The Joshua Victor Theory

**This appears as an article in our current church newsletter** Today as much as ever, people always have an opinion about anything and everything. Maybe the only difference is that nowadays people are more unabashed about making their opinions known. And yet political correctness and a fear of causing offense often hangs in tension with this tendency. Perhaps we may find it difficult to enter the “marketplace of ideas” as Christians. Yet as Christians who seek to have meaningful interaction with the world around us, we may wonder how to engage those around us in conversation about The Faith. Here at Emmanuel Lutheran Church we desire to do evangelism—the spreading of the Good News about Jesus. Sunday mornings in adult Bible class we are trying to equip ourselves for this task. However, like many things, it is easier said than done. After all, the world is increasingly full of “opinions” and many which are hostile to the Christian Faith. We may be intimidated into silence. But I would

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. The sermon text is the Gospel reading, Luke 10:38-42. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Today as we are gathered here again for worship, as we Christians have been doing for 2,000 years every Lord’s Day, I ask you this question: Why are we here today? What are we about? Are we here because we are offering our service to God, or are we first and foremost here to receive service from Him? In the Gospel for today, we see Jesus coming to the house of Mary and Martha, and they open their home to Him. Both Martha and Mary extend hospitality to Jesus, but in two very different forms. Martha offers the obvious hospitality, of active work and busy preparation. She is quickly occupied with all sorts of household tasks, most likely in preparing a meal for her guests, and possibly some cleaning. Martha was distracted. She had much to do, and was eager to serve