How NOT To Witness

photo © 2011 ideacreamanuela2 | more info (via: Wylio)A few summers ago I had a job selling shoes at an under-staffed (and overpriced) department store. The only good thing about the job was it was right across the street from Subway. One evening I was walking to Subway to get some dinner when a man with sunglasses and a cheesy smile came up to me. He looked like he was trying way too hard to be Tom Cruise in Risky Business.

“Hey there buddy,” he said as he enthusiastically stuck his hand out, “I’m Steve. What’s your name?”

“Uh, Travis?” I responded.

“Awesome! So, what’s up, man?”

"Well, I’m just on my break from work.”

“That’s rad! Where do you work at, bro?” I pointed to the department store. “Do you like it there?” Steve asked.

“It’s alright,” I replied. “I mean it, like, pays the bills and stuff.”

“Well, buddy, I was like you once. I was at a dead-end job where I wasn’t getting paid anything. But then a friend told me about Network Market, and now I’m making more money than I ever dreamed of. We’re having a job fair at Holiday Inn next Saturday, and I’d love to see you there.”

“What kind of job is it?”

“It’s a network of markets. There’s the future, bro! Here, take my card.”

“Um, okay. I’ll think about it.”

“Hey, man, don’t think about it—do it! This is your opportunity. See you there!”

Needless to say, I didn’t go. It sounded too fishy.

I mention this because I think this is the way a lot Christians approach witnessing: a formula. They talk about Jesus as if He’s some amazing new product or program that will cure all the problems of the world. Don’t get me wrong; I definitely believe that Jesus gets us through tough times. But I think it is way too easy to make Him sound like a product instead of the King of kings.

Either that, or they make God sound like a sniper with his rifle aimed at you.

I once saw a video on YouTube of Todd Friel witnessing to some teenagers. He started by asking the classic evangelical opening question, “Do you think you’re a good person?”

“Yeah, I guess,” the teens reply.

“Well, the Bible says we’re not. We’ve broken God’s commandments. Have you ever told a lie?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you’re guilty before God and deserve eternal punishment. But Jesus died for your sins.”

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in sugar coating sin. But from my own observations, guilt-tripping people into following Jesus.

In fact, I don't think the Bible has any "how to witness" formulas. As many times as I've read the Bible, I've never seen Jesus walk up to a random person and ask, "Do you think you're a good person?" Neither is there anywhere in the Bible when, after some one asks, "What must I do to be saved?", Jesus says, "Repeat after me. 'Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner . . . '"

Charles Spurgeon once said soul-winning "should be the main pursuit of every true believer." While I definitely believe it should be at least one of our main pursuits (the others being feeding the poor, caring for the planet, speaking up for justice, etc.), sometimes I think we need better ways to win souls. And I'm not talking about making Jesus "relevant" by putting Him on a skateboard, or something hokey like that. I mean I think we should preach Christ in a way that He becomes something real, something beautiful, something that will make the soul leap for joy.

How do you do that? I don't know, yet. I'm still figuring that out.

How do you share your faith with others?

Why Bother With Harold Camping?

photo © 2011 youngmoigle | more info (via: Wylio)Well, looks like Harold Camping was wrong. The May 21st Rapture that Camping spent all of his energy on never happened. He's reportedly shocked, but everyone else isn't.

And if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I had a field day making fun of Camping all day Saturday!

I think at one point I even compared him to Marshall Applewhite, the leader of the Heaven's Gate cult.

My friend and Something Beautiful co-host Jonathan at one point said, "You're not gonna give that guy a break are you?" To be honest, I wasn't.

And that's because I've suffered a lot of anxiety attacks in the past believing that the world was going the end at any minute.

First there was Mrs. Nash (not her real name) in 11th grade who mixed Y2K paranoia with the Book of Revelation, and regularly told us in class that the devil was unleashed from his pit after his thousand-year imprisonment. And this was in a public school, too! Of course January 1, 2000 came and went, and nothing happened.

And then that summer while working at the Surratts-Clinton library, I came across some books about Nostradamus, The Bible Code, and the Left Behind series. I spent that entire summer in paralyzing fear, worrying that something bad was going to happen in the next year or two. It got so bad that I was sent to a therapist after I scratched my arms up with a sewing needle. Fortunately things got better than fall when I started following Jesus. His Word comforted me and told me that no matter what would happen, God would always be there.

