Lutheran Witness: March 2018

In its Lenten issue, The Lutheran Witness explores some of the elements that make up the Bible’s counter-cultural vision for “the good life,” including prayer, fasting, devotion, piety and trusting in God’s Word.

Contents

From the President: What is the good life?

Features:

When you fast — William Weedon

Praying the hymnal — David R. Schmitt

Piety vs. Pietism — Russell P. Dawn

More than a feeling — Bryan Wolfmueller

Thy will be done — Jeffrey Gibbs

Dangerous journeys — Lisa Deam

Departments:

world views: A monthly news column from Gene Edward Veith

searching scriptures: Prayerful confessions of faith — Mark W. Love

bene+diction: Lent for earthlings — Anna Mussmann

From the editor

As Christians, we trust in Jesus Christ alone for our eternal salvation and look forward in hope to the heavenly joy that awaits us at the end of all things. Here and now, however, we may well find ourselves wondering: How on earth are we to live in the meantime?

Ask the world around you what it means to live “the good life,” and you will likely end up with a laundry list of must-haves: money, power, fame, health, beauty — with perhaps a splash or two of altruism to add balance and meaning.

Ask the Bible what living “the good life” means, and you’ll get a very different set of answers. It means devotion to God (Deut. 6:5) and self-sacrifice for the sake of others (Luke 10:37). It means living each day nourished by God’s Word and Sacraments (Acts 2:42), sustained by prayer (1 Thess. 5:17) and led by the Spirit to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).

Is all this difficult? Sure. Counter-cultural? Yes. But is it good? Most definitely.

It is this biblical vision of “the good life” that permeates every page of our Lenten issue on piety and prayer. May you enjoy and be blessed by the articles you find here.

Rachel Bomberger
Managing Editor, The Lutheran Witness
lutheran.witness@lcms.org