I don't know how I feel about them.

(Let me preface this blog entry by saying that I wrote it on Saturday night and saved it as a draft...then the message on Sunday cleared things up for me...I'll let you know when the text changes from Saturday night's ramblings to Sunday night's ramblings :)

Saturday Night:
I don't know how I feel about the radical Christian groups who stand by the side of the road with signs about heaven, hell, salvation and damnation.
On one hand I figure they are telling more people about Jesus than I am in the run of a day. Generally what they are saying is true...it's just hard to explain the full extent of Jesus on one sheet of poster board.
On the other hand, my usual gut reaction when I see these people is to roll my eyes and ache with embarassment. I want to be proud to be called a follower of Christ, but the word 'Christian' has such a negative stereotype, especially in the southern United States. I fear that 'Christians' are coming across as Jesus lovin, bible thumpin, gay hatin, potluck eatin, money houndin, hypocrits who say one thing and live another. I hate that.
When a rapper accepts an award for a single in which he talks about killing and raping, in a video that shows half naked women and money falling all around him...and then says, "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for making this possible." I cringe. I'm embarassed for myself. I'm embarassed for Jesus.

Sunday Night:
This morning Pastor Brian gave us the challenge to find 7 people who don't know Christ and create deep, real, loving relationships with them so that they can get an introduction to Jesus by a person they know and trust. I think this is the face of evangelism. It has to be about relationship.
I once heard someone say that we need to scare people into accepting Christ because people are dying and going to hell while we're wasting time trying to build relationships.
I couldn't disagree more.
How in the world can I ask someone to give up themselves, live their lives for a Being they can't see in the physical, expect them to believe a far fetched story about a virgin becoming impregnated by a ghost and then delivering the Savior of the world, with a pamphlet and 30 seconds to spare? They need to know me. They need to trust me. They need to see Christ in my life and be drawn to His power. Otherwise, I am coming across as a judgemental lunatic, who doesn't care about the person...only about being right. I think this detrimental to the faith, not 'wasting time building relationships.'
I'm excited about my 7. I have only thought of 2, but I'll think of more during my closet time tomorrow. I'm excited about how God is going to use me. I am intimidated by this task because it means putting myself out there...taking someone under my wing without them even knowing it...which means I have to be worthy of that. I need to know my stuff. I need to know why I believe what I believe...teaching without knowing is damaging.
We need to be educated on our faith...we need to know how scripture is applicable in a really big, messed up, 2008 world where Christianity has been given a bad name. Where it's ok to believe in a vague superior being and to be 'spiritual' but it's not ok to profess Christ as truth or to help people see the path to Heaven without coming across as ignorant and judgemental.
In a perfect world people would see our attempts of sharing the gospel as acts of love...not acts of judgement in an attempt to be right and superior. But it's not a perfect world, and like it or not the word 'Christian' has been damaged to the point that it is not a good representation of God's people anymore.
We need to try our hardest to undo the damage that's been done...to be authentic and real...to invest time into people, all types of people.
So I guess the title of this blog is no longer true.
I do know how I feel about them.
I feel like they are doing what they think is effective...I, personally, don't think that it is. But most of us do what we've been taught...and when our intentions are good we do the best with what we have. Even if what we have is tainted or off.
The majority of people who accept Christ and walk away do so within the first 48 hours of their Salvation moment.
Scary.
Make a friend. Love them to Christ.