Danskeren. [volume] (Neenah, Wis.) 1892-1920, 1915-09-15

railroad men called me up and wanted me to
start a new catechetical class for them. Here
God opened a door. We followed up Gods
plan and had ten prayer services in ten dis
triets in one evening and, by the use of an
automobile. visited all ten meetings, and
offered one short prayer at each meeting and
asked all present. if they knew anyone who
should be a Christian and Join a new class. I
received the names of fifty-nine people that
night. The next week [ visited the fifty-nine
personally and got the promise of fifty-two
to JOIN the class. What was the result? 1
explained the cateehism briefly and on Pen.
tecost baptized and confirmed fifty-eight
adults, mostly heads Of families, and baptized
fourteen Of their children. These people are
now workers in the church and are inviting
others. Every Lutheran in this country
should be taught to extend the invitation to
something definite, to a class to study the
Scriptures. This is the most effective invita-
ton IN the work.. Let the wording under
stand that he is asked only to investigate
and then decide for himself after he under
stands; and the invitation appeals to him.
There is no reason why the Lutheran church
should not hold a series of meetings IN the
fall OF the year Just before starting the
cateehetial classes, and make as strong a plea
as any evangelist for eatechumens. As the
months Of July and August are vacation
months and the public shoots are closed it
is not a good time to carry on the cateche-
teal work. At this point | wish to state that
there is no better system in the world to win
souls for Christ than good eatechisation.
Train a child in the way he shall go and
when he is old he will not depart from il.
Catechized Christians may stray from the
straight and narrow way for a while, but
like the prodigal, they will come back home.
They know the truth and know the way back.
They have something to hold to; and like
the disciples of Christ, hear and learn Gods
Word in and through which the Holy Spirit
operates on their hearts day and night. 1t
is an easy matter to ridicule head-religion,
but God gave us heads to reach the heart;
and His command is to search the Scriptures.
From all that has been said let us draw
a few conclusions:
|. Let Lutheran pastors literally "eat"
the little book as John did according to the
tenth chapter of Revelation and taste the
bitterness of the law which condemns us
and the sweetness of the Gospel which saves
us and ''prophesy again before many peop-
les, and nations, and tongues, and kings"
H.. Let us preach as dying men to dying
men and make a strong plea in every sermon
for souls to join the catechetical class and
learn the will Of God more fully and become
intelligent Christians.
III. Let us not at this late hour, when
all other methods have been reduced to the
last struggle of a dying system, let down the
high standard of the best method God ever
gave to reach the world. The New Testament
has only one Sermon on the Mount, but
many catechisations by our Lord, and the
first when He was only twelve years old,
asking and answering questions.
". Let one Of the great movements of
the year 1917 be Lutheran evangelism!