The Fruits of Pietism

Newsletter article for November 2004

© 2004 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Pietism is an anti-Christian ideology which completely turns upside down the role of piety in Christian life. Proper Christian piety is what we do to practice and live out our faith. Pietism makes piety primary and faith secondary (actually pietism tries to turn faith itself into a good work, contrary to Eph. 2:8-9). Pietism makes works its goal rather than faith. Those who understand Lutheran doctrine, or the Biblical teachings on faith and good works, will understand that pietism emphasizes the Law over the Gospel.

Although pietists claim to be fervent Christians, and claim to do everything in the name of Christ, pietism is truly anti-Christian because it steals away the true comfort Christians have in the all-sufficient work of Christ and replaces it with an emphasis on personal acts or feelings to provide a false sense of satisfaction. There may be some temporary sense of comfort in pietistic acts, but that only works as long as we can keep it going. The problem with basing our faith on feelings is the same problem with illicit drugs. A first time drug user will feel an incredible “high” with a relatively small amount of the drug, but each subsequent experience requires more of the drug to feel good, and the user will find himself or herself dismayed that the original good feelings cannot be reproduced. When true healing comes it feels a lot like suffering and pain and death rather than anything approaching peace and comfort. So it is that pietists become “addicted” to good works which aren’t really good works in the Biblical sense because pietists intend to serve their own feelings rather than serving their neighbor in a truly God–pleasing way.

Pietists do not see Holy Scripture as the sole source and authority of doctrine and the Christian life. Personal experiences or feelings are valued more. Pietists are more likely to believe the false teaching that God speaks to them personally apart from the Holy Scriptures. This all too easily plays into the hands of the devil, who is eager to substitute his lies for the truth of God’s word. Remember that the devil got Eve to doubt God’s word by saying, “Did God really say…?” Pietists may encourage Bible study, but since personal feelings are valued more than the truth – individual interpretations easily lead to false teachings, false belief, and heresy. Even Bible studies led by a trained pastor will be seen as an exercise in finding consensus rather than an exercise in learning the truth of God’s word.

Because pietism is based upon subjective feelings, pietists will rationalize sin as long as they feel they are doing something which is pleasing to God. It won’t matter to a pietist that a particular sin is condemned by God in Holy Scripture because as long as it feels right the feelings matter more to them than an objective command, even if it comes from God. So the pietist will be very bold in his or her sins.

In the Bible there is perhaps no greater example of a pietist rationalizing his sin than King David. There have been few people (if any) who have had so much trust in God to put their lives on the line as much as David, and fewer people who have received so much earthly blessings as a result of such faith. But when David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and then when the cover-up failed had Uriah murdered, it must have seemed to David that despite the unbelievable wickedness of those sins they were the right things to do because they felt like the right things to do at the time. It made David feel good to spend intimate time with Bathsheba, and then it felt good to have her husband killed because at least that was better (in David’s eyes) than publicly admitting the betrayal and being stoned to death for committing this crime. However, even the faithful David’s feelings betrayed him. He forgot for a few brief, but tragic, moments that he was a sinner and that his feelings were corrupted by sin. He realized this later when he repented and he confessed in Psalm 51 that he was “sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

There is no lasting comfort in pietism. If we trust in our feelings we will sooner or later be betrayed by them also. Our feelings are inherently selfish, and if we place ourselves above all things then there will be no room in our lives for God and His word. There is true comfort in God’s word. Even if we find ourselves suffering like for doing good, like the addict who has forsaken the feel-good drugs, we can be assured of God’s forgiveness and salvation.

God’s word is a sure thing because it shows us what Jesus has done for us, and not what we need to do. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40) The Scriptures do deliver eternal life because they show us Jesus. “Whoever believes in [Jesus] will have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Christ’s life and death and resurrection is the source of all our comfort, and the motivation for all our good works, because He did this all for our sakes so that we can be comforted by our salvation no matter whether we feel good about ourselves or not.

Unity

Newsletter article for May 2004

© 2004 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

“How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1)

It is no big secret that there is a decided lack of unity at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. This certainly cannot please God, who wishes unity among His people just as He has unity in Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The blessings of unity are obvious. Peace and harmony among God’s people is certainly “good and pleasant” as David writes in the Psalm. The curses of disunity are also obvious. Anger, distrust, accusations and similar things are very unsettling and difficult to deal with. Everyone can agree that unity is better than disunity, but then we must ask, “What is the basis for this unity?”

The Formula of Concord was written around 1580 during a time of disunity in the church. It sought to explain what ought to be the basis for unity in the church. The Formula goes on at length discussing several issues about which there had been disagreements, but a simple summary about what brings about true unity in the church is found in Article X where it says that there should be unity among Christians “as long as there is mutual agreement in doctrine and in all its articles as well as in the right use of the holy sacraments.” The true unity in the Christian church is found in agreement with the teachings of Holy Scripture, no less, and no more.

This should first make perfect sense to us because Holy Scripture is God’s Word, and if we cannot agree about the truth of God’s Word, then either one or both of the parties in the dispute have put themselves in opposition to God. There can never be peace when people set themselves against God, even when there is agreement to disagree about the truth of God’s Word.

It would seem a simple thing to base unity on agreement about the doctrinal teachings of God’s Word, and it would be, but for the interference of sin. Because all people are sinners we don’t want to believe what God tells us. We would rather seek to justify ourselves rather than admit that we are wrong and submit to our Lord’s instruction. This is why Jesus prayed to God the Father, “May [those who believe in me] be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have loved them even as You have loved me.” (John 17:23) Jesus knew that believers are sinners and need God to bring them to “complete unity.” Christ’s purpose for this unity is so that unbelievers would know that Jesus has been sent by God to bring forgiveness and salvation to them so that they would trust in Him and be saved.

St. Paul encouraged the church in Ephesus when He wrote, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Eph. 4:3-6) Here again, the basis for our unity is in the true teachings of God’s Word. Scripture teaches that there is only one Lord, and there is only one saving faith in that Lord, and one Holy Baptism where that Lord makes us His own people because God is Lord of all. To deny the Lord’s means of grace is to deny Him, and to deny Him is to cause disunity and discord, and, given what Jesus said above, lead people away from their Savior toward their condemnation.

