# Der Lutheraner_Frankfurt am Main_Januar 1950_S6
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Page 6                                                   January 1950                                                   Number 1

The "Lutheran Hour" on the Radio

Among the signs of the "beloved Last Day," as Luther calls it, there belongs also, according to the word of Jesus, the worldwide proclamation of the saving Gospel: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14). For thousands of years this word has been fulfilled ever more through the blessed work of foreign missions, in which the messengers of Jesus Christ and His Church go out everywhere and testify to the peoples, in their own language, of the mighty deeds of God. In recent years, however, a further marvelous invention in the field of technology has entered the service of spreading the Gospel: radio. Our American fellow believers have built, in St. Louis, on the grounds of the newly erected, stately theological seminary, their own broadcasting station, from which, among other things, weekly broadcasts go out into all the world. These broadcasts are carried, under the name "The Lutheran Hour" (die Lutherische Stunde), on more than 1100 stations throughout the world and are currently transmitted in 20 different languages to 50 countries. Thus, for example, broadcasts in the Asian languages Telugu, Indonesian, and Siamese have recently been added. On December 7, 1949, The Lutheran Hour celebrated its 25th anniversary. It is a tremendous undertaking, requiring a large organization, very many helpers, and enormous sacrifices.

The Lutheran Hour is supported financially, in particular, by the Lutheran Laymen's League (L. L. L.), which is made up of Lutheran men within the Missouri Synod. In the year 1948 the sum of $1,400,000 was required — all of it freewill gifts of faith and love — in order to spread the precious Gospel throughout the world. It is estimated that these broadcasts are heard by 20 million people. Thus this Lutheran Hour is a wonderful opportunity to prepare the way in the world for the LORD Jesus Christ and to make known His grace and truth.

The main content of the broadcasts consists of the sermons of Prof. D. Walter Maier, to whom God has given quite special gifts of compelling evangelistic proclamation, and whose addresses have served countless people toward new life in Christ, toward the strengthening of their faith, and as guidance for their Christian life. The abundance of letters from every corner of the earth, which D. Maier receives with requests for counsel and guidance from God's Word, bear witness to what streams of blessing flow from this mission work.

That there are also difficulties and obstacles, as in all work for the Kingdom of God, is evident from a note in Der Lutheraner stating that The Lutheran Hour was banned in Argentina because the Catholic Church raised objection to it, since it alone holds the true

[Image: D. Walter Maier]

religion. Yet God visibly acknowledges this wonderful mission work. He supplies the necessary means and the men who are especially suited to proclaim the Gospel in an awakening manner. Let us too diligently remember this work in prayer and support it as much as we are able.

For some time now, The Lutheran Hour has been broadcast in the German language on Radio Luxembourg, (1293m) Saturdays at 11:30. All our readers who have a good radio set can listen to this broadcast without difficulty.

German broadcasts have also been announced on Radio Baden-Baden (362.2 m) Wednesdays at 20:00, RIAS Berlin (491.8 m) Sundays at 11:00, Radio Bremen (569 m) Sundays at 14:00, and Radio Stuttgart (522.6 m) Sundays at 19:00.

Even though it will not be possible for many to listen to these broadcasts on weekdays, they can nevertheless be of inestimable value and of decisive importance for eternity for the lonely and the sick, for scattered church members who can attend a worship service only rarely, and for people who seek comfort and peace.

Let us, with heartfelt thanks toward God and toward our zealous fellow believers who have undertaken this great mission work, also make use of this new means of mission work, listen to it ourselves, and point others to it. In this way, if God grants grace, we can help many a lost soul toward eternal life.

God's work goes forward. "He sendeth forth His commandment upon earth: His word runneth very swiftly." (Psalm 147:15).                                                   Hch. St.

Our Mission Task (V)

After a brief interruption of the article series "Our Mission Task," we continue it with today's issue. As has been shown thus far, the fulfillment of our mission task consists in this, that we are witnesses of Jesus Christ and, as such, are active in the congregation and with the congregation in building the Kingdom of God. But the fulfillment of this task extends further still, to our whole life, in that we must bear witness of our faith everywhere we are placed in our daily life. The remarks that now follow point us to this, giving answer to the question: "Where do we bear witness?"

With great earnestness the LORD Jesus calls to us: "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven." Herein lies the LORD's claim upon every individual Christian, that he open his mouth before men, wherever he may be placed in his life, and that he confess his Savior wherever he comes into contact with other people.

Where Do We Bear Witness?

Already in the Old Testament it was required of the people of Israel that they should speak of God's Word and bear witness everywhere: "Therefore shall ye lay up these words in your heart and in your soul, and teach them your children, that thou talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." (Deuteronomy 11:18-19,) The same thing is impressed upon our hearts also in the New Testament, when the Apostle Peter writes: "But be ready always to give an answer to e v e r y m a n that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15).

In the Family

Where, then, is a Christian placed in his daily life? Well, first of all in h i s f a m i l y, and there, therefore, he should always begin with the fulfillment of his personal mission duty as well. God's Word always points us first to what lies nearest at hand. Thus God the LORD commanded the believer of the Old Covenant: "These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto t h y c h i l d r e n." Likewise the LORD Jesus instructed the healed demoniac: "Go into t h y h o u s e and to t h i n e o w n, and declare to them what great good the Lord has done for thee." One might perhaps think that Christians no longer need to be especially reminded of this duty. Does it not already happen, thanks to the fixed order and customs in our congregations, that Christian parents bring their children to baptism and then, at school age, have them instructed by the pastor of the Ge⸗