The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1931, Page 30

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30

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER

ing in error and sin, many church-members are in-
different, many churches are lifeless, many pastors
are discouraged, missions are not adequately sup-
ported, and many a congregation is barely eking out
a struggling existence. Our Fiscal Office stressed
this point when it wrote: “The missions of the
Church throughout the world will be properly sup-
ported only by those who are soul-winners at home.”

A missionary is nothing more than a Christian
whose development has not been arrested. Give the
doctrine of Christ’s substitutionary atonement free
course in your daily thinking, and it will automat-
ically and unfailingly make you a soul-winner. But
this fact makes the absence of more personal mis-
sionaries all the more distressing. “A life for mis-
sions!” is not a slogan for pastors and missionaries
only, but for all Christians. In the life of a normal
Christian mission activity is the regular order of
the day.

Thank God, we have always had the normal
Christian in our midst. Years ago Lutheran Chris-
tians with a distinct German brogue spoke of Christ
to their English neighbors and confessed their
staunch adherence to the Bible. Twenty-five years
ago one of our mothers suggested to her pastor that
he advertise the church services in the newspaper.
Yet it cannot be gainsaid that there are thousands
who are remiss in their duties as personal mission-
aries. The need of the hour is greater emphasis on
the personal stewardship of the Gospel.

O. E. Fevcnt in L. L. L. Bulletin.

“If Only All Knew!’”

Our Lutheran Church is carrying on its God-

pleasing mission-work also in the provinces of San

, Luis and Cordoba in the Argentine Republic. In

these states are found a number of Swiss families
who have been gained for our Church.

After one of our missionaries had been working
there for a few years, Mr. Fritz Lieben (this is not
his real name) was approached by the missionary in
person. His relatives had already spoken to him
of their experiences in, and connection with, the
Imutheran Church. While riding in a large two-
wheeled cart from the railroad station to his farm
home, a lively conversation took place, centering
around the difference between the doctrines of Holy
Writ and the conception of these doctrines found in
_ 4 certain sectarian Church. At the close of the
_ lengthy discussion Mr. Lieben, who is a well-

educated man, frankly and openly said to the mis-
sionary : —

“Well, I shall not bind myself in any way.
I wish you to understand from the very beginning
of your visits to us that I wish to be at liberty to
have your visits postponed or discontinued alto-
gether and to withdraw at any time.”

Our missionary relates: “Hereupon I told him:
“All I ask of you and your family is to listen to my
sermons and give me an opportunity to tell all of
you the “Story of Jesus” as taught according to the
Bible by the Lutheran church-body known as the
Missouri Synod. If, after having heard our doc-
trines, you yet feel inclined to “chase” me, I shall
go, leaving, however, you to bear all the conse-
quences; for then I shall deem it as having done
my duty and therefore cannot and will not assume
any responsibility regarding the inevitable conse-
quences.’

“Mr. Lieben also told me how he had been
warned against the missionaries of the Missouri
Synod as being ‘tricky business men, starting with
a small free-will offering for services rendered, but
when a person was once in their claws, they would
then compel payment of large sums for very inferior
church service.’

“Such was my reception, ‘bargain,’ and intro-
duction into the Lieben family in Cordoba. The
outlook seemed a bit gloomy. But I had received
colder receptions than this one in other cases and
had seen God crown my efforts with success. And
the same means of grace was at my disposal that
had before this changed others from foes of the
Church into its friends and had caused scoffers to
join in songs of praise unto the God of all grace
and mercy. So with a deep, yet confident, sigh for
the souls of Mr. Lieben and his household my labor
there began.

“T was never ‘chased,’” our missionary relates.
“Tn fact, every time Mr. Lieben met me at the rail-
road station for another trip to his home to con-
duct a service there, I was greeted with that friendly
smile which to a worn-out missionary means so
much. Would it be lasting or only transient? The
smile on his frank face grew bigger and brighter,
his handshake warmer, and his welcome more
hearty, until one day these very words came from
his lips: ‘Welcome to our home, dear Pastor.’

“In the mean time the scene at our service in his
home has changed completely. There is not a Swiss
or Swiss family living in that vicinity (an area of
twenty by thirty miles) that has not been repeatedly