The staff of Forward in Christ spent the last week of July at the synod convention in Saginaw, Mich. Because we all wear other hats besides working on the magazine, we were busy and time went quickly. But one of my favorite parts of the convention was being able to talk personally to some of our readers. Thank you for all your kudos, comments, and suggestions.

We also had the opportunity to interview several delegates about their feelings on the convention, the new synod theme Christ's Love, Our Calling, and about being Lutheran. Besides reporting on official convention news in this issue, we're happy to share their thoughts with you. They were inspiring to us, and hopefully will be to you as well.

Our "Confessions of Faith" stories for the next few months will feature convention delegates. In this issue, executive editor John Braun talks to delegate Cletus Wolfe about farming, Catholicism, and free forgiveness through Christ.

Although there is a lot about the convention in this issue, you'll also find excellent articles on the hinges of the Reformation, the Second Commandment, and the teachings of necessity and contingency. Happy reading!