Diegel, Matthew H.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 16Issue 2 Lutheran Pietism Article 711-1-1990Go...and preach as you go...Matthew H. DiegelFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Sermons is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationDiegel, Matthew H. (1990) "Go...and preach as you go...," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 2 , Article 7.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss2/7“Go... and Preachas You Go . ”Matthew H. Diegel,Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church,Windsor, OntarioText: Matthew 10:5-15It was very cold, damp, and windy, and doing survey workwas the last thing I wanted to be doing that afternoon. Besides,no one for the last three blocks, except the dogs, had beenparticularly interested in having me come to their doors andinvite them to worship with our congregation. I stopped ata house where, on my last time through the neighbourhood,they had taken a brochure and had said they would call me.Of course they hadn’t, but then no one else had either: 1000homes had turned up only 1 prospective household, and theyhad later said they would rather remain members in Detroit.I gathered my strength and courage, and rang the doorbell,and waited, and waited. I had turned to go, when the dooropened. I halfheartedly offered our invitation, and the womansaid she remembered me, but hadn’t given our church muchthought recently. She took another brochure, and said shewould read it this time for sure. I smiled, said thank-you, butin my mind started laying odds on the outcome of her promise.A couple of houses later I had a door slammed in my face.Shortly after that, a dog decided that I had been on his prop-erty long enough, and showed me his fine teeth persuading meto write “Dog” on my survey sheet, and then hurried acrossto the other side of the block. About 20 minutes later, I hadsix houses left to go, and was asking the Lord why I was doingthis when I could be sleeping, when I spotted a woman run-ning toward me. Now, I have had police follow me as I wentdoor-to-door, and detectives once called me to say they hada complaint that I was suspicious looking, and that, despite110 Consensusmy collar, I wasn’t really from our church. Thus, I wasn’ttoo crazy at the thought of what this person might accuse me.Had I not been polite enough? Had I walked across the wronglawn? Had I snarled back too loudly at her pet? I preparedmyself for the worst.As she came closer, however, I recognized her as being thesame woman whom I had talked with earlier. As soon as shecaught up with me, she said her husband and she needed todiscuss something with me immediately. Reluctantly I wentwith her, expecting to become involved in a marital dispute.Again, I asked God why I was doing this.When I arrived, the couple had me sit down, and gave mecoffee, always the sign of a long discussion. Then they sharedwith me the unexpected. One of their daughter’s friends hadtaken her to Sunday School recently. Sarah had become soexcited that she wanted to go back, and pleaded with her par-ents to let her do so. The parents, non-church goers, had beenvery surprised, but supportive, and started looking for a Sun-day School closer to home, and one that seemed to agree morewith their beliefs. Our brochure seemed to suggest our SundaySchool as being the answer to their quest. Could their two old-est daughters join our Sunday School the next week, and wasit okay if their clothes weren’t very good? The parents hadstopped going to another congregation about six years earlier,when parishioners there had taken them aside after worshipand had suggested that God, and the leaders of the parish,had an expensive dress code for those attending worship.For two and a half years now, Ann and Sarah have faithfullybeen coming to our Sunday School. Their teachers and fellowstudents love them, and they love them back. Once in a whilethe parents have attended worship and have commented howfriendly and accepting everyone was. They said they felt com-fortable, even though they were not members, and the liturgywas somewhat unfamiliar. Even then, people beside them hadhelped them to discover the secret of using the Lutheran Bookof Worship and when to stand and to sit.Last Sunday the father brought the children for worship andfor the Sunday School picnic. For a long time he talked with amember who, he had discovered, had like him just quit a jobfor a difficult employer when asked to do something unethical,even illegal. During a break in their conversation, he came to“Go.... and Preach as You Go....” Illme and asked if he could talk. I sat down, and prepared myselfto listen. Then George asked the most unexpected request: Itwas time to bring their youngest two daughters, aged 7 and2, to receive Baptism. Could I call on his wife and him, andarrange it, and also talk about their greater involvement in thelife of the congregation?So we are going to do so some time next week. Throughmy ministry, but more importantly, that of the congregation,and fundamentally, that of the unknown five-year old friend,the Holy Spirit has touched and changed the lives of an entirefamily.God has called all of us, clergy and lay, young and old,male and female, also to be such witnesses of the Good Newsrevealed in Jesus Christ. Whom, on behalf of God, did weinvite to be part of the body of Christ yesterday? Whom, onbehalf of God, will we invite tomorrow? Amen.

Go...and preach as you go...

