Reading & Study

November ‘LW’: Witnessing to Christ

The November issue of The Lutheran Witness (LW) is all about mission. When we look to Luther and the reformers, we find that they didn’t talk much about “mission work” at all. However, this doesn’t mean that they didn’t think about God’s kingdom advancing or of witnessing to Christ before the nations.

As LW’s executive editor Rev. Roy Askins writes in this issue, Martin Luther saw the work of the church “holistically” — what we call “mission work” today is not a special task of the church, but something inherent to her normal operation. The tasks that Christ has given to His church, especially the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments, are the very things that lead to the advancing of His kingdom, by His grace.

So, even today, the heart of LCMS mission work is the planting and fostering of Lutheran churches, near and far, to offer Christ’s gifts to people around the world. From these churches flow also the proclamation of the Gospel and acts of mercy done in the name of Christ. In the November issue, you’ll read about these three pillars of LCMS mission work: planting churches, proclaiming the Gospel and showing mercy.

You’ll also read about how many today are crying out for the Gospel and right teaching on the continent of Africa, so many that our LCMS Africa region is in desperate need of more missionaries. And you’ll read the story of a military family who was stationed in Japan during COVID lockdowns — when the Synod’s fellowship was broken with the Japan Lutheran Church over women’s ordination — and how God provided for them through LCMS chaplains and missionaries during this exile. “For a time, it felt as though our small group of confessional Lutherans were truly alone,” writes David van Rooy. “But the Lord does not leave His people without provision. In the wilderness, He sends bread from heaven and water from the rock. He sends servants.”

The authors of the Formula of Concord wrote, “God also knows and has determined for everyone the time and hour of his call and conversion. But this time has not been revealed to us. Therefore, we have the command always to keep proclaiming the Word, entrusting the time and hour of conversion to God” (FC SD XI 56). It is God alone who grows His church. We pray that He may do so through us.