Fortunately Jesus has taken steps to prevent this. He has provided us with shepherds to keep us on the path that leads to eternal life. St. Paul again says, “It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-13) Here again, the unity comes through the “one faith” in Jesus Christ, and “the knowledge of the Son of God”. This “knowledge” refers to the correct teaching of Scriptural doctrine. This is one of the main reasons why the Lutheran Church insists on an educated clergy. Pastors need to remain faithful to God’s Word so that they can keep Christ’s sheep headed in the proper direction. The “rod and staff” of the shepherd is a comfort in Psalm 23 because the shepherd leads us “through the valley of the shadow of death” in safety as we follow Christ to salvation.

May God bless the Pastor of our congregation to show us the true path to salvation as God gives us in Holy Scripture, and may God bless the congregation to hear with the ears of little children (Matt. 18:3) so that they may dwell in unity in Christ’s Kingdom.

Doing the Right Thing is Not Enough

Newsletter article for February 2004

© 2004 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Saul was the first King of Israel, but he was also the last one of his family to be a king. If you recall the Bible story God became displeased with Saul and chose the boy David to succeed Saul as King of Israel. Do you remember what Saul did to displease God? If we think we are pleasing God by what we are doing then we ought to consider King Saul and try to avoid the trap that he fell into.

There are actually a couple of events in I Samuel 13-15 that are significant, but it is the first one I want to recall here. What Saul did which led God to look for the next king outside of Saul’s sons, was to offer a burnt offering to God. Now, if you know anything about Old Testament history and worship practices this doesn’t seem such a bad thing at all. It doesn’t seem like Saul was worshipping a false God. People made burnt offerings to God all the time. Many of these were actually required by law and the Bible records many more rebukes for those who did not make an offering to God, than for those who did, but Saul is one exception.

The situation was that the Philistines were gathering to attack the Israelites and Saul and the soldiers of Israel were looking to get some encouragement and strength from God through His prophet, Samuel. Samuel told Saul to meet him in seven days time at Gilgal where Samuel would offer sacrifices to God and ask the Lord to give them success against their enemies. On the seventh day Samuel was nowhere to be found and the soldiers began to lose heart and to scatter off to someplace safe before the Philistines attacked. When Saul saw his men leaving he thought that he needed to do something to keep the men together so he offered the sacrifice himself and did not wait any longer for Samuel. But just when Saul had finished making the offering Samuel arrived and was greatly displeased with Saul’s impatience. He proclaimed that because he did not keep God’s command his kingdom would not endure and God would seek a man after His own heart to lead His people.

This may seem to us to be a little harsh, but as in all the things God does it is completely appropriate. There are a couple things wrong with Saul’s actions. First, although it was a good thing for Saul to prepare to make a sacrificial offering to God, it was inappropriate for him to actually make the sacrifice. This was the role of the priest, or in this case, the prophet, Samuel. In and of itself, this probably would not have brought down such a severe rebuke from God, but the second incident in I Samuel 15 shows that the first simply revealed a greater lack of faith in God. Although Saul seemed to be making an offering to God, he really wasn’t. God’s instructions through the prophet Samuel told him to wait, and Saul did not. With his men leaving Saul decided that he couldn’t wait for God to give the men encouragement, so he did it himself. This was idolatry. Saul put himself in the place of God.

It wasn’t Saul’s actions which were so wicked (although he certainly disobeyed God), but his lack of faith in God made his sin inexcusable. Compare this with the worst sins of David, Saul’s successor. David committed adultery with the wife of one of his best soldiers. He tried to cover up the sin, and when that failed he had the woman’s husband murdered. This was nearly as great a rejection of God as Saul’s sin, and a much greater sin against others (Uriah and Bathsheba), yet David didn’t lose faith in God. There were some tragic and lingering consequences to David’s sins, but he was forgiven. There were twenty-one of David’s descendants who ruled as king from Solomon to Zedekiah, but Saul’s family died out with his great-grandchildren, and few of them enjoyed a long life.

I am sure that to many people this seems a bit backward. To our earthly eyes the sins of adultery and murder are virtually unforgivable, while the sins of impatience and improper worship seem relatively inconsequential, but then we often place our own concerns above God’s concerns. Such is the way of all sinful flesh. God looks at things a little differently. First of all the sins against God (first table of the commandments) are much worse than our sins against others (second table) for the simple fact that God is GOD, and everyone else is not. But God also can see into people’s hearts. God knows who has faith in Him and who hates Him. For those who have faith (like David) God can forgive the worst sins (adultery, lies, conspiracy, murder, misuse of authority, etc.), but for those who do not have faith (like Saul) even the seemingly good things he does (worshipping God, having compassion on an enemy, etc.) are unforgivable.

Judas also did a good work in the garden of Gethsemane when he kissed Jesus. Psalm 2 tells us, “Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way.” Kissing is a sign of affection, and how can that be wrong when we show affection to our Lord? But Judas did not kiss Jesus to show affection, instead he used it as a sign to Jesus’ enemies so they could come and arrest him. What should have been a good work Judas turned into an opportunity for the enemies of Jesus to grab him so they could kill him. Judas lacked faith in Jesus, and so despite any good that he had done, he despaired of his life and took a shortcut to destruction despite the fact that his salvation was so near.

There are those who would tell you that if your worship is not full of feeling you should work harder to make it so, but this was Saul’s wrong solution to the problem. It is the wrong solution because the fact that you make yourself feel happy or excited about something doesn’t make it God-pleasing. Saul and his soldiers were quite satisfied with his solution to restore morale to the soldiers, but God was angry about it. You can do all sorts of things to make yourself feel good about your sins, but this is only a temporary distraction and not a proper way to deal with sin. People do it all the time. The devil encourages it, because as long as people feel good about their sins without truly repenting, they are lost and belong to him. God doesn’t necessarily want you to feel good, and He never wants you to feel good about sin. God wants you to recognize your sin, come to true (i.e. painful) repentance, and be saved.

You cannot measure your faith by your good works. If you could then Saul might have been a more righteous person than David. But God looks at us according to our faith in Him. Jesus Himself was praised as the Son of David for more than just the fact that David was His ancestor. Jesus came to rescue us from the sinful self-centeredness which makes all our good deeds tainted by wickedness. Only Jesus can sanctify us and make us holy. Only Jesus can give us hope and peace and satisfaction, and none of this comes from ourselves. If our happiness, peace, hope, or general good feelings come from within us then they cannot save us, and like King Saul they will likely turn us against God and lead us to our destruction.

Rejecting the Survival Instinct

Newsletter article for May 2003
© 2003 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Behavioral philosophers (Psychologists and sociologists call themselves scientists, but human behavior is so complex and inscrutable that their work is nothing more than philosophical speculation) describe something which they call “survival instinct”. This is a subconscious drive to preserve one’s own life when faced with life-threatening danger. In some situations this instinct is a gift from God. Many people’s lives have been spared from dangerous situations when they acted on this instinct while their rational minds were paralyzed by fear. However, in God’s kingdom here on earth (i.e. among Christians) this natural instinct must often be overcome in order to remain God’s people and survive in His kingdom.

Proverbs 14:12 tells us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” The way that seems right to us is that we ought to do everything we can to save ourselves both for this life, and in the life to come. However Jesus taught that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) This goes against all of our natural survival instincts, and yet, Christians know that Jesus loves us and He would never tell us to do anything that isn’t in our best interests, so we accept this as true, and we struggle to understand this paradox and live our lives according to it. So then we need to know, “What does this mean?”

It doesn’t mean that we ought to try and hurt ourselves. Instead Jesus means that we ought to put our lives into God’s hands in all things, and instead of trying to save ourselves we ought to be obedient to God in all things, even if it causes us pain or costs us our lives. In doing this we must rely and trust in God to rescue us from all dangers of body and soul. One of my favorite examples of this in the Old Testament is David. Several times in his life, David acted in a way which was sublimely faithful to God, but from a human perspective was suicidal. The first incident happened when David was only a teenager or a young man. David risked his life in a one-on-one battle with the giant Philistine warrior, Goliath. David trusted that God would give him the victory over the blaspheming pagan, and that is exactly what happened. (1 Samuel 17) Later David allowed King Saul to escape his sword twice even though Saul had sworn to kill David, but David refused to kill the man God had chosen to be king. (1 Samuel 24 & 26) David did this even though Saul had turned against God, and God had already chosen David to replace Saul as the next king.

Other Old Testament examples of risking one’s life in order to save it are shown in the lives of Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Each of these four men remained faithful to God in violation of the King’s decree, and would have been executed except for the miraculous power of God who rescued Daniel from the hungry lions (Daniel 6), and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the blast-furnace (Daniel 3).

In the New Testament we see faithful believers going even further. Stephen continued to witness to the Lordship of Jesus even while he was being stoned to death, and other Apostles and believers were persecuted and killed for their faithfulness to Jesus.

What is wrong with instinct? Since we are by nature sinful, our natural instincts are basically selfish. Selfishness means that we are more concerned with pleasing ourselves than pleasing God. God doesn’t want us to be selfish because he knows that selfishness will lead us to despise Him and we will be lost forever. Instead God wants us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5) Gideon is a great example of this (Judges 6-8). When God called him to raise an army to defend God’s people against the attacks of the Midianites he started with an army of over 30,000 soldiers. God told Gideon that he had too many soldiers because when they won the victory they would think that it came by their own strength and power, and they would again forget about God (which is why God allowed the Midianites to harass them in the first place). When Gideon’s army was down to only 300 soldiers God was satisfied that it was small enough that they would know that the victory was won by the power of God, and not by their own strength.

If we save our life by losing it then does this mean that we shouldn’t care for others? Not at all! God commands us to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 19:19; Matt. 22:39; Mark 12:31& 33; Luke 10:27; Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14; James 2:8) However, this command is described as the Second greatest commandment. The First is that we ought to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:5, 10:12, 11:13, 13:3, 30:6; Joshua 22:5; Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27) This means that while we do care for the needs of others, we don’t do it above and beyond the will and commands of God. If we try to love our neighbor, but in the process disobey God, then not only are we not loving God, but we really aren’t loving our neighbor either. We can’t despise God and still love our neighbor at the same time.

So what does this mean for the church? Well, in times of trial and testing, as we are presently experiencing, it means that we don’t necessarily take the obvious or easy path. If our problem seems to be a lack of money then we don’t solve the problem by seeking to get more money. God is in control of His church. If God thinks that we are trusting too much in money He can invent ways to relieve us of that problem, and no matter how much we may try to keep up with the bills, it won’t be enough until we learn the lesson that God wants us to learn. In God’s tests the only correct solution is to die to yourself and live for God. This means that we may have to do things which we “know” won’t work. The ways which “seem right” to us, are often wrong in God’s eyes.

If we want to grow the Church then we “know” that if we stand firm on teaching the true Christian doctrine of the Lutheran Church we will drive people away. However, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) The Lutheran Church has a marvelous treasure in its doctrine and teaching. It is nothing less than the treasure of heaven itself. If we are to call ourselves by the name “Lutheran” then we should learn exactly what that is all about and know and make use of the great riches which have been entrusted to us. This calls for great faith because it means trusting in God’s Word and Sacraments to work miracles when we would rather trust in ourselves and the way that “seems right” to us. God is faithful (1 Cor. 1:9) and His word will accomplish great miracles that we can’t understand how (Isa. 55:11). Through His Word, God has kept His church alive through all kinds of trials and tribulations for many thousands of years, and He will continue to do so to the end.

The Origin of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

Newsletter article for October 2002

© 2002 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

In Germany in the mid-Nineteenth century there arose what could be called a “confessional movement” in the Lutheran Church. These people believed that the Historical Lutheran confessions of faith (collectively known as the Book of Concord) are a true explanation of God’s Word (The Holy Bible). It is sad (but accurate) to say that this movement arose, because the only way it could have arisen is that some time in the three centuries since the days of Martin Luther the faithfulness to God’s Word had receded, even in the very land that Luther began the reformation of the Church.