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 16
Issue 2 Lutheran Pietism Article 7
11-1-1990
Go...and preach as you go...
Matthew H. Diegel
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Sermons is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Diegel, Matthew H. (1990) "Go...and preach as you go...," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 2 , Article 7.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss2/7
“Go... and Preach
as You Go . ”
Matthew H. Diegel,
Pastor, Christ Lutheran Church,
Windsor, Ontario
Text: Matthew 10:5-15
It was very cold, damp, and windy, and doing survey work
was the last thing I wanted to be doing that afternoon. Besides,
no one for the last three blocks, except the dogs, had been
particularly interested in having me come to their doors and
invite them to worship with our congregation. I stopped at
a house where, on my last time through the neighbourhood,
they had taken a brochure and had said they would call me.
Of course they hadn’t, but then no one else had either: 1000
homes had turned up only 1 prospective household, and they
had later said they would rather remain members in Detroit.
I gathered my strength and courage, and rang the doorbell,
and waited, and waited. I had turned to go, when the door
opened. I halfheartedly offered our invitation, and the woman
said she remembered me, but hadn’t given our church much
thought recently. She took another brochure, and said she
would read it this time for sure. I smiled, said thank-you, but
in my mind started laying odds on the outcome of her promise.
A couple of houses later I had a door slammed in my face.
Shortly after that, a dog decided that I had been on his prop-
erty long enough, and showed me his fine teeth persuading me
to write “Dog” on my survey sheet, and then hurried across
to the other side of the block. About 20 minutes later, I had
six houses left to go, and was asking the Lord why I was doing
this when I could be sleeping, when I spotted a woman run-
ning toward me. Now, I have had police follow me as I went
door-to-door, and detectives once called me to say they had
a complaint that I was suspicious looking, and that, despite
110 Consensus
my collar, I wasn’t really from our church. Thus, I wasn’t
too crazy at the thought of what this person might accuse me.
Had I not been polite enough? Had I walked across the wrong
lawn? Had I snarled back too loudly at her pet? I prepared
myself for the worst.
As she came closer, however, I recognized her as being the
same woman whom I had talked with earlier. As soon as she
caught up with me, she said her husband and she needed to
discuss something with me immediately. Reluctantly I went
with her, expecting to become involved in a marital dispute.
Again, I asked God why I was doing this.
When I arrived, the couple had me sit down, and gave me
coffee, always the sign of a long discussion. Then they shared
with me the unexpected. One of their daughter’s friends had
taken her to Sunday School recently. Sarah had become so
excited that she wanted to go back, and pleaded with her par-
ents to let her do so. The parents, non-church goers, had been
very surprised, but supportive, and started looking for a Sun-
day School closer to home, and one that seemed to agree more
with their beliefs. Our brochure seemed to suggest our Sunday
School as being the answer to their quest. Could their two old-
est daughters join our Sunday School the next week, and was
it okay if their clothes weren’t very good? The parents had
stopped going to another congregation about six years earlier,
when parishioners there had taken them aside after worship
and had suggested that God, and the leaders of the parish,
had an expensive dress code for those attending worship.
For two and a half years now, Ann and Sarah have faithfully
been coming to our Sunday School. Their teachers and fellow
students love them, and they love them back. Once in a while
the parents have attended worship and have commented how
friendly and accepting everyone was. They said they felt com-
fortable, even though they were not members, and the liturgy
was somewhat unfamiliar. Even then, people beside them had
helped them to discover the secret of using the Lutheran Book
of Worship and when to stand and to sit.
Last Sunday the father brought the children for worship and
for the Sunday School picnic. For a long time he talked with a
member who, he had discovered, had like him just quit a job
for a difficult employer when asked to do something unethical,
even illegal. During a break in their conversation, he came to
“Go.... and Preach as You Go....” Ill
me and asked if he could talk. I sat down, and prepared myself
to listen. Then George asked the most unexpected request: It
was time to bring their youngest two daughters, aged 7 and
2, to receive Baptism. Could I call on his wife and him, and
arrange it, and also talk about their greater involvement in the
life of the congregation?
So we are going to do so some time next week. Through
my ministry, but more importantly, that of the congregation,
and fundamentally, that of the unknown five-year old friend,
the Holy Spirit has touched and changed the lives of an entire
family.
God has called all of us, clergy and lay, young and old,
male and female, also to be such witnesses of the Good News
revealed in Jesus Christ. Whom, on behalf of God, did we
invite to be part of the body of Christ yesterday? Whom, on
behalf of God, will we invite tomorrow? Amen.


https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1936&amp;context=consensus

Go...and preach as you go...

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