Can Evangelism and Social Justice Co-Exist in the Proclamation of the Church?
I grew up in a church where sin (disobedience to God) was seen as a personal issue. Preachers told us that each of us had disobeyed God. If we wanted to be saved and not go to Hell, we had to accept Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord.
I can look back to that kind of preaching and see how true it was to a certain extent but how limited it was in so many other ways. If there was any call to discipleship, it was not to do certain things, such as dancing. Interestingly, the people of God often danced in the Bible, but I guess it wasn't slow dancing.
This type of evangelism was "transactional". You believed in Jesus so you wouldn't go to Hell, and then you stayed away from certain things, many of which seemed like fun.
While the word "evangelism" has good roots in the New Testament, coming from "evangel", which means "good news", still it's an unwelcome word among some followers of Jesus.
Evangelism conjures up images of manipulation. When the evangelist has us sing, "Just as I am" fifteen times, we're all going forward praying for the benediction to end the torture.
Evangelism or its cousin "evangelical" has become connected with certain political groups and their support of agendas that make some of us feel highly uncomfortable.
So we have a choice. Let's abandon the whole idea of evangelism because the word is too tainted. Or can we find a way to talk about Jesus' call to follow him and to care for the hungry and all of those who are marginalized? Can we invite people to follow Jesus not as a contract or transaction but as a way of life that gives us the courage to address the social issues of our time as well as minister to those who live on the edges of life?
Mark Tidsworth, a leadership specialist from Tennessee, has written an intriguing book, Shift: Three Big Moves for the 21st Century Church. Tidsworth points out that in the New Testament, the word "Christian" is used three times, and Christianity is never used, but "disciple" appears 263 times. Disciple means "learner" or "follower". Think how much more dynamic disciple is than the word "Christian". Ministers invite people to "Christianity". Dr. Fred Craddock often reminded his preaching students to avoid in their proclamation words that ended in "-ity".
Disciple is a more fluid and organic word. Besides, it is a biblical word that implies "relation", not "transaction". As a follower of the Christ, what do we do is to love our neighbor and to care for people.
One of the most difficult issues that churches face is the LGBTQ+ challenge. A few churches have said where they stand, but a lot of ministers that I know are struggling with whether or not to address this issue of sexual orientation and sexual identity.
I learned a long time ago that the pulpit is a hard place to argue an idea. People who oppose the idea tend to become more entrenched in their own positions. Listeners may feel that the argumentative style of the preacher is disrespectful of them as persons, and that only exacerbates the tension. Hearers need a face, a name. While preachers may feel strongly about this situation, the fundamental purpose of preaching is to get something heard, not just to say something. Not everybody in the church sees things in the same way, but they are receptive to different viewpoints.
Here's the story that I shared with a church where my family and I are members. My daughter and some of her friends get together periodically to wash and cut the hair of transgendered children. Transgender people are folks in a male or female body but who feel their gender identity is different. A young child born as a girl was assigned to Laura Beth, my daughter. "Please cut my hair short", the child said. In a timid voice they said to Laura Beth, "My name is Isaac".
During the haircut my daughter talked to them as the person they were. Isaac's mother had come with them. After the haircut, the mother thanked my daughter for her kindness. "You know", the mother said, "This isn't easy for any of us, but I love my child more than life itself." As Laura Beth dusted the hair off, the child looked at my daughter, and said, "My name is Isaac. Most of my friends don't understand what's going on inside of me. Some of them say things that hurt me." And then they said, "My name is Isaac". "Laura Beth, do you know that I usually sit by myself in the cafeteria when I eat lunch? Nobody wants to be seen with me?" So the question is if you and I were eating lunch in the cafeteria would we sit with Isaac? "What if I said I would like to sit with you at lunch," and then... left the rest to God.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly,
Pray daily,
And then... leave the rest to God.
I can look back to that kind of preaching and see how true it was to a certain extent but how limited it was in so many other ways. If there was any call to discipleship, it was not to do certain things, such as dancing. Interestingly, the people of God often danced in the Bible, but I guess it wasn't slow dancing.
