Comments on: Deal or No Deal http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/ What if evangelism meant just being yourself? Tue, 15 May 2012 01:13:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1124 Jim Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:19:21 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1124 <blockquote>I am almost 49 years old and I have been in parish ministry for nearly 20 years. I resonate with this line of reasoning. I felt this way 30 years when I was in High School! Thanks for ‘giving voice’ to this perspective</blockquote> Jim, it frustrates me to hear that you have not been affirmed for 30 years and have had to come to your own conclusions, which makes your story sound just like mine. I hope that in our next 30 we can leverage this learning curve and make some serious changes to the evangelism paradigm as well as affirm the hunches or younger people who are 20 years our junior Eliza, I am so not a poet - but you are very kind

I am almost 49 years old and I have been in parish ministry for nearly 20 years. I resonate with this line of reasoning. I felt this way 30 years when I was in High School! Thanks for ‘giving voice’ to this perspective

Jim, it frustrates me to hear that you have not been affirmed for 30 years and have had to come to your own conclusions, which makes your story sound just like mine. I hope that in our next 30 we can leverage this learning curve and make some serious changes to the evangelism paradigm as well as affirm the hunches or younger people who are 20 years our junior

Eliza, I am so not a poet – but you are very kind

]]> By: Eliza http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1119 Eliza Sun, 10 Dec 2006 05:37:59 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1119 </blockquote>I'm posting mostly to try to undo the errant quote line...but have to say: Jim, you are quite a poet! I’m posting mostly to try to undo the errant quote line…but have to say: Jim, you are quite a poet!

]]> By: Jim Kane http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1113 Jim Kane Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:01:03 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1113 Jim, I am almost 49 years old and I have been in parish ministry for nearly 20 years. I resonate with this line of reasoning. I felt this way 30 years when I was in High School! Thanks for 'giving voice' to this perspective! Jim,
I am almost 49 years old and I have been in parish ministry for nearly 20 years. I resonate with this line of reasoning. I felt this way 30 years when I was in High School! Thanks for ‘giving voice’ to this perspective!

]]> By: Kristi L. http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1111 Kristi L. Sat, 09 Dec 2006 20:56:54 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1111 Russ, Richard Peace has put out an interesting book on the "process conversion," called <em>Conversion in the New Testament: Paul and the Twelve.</em> It might be of interest to you. Russ,
Richard Peace has put out an interesting book on the “process conversion,” called Conversion in the New Testament: Paul and the Twelve. It might be of interest to you.

]]> By: Pam Hogeweide http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1108 Pam Hogeweide Sat, 09 Dec 2006 17:16:46 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1108 <blockquote>Evangelism has been reduced to a transaction. Gutted of its beauty and mystery Technicians use it to control their urge for rightness Motivational speakers to manipulate emotions Dealmakers to sell Jesus God is leveraged His soul buried under layers of make up.</blockquote> Well said. This perfectly describes the Americanized version of the message of Jesus. All this evangelism talk makes me think about <a href="http://godmessedmeup.blogspot.com/2006/11/what-hell-about-hell-part-one.html" rel="nofollow">H - E - Double Toothpicks</a>. Is fire insurance a huge factor for churched Americans to compel others to follow Christ...or else?

Evangelism has been reduced to a transaction.
Gutted of its beauty and mystery

Technicians use it to control their urge for rightness
Motivational speakers to manipulate emotions
Dealmakers to sell Jesus

God is leveraged
His soul buried under layers of make up.

Well said. This perfectly describes the Americanized version of the message of Jesus.

All this evangelism talk makes me think about H – E – Double Toothpicks. Is fire insurance a huge factor for churched Americans to compel others to follow Christ…or else?

]]> By: Jon http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1103 Jon Sat, 09 Dec 2006 10:07:55 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1103 Amen! Take my ego out of evangelism. It's not me, but Christ to be glorified. Let me 'do' this small act and get out of the way so that another can experience God's voice. I don't want to hear how God used me, just that I was useful to God. When Jesus met the woman at the well, I believe he was exemplifying do-able evangelism. I believe when the woman later told others, ...'He told me all the things that I have done' (John 4:39), it was the result of Jesus connecting with a spiritually sick person with much emotional pain and history (she'd had 5 five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband). This woman had disconnected from her own soul, yet Christ was able to connect with her in conversation over time by Jacob's well. Amen! Take my ego out of evangelism. It’s not me, but Christ to be glorified.
Let me ‘do’ this small act and get out of the way so that another can experience God’s voice. I don’t want to hear how God used me, just that I was useful to God.

