In my August 8th blog, I began to discuss Robert Putnam and David Campbell’s book American Grace, emphasizing their thesis that America is more pluralist and polarized than ever. The religious Americans are more religious than ever and the irreligious ones are more committed to their non-belief than ever.
This past Saturday, August 13th, I had the joyous privilege of performing the wedding of our eldest son Dan and his bride Kelsey. The entire day flowed as a series of showers of grace. As the father, I wanted to soak in all the little moments that wove a tapestry of blessing. But as the officiant, I wanted to hold it together to say the things that needed to be said and to preach a message to exalt the wonders of marriage, the goodness of God, and the blessing of knowing this God as Savior and Lord.
I’ve been reading Robert Putnam and David Campbell’s American Grace. Based on the most (or one of the most) extensive surveys about religion in American life, this study is worth careful consideration by those who want to understand and reach out to those around them.
Someone asked me my opinion about an article on CNN’s home page. You can read it all here: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/24/my-take-why-evangelicals-should-stop-evangelizing-2/
It’s by Carl Medearis, who believes we can have better relationships with Muslims if we stop trying to convert them and simply invite them to be “apprentices of Jesus.”
If you care about proclaiming the gospel in a secularized, gospel-hostile culture, you should know some of the lines of reasoning of Lesslie Newbigin. A long term missionary to India, Newbigin returned to his home country of England and found it to be just as “lost” as the mission field in which he had served.
Is this world passing away or is it in the process of healing? Will it be replaced or renewed? Is the New Heavens and the New Earth a completely new entity or the fulfillment of this world’s longings and groanings? And, more to the point of this blog, does our view of the relationship between this world and the next one influence our view of mission?
The task of evangelism often includes telling our individual story along with the larger gospel story. Weaving the two together makes for a powerful articulation of God’s gracious work through all times and his specific salvific work in an individual heart – namely, yours.
I’ve been hearing the word “brokenness” a lot lately. In casual conversations and from up-front speakers, the term has become synonymous with sinful. In fact, for many, it has replaced the older, more-bothersome word.
In the previous blog I wrote that the paradox of evangelism is that when we remember that evangelism is impossible, we are more likely to evangelize!
Here’s the reverse of that paradox: If we think evangelism is supposed to be easy, we’re more likely to quit.
There is a paradox about evangelism. Actually there are several but I’ll only mention one here. It starts with the realization that evangelism is impossible. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44). Jesus also said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).