The problem was that the Reformed (Calvinist) churches had made large inroads into the Church in Germany, and in some instances they won the hearts and minds of the German people. In other instances the Reformed church won the heart and mind of the rulers, and that was all that was necessary. In the German province of Prussia, King Friedrich Wilhelm III decreed a union between the Lutheran and Reformed churches of Prussia, despite the fact that Prussia was overwhelmingly Lutheran. The resulting church was more Reformed, and less Lutheran, and faithful Lutherans had to struggle to keep their Churches free from the false teachings of Calvin.

In the 1830’s a pastor named Martin Stephan began to attract a following in Saxony. Pastor Stephan was a faithful Lutheran whose sermons were very faithful to Holy Scripture. He was very outspoken against the humanistic ideals of the age which undermined the authority of God’s Word, and he was a very effective leader. In 1838 he organized a group of several hundred faithful Lutherans (including several pastors) who believed that the only way they could openly worship God faithfully was to emigrate to America. They sold all they had and left their homes to set sail for America in five ships, the Amalia, the Copernicus, the Johann Georg, the Republik, and the Olbers. Tragically, the Amalia was lost at sea along with her 57 passengers, but 600 people arrived in Missouri in early 1839 on the remaining four ships.

Not long after they arrived it was discovered that Pastor Stephan had committed adultery with two young women and he was banished from their communities, taken across the Mississippi in a rowboat, and told never to set foot in Missouri again. The community was in quite a bit of turmoil wondering if they had sinned by following Stephan to America, and they wondered if they could be considered a Church now that their “Bishop” had proved unworthy and unfaithful. A young pastor named Carl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther diligently searched the Bible, the Book of Concord, and the writings of Martin Luther and determined that the misbehavior of their bishop did not invalidate their position in the church, because the church is not determined by people and their actions, but by Christ Himself, and His Word. Where Christ is, and where His Word is preached in truth and purity, there is the church. Rev. C.F.W. Walther soon became their spiritual leader and he became the first president of what would later become the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

The Lutherans in Missouri wanted to ensure the purity of their doctrine so they decided to conduct their worship and teaching in German. There were two reasons for this. First they saw that nearly all of the Lutherans who had settled in America previously had compromised their doctrine and were no longer teaching the pure Word of God, and were no longer faithful to the Book of Concord. The Previous American Lutherans had become “Americanized” rather than remaining “Lutheran” and the Missouri group attributed this to the use of the English language. The English reformation begun by King Henry VIII had followed a more Calvinist theology so the prevailing English expressions of the Christian faith (i.e. hymns and liturgical forms) reflected a theology which did not live up to the strict standards of the orthodox Lutheran teachings. On the other hand, by 1840 the Lutheran Church in Germany had already spent 300 years of teaching the Gospel and defining the terms (in German) and defending the faith against false teaching. Although this did not prevent enforced unionism in Prussia, nor did it prevent humanism from affecting others in Germany, they felt confident that holding to the German language would help keep their group from compromising the faith.

This desire for the purity of doctrine through the use of the German language was believed to be of the utmost importance. The desire was so strong that for nearly the first one hundred years of our Church’s existence German was the official language of worship and theological instruction from the Seminaries on down to the elementary schools. It took World War I (and American distrust of German speaking folk) to get the LCMS to begin to change to English on a large scale, and by the time of World War II the LCMS had mostly become an English speaking church. This reluctance to embrace English wasn’t just stereotypical German hard-headedness, but this was a recognition of the importance of the pure and proper teaching of God’s Word, and faithfulness to God.

In some ways we have come full circle. Fortunately Martin Stephan’s indiscretions were not a pattern of things to come. There have been other Lutheran pastors who have fallen into the sin of adultery, but these are usually dealt with properly, and it is not a pattern in our Church. The Church still must constantly be on guard against false teaching. This is not new. It has been true for each of the 150 years that the LCMS has been in existence, and even longer than that. The church has always had to be on guard against false teaching even since Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. There is never a time nor a reason to be complacent about false teaching. The devil still prowls around like a roaring lion seeking for someone to devour. If he can get people to put their faith in themselves or in anything other than Christ then he will do so. The Gospel is of the utmost importance because it shows us Jesus Christ, and when we see Jesus for who He is, then we will believe and be saved. Christ is our life and our salvation, and there is none other. Let us hold fast to the truth, and pray that the church does the same.

Worthy of Salvation

Newsletter article for April 2002

© 2002 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Who is worthy of Salvation?

There once was a king who had a very special daughter. She was his only child and the king loved her very much. When the girl reached maturity the king was determined to find a husband for her who would love her with his whole heart and would be a good and wise ruler over the kingdom. The king issued a decree that he was looking for a man who would be the most worthy to be the king’s son-in-law and heir.

This news was greeted with great joy and hope and anticipation. The princess was very beautiful and kind, and her father was extremely wealthy and powerful. Whoever was chosen to marry the princess would not only get the most desirable woman in the kingdom, but would also inherit the richest kingdom in the world.

The king was very protective of his daughter and would only settle for the best for her. In order to ensure that he would find the most worthy prince to be his heir the king had a magic sword called the Sword of Truth. If anyone told a lie in the presence of this sword it would immediately kill him. This way the king would be sure that the man who married his daughter would be most worthy of her.

After a time the king held court in the great hall in order to interview all of the potential suitors for his daughter. The first man to stand before him was the son of a very wealthy nobleman. He was handsome and charming and well-liked by all who knew him. As he stood before the king he was sweating a little as the king asked him, “What makes you worthy to marry my daughter, the princess?” The young man hesitated and then said, “I love your daughter and I only want what is best for the kingdom.” Apparently none of this was true because before he drew his next breath the sword of truth flew out of the hands of the king and impaled the man right through his heart.

The next young man chose his words very carefully. “I choose your daughter to be my wife,” he told the king.

The king was furious. “Don’t make fun of me!”

“I’m not.” The man replied. “I believe I am worthy because I choose your daughter to be my wife.”

