Lutheran Witness: February 2020

The February issue of The Lutheran Witness focuses on preaching and God’s Word, under the theme “Hearing and Believing.”

Contents

From the President: How shall they hear without a preacher?

Features:

A Pedagogy Led by the Word — Joe Willmann

All Things to All Nations — David Preus

Saints Singing Their Faith — Richard C. Resch

On Listening to Sermons — Roy S. Askins

Faith Comes by Hearing — Thomas Dunseth

The Word that Gives Life — Kevin Armbrust

Departments:

world views: A monthly news column from Gene Edward Veith

searching scriptures: Confounding Words — Peter Ill

bene+diction: “Aren’t we all Christians here?” — Frank Kohn

From the editor

This month’s issue examines hearing and believing. God works through words. “Faith comes from hearing” (Rom. 10:17). Isaiah 55:10–11 tells us that God accomplishes His will through His words. The Gospel of John ascribes the “word” (logos) to the eternal Son of God. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Words are far from uncommon in our lives. Yet the use of those words, the intent of those words and the effect of those words are as varied as our situations and our ideas. In the morass of our changing and changeable lives, the church speaks eternally true words, because faith comes through hearing these true words of Christ.

Read these pages filled with words. Hear how the church teaches and confesses the same Word in different ways and in different contexts. We teach, we listen to sermons, we proclaim. Some hear who do not know English. Some hear as they watch someone signing. Some who hear are offended. Some who hear rejoice.

In all of this speaking and hearing and proclaiming and listening, in all of the communicating and learning to obey, we confess with St. Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

In His mercy,

Kevin Armbrust
Interim Managing Editor, The Lutheran Witness