LCMS pastors for Old Missouri: "treasures we never knew existed"

      Time spent reading across several web sites has turned up some refreshing writings by LCMS pastors:

(1) Pastor Ryan Loeslie of Immanuel Lutheran in Dimock, S. Dakota, who has written for the "Steadfast Lutherans" website (now "Steadfast Press"), continues his writings now for the Christian Culture magazine published by the new Luther Classical College organization.  This pastor is one to follow. In 2020, in his "Preserving Walther's Hymnal" article, he reveals that he spent an academic year in Germany, so he has a valuable knowledge of the German language and is using it to translate various "Old Missouri" writings, especially from Der Lutheraner.  In praising Walther's Hymnal, he makes a statement that parallels my thinking of over 25 years ago:

"…our modern Missouri Synod has much to learn from our past, treasures we never knew existed."

That mindset has served Pastor Loeslie well.  Now he is presenting excellent translations for Christian Culture magazine, of Fredrich Pfotenhauer, and lately Friedrich Bente, etc. One can hope that he continues producing these writings and translations. Excellent!

(2) Pastor Lincoln Winter of Trinity Lutheran in Wheatland, Wyoming, has a few days ago announced the first book to be published by the Steadfast Press, a republished English translation of Prof. George Stoeckhardt's Grace upon Grace book of sermons.  (I own a copy of the Ft. Wayne bookstore English translation.) It was exhilarating for me to read his laudatory comments on Stoeckhardt, for he has also seen Stoeckhardt's true gift for exegesis, as Franz Pieper also praised.  Also refreshing was Pastor Winter's gentle criticism of the Northwestern Publishing editor's (August Pieper?) caution that Stoeckhardt's sermons were "too opaque for the average reader". To this, the pastor comments:

"With all respect, we heartily disagree with this sentiment, and have no trouble finding a place for this work in our permanent catalog."

The Steadfast Press has chosen well. May it remain steadfast on this course for its future!