Quickshots [10.06.07]…
October 6, 2007 | 2:26 AM
Some more random thoughts of the week:
- If you’re a pastor or on staff at a church, stand up for your people. I’m not talking about supporting the folks you know are wrong. I’m saying if someone attacks one of your volunteers, have the spine to stand up for the volunteer.
- If you’re a pastor who recently left a church under good standing, don’t be afraid to: a) partner with that church in the future, b) help that church if they need support in the future, c) visit with some of your old friends from that church regularly. Sometimes it’s not best to do that. Lots of times, it is.
- The blog has gotten a facelift. If you can’t see it, click refresh or reload.
- The last week has been ridiculously awkward. You ever have one of those weeks where it felt like everything you touched fell apart? Right. Frustrating.
- Hockey season has begun. And the Rangers started strong against Florida. The Rangers may be my team, but it’s nice to see Pittsburgh and Washington excited about hockey again. For real.
- I’m still working on my photoblog, but I have a lot of class work that comes first. So… it’ll come. Eventually.
- For now, I’ll leave you with another thought: A friend of mine is required to spend an hour and a half doing personal evangelism in New Orleans for a class. He’s part of a three-man team which has been commissioned by a local church plant. They’ve spent the last two or three sessions passing out bottled water to people as a form of servant/relationship evangelism. But the question I posed to my friend is this- “Have you seen the same person twice? Because if you don’t see the guy again, it’s not really relational.” Hmm. Productive, I’m sure.
Posted in Life, Quickshots
joe kennedy, 2008
I agree. It can’t be relational if you don’t have the opportunity to build a relationship. Kinda makes a case for the shotgun approach to evangelism… you know, hit everyone you see kind of thing. But still not enough for me to think that’s effective either. Perhaps the only way to effectively reach a group of people/build relationships is to live among them… Just my random thoughts on this oh-too-early-in-the-morning Monday (yes, I’m at work and yes, its… now after 10am, but it’s still early to me, dangit).
PS — sorry about your week. Here’s to a new (and hopefully better) week ::raising Diet Coke can high in the air::
October 8th, 2007 at 10:02 AM
Lu, you’re right. It seems to me that we’re trying to place New Testament evangelistic methods over our North American, Western, (post)modern context, and it doesn’t work. Where, outside of London’s Trafalgar Square, do we have a “soapbox” from which to preach to the public? But in the Roman world, this was a very common thing. When the disciples performed miracles, and when they preached, the audience was assembled and interested. Corner preaching isn’t the same as what they were doing then.
So here’s a Diet Coke Plus to figuring out how we’re supposed to do it now.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:15 AM
nice to see you ‘re a Ranger fan Joe.
October 8th, 2007 at 3:41 PM
Paul, the first hockey game I ever saw on TV (or ever) was the Canucks-Rangers game seven in the Finals. When Mark Messier held the cup over his head and skated around MSG, what other choice could I have?
But I do like to see Washington, Pittsburgh, Colorado, and St. Louis with talent. (That means, when the Rangers stunk, I needed some backup. So I guess I’m not a diehard, but I do hate the Red Wings as much as I do the Oakland Raiders… which is a lot!)
October 8th, 2007 at 5:05 PM
That is interesting about the evangelism class. Ours here in Houston has some similar quirky stuff like that. For example having someone watch and critique as you share the Gospel…..so is it about presenting truth to Glorify God or about style and technique???
Relational without the relationship sounds interesting too.–Dirk
October 14th, 2007 at 10:29 PM