Happiness is...

Happiness is the smile that encompasses the entire body of my 3 month old great nephew!

Evangelism

I am enrolled in a class on Evangelism to begin in August. Having already received the assigned texts, I have started reading, trying to get ahead of the game. I don't know what it is about evangelism, but I approach it with trepidation. I guess I think of the pastor of the church next door to my own who insists that if the church is to have a role in making the neighborhood a better, safer place to live, it is to go door to door preaching the good news - totally different from my own previous pastor who believed in working with the people in our neighborhood to find solutions to the problems we face just living in the same area. The image I have of evangelism is one of a Bible thumping, fire-breathing, holier-than-thou person who KNOWS what the Bible says about everything and KNOWS that I will burn forever in Hell if I don't agree with whatever the Spirit should put into his/her mouth!

I have approached the reading of the first book with the same trepidation. Even the publisher of the book gives me some concern as to the methods that may be introduced within. I hate to admit it, but I formed an opinion about this book before I even opened its cover.

Sure enough, before I complete the 1st chapter, one of the "mega churches" I am slightly familiar with and its method of evangelism is given as an example of true "servant evangelism." As a member of the Church of the Brethren, a denomination which focuses a great deal on the servanthood of Jesus Christ and our call to follow the example he sat for us, I read the material with almost a taste of disgust. I question whether the writers understand the true meaning of the word "servant."

As I finish the third chapter of the book, I remind myself that it represents the opinions of 3 persons. Just because it was chosen as a required text for the class does not mean that the opinions stated are absolute. I also remind myself that even though the writers may not know all there is to know about evangelism and/or servanthood - neither do I. Oh that I may keep reminding myself these things to the end of the book!

Sidebars

Thanks to my 3 blogger buds! I appreciate the responses to my first entry into the world of blogs! I hope that, should you return, you will find some entertaining and perhaps some thought provoking entries here. As far as adding sidebars, well, J - let's see how I do just entering text for now.

Love you all.

Beginning

"From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush." Jeremiah 6:13-15

Jerusalem or America?