Thanks for reading, and going back to older posts, too.

I agree with a sentiment you expressed above, that you would like to see more traffic on some older posts. I’m getting over seeing your blog as chronological, and my wife and I are working our way back through your archives. It’s no fair to you, I know, because those thoughts are already frozen and static, while we get to think and respond in real time.

A couple of thoughts. I appreciate your willingness to share your struggles. In some ways, I believe that for the obedient Christian life is always a struggle. There are no easy answers. And so it’s encouraging to me to see the things you struggle with, because I also struggle with them.

Speaking of relational evangelism, isn’t that a big part? Sharing struggles? Postmoderns like us seem more willing to admit that they don’t have the answers, and it’s in wrestling with the questions that we have the best opportunity to share Christ.

Another thing about postmoderns, and why you’re exactly right that the “front-burner/back-burner” doesn’t work well with them: PM’s may not have a firm grasp on what they really believe, and they not trust what they hear and read, but they can spot BS (can I say that here?) from a mile away. Much better to be authentic and mistaken than to be “fake but accurate.”

I guess I like the “Person of Peace” concept that is read into the Luke 10 passage, but does “welcome” necessarily mean “respond to the message?” I think it goes back to the tension you talked about. Either the Holy Spirit will guide us to a Person of Peace, or we need to move on.

I’ve always believed that any relationship we have with a national is evidence of God working. For me, a national wanting to spend time with me qualifies him as a Person of Peace. Since I’m open about my faith, interest in me at the very least demonstrates interest in spiritual things. So while I want to see lots of people come to Christ, I’m not ready to initiate a “breakup” with someone just because they don’t respond. That’s what I spoke to in the original post. That said, I do believe that there are times when God leads us to distance ourselves from certain people.

I agree that the N.T. strategy focused on certain people and not on others. But I don’t think it was the “responsive” people they focused on. I think it was the ones that God brought to them that were “welcoming.” The people they seemed to avoid were the ones who resisted them. Before I “move on,” I just want to be sure, as you mentioned, that people here are rejecting the gospel and not our methods.

Just for the record, I want to be clear; I am not against strategy, and I am not against evangelism. The reason I’m on the field is to share my faith and to be used by God to bring people into the kingdom! I think that as we walk in step-by-step obedience to the Holy Spirit, our goal should be to bring people to Jesus.

Sorry this is so long, but David is really speaking to the heart of what I’m struggling with. Thanks again for your thoughts. Keep them coming.

I appreciate reading your blog. Thanks for sending me the link. You definitely have some good food for thought. I will comment on this entry now, and perhaps on some others as I find the time.

In relation to all you say, a few Scriptures come to mind…

1 Cor. 9.19,22. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more…To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (KJV)

The Contemporary English Version says: “so that I can win as many people as possible” and “I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can”.

We also have the verse about “shaking the dust off of your feet”. And then also what Paul says in Rom. 15.20-21 “Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard shall understand”.

As I understand these verses, there does seem to be a Biblical precedent for focusing our evangelistic efforts on those who seem to be more responsive. At the same time, it seems like the most effective way of helping people to believe in Christ and follow him is through our genuine concern for them best lived out through authentic relationships. The problem becomes when, as a result of the amount of time and energy spent on authentic relationships with people we hope will eventually embrace Christ and choose to follow him, we neglect other people who may end up being more predisposed to receiving the Good News we are hoping to appropriately communicate.

In a Postmodern setting like W.E., we will certainly gain a better hearing for our message by means of authentic relationships. And I believe it can be successfully argued that until we have broken through the “trust barrier” by means of authentic relationships, it is hard to say we have really given the people we are hoping to see come to Christ a legitimate opportunity to truly embrace or reject the Good News we bring. In a way, this is probably true for any setting, postmodern or not, but especially so for postmodern W.E.

So, we have to live with the tension of truly communicating the love of God in an authentic way that is going to break down “trust barriers”, and not neglecting at the same time, those who may be more open to our message. For all of this, we need a lot of wisdom, and guidance from the Holy Spirit. And, I, personally do not think we necessarily fall into unhealthy “evangelism economics” when we think strategically about how to most effectively do all of this, being good stewards of the spiritual gifts and resources God has commended into our hands.

Joe M,
Welcome, thanks for coming around! I was encouraged by your comment. Sometimes a guys can feel pretty lonely on some of this stuff. Please share any thoughts you might have on any of this.

On the shedding thing… I don’t believe I could embrace that. I may need to expand my relationships to include more people, but just to shed someone, I couldn’t do that. Keep the door open to them, while not putting all my eggs in one basket, is something I could embrace.

Reading this current post almost makes me want to cry. Why? It makes me almost want to cry because I am reminded that I am not alone. You have described things I have been thinking about for ahwile. The thing is though many, many people I come in contact with around me would not buy your way of thinking. I would say most M’s I have met are very comfortable with the front and back burner way of thinking.

For example, just the other day I had a conversation with a guy in my town who is working with college students. He is employed by a very large ministry based in the U.S. that reaches out to college students. Anyways, I asked my friend how Jim (a local university student who he had been spending time with) was doing. He told me that basically he wasn’t spending time or sharing with Jim anymore. When I asked him why not, he told me that his leadership had told him that if that people aren’t responsive within a certain time frame, then it’s time to move on. I can’t remember exactly what the time frame was but I want to say it was like a year.

To me it seems like this attitude is very, very common in Western Europe and in missions. (Have you ever heard of the term “shedding”? In the past year I heard someone describe that “shedding” is what we need to do with people who are “unresponsive” and take up your time.) I have to admit, it can be quite overwhelming at times. Often, I feel out of place here in Western Europe where I believe things are very relational but the many of the people around me doing ministry don’t even have real relationships with local lost people and it doens’t seem to bother them. But all that said, it is very encouraging to read your thoughts on this Stepchild and to read some of the comments people are making.

Ok, I haven’t read too much of your blog so am going to read some more before I ask too many questions. I think whatever I may ask, you may have already addressed it. I may need to make a cup of coffee though. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

i tried to go back and respond to some of your replies.