Flash forward to the summer of 2006 when I skim through the book The Bible Code and suddenly start preparing for the big nuclear holocaust it predicted for that August. I couldn't eat, and whatever I did eat I couldn't keep down. Nothing made me happy. All I could do was look at the horizon and imagine a big nuclear blast coming my way. It got so bad that I had to go on Effexor (which I still take). Of course 2006 came and went, and I realized how much time I wasted.

So when I read about a mother killing her children and then herself to avoid the Tribulation, or all the people who gave up their entire lives to preach Camping's message, I immediately remember all the time I wasted throughout my life being scared to death. This isn't the Gospel! Jesus came to give us peace, not fear. Eschatology is supposed to inspire us to participate in God's restoration of the world. But why do that when you can scare people out of their money and lives?

Take it from me, folks, when Jesus says no one but God knows when the world will end, you better believe it!

What To Do About Sojourners

In case you did not hear, progressive Christian group Sojourners recently got into some hot water after they turned down this advertisement from Believe Out Loud:



Jim Wallis released a statement on Sojourner's website explaining why they turned down the ad. Even though Wallis says all churches should "be welcoming of all people, regardless of race or ethnicity, gender, age, disabilities, religious background or denomination, or sexual orientation," he later confesses that LGBTQ rights aren't "at the core of our calling, which is much more focused on matters of poverty, racial justice, stewardship of the creation, and the defense of life and peace."

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for ending poverty, promoting racial justice, taking care of the planet, and promoting peace. I just wish Wallis would include LGBTQ rights in his mission. As some of my friends have pointed out, LGBTQ are some of the biggest victims of poverty.

Both Brian McLaren and Nadia Bolz-Weber, who both blog for Sojourners, have written responses to the controversy. And while I love and adore both McLaren and Bolz-Weber--McLaren is especially on the money about the on-going tension--I do wish they would have spoken up for the LGBTQ community a wee bit more.

But Travis, why would a straight guy like you be so concerned about LGBTQ right?

It's because during the past year some things happened that completely changed the way I look at LGBTQ issues. It all started last year when two people called me out for something I wrote on this blog. I don't want to get into all the details, but at first I was way too defensive. What could have been a civil conversation turned into a shouting match (with me doing all the shouting). Things died down, I apologized to the two people, and I've since become friends with both of them.

But their words stayed in my brain. I started thinking about what straight privilege meant, and whether or not the infamous "clobber passages" really meant what I thought they meant. But for the most part I still didn't take LGBTQ issues seriously.

And came the teen suicides that fall.

First it was just Tyler Clementi, but then it seemed like day after day there was another gay teenager that committed suicide. I suddenly realized that if our theology says that if there is a certain group of people who, even if they do follow Jesus, will ultimately not enter the Kingdom of God because of who they love . . . then something is seriously wrong!

Now I don't have all the answers. There's still a lot I have to learn, and a lot of things I still need to unlearn. But I do feel like Sojourners should have run the ad. We can't just sit on the fence while kids are killing themselves. And since Sojourners is constantly talking about justice the sanctity of human life, I would think that they would be one of the most vocal LGBTQ advocates.

And yet, I don't want to punish Sojourners, either. True, I did cancel my subscription to their magazine (I mainly read it if either McLaren or Walter Brueggemann wrote an article), but I don't want to say, "If you still read Sojourners, you're a bad person." I also don't want to create an "us vs. them" environment, where it's us LGBTQ allies on one side and all the evangelicals on the other. I'm pretty sure that will only screw things up more!

So, what do you do? Well, I think the first step is to listen. And I mean really really really really listen! We still need to have this conversation, and this conversation needs to lead us into action. Of course some folks aren't quite ready to be allies yet, so we shouldn't force anyone. But we definitely need to talk about these issues.

Hopefully some day Sojourners will change their minds. In the meantime, I hope to learn how to become a better advocate.

Live Your Own Story

photo © 2011 Erin Kohlenberg | more info (via: Wylio)There's a scene in the movie Easy Rider where Wyatt and Billy (played by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, respectively) are sitting at a campfire smoking with a hitch hiker they just picked up. At one point Wyatt asks the hitch hiker, "You ever wanted to be some body else?"

The hitch hiker replies, in jest, "I'd like to try Porky Pig."

"I never wanted to be anybody else," Wyatt says.

I wish I could say I share Wyatt's self-confidence, but the truth is throughout my life I always wondered what it would be like to be some one else. I don't know why, but I always felt like everyone else had it all together and I was the habitual screw-up. Even now I try to emulate the people in my Facebook list of inspirational people: John Howard Yoder, Martin Luther King Jr, Brian McLaren, Wendell Berry, Mother Teresa, etc. When I feel like I'm not up to their level, I'm not doing something right.

