Devotion: Doable Evangelism: Listening

 

James 1:19-20

¹⁹ You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;  ²⁰ for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.

 

Last week we talked about noticing people, which is the first step to doable evangelism.  The next step is to listen to people.  Like the act of noticing, listening is not something normal.  Most of us are used to talking.  I have found working with couples that the process of active listening is an arduous task, because most of the time while our significant other is jabbering on, we are merely wait for them to breathe so that we can respond.

The process of listening, however, shows that the other person has value.  We listen to what we find interesting and important.  Therefore, in order to build true connections and friendships with people, we have to listen to them.

You may wonder what does this have to do with evangelism.  Most people associate evangelism with talking, debating, arguing, pointing fingers, yelling and the such.  Doable Evangelism, as Jim Henderson argues, however, is not a scripted debate but an ordinary task all of us can do by listening to the people around us.

By listening, we are invited into the life of another person.  We are able to see the places where God may be active in their life, or some dark areas where they are struggling.  By listening, we show that we care about them, and we care about them because God cares about us.

So here is how to try out listening this week—ask someone “how are you doing?” and really mean it.  Stand there and let them tell you how they really are doing.  Fight the urge to fix any problems, to illumine them to a new perspective, or to start telling them how you are doing.

Start with a close friend or family member.  Then try it with a coworker.  When you realize it is not that scary, try it to a random encounter like a store clerk.

 

Virtual Church?

Devotion: Doable Evangelism--Noticing

Doable Evangelism: Noticing

The first step in doable evangelism is to notice other people. This is also probably one of the hardest steps because to notice other people we have to stop looking at ourselves. We live in the most targeted and marketed time in all of history, and so we have been trained to believe that if we do not look out for ourselves and our families no one else will. Commercials deceive us into think that every gadget and gizmo created was made with me (or my kids) in mind.

That is why the first step in doable evangelism is to notice someone else. It is to notice that there are other people in this world.

Mark 8:23-25 is one of my favorite stories in the Bible—for two reasons. First, Jesus spit on guy! But secondly and more importantly, this story demonstrates the process of noticing other people.

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like tree walking around." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Jesus encounters a blind man, and helps him see. But it takes time for the man’s eyesight to develop. The man was so used to not being able to see other people that at first he thought they were trees, but as his encounter with Christ continued so did his ability to see more clearly.

As we begin to look outside ourselves and our home, and start noticing other people we will realize that God calls us to engage other people, and genuinely care for them.

As you go about your time this week try to really “notice” people. Look the neighbor, the receptionist, the store clerk, or even the homeless person in the eye. Try to wonder how someone else is doing. Who did you notice this week?

Comparison

Ellie's Christmas present was an easel

and so I wanted to share this work of hers...

which reminds me of my style...

Wish You Were Here(?)

Thomas, Jack and James (L->R)

My favorite part is when James stops crying and looks at Jack like "Okay, you win!"

Devotion: Transforming Culture

Galatians 5:22-23 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The New York Times ran a recent article about TV personality Dr. Drew's new series called Celebrity Rehab and his tension as part reality TV star, part therapist. The article was interesting because Dr. Drew talked about how he sees himself as treating celebrities narcissistic need for attention, yet entices them with the allure of TV. He argues that he has to use the media to promote his therapeutic message. Sadly, it seems as though the church and faith have the same perspective, packaging the Gospel into culturally savvy marketing strategies.

Rather than viewing the Christian faith as something that tries to inspire and push us to live a life radically different than our cultures, many of our faiths look identical to the world around us.

In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts the cultural forces with the Fruits of the Spirit. These fruits are the outward demonstrations of our inward faith. Paul also argues that we should not conform to the pressures of this world, but seek to influence and transform the world because of our faith convictions.
One question that I was once asked, and continue to wrestle with, is: "What earthly difference does Jesus Christ make right now?" Rather than focusing on heavenly rewards one day, or discarding Christianity as historical event, this question addresses an essential faith question-how does Jesus Christ make a difference in my daily life?
One of the ways in which we can see the earthly difference Jesus Christ makes in our life is to see how these fruits grow and develop in our lives.
What ways are you showing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Which area needs to grow within your life?
In Christ,

Rev. Wes Barry

Devotion: Doable Evangelism

How many of you all, earnestly cringed when you read the title of
this devotion?

Evangelism is such a loaded word in American Church life because it
has often been misused to mean marketing. Last year, "This American
Life" ran an episode about Evangelism gone bad. One example they used
was a trick used by Campus Crusades during Beach Week. They would
have women dressed in bikinis handing out fliers to come to the free
luau where "food, games and drinks" would be offered. Of course those
drinks were non-alcoholic, and during intermissions the same women
would stand up and share how Jesus Christ changed their lives. As one
guy described it, "by the third intermission you suddenly realized
these women were not available and that the old bait & switch had
occurred."
I find much of my time is spent explain what Evangelism
is not, rather than helping people discover what true evangelism is.
For me, John 1:43, 45-46 is a beautiful example of what true
evangelism is.
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he
said to him, "Follow me..." 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him,
"We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom
the prophets also wrote-- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46
"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come
and see," said Philip.

As followers of Christ, we should be like Philip who actively seeks
out and invites a friend of his to come and discover who Jesus Christ
may be. I also love that when asked a question, Philip does not give
a 5 point argument, but rather invites Nathanael to join him in this
journey of faith.
It is my goal to spend the next few weeks, talking about
"Doable Evangelism" in order that we may discover that true faith is
not made through a sales pitch and a bait & switch, but an invitation
to walk together in our spiritual journey.
What is so scary about the word "Evangelism?" Who are
some people that have invited you to "come and see?"

In Christ,
Rev. Wes Barry
Minister for Evangelism and Young Adults

*I have totally lifted this phrase from DoableEvangelism.com, and
rather than have another copyright issue on my hand, I would like to
point you all to their website and trademark.