A Play With Johnny Steffen In The Leading Role
This short play appeared in the German monthly Kirche und Mann (Church and Man) in November, 1953. It has been translated from the original German by James Shiffer Kiefer of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and is used by permission. Although specially pertinent to the German scene, it holds a lesson also for un-Protestant tendencies in American and British church life. It is an interesting example of self-judgment of a type we ought to employ more frequently.โED.
Cast
JOHNNY STEFFEN โข A TEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL โข A PARISH PASTOR AN ELDER โข A MAN WHO COMES TO PAY HIS CHURCH TAX
Prologue
Scene: Pastorโs Study. On Stage: Johnny Steffen and the Pastor.
Steffen: The Reformation Day service was well attended, wasnโt it?
Pastor: Yes, I was very pleased.
Steffen: Pleasedโalso about the many Catholics who were there?
Pastor: Catholics? At the Reformation Day service?
Steffen: Not actual Catholics. I mean those who are outwardly Protestants, but inwardly Catholics.
Pastor: I know there are some like that. But do you really think there are many?
Steffen: Very many. Perhaps even the majority. You donโt think so? Shall we make a test?
Pastor: Iโm really curious as to how you will go about this!
First Act
Scene: A street. On Stage: Steffen, Pastor, and ten-year-old girl.
Steffen: Little girl, come over here a minute, please. What is your name?
Girl: Barbara.
Steffen: Then you surely must be a Catholic.
Girl: No, why do you think that? Iโm a Protestant.
Steffen: I thought on account of the name.โฆ Well, all the better. Can you perhaps tell me how one can get to Heaven?
Girl: (Hesitantly) Well, if you โฆ are always good โฆ and pray โฆ and go often to church โฆ then you can go to Heaven.
Steffen: But werenโt you taught in school that the way to Heaven is free, because God loves us and sent Jesus to die for our sin?
Girl: Yes, of course. But โฆ
Steffen: But what?
Girl: Well, you must also do something yourself to get to Heaven.
Steffen: Freeโand yet do something for salvation. I donโt understand that. Who told you this?
Girl: My mother.
Pastor: Well, there we have the motherโs opinion too.
Steffen: Yes. Barbara, I want to tell you something. Every Catholic mother tells her child the same thing. Thanksโand here is a little something for you. (Girl leaves.)
Second Act
Scene: Tax collectorโs office. On Stage: Steffen, Pastor, and a man who came to pay his church taxes.
Steffen: Pardon me, but are you a Protestant?
Man: Well now, why do you ask?
Steffen: I am doing opinion-research. Youโre familiar with that, arenโt you? Good. You donโt need to answer, but Iโd be much obliged to you if you would.
Man: Oh, all right. Yes, Iโm a Protestant.
Steffen: Is it important to you to belong to the Protestant Church, or could you equally well be a Catholic?
Man: Well, you know, we really all believe in the same Lord God. But, be a Catholic? No! The many ceremonies! And the compulsion!
Steffen: Another question. Were you confirmed?
Man: Naturally.
Steffen: Did you also have a church as well as a civil ceremony when you were married?
Man: Of course!
Steffen: Why were you confirmed, and why did you have the religious as well as the civil marriage?
Man: Why, everybody does!
Steffen: What I meant was, was your heart really in it?
Man: To be honest, not really.
Steffen: Why didnโt you just bypass these rituals, then?
Man: Huh! Then you donโt know my mother. She would have raised a fuss. And my grandfather! And my aunts!
Steffen: The Pastor, too?
Man: I donโt know for certain, but I assume so.
Steffen: However that may be, somehow you had to be confirmed and you had to have the religious marriage ceremony. Isnโt that right?
Man: Yes, of course.
Steffen: Of course! But a while ago you protested against the compulsion of the Catholic Church.
Man: But thatโs something entirely different! The Catholic has to do much more!
Steffen: Well then, the Catholic must do much, the Protestant must do little. But both are compelled to do something. Is that your opinion?
Man: Thatโs about right.
Steffen: If itโs correct that the Catholic is compelled (and we wonโt discuss that point now), then you are a Subtraction-Catholic. Donโt ever say again that youโre a Protestant. At least not until you really become one! Many thanks to you, and good morning! (Man leaves.)
Pastor: Thatโs a sad case, too. But wait. There comes one of our elders. Question him. He wonโt know you, and Iโll withdraw so that he will answer freely. (Pastor leaves.)
Third Act
Scene: A Street. On Stage: Steffen, the Elder.
Steffen: Pardon me, are you a Protestant?
Elder: I certainly am.
Steffen: Ohโthen you are surely a pastor.
Elder: No, only an elder.
Steffen: Only an elder, hmm. May I ask you a question?
Elder: I suppose you are an opinion-researcher?
Steffen: Thatโs right. The first question: How many Groschen [a coin; one could say โnicklesโโED.] are there in a roll such as one prepares for the bank?
