retreat in September is Deaconess Raquel Rojas
Listen to Season 5, Episode 3 of
Service of Mercy: A Deaconess’s Perspective on Specialized Care
Featuring Deaconess Raquel Rojas

Deaconess Rojas describes the work that she does in specialized and diverse contexts and also provides insight into how LCMS church workers can productively engage clinical training programs like Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). 

Learn more about LCMS Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry Specialized Spiritual Care Ministry - The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (lcms.org) 

Bio: Deaconess Raquel A. Rojas is the Deaconess of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in The Bronx, New York, a parish of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) where “God’s People Pray.” She is a member of the Concordia Deaconess Conference and serves on its Executive Committee, specializing in membership.   She is serving her second term on the Board of Directors of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod Atlantic District. Deaconess Rojas is a published author in a book of devotions for women entitled Words of Peace and Protection, published by Concordia Publishing House, having also written devotional pieces for Concordia College New York, the LCMS Atlantic District, and other organizations. Having served in other capacities previously, Deaconess Rojas currently serves as President of The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Atlantic District since May 2022.  Deaconess Rojas received a Master of Arts in Deaconess Studies from Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, Indiana) and received her clinical pastoral education (ACPE) at Calvary Hospital in The Bronx, New York.

God’s Mission Here spotlights the work that God is doing through His people... and this work is  closer to home than you might expect! Listen as we chat with some very down-to-earth people who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty in God’s mission field. Get inspired. Be encouraged. Get involved! Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission