RevRWL.com
by Rev. Robert W. Lutjens

The single greatest cause of Atheism in the world today is Christians who confess Jesus with their lips and walk out the door to deny Him with their lives. This is something an unbelieving world simply cannot believe.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Bad experiences

I can't believe some Christians. Some of the things that pass in the name of piety just really cheese me off. At least I admit it.

I just never expected to get thanked for it.

I still remember my stint as a waiter in a local family restaurant. It's all the typical work you would expect - simple enough work, but hard to master. Groups and parties can be the worst. They can tie up your section for hours, tend not to tip very well, make extra work for you and the cooks, and are generally a pain to deal with.

Two years ago, end of the dinner rush, my party left. Left a huge mess behind. They weren't that polite, rather demanding, but left a $20.00 bill on the table. I picked it up, ready to put in my cash-holder but it felt....funny.

Taking a closer look I realized it was a paper printed with a $20.00 look-alike. On the back was the message

"Why are you so disappointed this isn't really $20.00?
There are things money can't buy - happiness, peace, hope.
If you had Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you wouldn't be so concerned with money.
Your heart would be peaceful and not so filled with worldly things."

I found it interesting that this group had left me this fake $20.00. As I told the story to some of my classmates the next day, we all had a good laugh over it.

When this happened to me, I was attending Concordia Seminary. In less than a year I was to have finished my Master's and be ordained as a Pastor. I'm pretty sure I have "Jesus as my Lord and Savior" - but I still need to pay the rent and buy food for myself and my wife.

It's Happening Everywhere!

Flash forward about 9 months after the fake $20.00 bill incident. I am on my vicarage (a year long internship) and my wife is working at a local restaurant to help pay bills. I swing by after her shift to pick her up and chat a bit with the manager as I wait.

I already know the answer to the question, so I ask anyway.

"Hey, what's your worst kind of customer?" I ask the manager.

"Oh, no question," he responds. "Christians."

I'm in another part of the country for my internship, but get the same complaints - poor tippers, snotty, fake, hypocritical, rude, demanding, difficult to please.....

"Something's got to be done about this," I think. "Somebody has to be told..."

Well...why not I?

Gotta do something

Sunday morning. Bible class. I'm teaching. We've just spent several weeks going through various sections of the Old Testament, looking at applications, trying to work out what they mean to us in this world today. Often, I'd postulate where and how this works out for the class in terms of our life and how we live it.

I have the habit of chatting inanely for a few minutes at the beginning of class - tell funny stories, jokes I've heard, getting people to relax as we settle in with coffee and donuts. I start by telling of the conversation with my wife's manager the previous week. While the class sits in shock and listens I continue.

"For the past several weeks we've gone through our lessons and I've tried to show how various aspects of our lessons relate to evangelism and daily life. While I am not perfect..." I wait for the cries of mock surprise to die down. It's a rowdy class. "...while I am not perfect, you may therefore disagree with me in how some of our last lessons apply in your life. However, there is something I am an expert in - and that's restaurant work!

Thus begins the lecture - servers make a little over $2.00/hr, the rest is tips. Therefore, tips aren't tips, but what most servers live on. Be polite. Make eye contact. Say "please." and "thank you." Tip well - 10% for poor service, 15% for good, 20% for excellent service. If you can't afford to leave a tip, either apologize and tell your server (this especially applies to teens and college kids) or DON'T GO OUT!

Really, if you sit in a restaurant and think you can even mention God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Church, Bible, Sunday, Pastor, Youth, Youth Leader, etc. and not be overheard....well, a good waiter hears everything. If you don't tip, you've left a pretty negative impression.

It was surprisingly well received. It was taken to heart. It got their attention. Cool...my evil plan to get their attention worked - and so began our lesson for that day.

Repercussions

That Saturday was the end of a very long week. One of those "Why aren't I collapsed and dead?" weeks. There was only one thing to do. Go out and get drinks and chocolate. (Kristen has taught me that chocolate cures a multitude of things - I have learned well under her tutelage.)

Off to the closest TGIFridays, which has some sort of molten chocolate volcano something or other dessert which I heard about from some other guy I know. He raved for 20 minutes about this thing. After a pair of margaritas and much relaxing, our server (Andrea) asks if we need dessert.

"Oh, yes," we exclaim. During the course of chatting about the best dessert to order, our waitress finds out I'm the vicar (read: assistant pastor) at the church down the road. She asks a few questions about my job, what I did, so on. People often seem strangely fascinated when they meet real clergy out in real life - esp. when said clergy is enjoying the pleasant effects of the restaurant's largest margarita.

After bringing out desserts (note: every bit as chocolate filled and note-worthy as raved about previously) Andrea asks if she can ask a favor.

"If you're a pastor, can you say something from the pulpit about being nice to your servers?" she asks nervously.

Kristen and I look at each other and roar with laughter. With tears in our eyes, we explain that I had done that just last week to the Sunday School classes. Andrea can't believe it, but excuses herself and hurries off.

Part way through the dessert, Andrea comes back.

"Um...that question I asked you earlier, about saying something from the pulpit?"

"Sure, what about it?"

"Well, I told my manager you were a pastor, and he was the one who wanted me to ask you that. I told him what you said about your Sunday School class, and he didn't believe me. I convinced him. Anyway, he wanted me to tell you that he wants to buy your desserts tonight as thank you."

Well, we're stunned, we're grateful, we're happy. We've got free desserts.

After chatting a bit more, we also find out Andrea works tomorrow morning, a Sunday. Sunday mornings are dreaded due to the flood of people that come in after church. We give her sympathies, thanks, and a honkin' big tip to send us on our way, still licking the remains of chocolate from our lips.

The next day, Sunday morning, I find myself gazing at the eyes of the assembled Sunday School classes. I remind them of what we spoke about last week. I tell the story of the free dessert to a class howling with laughter. It is agreed that I might know what I'm speaking of after all.

For 'homework' that day I give the class a simple assignment.

• Go to the TGIFriday's I went to the night before.
  
• Ask for Andrea's section.
  
• Sit, order a single cup of coffee.
  
• Say, 'please.'
  
• Thank her when she brings your drink.
  
• Take no more than 5 minutes to drink it.
  
• Pay, and leave a $5.00 tip.
  
• Say, "I'm from St. John's Lutheran Church. I know Sundays can be stressful. I hope you have a great day."
  
• Leave within 5 minutes of sitting down.
  
• If you want to stay and have lunch, be friendly, happy, cheerful, and tip huge. Start at 50% of the bill.
  

I honestly don't know how many people went to give Andrea a good day that day. I do know that there's a group of people who will never be able to give poor tips again without feeling guilty.

I hope if you read this, you'll also remember your server when you next eat out. Be nice to them. It's worth it. Chocolate is just an unexpected bonus.

RWL