Evangelism terrifies me. I know that as a Christian, I am supposed to spread the Good News of the Gospel. I enjoy theological and philosophical conversations, over cups of coffee or bottles of beer. I am passionate about my church. I should be comfortable sharing this, but, instead, the idea paralyzes me. I cannot speak the words, “You should hear about the saving grace of Christ Jesus” or anything similar to that.
It calls to mind the classic, door-to-door evangelist, or those people who put flyers on your cars at county fairs proclaiming, “Are you Going to Heaven?”, or those people standing on street corners prophesizing the end times. I’ve written before about how the question, “Have you taken Jesus Christ as your personal savior?” scared me out of church for about 20 years.
As much as I love my church and as much as my Christian faith sustains me, I cannot speak eloquently about it. Maybe the fault is in my liberal, universal, grace-dependent theology. If I believe with all my heart that Jesus came not to judge the world, but to save it, that he died for us ALL while we were still sinners, then I cannot threaten people with hellfire and brimstone if they do not come to church. If I believe that we are saved by grace, unearned, free-flowing grace, not by our good works, then I cannot threaten people with hell if they do not follow the rules. If I believe that the church is not a self-help organization, but rather is a where we build a relationship with God and his children, all of us flawed and failing, then I cannot promise that coming to church makes your life easier. There is no carrot or stick in my belief system.
It’s a pretty sad marketing pitch: You’re not going to go to hell if you don’t come, and showing up might not make your life easier. As a matter of fact, it might make your life more challenging, more honest, and more real. But no way will it get easier. You will have to die to your selfishness in order to live, to lay down your ambitions in order to pick up a cross. Oh, and everyone gets the same equal chance. No matter how many times the other guy screws up and cuts you off in traffic, or screws you over at work, or fails to show up for you, he is just as loved by God as you are. Not many sales made on that advertising!
Maybe this is why so many liberal Christians suck at evangelism, but conservative Christians excel at it. If a nice person honestly believes that he holds all the tickets to an eternity free from hell-fire, he's going to loudly persuade all his friends and neighbors to buy those tickets. I mean, who wouldn’t want to save the world from eternal damnation? But, if you believe that God is actively pursuing a relationship with every living thing, that God will not stop until he reconciles everyone into the great love in which we live and move, you aren’t quite so worried about saving everyone. So, how do you spread the Good News? How do you invite people to the party?
Here’s my question: what should I say instead of “Come to church so you don’t go to hell”? Maybe something like…
- You are already saved, so come join the party. Come partake of the feast that God has prepared for you. Why not start the celebration now?
- You will be have lots of company in eternity, so come to church and learn how to deal with other people in a culture of love.
- You are forgiven, so come to church to pray to be able to forgive others.
- God loves you, so come to church to learn to love others, even those who seem to be unloveable.
- Jesus Christ put you first, so come to church and learn how to put others first. Come to church to learn how to take care of each other.
- God will envelop you in love someday, so come to church and get used to hanging out with him. That way you won’t be so surprised when you meet him.
I wonder how that sales pitch would work?
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