Do We Have To Share?

I know you have been waiting and waiting and waiting. So here they are, the notes for season 3, episode 6:

THE “E” WORD

            I’m not going to keep you guessing, we are talking about “evangelism” (although it does sound like it would be a very interesting cable television show about a bunch of Christians trying to live together and sharing their faith with different people… I’m going to call Showtime). 

This is a word that is dangerous in progressive Christian circles and is bandied about in more conservative, charismatic circles. Yet in our current culture/society it is an idea and concept that is not considered as deeply and sincerely as perhaps it should be.

            First, why evangelize at all? Considering the recent violence and tragedy in Boston I would hope the answer is obvious: we need the Kingdom of God to be here and the majority of Christians believe that such a Kingdom is found and experienced and made a reality through the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. I could go on, but I think what is important is that you consider why it is you are a Christian, why you go to church, and what is the foundation of your faith. How is your life different because of your faith? If you answer that it is not different then perhaps you need to step back and re-look at your faith.

            Second, consider many of the challenges of evangelization. We are facing a bevy of negative views of Christianity (thanks to televangelists, bigots, institutional corruption, my neighbor Ted, …). This does not help. In addition the majority of Christianity is stuck in old paradigms of evangelization. Putting an ad in the newspaper will not work. Having a “bring a friend” Sunday will not work, but is still a nice idea. Waiting for someone to ask you about your faith without telling anyone that you have a faith does not work either.

            We need to take chances. We need to overtly tell people who we are so they might know to ask about our faith. So if you are doing good things (serving food, fixing things, etc.) that is not enough. How will you let people know that you are doing good things because you are a Christian? How will you let people at work know you are a Christian? How will you let people in your school know you are a Christian? What about at your church, how will you let them know? You need to be obvious without being in-your-face, and it is possible to do this. I am suggesting that you take a chance, but do it with a healthy amount of respect for other people’s position and faith traditions.

            Finally, who do you want to reach? Be clear about the difference between church growth and evangelism. Church growth is reaching out to the nice young families with a litter of children who are interested in finding a faith community. Evangelism is reaching out to the people who have no idea who Moses is, who Peter is, and how Jesus could walk on water. Seriously, how on earth could he do that?

            If you believe your faith is important, nay vital, then why not share it? Unless you are some kind of heartless bastard who does not care about other people’s hopeless and directionless lives at which case I would question if you really get the whole Jesus thing in the first place.

Railage:

R.I.P. J. David Kuo. Let us not forget the warnings and call he gave to us to be careful about politics and religion. Whenever a faith community gets involved in politics is it compromising its faith. We will all compromise at one time or another, but we need to be careful – politicians are sneaky folks…. But then again so are a lot of church people. Hmmm… maybe we all are sneaky folks

Continuing with than what is with politicians and their lack of vision when it comes to budgetary approaches? Charley has been listening to radical, angry podcasts (not really, just Decode D.C.) and has a problem with the Republicans and the Democrats. Seriously, look at the amount spent on the military, Social Security, Medicare, and realize that there is a lot more to fix than simply slashing the small programs that actually help people. Grrr!

A Liturgical Exegesis

John 21:1-19

Love has many words, many approaches, and many ways of being known. Jesus loves us and many of us kinda like Jesus back. That doesn’t seem equal or right. Yet it is what we find in the give and take between Jesus and Peter. Poor Peter, even after the resurrection he still has a lot of learning and growing to do. Then again, don’t we all?

Watcha Into?

From Jonathan, read To Kill a Mockingbird and watch The Grapes of Wrath. Or do the ole one-up on Jonathan and watch To Kill a Mockingbird and read The Grapes of Wrath. Or watch both. Or read both. Or read one while watching the other at the same time.

Charley wants you to be happy, so read Thrive:Finding Happiness the Blue Zone Way by Dan Buettner. Did you know they have a wholewebsite devoted to this Blue Zone idea and living a long life? Seems kind of cultish. But then again, don’t you want to be happy? It makes us happy to know that you are happy and don’t you want us to be happy?

Let us close by reciting the liturgy first shared by Saints Ren and Stimpy:

Happy, happy, joy, joy. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Happy, happy, joy, joy. Happy, happy, happy, joy.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and to offer a comment/rating on itunes! Hey, did you know that we are still celebrating Easter! Doesn’t that make you blue?