Despite his foolish words he was telling the truth because the sword of truth made no move in his direction. However the king was indignant. “You must think I am a fool, and I would be if I considered you worthy simply because you chose my daughter. Open your eyes! Every man in the kingdom would choose my daughter if they could. Look behind you, many of them are here now! She is the most desirable woman in the world because of her beauty, her wealth, her power, and her loving heart.” At this the king sent the man home until he would come to his senses.

The next suitor came and with a humble and sincere bow he declared to the king, “I would give your daughter everything I have.”

The king was beginning to get tired of this nonsense, so he laughed. “Do you have any idea who I am? I am the ruler of the richest kingdom in the world. I could buy you and sell you hundreds of times. Do you consider my daughter some sort of beggar who can be bought for a pittance?” With these words the king sent the man to prison until he would repent of his arrogance.

And so it continued for quite some time. The finest men in the kingdom all came and made their claim as to why they were worthy to wed the king’s daughter, but each plea was rejected by the king. In addition many came who were not nearly the finest men in all the kingdom, trying to trick their way to winning the greatest prize in the kingdom. These were either slain by the Sword of Truth, or imprisoned or banished by the king.

Finally, a man came before the king dressed as a common laborer. He didn’t appear to be wealthy, nor of noble birth or heritage. The king looked down on this poor man and asked in a stern voice, “Do you think you are worthy to be my son-in-law and heir?”

The poor man trembled. “Have mercy on me, lord. Forgive my simple clothing, but it is the best that I have. I am not a rich man. I do not intend to insult your majesty or your lovely daughter by my appearance here. It is true that I am not worthy of such a fine woman as your daughter. I cannot give her the fine things that she deserves. My language isn’t as refined as that of a nobleman, and I suppose I appear to you to be vulgar. There is absolutely no reason why you should give me your daughter to be my wife, and I would completely understand if you quickly send me on my way. I can only say that if you choose me by your grace and kindness then I would love your daughter and treasure her and make her know that she is the most valuable thing in the world to me, because she is.

The king looked at this humble man. He had hardly looked up at the king the whole time he was in the great hall. Then the king spoke. “You are right to say that you are not worthy of my daughter. And of all the noble men who have come seeking my daughter’s hand, you are the first to admit that you are not worthy, but they were not worthy either. You were wise to appeal to my grace and kindness because it is by reason of my good grace that I accept your petition to marry my daughter. You are not worthy of my daughter, but I will make you worthy. You will be a good husband to my daughter, a good son-in-law to me, and a good ruler of my kingdom when the time comes. I will see to it myself.”

And this is how it happened that the poor man became the king’s heir. It wasn’t because he was worthy, but because of the king’s kindness and grace.

Why Can't I Have Cancer, Too?

Newsletter article for November 1999

© 1999 Rev. Paul A. Wolff

I read an interview this October in Bicycling Magazine featuring the winner of the Tour de France bicycle race, Lance Armstrong. You probably have heard of him. He is the Texan who two years ago was fighting for his life with testicular cancer which had spread to his lungs and to his brain. At the time the doctors thought they were being optimistic when they told him he had a twenty percent chance of surviving. Well, he not only survived the cancer, but he came back to win the toughest bicycle racing series in the world, and perhaps the most difficult athletic achievement in sports. Not only did he win the race, but he dominated the 2,400 mile race which was also the fastest Tour de France in history. Lance is an inspiration to all who are fighting cancer, and many others.

Lance was asked by the interviewer a question about his feelings about his cancer, and how it affected his life. He gave the astonishing reply that he owes his life to cancer, and that if he had a choice he would go through it all again. Now, perhaps like me, you are thinking, "He has got to be crazy." But, you know what? Lance Armstrong is not crazy. He simply learned how to put things in the proper perspective in his life.

This summer during the Tour de France I heard another interview with Lance Armstrong where he explained that very soon after he was diagnosed with cancer he accepted the reality of the cancer. He saw that there was a very good chance that he would not live very much longer, and if he did survive, he would lose everything that he had to pay his medical bills. He also accepted the fact that he would very likely never be able to return to the sport of cycling which he loved and had been very successful in competition. He knew that whether he lived or died he would lose everything, and he accepted it. In accepting that he would lose everything he had, everything he had worked for, and everything he was, he gained something much more valuable.

You know Lance Armstrong is someone special when you are reading an interview and you find yourself envying someone who was on the brink of death from cancer, which is still a vicious killer. As I was reading I thought to myself, "Why can’t I have cancer, too?"

Now I am not saying that I am dissatisfied with my life. I am quite happy with my life, and I thank God for perfect health. But I find that I usually take life for granted. In fact, I have a better record in Bicycling races than Lance Armstrong. I won the only bicycle race I was ever involved in. It was only a one mile sprint around Elizabeth Park in Trenton and I beat my best friend, and a guy we met who challenged us to a race. It’s a far cry from the Tour de France, and although I enjoyed the victory, I don’t believe that I would wish to go to the brink of death just to win the greatest Bicycle race in the world.

It wasn’t cancer which made Lance Armstrong into a great bicycling racer (although the 20 lbs. he lost during chemotherapy probably helped him in the mountain climbing stages), but dealing with cancer helped Lance appreciate the victory more. When the full extent of his cancer was known he could hardly have expected to be alive this year, much less the winner of the Tour de France, and a hero to bicyclists and cancer victims worldwide. When Lance accepted that because of cancer he would lose everything he had, everything he has now is a gift from God. If God had let the cancer have its way Lance wouldn’t be married, he wouldn’t be a new father, and he wouldn’t be alive, much less a worldwide hero as the winner of the Tour de France. All that he has accomplished since his cancer is a gift from God.

St. Paul had a similar attitude when he wrote to the Church in Philippi. In Philippians 3:7-9 St. Paul writes, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

St. Paul’s situation was a little different from Lance Armstrong’s, although his attitude is similar. Paul had been persecuting Christians because he believed that they were against God. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and told him otherwise, Paul immediately began to follow Jesus and soon became one of the greatest apostles. Before he became a Christian, Paul was headed down a path which was headed toward destruction because he was opposing Christ. So it is no wonder that after he found salvation in Christ he considered all his previous accomplishments to be not only worthless, but harmful.

