The Master Plan of Evangelism

When I was in college I had a class called Personal Evangelism, taught by Will Ed Warren. I remember very little about the class other than what an inspiring man this teacher was, and the title of one of the required readings.

I do remember one other thing...our term assignment was to focus on one person during those few months and deliberately and lovingly share our faith with them. My "project" was a single mother that I knew...BJ. I did a miserable job. I was so timid. But what I did learn through the whole process was a love for the lost. I learned a little bit about patience and looking at the world through someone else's eyes. I learned to feel protective about others. I don't know where BJ is now, and I haven't thought of her in years, but my prayer today is that someone along the way did a better job than I did. Her heart was big and her life was difficult. But she was a seeker.

The book that I mentioned is The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman. I recently reread it. (I forget things I read last week, 20 some years ago is out of the question!) It's a great little book still. It encourages us to look at the way Jesus viewed discipleship. He came to redeem us, but along the way He taught us how to live as well. We're all familiar with the acronym WWJD, What Would Jesus Do (which has been around much longer than most people think, by the way...it's originally from a book called In His Steps, written in the early 1900s). Coleman's emphasis is that we need to look at Jesus for not only how to live, but how to bring others to God.

I want to share one thought I had while reading the book. Coleman talks about Jesus' purposeful selection of the 12. This got me thinking. There have been some very important people in my life. Some of these I've thought of as gifts from God. Which they are...and I'm so grateful to Him for them. But I've come to realize they are more than that. I think He deliberately put certain people in my life so that we could learn together, grow together, and then be sent out. I'm not really comparing myself with one of the apostles, but I think God is in the disciple-making business still.

So next time you're enjoying the company of certain brothers or sisters in Christ, think about this...is God grooming you and them right now for the work He is getting ready to send you out on? Is this more than just good fellowship? I'm willing to bet that God is up to something.

Unexpected Blessings

I have spent the last 3+ years worshiping with Christians in Garmisch Germany. Since we were part of a very small Army community, there was very little in the way of options for worship. Especially if you didn't speak German.

I have to say, this helped me to grow in unexpected ways. I learned to get along with others (I know, there were some lessons from kindergartden that I had to relearn!) There was no "I'll just go to a different church" option. These were your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you were stuck with them. What a blessing that was!

There were some disadvantages, of course. Most notably,and I didn't realize how notably until I got back, was the absence of white hair. I'm 45. In Garmisch I was one of the "older ladies." EEK!

Now I'm here (California). At least for a little while. And one of my joys is the unexpected blessing of older people. The church where I worship is my mother's church. Her friends have become my friends. Well, kind of. Most of them are older than me, so it's not like we're peers. I'm in a position of listening and learning, instead of teaching.

Even though I didn't realize it until now...how I've missed this! Thank you to all of you wonderfully special spiritual mothers on the Monterey Peninsula! (Especially my own biological mother.)

The Emerging Church

Sometimes I follow conversations dealing with the "emerging church." Some of you are probably saying, Huh? That's okay. If you don't know anything about the controversy that arises during these discussions, you may be better off. I usually just read or listen, and watch which way the wind is blowing. We'll just say that it involves a little bit of friction between contempory vs. traditional views. There is, of course, much more to it than that, but it's a start.

This morning I read something interesting though. Scot McKnight, at his blog, Jesus Creed (http://jesuscreed.org/), gives us this list of qualifiers for the emerging church.

1. Identifying with Jesus.
2. Transforming secular space.
3. Living as community.
4. Welcoming the stranger.
5. Serving with generosity.
6. Participating as producers.
7. Creating as created beings.
8. Leading as a body.
9. Merging ancient and contemporary spiritualities.

To be honest, I'm not sure what numbers (6)and (7) actually mean in the context of Christianity or why they are important. Number (8) I have reservations about, and maybe that's because I'm not sure what is intended by it. Number (9) I can get excited about, as long as we're talking about what I think we're talking about. If it means that I get to sing hymns from the 8th century right before singing In Christ Alone, than I'm thrilled. (As long as ancient means something composed before the early 1900's, late 1800's...Fanny Crosby wrote many lovely songs, but we've got 2000 years of church history, not 150!)

The other six characteristics...these give me goosebumps. I just want to jump up and down and say, "Yes, this is it!"

But what do I do if the church I attend doesn't have these things (or if I think it doesn't have these things)? Do I leave to go someplace else? Do I church hop looking for the perfect congregation?

There are couple of problems that arise from this. First of all, there is no "perfect" congregation (at least in the eyes of man...God's looking at us through Christ's blood, so His vision is a little different). Until Jesus comes again, we will always be flawed creatures who make up His body of believers. Secondly, church isn't I thing I attend, it's a precious thing that I'm a part of. Thirdly, I see no scriptural directive encouraging me to leave one body to go to another just because I'm dissatisfied. Actually, I see words like, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you." (I Cor. 1:10)

No answers here. I'm just thinking out loud. This one thing I do know though. It is In Christ Alone that I stand. He is my cornerstone and my one desire. He is who I want to share with others, whether it is in the local body that I'm a part of or with the woman at the check out counter. Nothing else matters.