John 1:29-42
Epiphany 2 / Year A
Andrew found his
brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”. Then he brought Simon to Jesus.
Today, on the occasion
of Annual Meeting, finds me reminiscing back to my early years at the first
church is served as a rector. They wanted
to get new members but didn’t know how.
So, at their Annual Meeting, I announced my fool-proof, completely
tested, absolute cannot fail plan to double church attendance in less than a
month. Everyone sat of the edge of their
hard metal folding chair as I milked the moment for all it was worth. Then I said, “My plan for doubling attendance
is for each one of you... to… invite a friend to come to church with you.” Crickets chirped!
The second church
I served as rector also wanted to add more people. I didn’t have to throw out my plan, the
Vestry came up with it all on its own.
“Why don’t we have a ‘Bring a Friend to Church’ Sunday?” they said. Committees were formed: promotion, after
church celebration, decorations, info gathering, and follow-up. Enthusiasm was through the roof. But guess what happened when the big day
finally arrived. Bring a Friend to
Church Sunday was one of the lowest attended services of the year. Yes, three people brought a friend, but most
of the other folks – the ones who did not have anyone to accompany them – opted
to avoid the embarrassment of showing up without a guest.
Evangelism and Episcopalian
begin with the same letter, but that seems to be about all we have in
common. Our DNA goes back in this country
to the Established Church, in England to the parish system. Basically, you were a member of a church
because you lived within its geographic boundaries and you failed to attend services
at your own peril. No staying home
because the sermons are too long, no skipping out because the kids have a
travel jousting tournament to attend, and no Joel Olsten to watch on the
TV. Well, I don’t have to tell you those
days are long gone. In its place, it is
up to us to ‘share our faith’ and, like Andrew, to ‘invite’ people to come to
our parish.
This morning, in
Lectionary-based churches across the country, sermons are honing in on the
theme of evangelism because John had the temerity to testify publically (“Behold,
that dude over there is the Lamb of God”), Jesus had the gumption to invite two
religious hippies to hang out with him, and one of them got his brother to tag
along. So, evangelism is the word of the
day, whether we, as Episcopalians, are comfortable with it or not.
Here is something
you may find helpful. Hannah Rau, a
Michigan-based writer, has identified six styles of evangelism. Listen closely and determine which make you
uncomfortable and which are right up your alley. Heck, you actually already may be an evangelist
and don’t even know it:
·
Direct Evangelism: This approach happens when one
person speaks to a crowd of people he/she may not know personally. Think of the Billy Graham Crusades of
old.
·
Apologetical Evangelism: This involves the use of
logical arguments to demonstrate the validity of the Christian faith. It focuses on intellectual persuasion more
than, say, emotional fervor. As a young
person I was exposed to Josh McDowell’s Evidence
Which Demands a Verdict and Jim Morrison’s Who Moved the Stone?, influential books at the time which made a rational
case for belief in God and the Resurrection.
·
Testimonial Evangelism: Here the focus is on telling your personal
story to another person or group. One
person’s story may relate a dramatic and life-changing conversion. Another’s may lack a wow factor, and simply
tell a tale of growing up in a church.
·
Relational Evangelism:
This involves living a Christ-like life among the people you know. The quality and authenticity of your life witness
to your faith to all who know you.
·
Invitational Evangelism: Like my fool-proof plan, this involves
inviting people to join you at a church event.
This happens when a family moves into your neighborhood and you tell
them about St. Paul’s, when you invite someone to participate in the Women’s
Bible Study, or when ask a friend to accompany you to one of Thom’s organ
recitals.
·
Service Evangelism:
Here your actions and deeds speak more than words. Through caring and sharing you manifest
Christ’s compassion for all people.
·
And, one final form Rau does not list… Hospitality
Evangelism: This form emphasizes radical
openness to all people and welcoming everyone with warmth and care. Its goal is to have the people who come to
the parish feel “at home.”
Direct Evangelism,
Apologetical Evangelism, Testimonial Evangelism, Relational Evangelism,
Invitational Evangelism, Service Evangelism, Hospitality Evangelism. Do you see yourself in any of these? The goal of evangelism is not to make you
feel uncomfortable or inadequate. It is
to call you to live out the Christian faith in ways in keeping with who you
are.
This is not to say
you will never have to step outside your comfort zone. In truth, while you may lean heavily on one style
– say hospitality – there will be times when you need to employ another – say testimonial
–so other people can understand the faith that makes you tick. Still, all these styles of evangelism suggest
you already are sharing your faith effectively in more ways than you know or
imagine.
So, with great
enthusiasm, I want you to repeat after me this testimony, or I will drag out
this sermon well past when breakfast is ready to be served: I… (state your
name)… am… an… evangelist.
