That both the Gospel at the heart of Christian mission and the family of words related to evangelism derive from the New Testament phrase “good news” is a commonplace. Yet what is known to every Sunday school student and confirmand in our congregations seems to be all but forgotten in our reflections on mission. More […]
Evangelization and Religious Diversity
The very being of the Church is inextricably tied up with its participation in the mission of the Triune God. That this mission involves “evangelization,” that is, bearing witness in the power of the Holy Spirit to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by word and deed, as individuals and in community, is not to be […]
Should the Church Evangelize?
The question in the title of this issue of Let’s Talk is ironic. Yes, of course the Church should evangelize. We’re under a “great commission” from our Lord himself to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15). In Matthew the commission is given to the eleven disciples to make disciples of all nations […]
Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World
A Crusade to Save Christendom On Saturday, July 22, 2011, a young Norwegian named Anders Behring Breivik, described by police as a “right-wing Christian fundamentalist,” was charged by Norwegian police with committing attacks that killed at least 92 people. This was the deadliest attack in the country since World War II. The killer left behind […]
Evangelizing the Contemporary Urban Metropolitan Landscape
This issue of Let’s Talk has posed the question of whether or not it is still necessary or even appropriate to engage in the intentional Christian evangelization of a highly diverse, pluralistic social environment. The question itself implies an attitude or understanding about what evangelism is and how evangelism is done that is highly suspect. […]
Not In It for the Fire Insurance
So, say we had it all wrong somehow… Say God is still God, but we’ve misunderstood the whole abundant/eternal life thing and it turns out there actually is no afterlife as we’ve been thinking of it. (This is not what I actually believe or preach, by the way. Please note that I’m positing this as […]
Confessions of a Failed Evangelist
At a church council meeting a couple of years ago, we found ourselves discussing friends and neighbors of our city church and their prospects for eventual membership. One neighbor in particular seemed like he should really be coming to church because, as someone observed, his brother is a Lutheran pastor. I spoke up to suggest […]
The Name Game
Like millions of others this summer, my family has been delighted by everything Hogwarts. My ten-year-old daughter is on her second reading of the Harry Potter series and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 twice while my wife and I saw it a pedestrian one time. We’re nearly done reading the series […]