Charlie Morgenthaler has been a member of the Church of the Redeemer since 1998. He is the Lay Leader for the Sharing Christ pillar of Redeemer’s Take Your Place campaign.

When Fr. Fred called me concerning the Sharing Jesus program; I volunteered almost immediately. He has a calm and quiet but also compelling tone. He is difficult to resist.

Jesus had that same tone. When He was walking along the shore of the Sea of Gallalie and spotted Simon (who we now know as Saint Peter) and his brother Andrew tending their nets; Jesus approached them and said “Follow me, I will make you fishers of men”. They dropped what they were doing and followed. Now that’s compelling! Jesus is calling us to follow and to tell others.

But, who is Jesus? As Christians, we know he is fully man and also the eternal son of God. We know he existed, not only from the bible; where his birth and death on the cross was prophesied in the Old Testament, and from his words in the New Testament; but also from many references in Roman history texts. However, we need to discover Jesus on a personal level. Jesus is not just a historical figure, He lives today and dwells amongst us now!

How do we discover Jesus on a more personal level? We need to pray for wisdom and understanding; for inspiration from the Holy Spirit and we need to read His words. We need to read scriptures on a regular basis. Participating in bible study classes and taking the ALPHA course, attending Inquirers class (which starts on Feb. 10th) are all important steps to take.

When we discover Jesus on a personal level we can then share our knowledge with others. Like a good friend or a “good relative” who comes to town; we enjoy introducing that person to our friends at church and elsewhere. Well, there is no better friend or relative than Jesus (don’t forget we all are sons and daughters of God). We can tell people what a cool guy Jesus is; that he likes to party with his friends, he enjoys traveling, if you got sick he would heal you right then and there. He would change water into wine! It doesn’t get any better!

Please understand; we do not need to be Biblical scholars. We do need to have faith and confidence. We do not need to stand on street corners yelling out scriptural quotes (that’s obnoxious anyway). We do need to; if the subject comes up; be willing and able to talk about Jesus in a calm, joyous and compassionate manner. At a lunch offer to say grace. Invite a friend or co-worker to church. This is fun but not necessarily easy. God did not intend to make our life easy; He wants us to make our life on Earth meaningful. There are many references in the Bible where we are called to proclaim the Gospel and tell others. Let us all do that!

I have 2 quick stories. In the mid 1930’s a fellow named Albert McMacon was going to a Christian revival meeting with a few friends, but he needed a driver for their bus. He found another acquaintance, Bill, to drive. Albert had to convince Bill to come in and join them and they all ended up going to the meeting. Bill came back the next evening and gave himself to Jesus. Bill then went on to become probably the greatest evangelist of the 20th century. He has preached to millions of people worldwide and been a spiritual advisor to successive presidents since the 1940’s. We all know this man as Billy Graham. We don’t know who Albert McMacon was, but he led Billy Graham to Christ. We are not all going to be a Billy Graham, but we can all be Albert McMacons.

On a more personal note, I was an atheist for about 36 years from 1962 to 1998. During that time I had many people praying for me; Three aunts that were Catholic nuns, my parents and other relatives. They never gave up praying. After moving to Florida with my wife Suzi; she was praying for me as well; I went to Redeemer a couple of times and met Fr. Fred and I noticed a strange sense of peace around here. In August of 1998; I started to come to church (willingly) with Suzi and slowly began to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior again. This was no road to Damascus experience just a slow and ongoing process.

Do not ever think that you cannot make a difference. A person you speak to– a day, a week, maybe a year, maybe 36 years or more later could come to Jesus by virtue of your words and perhaps the words of others. Share your love and knowledge of Jesus. You do the love and compassion, God will do the converting.

God Bless you all!
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If you would like to speak with Charlie about your journey with Christ or learn more about how to Take Your Place at Redeemer and in your life with Christ, please consult your Parish Directory for information on how to reach Charlie and/or contact the Parish Receptionist.