In Essentials Unity: Reflections on the Nature and Purpose of the Church: In Honor of Frederick R. Trost

The church would not be the church of Jesus Christ if it failed to fulfill the one mission bestowed upon it by Jesus Christ after his resurrection, namely to preach and teach the gospel. The church owes its very existence to the word and sacrament. The voice of the preacher can be heard by all. The water of baptism is visible to all. The bread and wine can be tasted by all.

The themes of this book have been the daily passions of Frederick Trost: The church's faithful worship, sound theology, fellowship of love, and mission of justice to a divided and violent world.

The writers develop their themes on the nature and purposed of the church in acknowledgement of Trost's faithful ministry in and in that church.

• Table of Contents
• Section I - The Nature of the Church
  • No Other Foundation - Hans-Jurgen Abromeit
  • Viewing the Church in Stereoscope - Lee C. Barrett III
  • Recognizing Unity - John E. Burkhart
  • "What a Gift You Have Given Us" (A Prayer) - Mary Gafner
  • The Church in the Shadow of the Cross or The Grand Irony - James D. Eckblad
  • Ambassadors of Reconciliation - Christa Grengel
  • On Being the Church after Christendom - Douglas John Hall
  • "Salt and Light" (A Prayer) - Gerhard Linn
  • Love Thy Niebuhr's Brother: Church as Polar Reality - John C. Helt
  • Three Protestant Identities: The Ecclesiological Study of the Leuenberg Church Fellowship - Wilhelm Huffmeier
  • The Gifts of Benedictine Monasticism to the Church - Joanne Kollasch; Lynne Smith; Mary David Walgenbach
  • "Gathered Together" - John W. Lynes, Jr.
  • "Lord of the Church and of All the World" (A Prayer) - Richard L. Christensen
  • Proclaiming the Gospel: From Gutenberg to Cyberspace - M. Douglas Meeks
  • "Extravagant Love! Amazing Grace!" (A Sermon) - Dorothy Heckner Mendonca
  • Churchly Metaphor in These Times - Gaylord Noyce
  • Relying on God's Choice: A Theology for Church Life - Richard H. Olmsted
  • "Most Gracious Heavenly Father, We Thank Thee" (A Prayer) - Donald G. Bloesch
  • The Church and Theological Education: An Essay to Honor Frederick Trost - Jack Stotts
  • Confessional Identity: An Early Exchange - Theodore Louis Trost
  • The Banner of the Heidelberg Catechism - Reinhard Ulrich
  • "Almighty God, Who Moved upon the Face of the Deep" (A Prayer) - Barbara Kline Seamon
  • The Way of Faithfulness - Richard S. Williams
  • Challenges Facing Tomorrow's Church - Barbara Brown Zikmund
• Section II The Centrality of Christ, the Word
  • "Come My Way, My Truth, My Life" (A Prayer) - Edwin E. Beers
  • Prayers from a Children's Hospital Chapel - Joseph Alden Bassett
  • Christian Faith and Church in the Multi-Religious Marketplace - Hans Berthold
  • A Defining Utterance on the Lips of the Tishbite - Walter Brueggemann
  • "The Smell of Flesh" (A Sermon) - Herbert R. Davis
  • Pass Along the Faith - Deborah Rahn Clemens
  • Discipleship and the Church's Struggle for Justice and Peace - Richard D. Crane
  • "Eternal God, Divine Mystery beyond Our Knowing" (A Prayer) - Thomas E. Dipko
  • Christ the Center - Kathryn Greene-McCreight
  • The Church of the Living Christ - Henry A. Gustafson
  • "Ein Gebet zu Psalm 85" (A Prayer) - Gerhard Koslowsky
  • The Word of Life - Paul L. Hammer
  • "Christ, the Only Foundation" (A Sermon) - Ute Molitor
  • The Promise behind the Purpose - Robert G. Hunsicker
  • Discerning the Word: Scripture and the Ongoing Witness of the Spirit - Karl Allen Kuhn
  • "Abounding in Steadfast Love and Faithfulness": The Old Testament as a Source for Christology - J. Clinton McCann, Jr.
  • Preaching the Word of the Cross - Gail R. O'Day
  • "Almighty and Eternal God, in Every Age and Land" (A Prayer) - Walter J. Olsen
  • Jesus Christ and the Christian Vocation to Politeia - Stephen J. Patterson
  • What is Meant by "Telling the Truth"? The Case of Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Carl J. Rasmussen
  • "Dear God, Creator of the Universe" (A Prayer) - Max J. Rigert
  • "Peace Be with You" (A Sermon) - Joachim Rogge
  • Confessing Christ and the Unity of the Church - Nikolaus Schneider
  • "Yes", "No", and "Prayer" - Bryan C. Sirchio
  • "Majestic God, How Easily We Imagine Your Glory" (A Prayer) - Charles E. Mize
  • Jesus Christ, the Word of God - Joanne Thomson
  • "Word of Prayer, Word of God, You Give Us Words to Pray" (A Prayer) - Thomas O. Bentz
  • "In the Beginning Was the Word" - Eugene S. Wehrli
  • Music in Relation to the Centrality of Christ, the Word - Paul Westermeyer
  • "God of Life and Breath" (A Prayer) - Susan R. Schneider-Adams
• Art
  • "And You Are in Me" (John 14:20) - Thomas A. Duff
  • Flight into Egypt - Thomas A. Duff