In his life before knowing Christ, St. Paul was on the fast track to success. He had accomplished great things in his life, and he was making a name for himself. But when Paul met Jesus on the way to Damascus he quickly gave up all his former accomplishments, and all the glory that he was gaining for himself, and he began to serve Christ. The gifts that Christ gives his followers are so much greater than what the world has to offer that St. Paul calls all his former accomplishments "rubbish."

St. Paul shares Lance Armstrong’s sentiments when he writes in Phil. 3:10-11, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." St. Paul is eager to share in suffering as a follower of Christ because he knows that the riches that Christ gives are worth any kind of suffering. This is the same sentiment of the apostles in Acts 5:41 where they left the court "rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name [of Jesus]."

No matter how good you are at whatever you do, you cannot overcome death. No one can. Only Jesus Christ can overcome death, and through faith in Jesus we share in both His death and resurrection. This is a gift from Jesus. It is very similar to the gift that Lance Armstrong received. Lance thought he was going to die, but not only did he live, but his strength was returned and he went on to win the greatest bicycle race in the world, and all the glory and honor that goes with that accomplishment. By all rights Lance should be dead by now, instead he is a worldwide hero. But then, by all rights we should be dead by now because of our sins, but Jesus Christ has rescued us from sin and death and has promised us salvation, glory, and honor. It is a precious gift.

I believe that it is the realization of this gift which makes Lance Armstrong say, "I owe my life to cancer." If he had won the Tour de France before he got cancer he would have taken pride in himself and would have put his priorities in the wrong place. Now he can appreciate the victory and all that life has to offer for what it is, a wonderful gift from God. My dear friends in Christ let us learn a lesson from Lance Armstrong. Let’s remember that all that we have is a gift from God: our possessions, career, family, even life itself are all gifts from God. If we accomplish anything it is by God’s grace. May this cause all of us to give thanks to God every day for His loving kindness, especially for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. For through His death we died, and through His resurrection we live both now and forever. Praise God! Amen.

Spirituality

Newsletter article for June 1998
© 1998 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Spirituality is becoming all the rage these days. Earlier in this century many people believed that we were entering into a new age where technology would answer all the mysteries of the universe which were previously unknown, believed by faith, or explained by religion. The trouble with this is that technology has its limits, not the least of which is that it has no soul. As a guiding path for one’s life, technology and science are cold, heartless, and empty. Technology brought us the devastation of World Wars I & II, nuclear bombs, the cold war, and countless other atrocities. Yes, technology also took man to the moon, but despite great romantic visions of life away from the earth, space is no place to be. To live in space you have to carry around all the food, water, and air that you will need for as long as you plan on remaining alive.

Technology has brought us many benefits and prosperity, but its limits are well documented. As we grow increasingly frustrated by the “modern” influence of technology, we are moving toward another age (currently identified as “post-modern”). One of the marks of this age is an increased interest in the spiritual aspects of life.

This would at first glance seem to be a good thing. Anything which leads people to God is a good thing. But, sinful human nature, being what it is (i.e. sinful) doesn’t look for God. It does everything it can to avoid God. It looks for spiritual answers everywhere except where the Holy Spirit really is.
In order for us Christians to avoid godless spirituality, we need to know what godly spirituality is all about. Christians have an advantage over non-Christians when it comes to understanding spirituality. Since God is the one who created us body, soul, and spirit, He is the one who can help us understand the mysteries of our spiritual lives. The Holy Scriptures do not define what spirituality is (after all, the Bible is not a dictionary.) However, whenever it speaks of spiritual things it is always in relation to the Holy Spirit. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul explains why it is impossible for people to understand spirituality without the Holy Spirit, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the (Holy) Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

In reference to John 3:6, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” Martin Luther wrote: “But what is spiritual birth? It means that I am born again as a new being by Baptism and the Holy Spirit and that I believe in Christ…. Thus the spiritual birth is brought about by the Word of God, Baptism, and faith. Even now, while we sojourn on this earth, we are already in this birth if we believe…. This birth is invisible and intangible; it is only believed.” Luther emphasizes that the physical life is temporary and will die, but our spiritual life, since it is from God, is eternal and will never die. Therefore our spiritual life is our life of faith given to us by the Holy Spirit through Baptism.

Luther summarizes our need for this spiritual life by explaining, “Physical birth entails physical things … it concerns physical life and no more. But if you want salvation, you need different parents, who will bring you to heaven. This Christ does. By means of Baptism and the Word of God He places you and your Christianity into the lap of our dear mother, the Christian Church. This He accomplished through His suffering and death that by virtue of His death and blood we might live eternally.”

In a magazine article, sociologist William Martin explained “One of the most attractive flaws of the New Age is its extraordinary emphasis on self absorption. Devotees often refer to unconditional love for all humanity, but rarely do they mention an obligation to demonstrate it to actual neighbors.” Contrast this with John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” and 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

The latest issue of Concordia Theological Quarterly quotes author Charles Colson who writes, “Recently a neighbor told me how excited she was about her church. When I tried to point out diplomatically that the group was a cult, believing in neither the resurrection nor the deity of Christ, she seemed unconcerned. ‘Oh, but the services are so wonderful,’ she said. ‘I always feel so good after I’ve been there!’ Such misguided euphoria has always been rampant among those seeking spiritual strokes rather than a source of truth. But what about the church itself, that body of people ‘called out’ to embody God’s truth? Most of the participants in Robert Bellah’s study saw the church as a means to achieve personal goals. Bellah notes a similar tendency in many evangelical circles to thin the biblical language of sin and redemption to an idea of Jesus as the friend who helps us find happiness and self-fulfillment. These ‘feel gooders’ of modern faith are reflecting the same radical individualism we discussed in earlier chapters.... The new barbarians have invaded not only the parlor and politics but the pews of America as well.”

Witnessing Your Faith

Newsletter article for September 1997

© 1997 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

A witness in a court of law is someone who tells what he knows, or what he has seen. In the book of Acts the witnesses were the Apostles who had witnessed Jesus’ teaching, miracles, death, and resurrection. Because of what they had seen and believed about Jesus, the Apostles went out and told all who would listen about Jesus.

