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If the last post revealed my flair for "good music" - then this post will reveal a little more of my personal passions in life. Again this week I could start this blog with the very same introduction that I used in the last post, "Everyone who knows me...I mean, those who really know me - knows that I love..." great coffee! Again, no real secret here. I can't hardly drive by a good coffee house without stopping and picking up a good cup o' Joe. But here is the reason for this weeks blog, as a believer in Christ - let alone a pastor, I have a responsibility to assist God in His global expansion program. In the circles I travel in, they often refer to this as "Evangelism." Now, before you form your opinions and get all uptight, let me help you understand the real purpose of this word. If you are like me, then the word "evangelism" probably conjures up pictures of crusades, stadiums, Billy Graham, the guy on the street corner wearing the placard sign with the writing "John 3:16" on it or something similar. Here is the deal though - all of that "stuff" may or may not be a form of the big "E"...But in any case, it is only a shallow corner of the pool. What I am trying to convey to you is that "E" is much broader and really much less complicated of foreign to your life than you may think.
Truth be told, I am not an evangelist. I do not have the spiritual gift which equips me for such a calling. I do not enjoy knocking on doors or passing out flier or tracts about Jesus. Bullhorns annoy me. Soap boxes aggravate me. And, placard signs tick me off. They really do! And if that was all there was to the big "E", then I would be very frustrated. Do you know why? Because, the Savior of my life (Jesus Christ) gave me a very important charge to, "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples." (Matt. 28:19 - CEV) If this is my responsibility, my spiritual charge - and I can only do it with a tract or a bullhorn, then I am destined to either be completely frustrated or a real failure!
Okay, so here is where the coffee thing comes back into play. Yesterday I discovered that an acquaintance and his wife were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Well, I know how it goes when a baby comes - the mother and the baby get all of the attention (rightfully so - no complaint here)! Because of this, I wanted to do something for the father. This morning I got up and went down to the local coffee house (Carolina Coffee Roasters if you must know) and picked up a freshly roasted pound of their finest coffee for this man. After visiting with he and his wife and of course the new baby girl, before leaving I placed this bag of coffee into his hands and shared some parting words. Now, I know you are trying to get ahead of me and figure out what all of this has to do with the big "E", so here it is. What I did today was simply to establish common ground with this man. I made a step forward in out relationship. Why? Simply because I wanted to. I have come to the understanding that everything in life pivots off of relationship. Without relationship you and I will accomplish very little.
What took place in my life today is just a picture of what real "Evangelism" is all about. It is about you and me connecting with people on their turf, in their world and building relationships. Evangelism is not so much about the big crusade as it is about the small personal connections we make with people. It is really about you and me building bridges into the lives of everyone we meet. You do not have to be their best friend, but you do have to care enough to reach out.
Jesus reached out all the time to those he came in contact with. The bible tells us he chatted with a woman about life while getting a drink of water, he chatted with lost people about life at a party that Matthew through for all of his lost friends, he chatted about life with a tax collector (thought to be the worst kind of sinner) at his house, and on and on the list goes. I am convinced that we would do well to follow his lead. I am planning to write about this again in the near future...But until then, just try to connect! Invite a friend for a good cup o' Joe, grab a bite to eat somewhere, go drive a bucket of golf balls with someone you know who is searching for more in their life than just the average stuff...And see if God doesn't show up!
My advice to you - grab a good cup of coffee, some good jazz music (i.e. Wynton Marsalis) and start a spiritual conversation with someone! Just see if this evangelism stuff doesn't come more naturally than you thought possible!
Coda!
Truth be told, I am not an evangelist. I do not have the spiritual gift which equips me for such a calling. I do not enjoy knocking on doors or passing out flier or tracts about Jesus. Bullhorns annoy me. Soap boxes aggravate me. And, placard signs tick me off. They really do! And if that was all there was to the big "E", then I would be very frustrated. Do you know why? Because, the Savior of my life (Jesus Christ) gave me a very important charge to, "Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples." (Matt. 28:19 - CEV) If this is my responsibility, my spiritual charge - and I can only do it with a tract or a bullhorn, then I am destined to either be completely frustrated or a real failure!
Okay, so here is where the coffee thing comes back into play. Yesterday I discovered that an acquaintance and his wife were blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Well, I know how it goes when a baby comes - the mother and the baby get all of the attention (rightfully so - no complaint here)! Because of this, I wanted to do something for the father. This morning I got up and went down to the local coffee house (Carolina Coffee Roasters if you must know) and picked up a freshly roasted pound of their finest coffee for this man. After visiting with he and his wife and of course the new baby girl, before leaving I placed this bag of coffee into his hands and shared some parting words. Now, I know you are trying to get ahead of me and figure out what all of this has to do with the big "E", so here it is. What I did today was simply to establish common ground with this man. I made a step forward in out relationship. Why? Simply because I wanted to. I have come to the understanding that everything in life pivots off of relationship. Without relationship you and I will accomplish very little.
What took place in my life today is just a picture of what real "Evangelism" is all about. It is about you and me connecting with people on their turf, in their world and building relationships. Evangelism is not so much about the big crusade as it is about the small personal connections we make with people. It is really about you and me building bridges into the lives of everyone we meet. You do not have to be their best friend, but you do have to care enough to reach out.
Jesus reached out all the time to those he came in contact with. The bible tells us he chatted with a woman about life while getting a drink of water, he chatted with lost people about life at a party that Matthew through for all of his lost friends, he chatted about life with a tax collector (thought to be the worst kind of sinner) at his house, and on and on the list goes. I am convinced that we would do well to follow his lead. I am planning to write about this again in the near future...But until then, just try to connect! Invite a friend for a good cup o' Joe, grab a bite to eat somewhere, go drive a bucket of golf balls with someone you know who is searching for more in their life than just the average stuff...And see if God doesn't show up!
My advice to you - grab a good cup of coffee, some good jazz music (i.e. Wynton Marsalis) and start a spiritual conversation with someone! Just see if this evangelism stuff doesn't come more naturally than you thought possible!
Coda!
1 comment:
This is an interesting look at Evangelism. I like coffee too and anyone who wants to grap a cup and talk, I'm in. It's amazing how much you find out about a person over acup of coffee or favorite beverage (non alcoholic of course). God has a unique way of bringing people together, whether it is by coffee or baseball. I have witnessed to a lot of people over dinner or coffee. It's the getting down on people's level that matters...Jesus did it, why can't we!
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