The Backwash

There are some words in the religious vocabulary that I was raised to be uncomfortable with.  In fact, those of you that are of the same religious background as me are probably in the same boat.  Words like “testimony,” “witness,” “revival” and “pastor” are just a few that make anyone raised as MOTC (that’s “Member of THE Church) a little nervous if they are ever uttered on a Sunday morning.

What is sad is that all of these (and more on our list of terminology not quite approved for MOTC use) are intensely biblical.  Unfortunately, we have avoided these words more in an effort to not look like other religious groups rather than to try to look like Christ.

The reason this being top-of-mind this week is due to what I saw happen last Sunday morning.  My whole family was blessed to watch a married couple both be baptized during our Sunday morning worship service.  What made this different, though, was that both the man and woman were allowed to witness, and give their testimony of how God brought them to the water where they stood – ready to put on Christ. 

It was truly an amazing story.  The couple, originally from the pacific northwest, were separated due to his job.  He was sent to Little Rock on business, and as we all know, absence makes the heart go wander.  This situation had almost driven them to the point of divorce.  They then shared how God had entered their lives through loving people and how He led them on a journey to reconcile them not only to themselves, but to the God who loves them most. 

Do we ever think about the power we are missing by not having real people – both men and women – actually give witness to how God has changed their lives?  How he brought them to be Christians?  We (at least in my generation and in my heritage) have not placed any importance on this whatsoever.  For some reason, Sunday morning has come to be all about the sermon in too many of our congregations – everything else book-ends that one item.

As a marketer at heart, I have lived by the rule that in sales or in building any brand image, nothing is more important and powerful than a “testimonial.”  It is a common tactic used by smart marketers around the globe.  In fact, here is a test.  Next time there is severe weather in your town, watch TV the day after.  You can almost bank that within 24 hours, each TV station will have commercials running about how “when severe weather struck (insert town name here) channel X was there providing up-to-the-minute details to keep your family safe.”  It is also likely you will see the cursory cutaway shot to aunt ImoJean from Elbow, Arkansas (or wherever) stating “Channel X’s weather saved our family.  We wouldn’t have known when to go to the basement had we not had them.”  Think back.  You know you have seen these spots!

We do it with products; so why don’t we recognize the power of a real witness to the salvation of God providing a testimonial so that real people can see that Christ changes real lives?  Oh, yes, there is the constant danger something totally embarrassing will come out.  You always run the risk of someone outing with “while me and deacon such-and-such were drinking the other night” comments.  Honestly, though, isn’t the power of Christ revealed powerfully in the pictures of the lives he changes?

We simply must put our heritage-oriented baggage aside that has kept us from this.  It is a powerful tool, and one that Satan loves to keep us from using.  Hey, let’s face it.  Nothing makes satan happier than to keep people from letting others know how God has changed their life!

-MH

I have to admit, years ago I branched out and bought DC Talk’s “Jesus Freak” CD.  I have always been a bit skeptical about the whole “contempo-Christian” genre simply because I grew up seeing the Strypers of the world and thinking “how can God have a hair band?”  (Stryper’s version of “Winter Wonderland” circa 1985-6 was actually pretty catchy, though).

At any rate, I was not just pleasantly surprised by the DC talk CD, but it fast became one of my favorites.  That was literally years ago.

Of late, I have been considering a lot the idea of “incarnational” evangelism vs. “attractional” evangelism.  While considering the vast difference between the two, I have been stirred a bit by the amount of real work incarnational evangelism takes.  That concept assumes we will truly go into the world and find people where they are, rather than just having yet another program at our church buildings.

The level of effort to accomplish this from a mind-shift perspective is, in short, huge.  And I guess those thoughts have brought to mind a line from one of the songs on that old scratched-up CD from DC Talk called “So Help Me God.”  Consider these words:

Infected by the skin I’m in this starving with desire
And Jesus ain’t the latest thing to come across the wire
I throw myself at mercy for I am the chief of sinners
But daily taking up my cross
Has brought it’s share of splinters

If you think on Jesus’ words about taking up our crosses daily and following Him, one could almost argue that if we don’t have hands bearing splinters, we are not really a cross-toting people.  What do the splinters look like?  You know them even if you think you do not.  The pain of getting involved in someone else’s life that is experiencing problems; the discomfort of leaving our sphere of comfort and providing service to those who are homeless or sick; finding ways to share the good news of Jesus even when it is not quite that popular; and the list goes on.

I am more convinced than ever that we do not get splinters by simply attending a thrice-a-week gathering at a church building.  If anything, we run the risk of thinking the Christian life is splinter-free – and that success is purely measured by if we got our kids baptized or not.  What do your spiritual hands reveal?  Is there evidence that your cross is taken up and wrestled with daily?

-MH