Elder: I donโt really know.
Steffen: You donโt? I thought that as elder you might deposit the collection once in a while.
Elder: No, our pastor does that.
Steffen: Another question: Into how many collection districts is your parish divided for the relief collections?
Elder: I donโt know.
Steffen: But who prepares for the collections? Who sees that there are enough collectors? Who prepares the collection lists and the information sheets? Who places the notices in the local paper? And who receives the collection from the collectors? Who sends the sum realized to the relief agency?
Elder: The Pastor does all that.
Steffen: Another question. Does your church have any building project at the present time?
Elder: Yes, we are building a home for apprentices.
Steffen: Whose idea was this?
Elder: The Pastorโs.
Steffen: Who looked into the financing of it?
Elder: The Pastor.
Steffen: And who discussed the plans with the architect?
Elder: The Pastor.
Steffen: Who appears now and again at the building-site as a representative of the church?
Elder: The Pastor.
Steffen: Havenโt you been there yet yourself?
Elder: Indeed I have! I was at the cornerstone-laying.
Steffen: All right. One final question. As elder do you make an occasional sick call?
Elder: Of course not. Thatโs one of the Pastorโs duties. And the people donโt really appreciate a visit from me. They want to see the Pastor.
Steffen: How do you explain that?
Elder: Well, because heโs the pastor. Iโm only an elderโonly a layman.
Steffen: Only a layman. Well, many thanks, sir. May God preserve your parish and your pastorโotherwise neither will live much longer! (Elder leaves.)
Pastor: (Entering again) Well, that wasnโt too good either. But so far as our subject is concerned, our good elder wasnโt really especially โCatholic.โ
Steffen: No, up to the โonly a layman.โ
Pastor: That was unfortunate, to be sure.
Steffen: And this โonly a laymanโ idea seems to be rather widespread in the parish. It seemed that way to me in the matter of visiting the sick.
Pastor: Yes, itโs unfortunate.
Steffen: Iโm glad to hear you say, โItโs unfortunate.โ However, I have one last test Iโd like to make. My dear Paul, would you permit me to address you impersonally for a little while?
Pastor: Well, if it has to beโbut why?
Steffen: It doesnโt have to be, but it should simplify matters. Shall we go in again?
Fourth Act
Scene: The Pastorโs Study On Stage: Steffen and the Pastor.
Steffen: Pardon me, are you a Protestant?
Pastor: I hope so, by Godโs help.
Steffen: You must be a pastor.
Pastor: Thatโs right, I am.
Steffen: Then, I have a special question for you. I have noticed that young assistants and students of theology are allowed to preach now and again, but may not baptize or hold a communion service. Is this observation correct?
Pastor: Yes, the authority to administer the sacraments is granted through ordination.
Steffen: And what is โordinationโ?
Pastor: According to Luther, the Protestant Church has a universal priesthood of believers. That is to say, in principle every Christian can preach and administer the sacraments. However, so that no disorder or confusion can arise, the Church delegates authority to a special man for this serviceโthe Church ordains pastors.
Steffen: Thatโs very clear, thank you. Then it is for the sake of order. I find that illuminating. Now, however, in this time of transition, when a student for the ministry has almost completed his training but is not yet ordained, why do you distinguish between authority to preach and authority to administer the sacraments? Are the sacraments greater, worthier or more holy than the Word?
Pastor: No, absolutely not.
Steffen: Thatโs what I think, too. Luther even said, โEating and drinking doesnโt accomplish it, but the Word.โ Then that canโt be the basis for this distinction.
Pastor: And it isnโt. But there must be regulations.
Steffen: That, too, I donโt understand altogether. Regulation and order! It seems to me to be rather easy and free of danger to read the order of service for baptism. I donโt see how there can arise any โdisorderโ there. On the other hand, in preaching-how much can go wrong there for a young, inexperienced man! If order is the important thing, it would make more sense to me if you would allow the young, budding pastor to administer the sacraments but forbid him to enter the pulpit to preach.
Pastor: (Keeps silent.)
Steffen: Well, now we have arrived at the question I was aiming at. Is this a sound reason for the greater importance we place on the administration of the sacraments? The Catholics esteem the sacraments above the Word, if my information is correct. And whoever is to administer the sacraments must be a consecrated priest. (But even the Catholic recognizes exceptions in case of emergency, just as we do!) But have we really maintained Lutherโs understanding of โordinationโ? Orโas our discussion of the young ministers disclosedโhas the idea of the โconsecration of Priestsโ slipped into Protestantism?
In short, Pastor, are you a Protestant?
Pastor: Johnny, now itโs high time to call a halt.
Steffen: Youโre entirely right. Of course, I didnโt mean you personally.
End
Final word of the editors of Kirche und Mann to the reader: Pardon meโare YOU a Protestant?