(Or, “Why Miss Mary is my newest hero.”)
A few weeks ago I posted an article on programming evangelism. It sparked a few comments and some good discussion. It further produced an opportunity for CB Scott to write a series of articles while I was at Youth Camp, which were hailed across a few blogs.
My position is that programming times to evangelize people is artificial and is not well received by our culture. In fact, I have personally heard several folks decry our efforts through this method by saying that we are not interested in them or what they have to say, but in convincing them that we are right and they should change their minds to believe as we do. Kind of a cosmic competition over who is right.
Not that I think this is what we are trying to accomplish, it is just their perception. However, perception is reality and we have to deal with it.
We have got to move to a more natural and holistic approach to evangelism. As a Christian, I am a missionary and I must take the Gospel. It is all a part of the same thing and we do ourselves, and our mission, great harm when we compartmentalize our faith.
Such compartmentalization also gives many the opportunity to exclude themselves from service in this area. By saying that they are unavailable to serve during the appropriate “time for evangelism,” they convince themselves that they don’t have to evangelize at all.
On Sunday, I preached on the Great Commission, saying that it is “Our Commission,” and “My Commission.” At one point, I even had the congregation say, along with me, “This is my commission.” I said that we had to get up and go and “rub off” on the lost in the world around us.
Imagine my complete astonishment when somebody heard me and took me seriously. ;)
Miss Mary is a retired educator and went to the funeral of a former co-worker. At this funeral, she saw some other former co-workers who used to leave about 4:00 pm and delve into the world for hollow comfort.
Miss Mary told the Women’s Bible Study that she used to worry about them but never said anything. Upon seeing them and remembering that she had just said, “This is my commission,” she said she just asked these guys, “Are you ready for this? What if this were your funeral? Would you go to Heaven?”
Their response? “Uuuhh, I guess so.” Miss Mary, “Well you don’t need to guess, you need to know,” whereupon she proceeded to share the gospel with them.
My wife came home from Women’s Bible Study on Monday night with this story.
Miss Mary is my newest hero. Yes, because she stays awake during my sermons, but also because she is a real evangelist who is taking the lost around her as her responsibility.
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Sonya D
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 9:30 am:
Art,
That is exciting! Don’t you wish we all had churches full of “Miss Marys” who were that determined to apply what we have learned?
CB Scott
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 9:38 am:
Thank God for Miss Mary—A true “Market Place Gal”
cb
Wes Kenney
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 9:50 am:
I couldn’t agree more about “programmed evangelism.” We need intentional friendships, not “gospel confrontations.”
and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. – Philemon 6
How can someone see the good Christ has done in our lives in a two-minute conversation at their front door, a conversation they desparately want to end? They can’t. It is in the context of a relationship that this prayer of Paul’s is answered.
Kevin Bussey
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 10:07 am:
Cool story!
Art,
You know I’m with you on this one. I pray every day for God to send me a person of peace so I can share my faith. When I was an Evangelism Pastor I felt like a used car salesmen (the bad kind – not the good ones) trying to put another notch on my belt.
BSC
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 10:40 am:
Gotta love folks like that…
Although I have to confess that mental images are rushing through my mind of a perfectly coiffed and immacuately tailored Art Rogers, bible held aloft, exclaiming:
“This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I can do what it says I can do.”
Wes Kenney
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 11:28 am:
Art doesn’t have the hair or the smile to pull that off effectively… ;-)
My thoughts on this post have spilled over into a post about it on my own blog.
art rogers
on Jul 26th, 2006
@ 11:46 am:
Though I do still have “good hair,” I am not nearly so perfectly suited for such an image as Ben:
Skinny, hair in place and $1,000 suit.
I preached in khaki’s and a short sleeve shirt Sunday.