Lutheran Woman's Quarterly
Summer 2022 "Hope: No Shame in God’s Love"
Editor's Note
And hope does not put us to shame because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5).
What thoughts do “shame” bring to mind? The word shame has an abundance of uses. It can mean a gentle — or not so gentle teasing — Shame on you! It could mean embarrassment: getting red in the face because what you were wearing was incorrectly buttoned, torn, or stained. One could shame another by “taking her down a peg or two” or be ashamed because a child’s actions mortified. And … there are the extreme times of shame, either on the giving or the receiving end, of abuse or bullying: mental, physical, emotional, or sexual. Sometimes shame is intense, sometimes it brings a lifetime of suffering, and sometimes it is short-lived. No matter what definition you choose, shame is painful and distressing.
Contrast shame with the hope described in Romans 5. According to an online dictionary, hope brings expectation, a desire for good things to happen. What can we expect from our good and gracious God? We can expect a hope and a future, even when being abused. We desire God’s love that He pours out on us, even when it seems that no one loves us, wants us around, or treats us fairly. Hope is the gift of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, even if our flesh has been on the abusing end. It is the forgiveness and redemption given by our Savior, Christ Jesus. And … it is trust — trust that the God who created us is our special Friend, our Confidant, and our Strength.
Though the world rains down guilt and shame on us, our God, even when He convicts us of our sin, pours out His love, grace, hope, peace, and joy. There is no shame in God’s love. Read on to hear more of people who have experienced God’s love and lived in trust and hope and, especially, joy. Remember the words of the hymn: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness … All other ground is sinking sand. (The Lutheran Hymnal 370)
Sheila Lutz, Editor-in-Chief
Features
5 | It Took a Miracle
12 | Stuck
In Every Issue
| Editor’s Note
14 | Grants at Work: Life Means Hope or read it online here.
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29 | President’s Page
| About 2022 LWML Sunday
Bible Studies
available to download and print
16 | Hope Abounds — Leader Guide
18 | In the Father’s Arms — Bible Study
In the Father’s Arms — Leader Guide
20 | En los brazos del Padre — Bible Study
En los brazos del Padre — Leader Guide
22 | A Voice of Strength and Peace — Leader Guide
Upcoming Issues
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WINTER 2022: Equipping Women
(Submit by July 1, 2022)
How does God equip His people?
… may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus … equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ … (Hebrews 13:20–21).
SPRING 2023: Faith: That No One May Boast
(Submit by October 1, 2022)
Share your story of how God has gifted you to serve.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10a).
