More Cowbell!
A good friend told me a few years ago that he didn’t know how to talk to non-christians … let me clarify his thought … he didn’t know how to talk to non-UPC-pentecostals. He obviously had nothing in common with them, but he felt he was missing good opportunities to win people to Jesus and make more friends.Sadly, I had the same problem. I couldn’t relate with people because it seemed we lived in different worlds, we had different mindsets and lifestyles and goals. But the Spirit urged me to make the journey into their world. To take the truth I know and live it out in their world. And this has changed my life and ministry forever.
Oh yeah, one important fact. I was trying to start a church at the time.
Being “worldly” while on mission
Two years ago I met Sam. His wife and mine knew each other, and decided a couple’s night out would be cool. He was very distant until we finally sat down to eat dinner. Knowing that I was Pentecostal and conservative, he just decided to cut the chit-chat and get down to business.
“What’re your views on homosexuality?” Sam asked while putting down his fork and crossing his arms, staring at me.
Today, he and I are tight friends … in fact he’s one of my closest. About that first night, he said that was his usual method of weeding out self-righteous hypocrites. “They like to stay in their own little world”, he said, “They won’t even listen to anyone who doesn’t hold the same views. I was testing you.”
He has major issues with Pentecostalism and most of Christianity, but he and I probably talk more about God each week than any other friend I have; because I listen … and he has questions.
How do you get a non-Christian talking about God? Find out what they’re reading.
Meet people where they are. With Sam that first night, I met him in his world, and it has made all the difference. I jumped into his life by asking about his reading list … and his favorite book.
“You’ve probably never heard of it … Of Human Bondage, by Maugham.”
“What’s it about? Why do you like it so much?” I asked, knocking on the door for the real Sam to come out.
“It’s about a young man trying to find himself. He’s pretty screwed up by his uncle who raised him, a very strict minister that wasn’t in touch with the real world. It’s kinda like a journey of life and faith and sexuality.” He waited for my response.
I wrote the title and author on a napkin and shoved it in my pocket. “Give me a week, and I’ll be ready to talk about it.” And that began our friendship. I’d read a book he suggested and we’d talk about it. Then he’d read one of mine (none were from David Bernard … I started with fiction).
This method has worked and is working with several other people. I’ve read everything you can imagine just to better understand people … and we always end up becoming friends. I trudge through some books and fall in love with others, but in each I learn a little more about how someone sees their life, simply by reading what books they like.
This makes all the difference to them, plus all this reading has helped me to discover more about myself.
PS. It works with all forms of media and art.
~Toby Stevens
www.thejourneyanchorage.org
I am currently reading:
Being “worldly” while on mission
Two years ago I met Sam. His wife and mine knew each other, and decided a couple’s night out would be cool. He was very distant until we finally sat down to eat dinner. Knowing that I was Pentecostal and conservative, he just decided to cut the chit-chat and get down to business.
“What’re your views on homosexuality?” Sam asked while putting down his fork and crossing his arms, staring at me.
Today, he and I are tight friends … in fact he’s one of my closest. About that first night, he said that was his usual method of weeding out self-righteous hypocrites. “They like to stay in their own little world”, he said, “They won’t even listen to anyone who doesn’t hold the same views. I was testing you.”
He has major issues with Pentecostalism and most of Christianity, but he and I probably talk more about God each week than any other friend I have; because I listen … and he has questions.
How do you get a non-Christian talking about God? Find out what they’re reading.
Meet people where they are. With Sam that first night, I met him in his world, and it has made all the difference. I jumped into his life by asking about his reading list … and his favorite book.
“You’ve probably never heard of it … Of Human Bondage, by Maugham.”
“What’s it about? Why do you like it so much?” I asked, knocking on the door for the real Sam to come out.
“It’s about a young man trying to find himself. He’s pretty screwed up by his uncle who raised him, a very strict minister that wasn’t in touch with the real world. It’s kinda like a journey of life and faith and sexuality.” He waited for my response.
I wrote the title and author on a napkin and shoved it in my pocket. “Give me a week, and I’ll be ready to talk about it.” And that began our friendship. I’d read a book he suggested and we’d talk about it. Then he’d read one of mine (none were from David Bernard … I started with fiction).
This method has worked and is working with several other people. I’ve read everything you can imagine just to better understand people … and we always end up becoming friends. I trudge through some books and fall in love with others, but in each I learn a little more about how someone sees their life, simply by reading what books they like.
This makes all the difference to them, plus all this reading has helped me to discover more about myself.
PS. It works with all forms of media and art.
~Toby Stevens
www.thejourneyanchorage.org
I am currently reading:
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore. (NOTE: Have an extra pair of underwear handy when you read this, because you will pee your pants laughing.)
Good Poems, collected by Garrison Keillor.
Misquoting Jesus: Who Changed the Bible and Why?, by Bart Ehrman. (This is one of those books I’m reading for someone else’s sake. It’s a crock, and easily debunked … for starters, the Hebrew on the cover is upside down!)
posted by Toby Stevens at
7/17/2007 12:30:00 PM
3 Comments:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on literature and writing. I really appreciate the way you approach this subject from the applicable perspective, versus merely tossing around theories and ideas. It doesn't matter how much knowledge or exposure a person has in the world of the arts, if they don't know how to communicate it and apply it to everyday relationships and interactions. It's nice to see you take these concepts beyond philosophical musings and place them into the mission of the church and the lives of those around us. Thanks.
Toby,
I just went to Amazon and bought "Lamb" on your good word. I'll "layer up" as a preemptive measure:)
-R
I like the book exchange idea. I'll have to try that. I've found that it is certainly easier for me to socialize exclusively with others of like faith...but I don't have much impact on my world.
Josh
Post a Comment
<< Home