Got a couple of hours?

Now that I am retired, I have had a spare few hours to listen to a long and very interesting interview with Jeff Schwarz and Pastor Todd Wilken on the history and identity of Issues, Etc.  You will encounter the foolish, the stupid, the inept, the dark history behind the rebirth of this daily podcast promoting the faith.  Neither Schwarz or Wilken can claim credit for it all and they readily admit that where things ended up and where they began was a miracle of God.  Now, to be fair, both Schwarz and Wilken are too modest and they took what were terrible circumstances thrust upon them and made gold out of their situation.  You can here the whole story here. 

I want to focus on another aspect of their success.  This is not about their guests or them but about the way they have put the faith on the map and, in particular, the LCMS.  They have contributed to a brand new thing and that is people who are seeking a faith and a church and who pay attention to what they hear on programs like Issues, Etc.  I experienced this in spades.  We had people who came out of an evangelical or non-denominational or fundamentalist background and ended up hearing about Lutheranism for the first time through people like Jeff Schwarz, Todd Wilken, Rod Rosenbladt, Don Matzat, and many others.  The digital air waves have become a profound vehicle for the message of Christ crucified for sinners.  And it works.

Over the years I cannot tell you how many emails, phone calls, and personal conversations have begun with the words "I heard you on Issues, Etc..."  Many of those people were looking for a church home and some of those people ended up moving to Clarksville, Tennessee, and becoming members of Grace Lutheran Church.  To her credit, my wife, Amy, was the social media content creator for our congregation for more than 9 years and she did a tremendous job in creating a noble and faithful digital face for the congregation and for me (and my blog).  Together, they helped to give our congregation and me a presence that rippled across the miles and brought people into Lutheranism and into this church.  Living in a world where some jobs allow you to work from just about anyplace with a sturdy internet connection has created a phenomenon in which those same people look for a place to live by first looking for a place to worship.

Schwarz and Wilken built upon what Matzat had begun but they excelled at a couple of things so needed in our day.  First of all, they were apologetically Lutheran.  Second, they were apologists for the faith (not in the sense of I am sorry but in the sense of defense of the faith).  Third, they provided the listener with solid content from knowledgeable sources (even non-Lutheran ones) which equipped them to know better and live out more fully what it means to be a Christian.  Finally, never far from the words spoken is the cause of Christ and Him crucified and risen.  God bless them.  Now some 17 years after the show was foolishly cancelled by then then leadership of the LCMS, Issues, Etc. has positioned itself so very well to do what Walter A. Maier did in his day -- use the technology and platforms to tell the story of Christ and defend the faith.  In one sense, what some thought was a small thing to cancel the program in 2008 has contributed to its growth, success, and influence over the years.  It is certainly a decision which has had profound consequences for the LCMS and its leadership and direction over the years.

Grace has been a longtime financial supporter of Issues, Etc., has had members traverse the miles to their "Making the Case Conferences," and has testimonies from those who came to Lutheranism and to our fellowship of faith by listening to the program on the airwaves and as a podcast.  Both Jeff and Todd have been more than gracious in bringing me on their program from time to time and I count it as a great privilege to be among the many giant names which have graced the platform over the years.  It is time to formally say a word of thanks to both Jeff Schwarz and Pastor Todd Wilken for their faithful and successful work over these years.  Their success has contributed to our own local success over four hours away as the people who listened to them first ending up sitting in the pews and listening to me.

Thank you, Jeff and Todd!