Tag Archives: Evangelism

Trust God

Eastertide

May 25, 2019

Scripture Reading: John 14:22b-29
‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

 ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God.” ― Saint Ignatius of Loyola

This quote attributed to St Ignatius has been stated in varying fashions by many faith leaders. I choose his because he uses the word trust. Trust is the verb of faith. Trusting that everything ultimately depends on God is a freeing experience. We are not perfect; we all make mistakes and yet we followers of Christ are entrusted with the most important mission ever assigned: to share the love of God throughout the world and thus create a world ruled by love.

I once heard a lecture regarding childhood development that I think applies here. I am sorry I no longer remember the occasion much less the speaker. She said we do not send children out in a front yard surrounded by streets busy with traffic, leave them alone, and expect them to do the right thing if they throw their ball into the street. We do want our children to explore and develop their minds, bodies, social skills, and spiritual life. To do that we most likely will first place them in a fenced yard with hazards removed and various safe toys and plants and sand boxes to explore as we may play with them or watch as they alone or with their peers discover new and wonderous things. The environment we create for a child is like the trust we place in God to love and protect us as we strive to love God, love ourselves, and love each other. Like a toddler we may fall, even scrape a knee, but our loving Parent is always there to give us comfort and forgiveness while guiding us to try again.

I do not think we can make anyone follow Christ or to live their lives as we interpret is the “correct” way to follow Christ. We certainly cannot legislate our evangelism. We can love them, accept them as they are, and journey with them as they become the persons God created them to be. Christ got the assignment to judge who among us love him and follow him. Our assignment is to introduce Christ to those who may not know him and to love the way he loves.

Prayer: Lord, we have an awesome assignment and sometimes it is hard for us to let you be God and we be your followers. Forgive us and strengthen us to trust you fully. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Not Conquerors

Living in the Spirit
July 28, 2017

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:26-39

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all day long;
   we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 8:31-39

Christ assured us we do not do anything by ourselves, and we are called to do everything we possibly can to actualize the Kingdom of God to full fruition. When I think of conquerors, I think of folks like Attila the Hun who swoop down and win through war and oppression. What does it mean to be more than conquerors?

Several years ago, I swam at the Y most week days. After getting out of the pool and showering, I would join the crowd in the locker room each of us in various stages of preparing for the day ahead. I could not help overhearing the conversations particularly of the young women talking about how great their workout was, what athletic shoes were best for jogging vs. running, etc. Their enthusiasm was amazing. I remember thinking  that is evangelism—telling the good news about something that had improved their lives. Fred Craddock wrote a book about Overhearing the Gospel. Cramming something down someone else’s throat is conquering without regard to how it might hurt. Sharing good news—life nurturing information is beyond conquering.

What better news exist than the confidence that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord?

Prayer: Lord, teach us to share your Good News not as conquerors but as one’s who are continuously nurtured by you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Perspective

tumblr_m7g58wbiHm1rukhkdo1_500Living in the Spirit
July 10, 2015

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory. –Ephesians 1:3-14

Jesus Christ has been the most important influence in my life ever since I can remember. Raised in a Christian home, I had the examples of parents who were followers of Christ. I have also been under the influence of other followers of Christ from Isaiah, who seemed to know him before he was flesh and blood, to the writers of the gospels, and, of course, a complicated relationship with the writings of our author today, Paul. I am more recently learning that everything attributed to Paul may not have been written by Paul but by one or more of his students, which may help my understanding of this complex disciple’s teachings.

It is difficult, I think for anyone, to pull back and view the landscape of God from a more objective viewpoint when one has been steeped as deeply as I have in Jesus Christ. I take for granted my perception of Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and cannot appreciate that everyone else does not. The fact is, however, that more and more of my fellow Americans do not know this one called Christ. Many have actually turned away from knowing Christ because, I believe, he has been presented to them through the filters of his disciples, me for one, and like Paul’s students, we do not all get it right every time.

I believe it is worth our efforts to pull back and view the landscape of God more objectively as we discern with others God’s work among us particularly in the person and leadership of Jesus Christ. It will enable us to see more clearly the many facets of Christ we perhaps have missed in the past and to clean off the scum that have coated our lenses of insight distorting our perceptions of him. The result will be an enriching of our own relationship with and through him while it opens doors for new or returning seekers like Paul viewed the Ephesians in the snippet of his letter we read today.

Prayer: Lord create in me a clean heart enabling me to see you more clearly and thus share you more perfectly. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.