Lutheran Witness: October 2018

In its October issue, The Lutheran Witness is exploring topics related to ministry and mental health.

Contents

From the President: Walther’s breakdown

Features:

Luther’s dark days —  Todd Peperkorn

Reconciled in Christ — Mark Rockenbach

Mental health and pastoral ministry — Beverly K. Yahnke

Sabbath for pastors — Jason Wagner

“We are not less broken” — Heidi Goehmann

The work of a pastor — Erik M. Lunsford

Caring for caregivers — Vicki Hanson and Sue Bohlmann

Contents

From the President: Walther’s breakdown

Features:

Luther’s dark days —  Todd Peperkorn

Reconciled in Christ — Mark Rockenbach

Mental health and pastoral ministry — Beverly K. Yahnke

Sabbath for pastors — Jason Wagner

“We are not less broken” — Heidi Goehmann

The work of a pastor — Erik M. Lunsford

Caring for caregivers — Vicki Hanson and Sue Bohlmann

Departments:

world views: A monthly news column from Gene Edward Veith

searching scriptures: Honest prayer in troubled times — Anthony Oliphant

bene+diction: What you see and what you get — Tyler Arnold

From the editor

Ten years. As of this June, it’s been 10 years since my husband was ordained and I first became a pastor’s wife. Looking back at pictures from that joyous occasion, I’m stunned by how young and carefree we both look; how excited; how full of undimmed optimism.

A couple can gain a lot of wisdom in 10 years. We knew going in that life in ministry would be both blessed and hard, but it’s taken a decade for us to begin to realize just how blessed — and just how very hard — it can be. We are still learning.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and to mark the occasion, LW is exploring topics relating to ministry and mental health. Some articles (“The Work of a Pastor,” “What You See and What You Get”) focus on life in ministry; others (“Luther’s Dark Days,” “Caring for Caregivers”) deal with emotional wellness. Still others — including some of the most powerful in the issue — grapple with the complicated and often thorny relationship between the two.

If you are a pastor or other church worker who has faced mental health challenges in your calling, it is my prayer that you will see yourself and your story in these pages and know that you are not alone.

May God fill the hearts of His people with holy compassion for all who suffer.

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