Concordia Seminary, St. Louis is pleased to announce the return of audio files on its Web site designed to assist pastors in their sermon preparation. The files feature Concordia Seminary faculty members translating the Old Testament and Gospel lessons assigned for each Sunday in the three-year series of Scripture readings utilized in many Lutheran churches. The availability of these files was interrupted due to the August break in the Seminary's class schedule. The Web address for the files is www.csl.edu/Lection.htm.

"These audio files have proven extremely popular with Lutherans and non-Lutherans alike," commented Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations at Concordia Seminary. "I have received appreciative e-mail messages from Baptists, Roman Catholics, Episcopalians and Nazarenes. Other messages have been received from people as far away as Kazakhstan and Turkey. We are delighted to provide this resource for pastors and others who are interested in digging into the texts in their original languages and we are encouraged by the enthusiastic response."

The files may be accessed in three different formats: RealAudio®, Windows Media® and MP3. The first two formats may be played while online. Files in the third format, MP3, may be downloaded free of charge and played at any time, not requiring the user to be online. Links to sites which provide free, downloadable players for the sound files are also available on the Seminary's Web site.

The files are changed every Saturday to those which treat the assigned readings for the following Sunday. The current posting treats the Old Testament and Gospel readings assigned for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost, September 22, 2002. Professors William Carr and Jeffrey Gibbs are the featured professors for the current Old Testament and Gospel lesson lectures respectively.

For more information, contact Rev. Glen Thomas, vice president for seminary relations , Concordia Seminary, 801 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, MO 63105; 314.505.7371; thomasg@csl.edu.