BLOG 4/22/15. EVANGELIZING THOSE ALREADY BAPTIZED? … SAY WHAT?

BLOG 4/22/15. EVANGELIZING THOSE ALREADY BAPTIZED? … SAY WHAT?

From somewhere back in the archives of my mind comes the quote: “The primary task of the church today is that of evangelizing those already baptized.” I (probably mistakenly) attribute it to the short-lived Pope John Paul I, who only lived as pope for thirty-three days. But I do think it is from Vatican encyclicals or something in that direction (even though Mr. Google and I can’t find it).

I can resonate with it, however. After all, I have many decades in the pastoral trenches, and on our denomination’s staff in evangelism, and in ecumenical discussions Roman Catholic and Protestant. Maybe it came home most inescapably on the Sunday morning in our fairly ‘healthy’ congregation, when I decided to ask the congregation to become part of the sermon. There are, after all, those New Testament teachings to us about being Christ’s witnesses, and so I think I was looking especially at the one from Peter’s first epistle, which encourages those obviously persecuted followers of Jesus to live exemplary lives among their non-Christian counterparts, and to be ready to give a thoughtful answer to anyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in them (I Peter 3:15-16). That’s simple enough. Our lives as God’s New Creation people ought to create curiosity among the folk with whom we associate who have never encountered Jesus … and maybe cause them to ask about what they see.

So, I proposed to the folk that, as part of the sermon time, we take a couple of minutes, turn to one or two persons near, and to tell each other about your encounter with Jesus Christ, and the reason for your faith in him. Sounds simple enough … after all, most of these folk had been baptized and taken the standard baptismal vows that renounced all other Lords and the darkness of unbelief, affirmed their sole trust in Jesus Christ and their vows to be Christ’s faithful and obedient disciples.

You could almost feel the atmosphere get a bit tense. There were, of course, those who were enthusiastic and articulate disciples of Jesus, but for the most part, it was sort of an embarrassing moment because many had always considered their faith a private thing, and had never had the least sense of obligation to be contagious witnesses of authentic, and especially verbal, Christian repentance and faith. Most took it well and gave it their best shot, but then I got some not-so-subtle suggestions that such procedure was totally out-of-bounds. The reports I got back were that there were a lot of bland expressions, such as: “I have always loved the church, and felt a part of it;” or, “I know that God is always near, and hears me when I call on him;” … or, maybe, “I don’t think it is my place to try to impose my faith on anybody else.” Behold the company of the un-evangelized and yet baptized folk that the pope, or the Vatican, or whoever, was talking about.

Or there was a friend of mine who was professor of evangelism at a prestigious theological seminary, who lamented to me: “How can I teach evangelism to these young men and women, when they cannot even share their faith with each other over a cup of coffee?” It is as though it were some off-limits subject even in such a context.

But then there was my dear wife, who was with me when we were guests at supper with two delightful faculty couples from another theological school. We guys were typically zooming all over the place with our ‘theological discussions’ while the wives quietly ate their delicious meal or talked to each other. When there came a moment of silence in our guy conversations, my Betty leaned across the table and asked a professor (who was new to us): “Marion, how did you come to know Jesus?” There was an almost stunned moment of silence, and then he laughed and thanked her. “Betty, I have been a celebrated professor here for four years and that is the first time that anybody asked me about my faith in Jesus!” And he gave a beautiful answer.I nside the church is a vast mission field of religious but un-evangelized folk. Yes, it is a primary task of the church today if we are to be the light of the world, or a city set on a hill. Got it?

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About rthenderson

Sixty years a pastor-teacher within the Presbyterian Church. Author of several books, the latest of which are a trilogy on missional ecclesiology: ENCHANTED COMMUNITY: JOURNEY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH, then, REFOUNDING THE CHURCH FROM THE UNDERSIDE, then THE CHURCH AND THE RELENTLESS DARKNESS. Previous to this trilogy was A DOOR OF HOPE: SPIRITUAL CONFLICT IN PASTORAL MINISTRY, and SUBVERSIVE JESUS, RADICAL FAITH. I am a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a graduate of Davidson College, then of Columbia and Westminster Theological Seminaries.
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