Basically I want to live their stories, and not my own.

At the end of John chapter 21, the risen Jesus tells Peter to follow Him. Peter looks back, though, and sees John. "What about him?" Peter asks. Jesus replies, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me" (verse 22). In other words, Jesus reminds Peter that He has specific jobs for both Peter and John to do, respectively. Later on in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul compares the Church to a body made up of several different parts, but all working together. "Now if the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason stop being part of the body" (verse 15). Too often I'm like the foot that wants to be a hand. I'm jealous of other people's gifts and blessings.

I need to learn how to be content with where God has me right now. I need to figure out how I can love God and my neighbors with what the gifts, talents, and passions He has given me. I need to live my own story.

Besides, I think putting my heroes up on such a high pedestal is just idolatry. I end up pretending that they are like infallible messianic figures, which is clearly not the case (for example, MLK's alleged infidelity).

Will The World End On May 21, 2011? (Video Post)

Taste And See

photo © 2007 Lauren "Lolly" Weinhold | more info (via: Wylio)"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."--Psalm 34:8

Because of the ridiculous prices of produce, this year my parents are growing some of their own vegetables. Our backyard has the worst soil in the world, so we're using container pots. We just finished growing lettuce since you have to grow it during cool weather.

When our lettuce grew in we couldn't believe how fresh and crisp it tasted. The texture was even thicker than the stuff we were used to eating. For a solid month we used our home grown lettuce every chance we got: in salads, on sandwiches, and even in tacos. We were just tickled pink that we actually made food!

Unfortunately the lettuce is all gone. Last night for dinner we had salads made with regular bagged salad mix. The leaves were all wilted, and they tasted like they were plucked three months ago. It just wasn't the same.

I mention this because I think that, after catching even a glimpse of the life God has for us, the stuff the world offers us just looks like crap in comparison. Sure, the world may have some fun things:

Power.

Money.

Sensual pleasures.

But it's all just processed junk food with no real nutrients compared to the things of God:

Love.

Peace.

Unity.

Eternal life.

Freedom.

The psalmist tell us to taste and see that the Lord is good. And I don't know about you, but I want something real.

Something natural.

Something pure.

All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands

photo © 2006 Zakwitnij!pl Ejdzej & Iric | more info (via: Wylio)“Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.”—Isaiah 44:23

One of my favorite books is Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha.” It’s the story of the son of a Brahmin who strikes out on his own to find enlightenment. After trying both asceticism Buddhism, and taking up a lover, Siddhartha finally finds peace after hearing the sacred syllable “Ohm” at the river.

I used to think that if I could be quiet enough I would hear nature speak to me the way the river spoke to Siddhartha. But every time Amy and I take walks through the woods, all I can hear is the wind rustling through the trees, the leaves crunch under our shoes, and the squirrels scamper across the leaves. I would wonder if maybe I wasn’t listening hard enough.

Now I think that perhaps I don’t need to hear some prophetic message in the woods to gain enlightenment . . . nature is already singing its praises to God. To take a walk through nature is to walk through a museum displaying God’s masterpieces. It's in the forest that I feel free. The noise from the world is far away like a distant planet. The woods invite me to hang my troubles onto the coat rack outside and slip off my worries as soon as I step foot inside. Then I’m in Eden. I’m experiencing the world the way God intended it to be: peaceful.

Father, all of creation praises you, the Creator. Please help us see your fingerprints in everything. In Jesus’ name, amen.

On Hearing About Bin Laden's Death

photo © 2011 US Embassy | more info (via: Wylio)So I woke this morning, fixed myself a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, and sat down to read the paper as usual. There on the front page were these words:

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD

My first thought was, "Really? No bullsh*t? Took long enough!"

If I can be perfectly honest, I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, the Anabaptist in me who hates violence takes no delight in anyone's killing, even the most vile human being on the planet. For me, it would have been better if Bin Laden was captured and put on trial.

But on the other hand, there's a part of me thinking, "Forget all that peace crap! We finally got the son of a b*tch! U-S-A! U-S-A!"

I think probably the best way to respond is to pray. Today let's pray for both those affected by the 9/11 attacks, and those affected by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Let's pray that one day men will beat their swords into plowshares and war no more.

