A Fable

Mary Todd Once upon a time a woman was invited to write a book on gender that her church wanted to publish. She was told she could write whatever she wanted about women, but she had to agree not to mention the O-word, for the ordination of women was not a subject the church wished…
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Explanations of the 95 Theses on Church Control

Robert Schmidt Editorial Note: The following is a set of explanations to Dr. Schmidt’s “95 Theses on Church Control.” Those theses can be read here.   It is manifest that ordination administered by a pastor in his own church is valid by divine right.  Consequently, when the regular bishops become enemies of the Gospel and…
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Who Are We? A Personal Reflection

David Stein Editorial Note: Dr. David T. Stein, a former president of the DayStar community, has served in parish ministry and higher education in the LCMS for over forty years. In retirement, he resides in Leander, Texas, and continues to take an active role in teaching and other opportunities for ministry. In accepting this assignment,…
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2,400,000 & Subtracting – 100,000,000 & Adding

David Stein Editorial Note: David T. Stein, a past-president of DayStar, is emeritus and living in Leander, Texas. He continues to teach at Concordia University, Austin. Recent membership statistics produced by Missouri Synod headquarters indicate that we are in a significant downward spiral with losses numbering in the thousands. In round figures our branch of…
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An Unfolding Perspective on Poverty

David Stein Editorial Note: David Stein, Ph.D., former pastor of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, is a past president of the Daystar Association and is currently working with “Food for the Poor.” After returning from the Dominican Republic, he is on his way to Kenya. His is the third article on…
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Reformation Homily

David Stein Editorial Note: David Stein is the past-president of the Daystar community. With a Ph.D. in rhetoric he taught at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois. Later he served as pastor at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. There he hosted the second meeting of the Daystar community. Since his retirement he has preached…
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Thoughts for Pastors Regarding the Election

Arthur Simon Editorial Note: Art Simon is the founder and president emeritus of Bread for the World, the nation’s premier citizen’s lobby against hunger. He served for almost two decades as its chief executive officer and then directed the Washington Office of Christian Children’s Fund from 1992 to 1997. He was pastor of Trinity Lutheran…
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The LCMS Mission Affirmations of 1965–Then and Now

Edward Schroeder (The original article can be read here: https://www.crossings.org/the-lcms-mission-affirmations-of-1965-then-and-now/) Reprinted by permission of Crossings.org Colleagues, Contrary to popular perception the LCMS is not a monolithic entity. Nor was it ever. Some say they were squabbling about doctrine before they even got off the boat in 1839. And it continues today even after the sweeping purge…
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95 Theses on Church Control

Robert Schmidt October 31, 1999 Unless I am convicted by Scripture or plain reason, I do not accept the authority of Popes and Councils, for they have contradicted themselves.  My conscience is captive to the Word of God.  I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. …
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The Whole Church Is Christ’s Mission

Robert Schmidt Daystar Mission Conference, January 2004   The Mission Affirmations of 1965, what happened to them? Why didn’t they get off the ground? They were solidly Biblical, drawn on the experiences of missionaries all over the world, attuned to both the church and the world. What happened to them? Some might blame those folks…
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