New Paths

To the graduating batch and the generations to come ;):

As one chapter of life ends, I've somewhat lost the stability of an already established ministry to come to everyday in school, to serve in and feel the Lord's presence. Yet the Lord is faithful, and has led me to discover new ministries to serve in, new challenges and opportunities, ones I may have overlooked because I was already engaged in another one. And one of these ministries was here all along; my family and friends. So to all who are or may have been wandering lost for the past months or so, as graduation approaches, continue to seek after the Lord, listen to His still, small voice, and be amazed at the new doors He opens for you everyday =)

so and here's something I read recently, to exhort and encourage you all to strive onwards in sharing the gospel everyday =) (sorry it's a little long, but I promise the end is worth it ^^ and anyway it's holiday, so no rush right? =D)

Robins, Anna. Sharing the Feast: Recipes for Evangelism and Discipleship for today's church. United Kingdom: Spring Harvest Publishing Division and Authentic Media, 2005. Print. p. 142-146

Two dinner parties, two different situations. At the first table, you're the guest of a work colleague whom you don't really know very well. As it turns out, you don't know any of the other guests very well either. You feel awkward and uncomfortable. You make a few false starts of conversation, but it's tough. Getting anything more than a grunt out of the guy slurping his soup is a Herculean task. The woman on the other side is talkative, but in fact, she won't shut up. She's been going on and on, giving you every sordid detail of her cat's killing escapades. If you had the feline within reach, you fear you might have one yourself. She seems not to care or even notice that you have glazed over ages ago, and have contented yourself with making designs in the breadcrumbs that fell between you bowl and the edge of the table. The evening won’t end soon enough for you.

At the second table, you’re with your best and oldest friends, all gathered in one place. There’s much noise and laughter, as you tease and insult each other, and share stories from work and home. You are so comfortable here that you don’t think about conversation as an effort. It flows freely, naturally. You know you’re accepted here, even when you say outrageous things, or when somebody else insists you’ll be fired for the practical joke you played on your boss at work. You’re very contented here, and so enjoy the communication, the food, and the company, that you wish it never had to end.

In the first situation, you wonder why you accepted the invitation in the first place. You have little in common with the people there, and yet, you want to connect with them, on some level. You know you’ll probably never be best friends, but still, it’s an opportunity, isn’t it? You try and make the best of it, because you never know when there might be an open door to say something good about Jesus. You never know when people are quietly watching you because they know you’re Christian. In the second - you’re comfortable and accepted but less likely to say anything about your faith because some of them are not Christians. They’re your good friends, so they know that Jesus is important to you, but you respect them and don’t want to push your beliefs on them.

This is the paradox of much of our evangelism today. We are surrounded by people we love, and who love us, but who do not know Christ. These are the people who accept us no matter what. The ones we’re related to haven’t any choice! And yet, we’ll struggle and strain to witness for Christ with those we hardly know, while ignoring the fact that we’re surrounded by opportunity in the faces and hearts of those we know best.

We can learn to let Christ flow naturally into the conversation; he’s not an agenda we’re pushing, just the way we see the world. If you’re skipping church to do something for your brother-in-law, don’t leave him with the impression that your religious life is expendable whenever something better comes along. Either tell him you’ll help him after church because that’s important to you, which will witness to your level of commitment to Christ, or if you do decide to spend time with him instead, make sure he knows why. ‘You know I normally would be at church this morning, but I decided it was important to be here for you as part of my commitment to Christ.’ So what if he thinks you’re a freak? At least he’ll know the Jesus freak will be there for him.

To skip an important community vision day at church to play a round of golf with non-Christian friends is justifiable only if you actually introduce Jesus into the conversation. Otherwise they see you only as a guy like them who would rather play golf and have a round at the clubhouse than hang out with a bunch of religious weirdos. It doesn’t necessarily bring them closer to the kingdom.

If we are going to have a real conversation with our culture about Jesus, we have to surrender the desire to be ‘normal’. I recently heard a group of young Christians bemoan the fact that they just want to be normal, live normal lives, go out on a Saturday night like normal people, dance on the table, like normal people do. I felt their longing for acceptance, but I believe they will have to give up the illusion of normalcy. To be a Christian in today’s world is not normal. The things that define a Christian and Christian belief, themselves are enough to set us apart as abnormal. If our dearest desire is to be ‘normal’, we have to give up being Christians.

This is what integrity as disciples require, and it spills over to our evangelism. What’s attractive about a faith you’re embarrassed to own? What’s enticing about something that doesn’t make you any different from those around you? If you’re just like them, why should they want to be jut like you? For one thing how do they know you’re a Christian, and why should they want to be Christian if it doesn’t make their lives any different? If we are normal, we are to be pitied. Our Christian discipleship is nothing but a waste of time, energy, and money. Or if discipleship is simply about doing good work, why not join Oxfam instead? You have your charity work and I have mine. If your Jesus is not worth introducing to all your friends, then he’s not the real thing.

The apostle Paul was willing time and again to encourage believers to follow is example, as he followed Christ’s. He further exhorted the members of the church to be examples to one another, and to those in their culture. In other words, to put it very basically, we are to let our light shine in this world. Since the world is often dark, the light is going to stand out. It will draw attention. Some will complain about it, because it will illumine the nature of their ill behaviour. Some will try to extinguish it. A few will ignore it. If we are human beings, living in this world, then we are as normal as we’re going to be. Being a Christian makes us abnormal. And we should be willing to acknowledge that in our living and in our conversations.

For example, the call to renounce worldly success and to seek after justice, to identify with the marginalized of our society, is not normal. To be a humble community of service is not normal. To welcome strangers, give sacrificially, to serve Christ and not consumerism, is not normal. To embark on initiatives that address the core issues in our neighbourhoods and communities is not normal. The call to discipleship is radical enough to reshape our lives so that we find ourselves so completely out of step with those around us. We need to see this as a good sign of Christ’s life at work in us. And we need to acknowledge that we cannot be a mission-shaped church without being first a disciple-shaped church.

Just some food for thought ;) happy new year in advance!

love,

pet