When Jesus met the woman at the well, I believe he was exemplifying do-able evangelism. I believe when the woman later told others, …’He told me all the things that I have done’ (John 4:39), it was the result of Jesus connecting with a spiritually sick person with much emotional pain and history (she’d had 5 five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband). This woman had disconnected from her own soul, yet Christ was able to connect with her in conversation over time by Jacob’s well.

]]> By: Russ http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1084 Russ Thu, 07 Dec 2006 20:01:59 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1084 Perhaps one reason that some reduce evangelism to a transaction is because they also conceptualize salvation as an event that happened in a certain place at a particular time. But if salvation is correctly perceived as the beginning of a journey to a destiny that we all have the opportunity to pursue and realize, then the paradigm of presenting this great truth in the context of a mere transaction is a grave disservice to all. Perhaps one reason that some reduce evangelism to a transaction is because they also conceptualize salvation as an event that happened in a certain place at a particular time. But if salvation is correctly perceived as the beginning of a journey to a destiny that we all have the opportunity to pursue and realize, then the paradigm of presenting this great truth in the context of a mere transaction is a grave disservice to all.

]]> By: Helen http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1083 Helen Thu, 07 Dec 2006 19:09:06 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1083 Mardell I love that you said this: "We were both evangelized" Thanks for pointing out that when we do something kind for someone else we often end up benefitting as much as they do. Mardell I love that you said this: “We were both evangelized”

Thanks for pointing out that when we do something kind for someone else we often end up benefitting as much as they do.

]]> By: Jim http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1079 Jim Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:41:29 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1079 Mardell You OAed her. To learn more about Off The Maps approach to connecting with the people Jesus misses most check out our other blog called Ordinary Attempts. (see link on blog list in left hand column up above) This small, doable and decidedly human action is the future for evangelism. It is what I call "really personal evangelism". Regarding her inability to completely understand what you were doing yet it still having incredible value in Gods sight read Matthew 25 where Jesus "counted" acts of kindness that even the people doing them didnt see. Mardell

You OAed her. To learn more about Off The Maps approach to connecting with the people Jesus misses most check out our other blog called Ordinary Attempts. (see link on blog list in left hand column up above)

This small, doable and decidedly human action is the future for evangelism. It is what I call “really personal evangelism”. Regarding her inability to completely understand what you were doing yet it still having incredible value in Gods sight read Matthew 25 where Jesus “counted” acts of kindness that even the people doing them didnt see.

]]> By: Mardell http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-1077 Mardell Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:19:06 +0000 http://doableevangelism.com/2006/12/05/deal-or-no-deal/#comment-1077 Thank you, Jim. A little story: Yesterday at lunchtime I was at the supermarket and the lady in front of me didn't have enough money to pay for a $2.25 purchase. I humbly opened my wallet and payed for her little bag of food. She turned and hugged me and in very broken English kept saying over and over again, she was going to give to God. What a delightful moment! She totally got it, it wasn't from me but from God and she should rightly give thanks and glory to Him. We were both evangelized and understood that the kingdon is truly "at hand". P.S. This is the first time I've ever posted on any site, so if it's really bad, forgiveness and grace is greatly appreciated! Thank you, Jim. A little story: Yesterday at lunchtime I was at the supermarket and the lady in front of me didn’t have enough money to pay for a $2.25 purchase. I humbly opened my wallet and payed for her little bag of food. She turned and hugged me and in very broken English kept saying over and over again, she was going to give to God. What a delightful moment! She totally got it, it wasn’t from me but from God and she should rightly give thanks and glory to Him. We were both evangelized and understood that the kingdon is truly “at hand”.
P.S. This is the first time I’ve ever posted on any site, so if it’s really bad, forgiveness and grace is greatly appreciated!

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