  • Reflection - Jane Suddendorf
  • Sanctuary - Jane Suddendorf
  • Christ on the Sea of Galilee - Paul Gerhardt Trost
  • Blessed Are the Merciful - Paul Gerhardt Trost
  • Christ at Emmaus - Paul Gerhardt Trost
  • The Lord's Supper - Paul Gerhardt Trost
• Section III The Vocation of the Pastor
  • Everything to Everyone: The Vocation of Christian Ministry - Raymond P. Adams
  • On Becoming a Parson/Person - Browne Barr
  • About You, among Others - Martha Ann Baumer
  • "I Hear Your Voice Calling" (A Prayer) - Beth A. Faeth
  • The Hospitality of Christ and the Church's Resurrection: A "Performed" Christology as Social Reformation - Mark S. Burrows
  • Called to Ministry - Jake Close
  • "O Lord, Give Us Pastors" (A Prayer) - Michael F. Hubbard
  • By God's Mercy - Jon S. Enslin
  • Prophet, Priest, and Pastor - James R. Gorman
  • "Our Gracious and Eternal God" (A Prayer) - Mark H. Miller
  • Social Witness Today: The Promise of Generous Orthodoxy - George Hunsinger
  • "O God, Whose Gracious Will" (A Prayer) - Paul A. Quackenbush
  • "Easter before Easter" (A Sermon) - F. Russell Mitman
  • A Life That Belongs to God - Teruo Kawata
  • The Role of Knees in the Vocation of the Pastor - David J. Michael
  • "Strangers and Foreigners on the Earth" (A Prayer) - Jeffrey Suddendorf
  • The Mission of the Pastor - Robert F. Morneau
  • Shepherds of the Particular - David S. Moyer
  • The Pastoral Office - Robert D. Mutton
  • "Most Gracious God" (A Prayer) - Dorothy A. Palmer
  • "The Glory of Ministry" (A Sermon) - Charles L. Copenhaver
  • Reflections on the Pastoral Ministry and Service of Dietrich Bonhoeffer - F. Burton Nelson
  • "You Have Called Us, O Lord" (A Prayer) - Douglas M. Pierce
  • A Reformed View of the Servant Leader - William H. Rader
  • Pastors in the Chain of Trust - Rembert G. Weakland
  • In Earthen Vessels - Donald G. Nelson
  • The Minister as Servant of the Word - Mark E. Yurs
  • ``I Come to this Time and Place'' (A Prayer) - Denise Cole
• Section IV - The Mission of the Community
  • "Most Gracious and Merciful God" (A Prayer) - Gail A. O'Neal
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church - Victoria J. Barnett
  • Some Reflections on Conversion - Dale L. Bishop
  • "Our Lord Jesus Christ" (A Prayer) - Iris Susen-Pilger
  • Conspiring with Amos - Theodore A. Braun
  • Public Witness: Word and Deed - W. Sterling Cary
  • "As God Has Called You" (A Sermon) - David C. Chevrier
  • "O Chamada para Missao" (A Prayer) - Barbara de Souza
  • The Church in a Capitalist Society - Uwe Dittmer
  • All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name - Jerry L. Folk
  • The Healing of the Nations - Reinhard Groscurth
  • "Oh Dios y Padre Nuestro" (A Prayer) - Samuel Ruiz Garcia
  • The Child as Redeemer and Victim - Kristin Herzog
  • Building the City of God - John Huebscher
  • "God, Ever-loving and Ever-just" (A Prayer) - Shari K. Prestemon
  • Baptism and It's "Shapeless" Protestants - Christoph Keienburg
  • "O Most Compassionate and Enriching God" (A Prayer) - Thomas S. Neilsen
  • The Church's Choice: Prophecy or Extinction - Daniel C. Maguire
  • Are We Asking the Right Questions about Peace? - Charles McCollough
  • Sanctuary: Radical Truths of Faith - Michael McConnell
  • "O God, Whose Glory Shines" (A Prayer) - Wells B. Grogan
  • With Confession and Assurance, Humility and Audacity - Mary Ann Neevel
  • Word and Deed. Word in Deed. Word Indeed! - David L. Ostendorf
  • "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord" (A Prayer) - Mark X. Pirazzini
  • A Theology of Engagement and a Covenant of Community - Carmen Porco
  • "Let Your Light Shine" (A Sermon) - Barbara Rudolph
  • Remarks on Globalization - Max L. Stackhouse
  • A Feast that Moves: Real and Missionary Presence in Lutheran-Reformed Full Communion - John H. Thomas
  • "Lord Jesus, I Look at My Hands" (A Prayer) - Stephen P. Savides
  • An Invitation to the World - Bennie Whiten, Jr.
  • "You Have Been Good to Us" (A Prayer) - Bonnie B. Van Overbeke
  • Living and Dying in the Community of the Church - Charles A.Wolfe
  • Kirchengemeinshaft: A Covenant in Mission and Faith - Kenneth R. Ziebell
  • "Eternal God, You Spoke" (A Prayer) - Hans WilhelmFricke-Hein
• Section V - Remembrances
  • Waiting and Wonder - Christine M. Trost
  • Frederick Trost: The St. Pauls Years - Thomas R. Henry
  • A Tribute to the Ministry of Frederick Trost - James Fellowes
  • Confessing Christ Today - Gabriel Fackre
  • The Great Facilitator Meets Herr Pastor Trost - John T. McFadden
  • Companion in Faith - Robert Bock
  • "O God, We Lift This Book" (A Prayer) - David J. Lawson
  • Letter from a Friend - Norbert Kruppke
  • Message of Friendship and Weg-Geleit - Lothar Schreiner
• Contributors