Friday, November 27, 2009

Something tells me we're going to have to become a whole lot smarter about evangelism. Today, even the word has become "dirty." All too easily, "evangelism" is understood to mean we think we're better than non-Christians, we need to somehow hoodwink them into joining our church, we want their money or we are mind-control freaks. We need to find new, less predictable ways to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I don't believe evangelism means making converts. I believe the Holy Spirit does that. I think evangelism is sharing the good news of Christ, seeing who inquires and then who responds, and following them up. We know there are some out there in any significant number of people, who will likely come to faith in Christ once presented with the claims of Christ. So, we wait, pray, and watch who comes to faith! Then, our job is to disciple, teach, model, mentor, coach, nurture, encourage and give doctrine to the new people who stay aboard. The world is hip to us any more though. They wait for our predictable, even cliché'd methods and vocabulary. Now they seem "on" to "seeker services" too. We need to find ways to get in close, share about Christ, and get out before they think its about us. It isn't about them coming along with us, joining our church, identifying with us or even making a decision for Christ in our presence. If the Spirit is working, they will find Jesus just fine. We can be there to love them and build them up, but it isn't about us. Its about them, and Him. They have the need, we have the "News," our Savior has the means.

Friday, November 13, 2009

I was thinking about all the things the Pilgrims didn't have to think about, as they "set up shop" in Plimouth (sic) in late 1620 and 1621: Kleenex, toothpaste, toothbrushes, rechargeable batteries going dead, TP, paper towels, vacuum cleaner bags, cell phone rechargers, lipstick, deoderant, anti-perspirant, cologne, after shave, razor blades, disposable razors, $8000 caskets, CDs, cassettes, baby wipes (or pretty much any kind of "wipes"), aluminum foil, Little Debbie wrappers, gift bags, bows for Christmas presents (they didn't celebrate Christmas--too secular), condoms, birth control pills, running out of Ibuprofen or Advil or Tylenol, ear buds, XBox(es?), PS3s, cigarrettes, empty cigarrette lighters, Coke cans, Coke bottles, Coke bottle caps, Fix-a-Flat cans, discarded straws, Big Mac boxes, tires, Axe cans, body wash, hand lotion, mp3 player and docking stations, iPods, iTunes, iPhones, iMan, Dunkin Donuts bags (o wait, I think there was a DD on Fort Hill when they arrived,) Poland Springs bottles, Budweiser cans (unless there were a few lying around on the deck of the Mayflower,) flash drives, Daytimer inserts, Bic pens, Odor Eaters, Odor Eater shoe inserts, Nike boxes, used Amazon mailing bags, super market plastic bags, Purell bottles and supermarket rotisserie chicken containers. So, I take it from this that they had it easier than we do.