Comments on: Evangelism the old-fashioned way http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/ The adventures of a developing academic who got a late start Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:40:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: susan eapen http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-465 susan eapen Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:02:47 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-465 This has been puzzling me-What is Evangelism? Is it telling others Christ is risen? Our Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church of Kerala considers Liturgy (Qurbana) the chief aim of the Church. I believe that this makes us grow in Christ until He is seen in us by others. There is little conventional evangelism, but we run hospices, educational institutions, hospitals, homes for people with AIDS, orphanages, mentally challenged, blind, physically challenged etc. There are 3 Christians in the Department I work in. Stella & Stevie are Catholics and I am Orthodox. One is a Muslim and the remaining 15-16 are Hindus. Once our boss said that there is a difference in Stevie, Stella and myself-in our attitudes which makes us trustworthy and dependable, dedicated to the job at hand, non competitive etc. I believe that it is our life in Christ. Recently one of my Hindu friends attended the marriage (1 hour service, recalling all the members of the Holy Church from Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sara, Jacob & Rachel, Issac and Rebecca, Joseph in Egypt etc, even Tamar 's ring etc. It is a beautiful ceremony. My Hindu friend was burning with questions. She was immensely attracted by all this and the homily by the bishop on true marriage and its nature (Christ & the Church). I believe that this is powerful Evangelism. But should we go round distributing tracts? These do help. But in a country where the Hindu Religion ( also contains great truths) is the predominant one, wouldn't such actions be disrespectful? Shouldn't we wait for them to come? Susan This has been puzzling me-What is Evangelism? Is it telling others Christ is risen? Our Church, the Malankara Orthodox Church of Kerala considers Liturgy (Qurbana) the chief aim of the Church. I believe that this makes us grow in Christ until He is seen in us by others.
There is little conventional evangelism, but we run hospices, educational institutions, hospitals, homes for people with AIDS, orphanages, mentally challenged, blind, physically challenged etc.

There are 3 Christians in the Department I work in. Stella & Stevie are Catholics and I am Orthodox. One is a Muslim and the remaining 15-16 are Hindus. Once our boss said that there is a difference in Stevie, Stella and myself-in our attitudes which makes us trustworthy and dependable, dedicated to the job at hand, non competitive etc. I believe that it is our life in Christ.

Recently one of my Hindu friends attended the marriage (1 hour service, recalling all the members of the Holy Church from Adam & Eve, Abraham & Sara, Jacob & Rachel, Issac and Rebecca, Joseph in Egypt etc, even Tamar ’s ring etc. It is a beautiful ceremony. My Hindu friend was burning with questions. She was immensely attracted by all this and the homily by the bishop on true marriage and its nature (Christ & the Church). I believe that this is powerful Evangelism.

But should we go round distributing tracts? These do help. But in a country where the Hindu Religion ( also contains great truths) is the predominant one, wouldn’t such actions be disrespectful? Shouldn’t we wait for them to come?

Susan

]]> By: Richard Barrett http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-181 Richard Barrett Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:39:37 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-181 I agree -- the way you put it together makes it pretty obvious. Would that we could make it so plain to everybody! Thank you for dropping by--hope to see you again. A blessed Gregorian-reckoned Easter to you! Richard I agree — the way you put it together makes it pretty obvious. Would that we could make it so plain to everybody!

Thank you for dropping by–hope to see you again. A blessed Gregorian-reckoned Easter to you!

Richard

]]> By: Fr. Bailey, C.Ss.R. http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-180 Fr. Bailey, C.Ss.R. Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:31:06 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-180 To me it makes perfect sense. Jesus told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness then the rest would be given. The Holy Mass is the Kingdom of God made present in the here and now. It couldn't be any simpler, but until I read your post I hadn't put it together in this way. I'm grateful. A Blessed and Holy Lent To me it makes perfect sense. Jesus told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness then the rest would be given. The Holy Mass is the Kingdom of God made present in the here and now. It couldn’t be any simpler, but until I read your post I hadn’t put it together in this way. I’m grateful.

