Lassie Always Wagged Her Tail

When I was a kid growing up on a farm in Iowa, we had a collie named Lassie. Lassie was a wonderful dog, as she always wagged her tail when she saw us, and came to us for some love. She loved to run, was always game for adventures, and would play ball with us for hours. Of course she played by her own rules and would take the ball and run away to keep it from us. But that was part of the fun. Lassie would LISTEN to our commands, by her expressions ASK for clarification, SEEK how she could connect with us, SHARE in the adventure, INVITE us to play some more, and ENCOURAGE us if we felt down.

In her own way, Lassie carried out the elements of the LASSIE approach from the Every One His Witness Program. And we can do the same with each other in the Body of Christ at First Lutheran. As we LISTEN, ASK questions for clarification, SEEK ways to connect, SHARE the love and truth of Christ, INVITE further, deeper conversation, and ENCOURAGE each other on our spiritual walks, we are fulfilling God’s commandment to love each other.

We can also apply this to visitors (as well as people we meet outside of church). Visitors come to worship with us in the House of God. Is that not really special? Every person we meet is on a spiritual journey – they are climbing the narrow path that leads to heaven, or they are on the broad path that leads to the Lake of Fire. And using key elements of the LASSIE approach, we can interact with them, witness the love and truth of Christ to them, and encourage them onto the narrow path. We might ask where they are on their spiritual journey, and how we can pray for them, and respond accordingly.

Who knows? They might become our best friends. True friends:

* warm us with their presence,
* honor us with their secrets, and
* remember us in their prayers.

Finally, a big thanks to Rev. Dr. Mark Wood, the creator of the LCMS Every One His Witness program, and the valuable tools he shared with us, including the LASSIE approach.

To God be the glory
Board of Evangelism