Lutheran Witness: May 2020

The May issue of The Lutheran Witness, “In sickness and in health,” explores the theology of marriage and weddings, and also includes articles on the church’s response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the President: This Pandemic Is Temporary

Features:

Christ and the Church — Jason D. Lane

Love is Hard, Hard Work — David H. Petersen

Not Forsaken: Responding to COVID-19 — Larry M. Vogel

Wedding Vows — Kenneth W. Wieting

Recovering from a Pandemic — Robert M. Zagore

Before the Wedding Day — Joshua J. Hayes

Singing Christ’s Love — Mark Bender

Departments:

world views: A monthly news column from Gene Edward Veith

searching scriptures: Holy Matrimony — Weslie Odom

bene+diction: Abide With Us — Delores Fowler

From the editor

We planned this issue in February. Then March 2020 happened. Coronavirus. It changed the plan. A few words from the wedding service sum up the change: “In sickness and in health.”

The original theme of the issue focused on Christ and the church as reflected in the wedding service. Despite an additional theme on COVID-19, we still focused on Christ and the church. Christ provides for His church, in sickness and in health.

And that’s the point of this issue. The wedding is not about the bride or the groom. Weddings and marriages point to God’s work in Jesus Christ. As the wedding vows demonstrate, the bride and groom now serve each other in distinct roles. The couple’s hard, hard work of love does not grow out of sentimental poetry, but Christ’s love for the church as St. Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.

We see this love in action as Christ cares for and provides for His church. As the church now faces disease, Christ still loves and cherishes His bride as His pastors care for His people.

And so, we turn our eyes to Him who suffered, died and rose again to conquer death and fear in every circumstance. Delores Fowler, who wrote this month’s Bene+diction article, provides us with 67 years of perspective on God’s love.

All the feelings and emotions we experience, from glossy photos of a wedding day to the pain of watching a beloved one die, will fade and pass away. Focusing on God’s work in Christ provides a foundation that has stood and will continue to stand the test of time — just ask Delores.

In Christian love,

Roy S. Askins

Managing Editor, The Lutheran Witness