Battle of Words

My friend Rachel Held Evans is throwing a special Rally to Restore Unity, which includes a synchroblog. Here's my contribution. This was originally posted on RelevantMagazine.com (on Election Day 2008, ironically), but with the whole Love Wins debacle, I added a new paragraph.

* * *

My friend Max used to work at a small kitchen supply store that hardly had any business, so I would often visit him. He’s a very smart guy who has a lot of well thought out ideas about politics, art, and life. I may not always agree with him, but I’m always fascinated to hear what he has to say. I always end up thinking about things I had never thought of before.

One afternoon while we were chatting, the cleaning lady came in to pick up a key. Before she left she mentioned to us that she was having trouble finding a second job for the summer. “It’s because all the good jobs are going towards those daggone Mexicans,” she said.

“Well,” Max said, “if you’re living in extreme poverty, wouldn’t you take any job you can to feed your family?”

“But I pay my taxes,” stated the cleaning lady. “I can’t get a break like these Mexicans who are sneaking over here and stealing our jobs.” The debate went on like this until it started getting personal. At one point the cleaning lady accused Max’s construction worker father of hiring illegal immigrants. Max calmly tried to explain that, since his dad was just a foreman, he had no say in the hiring process. The cleaning lady just rolled her eyes as if Max was talking nonsense. After what felt like an hour, the cleaning lady finally left. Max could not have been happier.

I don’t want to start any debates about immigration. I mention this only because it reminds me of how much people want to prove that they are right, and everyone else is wrong.

Perhaps it comes from the natural drive for self-preservation. As you might remember from biology, all creatures have a “fight-or-flight” mechanism to help defend themselves against threats in nature. When danger arises—a hungry tiger comes looking for dinner, for example—the animal will puff up and get ready to either fight or run away. Without this natural trait, defeat would be all too easy.

But modern man, in his comfortable suburban existence, doesn’t really have as much to worry about as wild animals. We still face threats, of course: neighborhood violence, robbers, and overdevelopment, to name just a few. But nothing as immediate and threatening as, say, a jaguar about to eat you up. So what do we do with this natural self-defense mechanism? Use it for other situations, like debates.

We humans like to define ourselves by our beliefs. Whether they are political, religious, or social, our beliefs shape our personality and view of the world. When some one challenges our beliefs, everything that defines who we are is threatened, so that’s when the old fight-or-flight kicks in.

Nowhere have I seen this more than in online Christian forums. When I first became a Christian, I was excited to learn from fellow believers all over the web, and share my walk with them. Over the years, however, I’ve been seeing more and more arguments, debates, and name-calling. It’s either one side accusing another of being “fundamentalist Pharisees,” or some one being called a “liberal heathen.” And I, unfortunately, have participated in such arguments. So much for One God, One Faith, One Baptism.

I remember one person in particular, who used to frequent a Christian community on Livejournal. Her posts were always of the fundamentalist persuasion; she claimed that gays were ruining families, Democrats were enemies of God, and the Catholic Church distorted the Gospels. Whenever some one disagreed with her, she accused them of not reading their Bible enough, or being “liberal heathens.” This was a person who was not happy until she had proven that she was right, and everyone else was wrong. (This is also some one who recently wrote a blog entry suggesting that Barack Obama might be the Antichrist.)

And then of course there's the whole "Farewell Rob Bell" thing. I haven't read Love Wins yet (although my Something Beautiful co-host Thomas just sent me a digital version of the book for my brand new Kindle), but I couldn't believe that John Piper would just so flippantly write off Bell on Twitter. Whether or not you agree with Bell, he brings up a good question, one that I think the Church should talk about it. Unfortunately, it's been less of a conversation and more of a theological shouting match. I guess love doesn't really win after all.

Which brings me to this question: is all this arguing really worth it? Are we really teaching and correcting one another, or are we just tearing each other apart? The Bible says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29, NIV) I don’t know about you, but to me arguing and name-calling are not very helpful.

All of us come from different backgrounds and experiences. What if we took the time to hear each other’s stories to see where we all come from? To really serve some one, sometimes you have to put yourself in their proverbial shoes. In 1st Corinthians Paul writes, “To the Jews I became like a Jew to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so as to win those under the law.” (9:20, NIV) We don’t have to agree with each other, of course, but we can definitely understand each other better. The more we get to know each other, the better we can serve one another.

I pray for a great sense of unity within the Body of Christ. May we realize that we are all learning how all of this works, and that no one is perfect. And I’m praying for myself as much as I am praying for the Church.