Present and past Board members remind me of Jesus’ words, “Whoever would be a leader must be a servant just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” (more…)

Dear Readers,
Concordia has confidence in its alumni and the impact they have on the business world. Do you have a story (or know someone who does) about how the Concordia experience translated to becoming an entrepreneur and/or business owner? We’d love to hear about it! E-mail brown@csp.edu for possible inclusion in the summer 2008 issue of CSP magazine. As always, I also invite you to send a letter to the editor to brown@csp.edu or post a comment below giving your feedback on particular stories, photos or anything else about the magazine. I look forward to hearing from you!

God Bless,
Lindsey Brown
Editor, CSP magazine

*We reserve the right to condense and print letters

Dear CSP Community,
At the end of the 2007 Golden Bear volleyball team’s season, a national championship trophy was hoisted in the air. On behalf of the team I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all the many fans and supporters who joined us on this journey. (more…)

I am thrilled to take the reins as editor of the CSP magazine. I look forward to leading the evolution of the magazine into one that readers continue to find engaging and enjoyable in new and exciting ways. I want to thank former editor Jill Johnson for giving me such a wonderful canvas from which to begin and her support in taking this publication forward. I invite you, the reader, to interact with the magazine, both through the web at http://magazine.csp.edu and by giving me input. Please send your story ideas, comments and/or suggestions via e-mail to brown@csp.edu or via postal mail atConcordia University, St. PaulAttn: Lindsey Brown275 Syndicate Street N.St. Paul, MN 55104I look forward to hearing from you.God Bless,Lindsey BrownEditor, CSP Magazine*We reserve the right to condense and print letters.

Dear Concordia,Where do I begin to express my greatest joy and appreciation for being able to participate in the CSP homecoming festivities and in particular the Choirs Reunion and dedication of the Chapel fellowship facilities?Faces, now forty years older, began to reappear….as name tag identities, year books, and old memories…..moved me back to those days when I drove my 1931 Model A Ford to campus, shared my wedding vows in that campus chapel in May of 1968, and sang bass in the Concordia Chorale for four years under the direction of Robert Dosien. It will be some time before I able to share my weekend experiences with my children and grandchildren without my voice cracking and shedding tears.If ever there is another joint choirs reunion, I will contacting those others, individually, in order that they too might experience the magic and majesty of an app 175 voice choir, lifting more than their voices to sing….E’en So Lord Jesus Come.I believe the angels themselves were jealous during that choral service Saturday.In gratitude, I remain,In The Lord!Rev. Gregory C. RogahnCSP class of ‘69Concordia Chorale 1065-69 The Dosien Years.

“Sing to the Lord a new song. He has done wonderful things. . . . Sing for joy to the Lord, all the earth; praise him with songs and shouts of joy!” Psalm 96:1 and 4. The words from the Biblical hymn underscore reasons for celebrating the long and distinguished tradition of musical excellence at Concordia University, St. Paul. Music praises God and brings joy to His people. This edition of Concordia St. Paul seeks to inform and inspire you about our musical tradition and our current practices. Music at Concordia enriches our campus and the lives of many individuals. Our programs develop talents to benefit the careers of our graduates and the lives of others.

Concordia’s musical heritage has enriched my life in many ways. While studying at Concordia, I sang in several groups but remember most fondly the quartet of classmates Lowell Beck, Bob Brueske, Paul Dorn and Dan Otto. They not only inspired us on campus but spent a summer traveling the upper Midwest sharing their talents and the Concordia story.

As another part of the Concordia story, I watched Concordia’s choir soothe a troubled crowd in O’Hare International Airport in Chicago in 2000. The Christus Chorus was traveling to Poland as an invited choir for the national Gaude Mater festival in Cjestochowa. One flight delay after another stranded our plane and created increasing frustration for its many passengers. Since our flight was scheduled to arrive in Poland just before a national holiday weekend, the airport was filled with Polish people flying home to visit friends and relatives for the holiday. After witnessing any people express frustration, anger, and even shed tears, Dr. David Mennicke the choir director, approached a flight agent and asked if the choir couldsing in the airport. Perhaps in despair, the agent muttered, “Go ahead. It can’t make things worse.”

I will never forget what happened next. Softly and gently the choir members vocalized a traditional Polish Christmas hymn. “Lulaijze, Jezuniu, moja perelko, Lulaijze, Jezuniu, me piescidelko . . . Utulze zemdlone lkaniem ustecski.” [“Lullaby, sweet Jesus, angels surround you. Lullaby, sweet Jesus, shepherds found you . . . Peacefully blooms the Rose in manger lowly.”] Peace settled like refreshing morning dew. Some people reverently started to sing along. Others quietly wept tears of nostalgic joy. The Christus Chorus shared God’s love to troubled people in a troubled time.

Another inspirational experience came more recently. Dr. Harold Otte, who directed the Chorale Club choir when I was a student at Concordia, died on July 31, 2007. His son told me a treasured friend visited Dr. Otte that day and read Psalm 27 with Pastor and Mrs. Otte. During the reading of the Psalm, Dr. Otte simply closed his eyes and stopped breathing. Quietly and peacefully, God transferred him from time into eternity. I wonder if an angelic choir picked up and finished what began as human praise of the Lord, our Light and Salvation. We who still wait and watch continue to find peace and can express our faith in the words of that ancient hymn, “I am still confident of this: I will see the Day of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord: be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14. Professor Otte, rest in peace and thank you for your part in Concordia’s legacy of music and faith.

Thank you, dear readers, who sing God’s praise and wait for the Lord. Thank you for your interest and care for Concordia University, St. Paul, including our legacy and musical tradition of praising God and bringing peace and joy to people.

In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Robert Holst
President

“Actions speak louder than words” reminds us that effort and achievement reveal more about our character than verbal claims.The same can be said about education. Learning with action can be as effective, or even more effective, than learning from words. To tell the truth, I like lectures; great teachers inspire me with great lectures. Yet practical experiences are what enabled me to understand and apply the ideas behind the words. (more…)

“The business of America is business.” So observed Alex de Tocqueville after his historic visit to America early in the 1800s. Indeed, the United States of America grew strong because business people in the colonies and then in the nation ventured with enthusiasm into the ways of commerce - developing daring entrepreneurial ways and means of inventing, creating and selling products. (more…)