You are a witness whether you know it or not, and whether you want to or not. You show what you believe by what you say, and also by what you do. For example, Chicken Little believed that the sky was falling, so he went around telling everyone that the sky was falling. His actions were a direct result of what he believed to be true, despite the fact that he was wrong, and who knows what he was trying to accomplish except put people in a panic (never a good idea).

Your actions also show what you believe. It has been said, “actions speak louder than words.” If you believe that Jesus loves you and has forgiven you of all your sins (because He does, and has) then you will act differently than someone who is unsure of God’s love, or thinks that God hates him, and feels guilty over sin. This difference in action is similar to the difference between someone who has just won the sweepstakes, and someone who just received their eviction notice on the same day as they were fired from their job.

The language you use also is a witness to what you believe. Obviously, if you only talk about Jesus all day long that will be a witness (although it might say that you need to get out more and find some other interests). But your words are still a witness, even when you aren’t specifically talking about Jesus. If you are mean to people, and put them down, and talk about people behind their back then that is a witness to what you believe. It isn’t a good witness. Such actions say that a person really doesn’t believe that God loves them or forgives them, otherwise they would be more loving and forgiving themselves. So if you are kind to people even when they are not kind to you, that is a wonderful witness to your Christian faith, even if you do not bring up the name of Jesus until later.

You may notice that I have already alluded to both good and bad types of witnessing. Whether it is through words or deeds, your witness merely betrays the state of your heart. This is why as Christians we need to put our faith into action. If we, who are forgiven, do not forgive, who will believe us when we say that Jesus forgives us our sins? Likewise, if we, who are loved by God, do not love, who will believe us when we tell others that God loves them?

Much of our witnessing occurs unconsciously. That is, we don’t often consider how people will respond when we treat them kindly, we just do it out of habit. This is not a bad thing, but such unconscious witnessing has its limits. People might know that we act the way we do because we are Christians, but then again, they might not. Sometimes we need to consciously and deliberately tell people about Jesus. (Here is where people start to feel nervous, and begin to think of excuses of why “I can’t do that.”) It can be a frightening thing to witness your faith. Despite the fact that the Gospel is “Good News” it isn’t always received as such. However, there are some things you can do to overcome the paralyzing fear which would prevent you from verbally telling someone about your faith in Jesus.

The first step to reduce your anxiety is to know what you are talking about. Who is Jesus? What has He done for you? This is where the article (“How to Read the Bible”) in last month’s Newsletter really pays off. The only way you are able to know for sure who Jesus is and what He has done for you is to study and learn the Bible. Now we see that there are two advantages to this: your faith is strengthened, and now you are able to share your faith with others so that they can know Jesus, too! When you learn that you are a Christian because Jesus died to save you from your sins, you can begin to tell others. Even children can do this.

Once you know a little about what you are talking about, you can begin to look for opportunities to witness your faith to people. Not every moment is a good opportunity to talk about Jesus. We still need to get our jobs done at work, and that too can be a witness for Christ, and an opportunity to talk about Jesus. When others see that you are a hard worker, and dedicated to doing quality work, then you can give credit to Christ, who gives you strength, rather than taking credit yourself.

It takes practice to gain some measure of comfort and confidence in talking to others about Jesus. At first, you will very likely feel uncomfortable, but just remember Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 10:19-20 “Do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” When you are familiar with Scripture, and know just what God has done for you, it will become easier to apply the Bible stories to life so that your witness will not be awkward at all, but will come very naturally, because Scripture is God’s word, so when you tell people about Jesus it is God talking to them, and not you alone.

In our Sunday Morning Bible studies this Autumn we will be learning more about how to witness our faith. We will study the Biblical foundations of what we believe, and we will learn how to speak to others about Jesus in a very natural way. This will be a good series for every Christian at St. Timothy, even if you have no intentions of evangelizing, because it will help you to strengthen your faith by learning what you believe and why you believe it. I will not ask anyone to put this into practice at any specific time or place, but I cannot promise that the Holy Spirit will not. If He does ask you to be a witness, then it is much easier (and maybe effective) if you have prepared for it.

God’s blessings to you always through Christ Jesus our Lord.

An Examination of 1 Peter 3:15

Newsletter article for April 1997
© 1997 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

“In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

This passage from St. Peter is from a section of his letter where he speaks about suffering for doing good. In this one small verse Peter states at least four things which define the Christian life.

1. In your heart set apart Christ as Lord.

This is simply another way of stating “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Only Christians can do this, because this presumes faith in Jesus as your savior. It is important that this comes first. Christ is first in the lives of Christians. He is more important than our job. He is more important than our house or car, or all our possessions. Christ is even more important than our husband or wife, or even our children. What this means is that we should not let any of these things get in the way of our faith in Jesus, no matter how much we love these other things.

When we love Christ above all else, then we will also know how to properly deal with the other things in our life which are important. For example, when you trust that Jesus loves you so much that he died to save you, then you also realize that Jesus loves your enemy, too. That changes the way you might deal with an enemy. No longer do you deal with an enemy out of anger, but out of love; and you seek reconciliation, rather than revenge.

2. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone....

Here Peter encourages us to be witnesses. A good witness tells what he knows. Therefore as Christians we should study Holy Scripture diligently to learn all that we can about Jesus Christ, and all that he has done for us. It is easy to become a Christian—because Jesus has done all the work. Even small children and infants can have faith, because faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives to us through Holy Baptism. We could go through life with that simple, “baby” faith and still be saved. However, that is unsatisfying, dangerous, and it doesn’t properly prepare us to answer those who question us about our faith. As we grow in our lives we should also grow in our faith. As we encounter new situations day by day in our lives we also discover new ways in which God gives us his love and mercy. To all you past, present, and even future students this may sound tedious that our learning about Jesus is never ending, but it is not at all tedious. It is pure joy to find yourself somewhere where you have never been, and to find that Christ has not abandoned you, but he is with you always, even to the end.

