What Would You Say? Part 2
This is a post that is also on our family blog... where the conversation originally started. Actually, I'm not sure it is a conversation since there hasn't been much comented but still, I'd like to hear what other people have to say. Go to
Anonymous, I started replying to your comment twice but life kept happening... sorry about that.
I think this is an interesting question but one I don't think I really have an answer for because I don't believe that I can convince anyone to turn to Christ at least, not with words. The truth is, cliché though it may be, talk is cheap. I certainly believe that people can and are motivated through the written (and spoken) word and God uses a variety of tools to draw people to Him but I don’t believe it’s my job to convince anyone to believe anything but rather what the Spirit does in a person that draws them to Christ. The dangers that surround trying to convince someone to turn to Christ is that our tone can easily become arrogant and condescending, lacking in love and who wants that?
My desire would be to have a relationship with this person if it was someone I could have a relationship with- which would of course require more contact than one post could facilitate. But here’s the thing, I reject the idea of “friendship evangelism” even after all my years of being indoctrinated with this method of evangelism. If I began a relationship with this person there would be something other than me wanting to convince them of anything, we would have to share life on some level. My faith would never be a secret, but I wouldn’t be trying to manipulate conversations to not-so-subtly point out how they need God. I would seek to be in genuine relationship with this person, no hidden agenda.
If, hypothetically speaking, I could only make one post to this person and not knowing the context of the post or how I even came to this person’s blog, I would do my best to avoid clichés and “preaching” and instead try to be open to them and not act like I have all the answers (because I certainly don’t), speaking with love and genuine concern. As for anything beyond hoping to develop a relationship, I’ll leave that to God.
posted by Jessica | 4:37 PM
3 Comments:
yeah, never have participated in an ash wed. service..the Baptists really don't celebrate the church calander with the exception of Christmas (but not Advent)and Easter (but not Lent or Holy week). Then all the years we were apart of the Lutheran church I never attended an Ash wed. service.
Muy bueno.
The reason that I left the Pentecostal church is because the way they "talked" about reaching "the lost" didn't match how they actually "walked." And yes, that is an old cliche, but it's the truth. If you can't actually connect with people and be a part of their day-to-day lives, then what you think you "know" (all of your Biblical propositions and theological suppositions) really isn't worth the stock you put in it. I seek to fully live out I Cor 13:1-3 in my everyday life; having attempted to live by the "rules" of a denomination, I have to live solely by the example that Jesus set out for the Church throughout the Gospels.
And BTW, the Opening on March 10th was wonderful. Let me know how else I can help in Xnihilo. And feel free to give me suggestions about TSB.
And if you want to read about how I'm trying to promote the gallery, go read my primary blog (since I'm logged into my commentary blog with the above comment).
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