Short Story #1. Years ago in my engineering days, I walked into Lifeway Bookstore. I saw they had a copy of Eusebius’ Church History. I brought the book up to the check out counter and the cashier said, “Oh, I’m SO glad you bought that. My manager wanted to discontinue selling that book because Baptists …
Month: April 2011
Confession as a Mission Method?
Christians tend to downplay the concept of public confession. Christians tend to emphasize confession as personal and private. Even among those churches that practice the rite or sacrament of confession (penance), they accomplish it in a private chamber between an individual and a priest. The one who confesses need tell no one else, while the …
The “Toolbox” and “Bigger Hammer” Theories
Suppose you wanted to build a house. You were given all of the raw materials, but (for some reason) you were only able to use one tool. Which tool would you choose? You could choose a saw. It is good to have things cut properly to size. Perhaps you could use the handle like a …
Who Is Most Important?
Consider this actual case (with nearly all important details removed... you will understand why). A Muslim teen was led to convert to Christianity. This is not news. Some Christians act like this is a rare thing. But dialogue between Christians and Muslims has led to many questioning their faith on both sides in recent years. …
Mystery and Missions
How do we deal with mystery? I am not talking about "Whodonits" of modern parlance. I am not talking of mystery in the old idea of "revealing". I am talking about the middle of the road mystery-- something that we "know" but do not fully comprehend. In Christianity (as with many faiths) there are several …
Missions in “Five Worlds”
Suppose you were trying to get a person to stop smoking (tobacco products). How would you do it? Method 1. Come up with a message and use it consistently. For example, one could tell everyone about the health risks of smoking. Method 2. Discover what each person values, and tailor the message to that person. …