Faith in the Familiar

Today's readings: Psalms 54, 146; Isaiah 48:12-22; Galatians 1:18-2:10; Mark 6:1-13

Can you imagine any of your childhood friends becoming the Messiah? Neither could the people of Jesus’ hometown. When we know someone from before the time they were toilet-trained, or endure their period of adolescent moodiness, or witness other personal (all too humanizing!) traits, our ability to see her or him as truly extraordinary can evaporate. Executive washrooms are exclusive for a reason. Familiarity may not always breed contempt, but it doesn’t often promote respect.

When Jesus tried to teach in Nazareth, people took offense at his attempt. They asked: “Isn’t he just that carpenter? You know, Mary’s kid?”(Mark 6:3). Their unbelief amazed him, and limited his abilities (vv 5-6). Like a nightmarish high school reunion, his peers preconceptions negated all he had become. We benefit from hindsight, but how would we react if the neighbor kid started telling us we needed to rethink our concept of God?

Though none of our neighbors, children, siblings, parents or friends are likely to be the second coming of Christ, the reaction of the people of Nazareth serves as a warning. We don’t always want to hear challenging truths from someone we know well. We may brush off legitimate criticism from friends by reminding ourselves (and them) of their own faults. We might ignore good advice from Dad because “he always worries too much.” After watching our children make mistakes we warned them about, maybe we can’t learn to see them as capable adults. Companies often bring in consultants to point out obvious truths not because consultants are smarter, but because strangers lack the baggage we use to discredit our peers when we don’t want to hear them.

What damage do we cause our relationships when, even unknowingly, we dismiss people because they are familiar? Maybe we’re not preventing them from performing miracles, but how much might they accomplish if given a little faith? One way we can try to see the face of Christ in everyone is to define them by their potential, and not by their shortcomings. Sometimes they may let us down, but how we can rejoice when they lift us up!

Evening readings: Psalms 28, 99

Staying On the Mark(et)

Today's readings: Ps 75, 76; Est 2:5-8, 15-23; Acts 17:16-34; John 12:44-50

Some churches approach evangelization like a marketing campaign, while others consider this tactic crass. Demographic analysis and ad campaigns may not seem spiritual, but they can get butts in the seats. Prayer groups and one-on-one meetings may seem more spiritual, but risk becoming insular activities that impact only existing members. Trite as it may sound, a healthy approach lies somewhere in the middle.

Paul knew a thing or two about marketing. When he spoke to the Athenians, he used familiar phrases from Greek poets and philosophers (Acts 17:28) to support his position. When modern churches try to appear relevant by co-opting the latest trends, they aren’t as far from Paul as we might think. In Paul’s Greece, a person’s choice of philosophy was a social statement as much as a system of thought, so Paul knew to keep his references culturally savvy. He chose to “speak their language.”

Critics of Christian culture – including many Christians – often point to “relevant” marketing efforts as a sign of desperation or insincerity. If Paul is our example of effective evangelism – and if he isn’t, who could be? – such critics might want to temper their judgments. On the other hand, a packed house does not indicate a successful church, at least not by Christ’s standards of success. A large congregation means nothing if its members are not challenged to fully live the Gospel because to do so might negatively impact the collection plate or the head count. Conversely, a small congregation is not by default virtuous or successful, especially if it isn’t reaching out to the greater community.

A successful congregation is one that shares the Good News in ways people can understand and are attracted to, without compromising its message. The primary goal is never numbers-driven. Some churches also run the risk of speaking “Christianese” – insider language which may be meaningful to members, but leaves outsiders feeling excluded. Think what “slain in the spirit” sounds like to a non-Christian. A church should not resemble a club with a secret password. If we follow Paul’s example, we will see that presenting the unexpurgated Gospel message in a sincere but relatable way is the only marketing plan we need.

Comfort: Some of the best evangelism is simple truth, plainly spoken.

Challenge: Check your church’s promotional material for “Christianese.”

Prayer: Compassionate God, teach me to share Christ’s message.

Evening reading: Ps 23, 27

Tomorrow's readings: Ps 93, 96; Est 3:1-4:3; Jam 1:19-27; Matt 6:1-6, 16-18