We should look for opportunities to show kindness to people (especially our enemies). We should also look for opportunities to witness our faith. This doesn’t happen overnight, and each one of us can do it in our own way. But look for the opportunities. If you hesitate and miss an opportunity, then take some time and reflect on the situation and imagine how you would witness your faith if you could do it over again. That way, when you are in that situation again, you will be prepared, and you may lead the person to eternal salvation.

3. The reason for the hope that you have.

We usually think of “hope” as something which may never happen but we wish will happen. However, when the Holy Bible speaks of “hope” it usually is speaking about a sure thing. The “hope” that we have is really the assurance that Jesus loves us, has forgiven our sins, and will give us eternal life in Heaven—just as He promised. This assurance changes our outlook on life. I know that “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) This confidence is visible to others, especially in times of great trouble, such as at the death of a loved one, or in times of danger and uncertainty. This hope is also shown when we show love and respect to our enemies. We can do this because we trust that Jesus has shown us much love and mercy when we did not deserve it either.

4. Do this with gentleness and respect.

The manner in which we witness our Christian faith is at least as important as the message itself. There is little room for a “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of attitude. Of course there is forgiveness in Christ for our sins, but as far as witnessing our Christian faith is concerned, actions speak louder than words. If we act selfishly or in an uncaring manner, then the message we send is that Christians are no different than the pagans, or in some cases may be worse. We don’t want people to turn away from their Savior, simply because we were acting foolish and forgetting #1 above. Instead, when we act with kindness and respect that, in itself, is a witness to your Christian faith. By acting in this way you may make friends with someone you might not otherwise (such as an enemy) and it may lead you to an opportunity to actually tell someone about Jesus, or to invite them to Church or Bible Study.

Witnessing your faith need not be difficult. It could be as simple as showing kindness to those around you. It could also include telling someone why you trust in Jesus as your savior. These activities are not optional, but they are at the very heart of the Christian's life. Be prepared. In order to help you in this task we offer weekly Bible study here at St. Timothy. Please come to Bible study on Sundays at 11:00 am. Or watch the Newsletter and Bulletin announcements for midweek Bible Studies such as LifeLight.

May our Lord Jesus strengthen you in faith, and in hope so that you will be prepared to answer anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.

In Christ,

Pastor Wolff

Witnessing - One Person at a Time

Newsletter article for February 1997

© 1997 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

The new year is already one month old. I wonder how many resolutions have been kept. I don’t make New Year resolutions myself. It’s not that I’m perfect and don’t need some self improvement (far from it), but I recognize the futility of the exercise.

Nevertheless, I do have some goals for the year. It is my wish that this congregation would grow in their Christian faith through worship and Bible study. It is also my goal that the members of this congregation will also grow in their willingness and ability to witness their faith in Jesus Christ.

I learned a good lesson about witnessing during my time at Concordia Seminary. It is true that I took Evangelism and Missions classes, but the event which I am describing occurred after classes. I was the editor of the campus newspaper, and it was my job to report on what was happening on the campus. The Seminary campus can sometimes be a busy place, and October 10, 1993 was just such a night. There were baseball playoffs on TV, a piano recital in the auditorium, and a lecture on missions to Muslims in a conference room.

I wanted to get someone to report on the lecture because I thought it would be an interesting and useful topic for future pastors. However, everyone was busy that evening, and no one who I asked was willing to report on this lecture, but because the editor wanted the story, the task fell to him to do himself. I didn’t want to do it because I had already assigned myself two other articles for the following issue, and because I wanted to do other homework that evening.

There were only five people at the lecture. The lecturer was Dr. Luther Meinzen, a retired missionary to India. Also in attendance was Dr. Meinzen’s father (who at the time was 95 years old, and still had an iron grip when he shook my hand). Professor Harley Kopitske and his wife were also there, along with one seminary student (me).

Dr. Meinzen’s presentation wouldn’t have taken place if the student hadn’t been there. The Kopitske’s didn’t need to know about foreign missions because they spent many years as missionaries in New Guinea. Rev. Meinzen (the elder) didn’t need to hear the lecture because he began his mission work in 1920 in India and was a missionary there for 37 years (his son followed in his footsteps). But because one student showed up, Dr. Meinzen (the younger) was glad to spend an hour talking about missions to Muslims.

In witnessing to Muslims, it is important to emphasize the caring aspect of your Christian faith. Take the time to get to know the people you are dealing with so that you can be an effective witness. Muslim people are just as diverse as Christian people, so it pays to find out where they are coming from. It is somewhat ironic that those who are less indoctrinated in Islamic theology are usually the most rigid and uncompromising. Those who are more educated are often more open minded and willing to listen to what you have to say. It is also important for you to be willing to listen to what they have to say.

Dr. Meinzen suggested that argumentation is not the way to witness the Christian faith. You should show an openness to find out what they believe in. It is important to remember that in general, Muslims are very righteous people. Since there is no separation between Church and State in Islam, the Islamic rules of conduct are strictly enforced in many countries. Dr. Meinzen said, “People compare the best in Christianity with the worst in Islam, but that’s not the approach of Christ. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do to you’ is the law of love.” Christ didn’t stereotype people, or prejudge them, but he talked with all kinds of people, ate dinner at their houses, and took care of their needs through healings and the like.

“There’s a Tamil proverb,” says Dr. Meinzen: “You can’t dry the tears of your baby without getting your hands wet.” That is also how good witnessing works, where you get so close to a person that you get your own hands wet when the person is sorrowful. Isn’t that what Jesus did? He got so close to us that he became one of us when he was born of Mary in Bethlehem. Jesus ate with sinners, and tax collectors, and he died on a cross to take away our tears forever.

At the lecture, Dr. Meinzen gave an example of this hospitable kind of witnessing. A few years ago the campus pastor of Kent State University invited a Muslim doctor to speak to his Bible class about Islam. The pastor instructed the class to be polite and to listen to what he had to say, and not argue or put him down for his beliefs. A short time later the doctor invited the pastor to the Islamic Student association on campus to tell them about Christianity. This was an unexpected, but welcome opportunity to share the Gospel with Muslim people from several nations.

That is how missions work, and in some ways witnessing your faith is like Dr. Meinzen’s presentation, best when done on a one to one basis. You may be reluctant at first, but it can be very rewarding.