This type of evangelism was "transactional". You believed in Jesus so you wouldn't go to Hell, and then you stayed away from certain things, many of which seemed like fun.
While the word "evangelism" has good roots in the New Testament, coming from "evangel", which means "good news", still it's an unwelcome word among some followers of Jesus.
Evangelism conjures up images of manipulation. When the evangelist has us sing, "Just as I am" fifteen times, we're all going forward praying for the benediction to end the torture.
Evangelism or its cousin "evangelical" has become connected with certain political groups and their support of agendas that make some of us feel highly uncomfortable.
So we have a choice. Let's abandon the whole idea of evangelism because the word is too tainted. Or can we find a way to talk about Jesus' call to follow him and to care for the hungry and all of those who are marginalized? Can we invite people to follow Jesus not as a contract or transaction but as a way of life that gives us the courage to address the social issues of our time as well as minister to those who live on the edges of life?
Mark Tidsworth, a leadership specialist from Tennessee, has written an intriguing book, Shift: Three Big Moves for the 21st Century Church. Tidsworth points out that in the New Testament, the word "Christian" is used three times, and Christianity is never used, but "disciple" appears 263 times. Disciple means "learner" or "follower". Think how much more dynamic disciple is than the word "Christian". Ministers invite people to "Christianity". Dr. Fred Craddock often reminded his preaching students to avoid in their proclamation words that ended in "-ity".
Disciple is a more fluid and organic word. Besides, it is a biblical word that implies "relation", not "transaction". As a follower of the Christ, what do we do is to love our neighbor and to care for people.
One of the most difficult issues that churches face is the LGBTQ+ challenge. A few churches have said where they stand, but a lot of ministers that I know are struggling with whether or not to address this issue of sexual orientation and sexual identity.
I learned a long time ago that the pulpit is a hard place to argue an idea. People who oppose the idea tend to become more entrenched in their own positions. Listeners may feel that the argumentative style of the preacher is disrespectful of them as persons, and that only exacerbates the tension. Hearers need a face, a name. While preachers may feel strongly about this situation, the fundamental purpose of preaching is to get something heard, not just to say something. Not everybody in the church sees things in the same way, but they are receptive to different viewpoints.
Here's the story that I shared with a church where my family and I are members. My daughter and some of her friends get together periodically to wash and cut the hair of transgendered children. Transgender people are folks in a male or female body but who feel their gender identity is different. A young child born as a girl was assigned to Laura Beth, my daughter. "Please cut my hair short", the child said. In a timid voice they said to Laura Beth, "My name is Isaac".
During the haircut my daughter talked to them as the person they were. Isaac's mother had come with them. After the haircut, the mother thanked my daughter for her kindness. "You know", the mother said, "This isn't easy for any of us, but I love my child more than life itself." As Laura Beth dusted the hair off, the child looked at my daughter, and said, "My name is Isaac. Most of my friends don't understand what's going on inside of me. Some of them say things that hurt me." And then they said, "My name is Isaac". "Laura Beth, do you know that I usually sit by myself in the cafeteria when I eat lunch? Nobody wants to be seen with me?" So the question is if you and I were eating lunch in the cafeteria would we sit with Isaac? "What if I said I would like to sit with you at lunch," and then... left the rest to God.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly,
Pray daily,
And then... leave the rest to God.
thanks for sharing Chuck........difficult subject to undertake.....I had a sweet nephew who walked this tough journey..................he didn't ask to be born this way......love to you and your sweet family..
ReplyDeleteYes, absolutely choose to sit with Isaac as Jesus would do. Jesus loves each and every one of us despite all of our quirks, weaknesses, sins, but He does not legitimize them. He says, “there is a better way. Now go, and sin no more.” God made no mistakes when he created us male or female - God makes no mistakes in his creation. We are the ones who break things by not looking to Him. The devil is alive and well ... and he is getting his way a lot. The church needs to be the place that loves people enough to tell them when they are wrong. The church is failing people by not doing so.
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