New ‘Every One His Witness’ context module offers response to scientism

Elizabeth Hayter, a graduate student and biochemistry instructor at Saint Louis University, talks about how Christians can respond to scientism in the fifth context module of the Every One His Witness evangelism program. (LCMS Witness & Outreach)

Every One His Witness® (E1HW), the evangelism program first released in 2017 by Concordia Publishing House and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, has published its fifth video context module. The new resource, “Responding to Scientism,” will help Lutherans share the Gospel in a world where science is seen — at least, by many — as a god.

In the preview video for the module, Elizabeth Hayter, a graduate student and biochemistry instructor at Saint Louis University, defines scientism as “a world view that says the truth can only be discovered through science.”

Hayter says she often encounters people who hold this view who, as a result, “don’t have Christ. They are missing something. God has put them in my life so that He can work through me and make a difference.”

The Rev. A. Trevor Sutton, associate pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Haslett, Mich., describes today’s culture as “enamored” of science but notes, “In many ways, science gives us just a little glimpse of [what] God is doing.”

As a pastor who lives and works near Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., Sutton has frequent opportunities to converse with students who “don’t think there’s any way that faith and science can interact with one another. … I get to help people see that these two things are not irreconcilable, but … that you can be a scientist and … a follower of Jesus.”

“Responding to Scientism” follows the same LASSIE approach as the first four E1HW context modules. LASSIE — which stands for Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite and Encourage — is the heart of the E1HW program. Individuals must first complete the core module, which presents the basics of the LASSIE approach, before gaining access to the website with videos that apply LASSIE to specific witnessing situations.

Currently available are modules on witnessing to Jewish people, Muslims, Mormons and adult children who were reared in the church but have drifted from it. Approximately 40 context modules are planned in all.

The Rev. Charles St.-Onge, LCMS missionary and senior pastor at Ascension Lutheran Church, Montreal, says that although he was brought up in the Christian faith, “I did not always accept that the account in Genesis was the actual historical account of how the universe was created.”

St.-Onge has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in science. He credits people in his life who listened to him and asked good questions for helping him come to a biblical understanding of creation.

“There were certain people that came into my life who really applied LASSIE well even if they didn’t know the acronym at the time. … There were other people within the church that did quite the opposite. … Before I was even able to ask any questions, they were already providing answers, but to questions that I wasn’t asking.” The effect, says St.-Onge, was to shut down the conversation.

The goal of E1HW is to keep the conversation going so that Lutherans can share the Gospel with the people they encounter in their daily lives. “Responding to Scientism” does that by emphasizing that science is not opposed to God but is one of His good gifts.

For more information about E1HW, go to everyonehiswitness.org.

Posted Oct. 12, 2018