How Do You Look to the Lost
Being in Colorado is teaching me some valuable lessons about the lost. Everyday I interact with people who are not Christians. This helps to see how odd we appear to them. Just last Sunday night, all the neighbors were outside playing with one another. This happens often and often we participate to develop relationships with them. We genuinely like them all. As I was walking out, one of the mother’s asked me where I was going. She then mentioned that I must have a function to be at. I said “no, I am going to church.” “Again on Sunday Night,” she said. “Yes.” “You might be shocked, but a minister spends a lot of time at the church building.” She said, “I see.” The idea of returning to worship or church on Sunday night is crazy for these people. They worked all week, have little time to enjoy the family, and see these Christians running back to church. She even asked if we have services at any other times. “On Wednesday,” I said. “Wow, we might come to that.” She started to talk about needing her kids in a good peer group, I started to talk about how great the peer group is at our congregation. Hey, if that is what she needs and is looking for, that is what I am selling. I am not selling, come to our church and have to attend every service, I am not selling, you have to be there as much as me. I am just trying to get her foot in the door. Looking back, if someone told me that I had to be there for every service, I would have run so far away from that church, they those people would never find me. Sometimes what we see as a Christian badge of honor is really a turn off for non-Christians. Just think about that today. You might be shocked by what we consider to be great is really a turn off for non-Christians. I am not talking about doctrinal stuff, but some our our traditions. Just think about it.
Related posts:
- Equipped to Reach the Lost
- Ignoring The Lost
- Review of “The Lost City of Z”
- The Ending of LOST
- Bad Lost for WVU, But Great Time for the Morine’s
About The Author
What are some of these traditions that turn off non-Christians?
I agree whole heartedly. You need to tell this story to the other leaders and/or elders of the congregation and gently suggest the possibility and potentiality of encouraging some members to forgo Sunday evening service and instead start having some backyard BBQ’s that such people as your neighbors could be invited too. That would be a wonderful way to invite them into the Christian community in a non-confrontational way that could lead to developed relationships with other Christians and eventually they themselves becoming Christians.
See you in a few…
Grace and peace,
Rex
The tradition of “dressing in your Sunday best” turns a lot of people off to. I know that many churches don’t have this tradition any longer but it does still exist in some churches.
Had a great time at lunch with you. Glad we had a chance to get together.
Great stuff to thank about here. Thank you Matthew for sharing your thoughts about this. Have you ever read a book called UnChristian? It is about how Christianity looks to younger generations, and how that should matter to us. I’m reading it. Very good book. God bless.