Editorial: Meeting a Need

Life on this world is never static. Culture, philosophy, morals, science, and the social climate are in a constant state of flux, especially so in the United States. The changes we are witnessing present great challenges to the Christian Church:
1) Remaining steadfast in God’s truth in opposition to postmodern philosophy that says absolute truth does not exist, 2) Living holy lives dedicated to serving God when many people have set aside God’s laws, 3) Speaking the Gospel to people who do not want to hear about God, 4) Maintaining congregations in places that are experiencing depopulation, 5) Building new mission congregations in the face of staggering costs, 6) dealing with technologies that let people break all 10 Commandments, and 7) Retaining the truth of God’s Word in the face of cultural movements that reject His Word.
Conversely, these same changes in the new millennium represent great opportunities to the Christian Church: 1) Proclaiming the assurance of God’s salvation to a skeptical worldview, 2) Showing the people around us our love for God in all that we say and do, 3) Telling people about Jesus and His salvation to people without love or hope in this world, 4) Using God’s gifts to keep the Gospel light burning in your community, 5) Supporting with prayers, gifts, and joy the opening of new missions, 6) Using technology and media to share the Gospel with the world, and 7) Studying God’s Word at home and in church so that we know what is true and what we can tell others about God and His salvation.
For over 200 years, the modern world has insisted that Christians must change their teachings to cope with all these changes. Many challenge us with the question: What truths can the Bible tell to those who have discovered new medicines, atoms, atomic bombs, computers, televisions, and have made trips to the moon? The real answer is that while many aspects of modern life have changed, what has not changed at all is mankind’s sinfulness, blindness to God’s Word, and need for salvation.
For the past several years, people in our synod have been thinking about how our church body can deal with changes in our society while remaining steadfast in the true faith of the Gospel. How we can meet the challenges in our society and take advantage of the technological opportunities God has given us. The last two synod conventions have initiated changes to help: Reducing the number of synod boards and committees to reduce expenses; Creating a Communications Committee and adding a Communications counselor to be able to respond more quickly to challenges in technology and in the world; Calling a Home Missions and Evangelism Counselor in order to help and start new missions and to train ELS members in “engaging others with Jesus.”
We thank God that He has enabled us to fund these new initiatives. We also keep in mind that the Home Mission/Evangelism Counselor will help present a series of retreat Evangelism seminars to train pastors and laymen on “engaging others with Jesus” so that they can present this information to the congregations in which they are members. Becoming mission-minded towards others as we proclaim the praises of Christ in our lives is a change God needs to work in us and an opportunity to show people our love for God.
Speaking the Gospel is the work God has given to His Church to be doing. Billions of people in the world still do not know about Jesus as their Savior, and many of our next-door neighbors do not either. Whether you engage God in prayer for mission work, or teach Sunday School and VBS, or sing in the church choir, or help your neighbor, or be kind to a fellow worker or customer, or raise children or grandchildren to know the Bible, you are engaging others with Jesus by what you do and say. You can meet their needs and give them the “one thing needful”—the message of salvation through Jesus.
As Americans, we have come to expect changes in science, technology, and our lives. Some changes are good and help us do things better. Some changes are wicked because they contradict what God has said in His Word. Knowing the difference between them and using the things of this world to communicate the Gospel is an important task we all need to think about and act on to meet the need. God will certainly bless us as we are engaged in going “into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 15:15).
Theodore Gullixson is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin.