At one of my churches we have a Wednesday evening program. It is a meal with an adult Bible Study and a Children's Ministry. We have had a wonderful lady coming to this when she was able. She had attended Sunday morning twice, which most people had remembered, because she brought her five children with her. Her family is a blended family. She told me she wanted to talk to me about a decision she had made. I said sure. After the program was over and we were leaving she told me that she wanted to join the church. Then she told me why.
That very afternoon, she had called a wonderful lay woman of my congregation to open the church for her, because she was fixing the meal for the wednesday evening group. The other lady came and opened the door and they visited for a while. Then the member of my church said to her, "What would it take to get you to church on Sunday Morning?" The non member was flabbergasted to say the least. She said that all she needed was a wake up call. Of course the other woman was more than willing to do this. Then the member of the church said, "You have a lot you could add to our church and I want you to be here." She said at that moment, she knew that this church is where she belonged. It had been sixteen years since she joined any church. In fact, it had been long enough, that she was not even sure where her membership was. I thought what an awesome concrete example of evangelism.
In her simple question, "What would it take to get you to church on Sunday morning?" there were many profound truths given. One, is we want you here at this church. We want you to come on Sunday morning. Do you know how many people do not feel wanted or needed anywhere. I believe if our churches could simply communicate the fact that "you are wanted" then we the kingdom of God would be growing here on earth. another profound truth is that you are accepted as you are. The church woman did not ask this visitor to change. She actually said come as you are, We love you and want you to be here.
The next thing my wonderful lady did was let the other woman know that she had much to add here. We want to find a place for you. In the small church especially, it is like a family. When joining a family it is often difficult to find your place or your roll. Here she extended the welcom and said we have a place for you! What a wonderful Christ-like response.
It seems to me that many times we make evangelism too complicated. We think we need this or that program or if we would just study that book or read this author than we can do evangelism. However, I believe that most of evangelism is about having a relationship with another person and then being willing to say come and join our family of faith. We accept you. We love you and we have a place for you. Many people spend a lifetime looking for a place to belong. The church should be such a place.
I am not against evangelism studies or programs, but when it comes down to it evangelism is accomplished through relationships. Living a life in relationship to Christ and to others. Inviting and asking what can I do to help. Giving people unconditional love and showing them how to love others in the same way.
You see, Evangelism really is simple, yet profound.
Showing posts with label Christian Response. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Response. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thoughtfullness
I have been reading a book titled, Raging with Compassion: Postmodern Responses to the Problem of Evil, which I highly recommend. I have major problems with most books on pastoral care or the theodicy question. My problem is that most of them are intellectual defenses of God or pure theory with no practical appilcation. I have very little patience with theology that is not practical or applicable to a persons life. I guesse one would have to say I am a practical theologian.
Anyway, the point here is that most books that address the theodicy question do so in a highly intellectual way. In psychology this is a defense mechanism called intellectuallism. Meaning that if we keep an event in the intellectual realm, then we do not have to really examine our feelings about the event. Therefore, we really never fully integrate the event into our life and are defended against the event. In Raging with Compassion, this is Swinton's critique of most theodicies. I think he is absolutely correct. Most ventures into the theodicy are simply psychological defenses against having to actually respond to the evil in the world around us. If we intellectualize, blame the victim (say it is because of his or her or thier sin) or call God evil, then we protect ourselves. We find comfort in our reasoning and assure ourselves it could not happen to us. However, Swinton, goes on to say that the real question is not why thier is evil in the world, but how are we as Christians going to respond to the evil.
Swinton defines evil as anything that interferes with our relationship with God. Therefore, when an evil event occurs, how do we as Christians bring the presence of Christ into this event. One of the ways that this is done, is through what Swinton calls thoughtfullness. He talks about how most people do not think about their actions. He uses the example Otto Adalf Eichman, who was a prominant member of the Nazi governmnet of Germany during WWII. Eichman was responsible for organizing the roundups and transportation of Jews to the death camps. He was put on trial at Nuremberg. He had two psychological evaluations the first came down that he was a monster and enjoyed killing people and all that. The second though, was quite interesting. This woman was actually impressed by his normality and said that he was a short sighted buraecrat whose life seemed marked by an inability to see the long term results of his actions. In other words, he simply did or could not think about the consequences of what he was doing at the time. He was thoughtless.
We in the United States of America, live in a thoughtless culture. We want things now so we put them on a credit card, never thinking about what 15% interest is going to do to us in the future. We shop for cars not on what the whole price is going to be, but what our payment is going to be. Usually not even think ing about that balloon payment on the end, that will be more than the car is worth. We also have people who can step on others to get to the top, not thinking about the long term. We have drug use for the high at the moment, never considering the long term physical consequences, or the emotional consequences for other around us.
It seems to me one thing we as Christian can add to our culture is what Swinton calls thoughtfullness. The ability to think about our actions, both in the short term and the long term, and reflect on the possible consequences of both our actions and inactions.
Anyway, the point here is that most books that address the theodicy question do so in a highly intellectual way. In psychology this is a defense mechanism called intellectuallism. Meaning that if we keep an event in the intellectual realm, then we do not have to really examine our feelings about the event. Therefore, we really never fully integrate the event into our life and are defended against the event. In Raging with Compassion, this is Swinton's critique of most theodicies. I think he is absolutely correct. Most ventures into the theodicy are simply psychological defenses against having to actually respond to the evil in the world around us. If we intellectualize, blame the victim (say it is because of his or her or thier sin) or call God evil, then we protect ourselves. We find comfort in our reasoning and assure ourselves it could not happen to us. However, Swinton, goes on to say that the real question is not why thier is evil in the world, but how are we as Christians going to respond to the evil.
Swinton defines evil as anything that interferes with our relationship with God. Therefore, when an evil event occurs, how do we as Christians bring the presence of Christ into this event. One of the ways that this is done, is through what Swinton calls thoughtfullness. He talks about how most people do not think about their actions. He uses the example Otto Adalf Eichman, who was a prominant member of the Nazi governmnet of Germany during WWII. Eichman was responsible for organizing the roundups and transportation of Jews to the death camps. He was put on trial at Nuremberg. He had two psychological evaluations the first came down that he was a monster and enjoyed killing people and all that. The second though, was quite interesting. This woman was actually impressed by his normality and said that he was a short sighted buraecrat whose life seemed marked by an inability to see the long term results of his actions. In other words, he simply did or could not think about the consequences of what he was doing at the time. He was thoughtless.
We in the United States of America, live in a thoughtless culture. We want things now so we put them on a credit card, never thinking about what 15% interest is going to do to us in the future. We shop for cars not on what the whole price is going to be, but what our payment is going to be. Usually not even think ing about that balloon payment on the end, that will be more than the car is worth. We also have people who can step on others to get to the top, not thinking about the long term. We have drug use for the high at the moment, never considering the long term physical consequences, or the emotional consequences for other around us.
It seems to me one thing we as Christian can add to our culture is what Swinton calls thoughtfullness. The ability to think about our actions, both in the short term and the long term, and reflect on the possible consequences of both our actions and inactions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)