A Blessed and Holy Lent

]]> By: Richard Barrett http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-178 Richard Barrett Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:04:43 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-178 Fr. Bailey, I didn't know that, but I am certainly familiar with Atonement. Nice to hear that that's the path they took -- it certainly seems to have worked in their case! Ideally, that'd be a model for more to follow. Fr. Bailey, I didn’t know that, but I am certainly familiar with Atonement. Nice to hear that that’s the path they took — it certainly seems to have worked in their case! Ideally, that’d be a model for more to follow.

]]> By: Fr. Bailey, C.Ss.R. http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-177 Fr. Bailey, C.Ss.R. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:52:59 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-177 I don't know if you would be interested in knowing that an Anglican Use Roman Catholic parish did exactly that. Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio, Texas started with eighteen people and has grown into a large vibrant parish. The first thing they did was build a church and celebrate the liturgy. They now have a school and multiple ministries, but at the center of it all, as it has been from the beginning, is the Holy Mass. I don’t know if you would be interested in knowing that an Anglican Use Roman Catholic parish did exactly that. Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio, Texas started with eighteen people and has grown into a large vibrant parish. The first thing they did was build a church and celebrate the liturgy. They now have a school and multiple ministries, but at the center of it all, as it has been from the beginning, is the Holy Mass.

]]> By: Richard Barrett http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-174 Richard Barrett Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:28:37 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-174 I can only imagine! Thank you again for taking the time to comment, Fr. Gregory. In Christ, Richard I can only imagine!

Thank you again for taking the time to comment, Fr. Gregory.

In Christ,

Richard

]]> By: Fr Gregory Jensen http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-173 Fr Gregory Jensen Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:56:09 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-173 Richard, Yes, to say the least, my time in Redding as a convert priest under the GOA so close to Platina was interesting. In Christ, +FrG Richard,

Yes, to say the least, my time in Redding as a convert priest under the GOA so close to Platina was interesting.

In Christ,

+FrG

]]> By: Richard Barrett http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-163 Richard Barrett Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:44:45 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-163 Bless, Father. Thank you for your comment. I've never seen the approach tried with my own eyes; I hope someday I get the chance to see it and participate in it. I'm glad to hear from a priest who's given it a shot that it can work. A convert priest under GOA so close to Platina? That must have been a very, uh, interesting situation indeed. In Christ, Richard Bless, Father.

Thank you for your comment. I’ve never seen the approach tried with my own eyes; I hope someday I get the chance to see it and participate in it. I’m glad to hear from a priest who’s given it a shot that it can work.

A convert priest under GOA so close to Platina? That must have been a very, uh, interesting situation indeed.

In Christ,

Richard

]]> By: Fr Gregory Jensen http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-162 Fr Gregory Jensen Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:47:55 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-162 Thank you for the post on evangelism. Not to blow my own horn, but I largely followed the model of evangelism you outlined when I was the priest in Redding, CA. Yes, it is expensive, upfront at least, but it also works. While early on I was interested in making convert, I very quickly (okay, not sooo quickly) came to realize that my "job" was to say my prayers and be of service to others. Once I made this shift--okay, repented--the parish grew and grew quickly (which became its own kind of problem since I was in the GOA). BUT, St Patrick's approach, which is St Herman of Alaska's approach, works and works well. Again, thanks for the post. In Christ, +FrG Thank you for the post on evangelism.

Not to blow my own horn, but I largely followed the model of evangelism you outlined when I was the priest in Redding, CA. Yes, it is expensive, upfront at least, but it also works. While early on I was interested in making convert, I very quickly (okay, not sooo quickly) came to realize that my “job” was to say my prayers and be of service to others. Once I made this shift–okay, repented–the parish grew and grew quickly (which became its own kind of problem since I was in the GOA).

BUT, St Patrick’s approach, which is St Herman of Alaska’s approach, works and works well.

Again, thanks for the post.

In Christ,

+FrG

]]> By: Richard Barrett http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/evangelism-the-old-fashioned-way/#comment-104 Richard Barrett Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:57:48 +0000 http://leitourgeia.wordpress.com/?p=86#comment-104 I think that, more broadly, what we can say is that evangelism is through being bold in one's faith (which is assumed to be a struggle for holiness aided by prayer). "Being bold in one's faith" != "Being safe and comfortable with what you're given". I sometimes think, when looking at what the financial costs associated with existing as an organization, we forget the parable of the talents. The question is, I guess, what <i>does</i> it mean to be bold in one's faith, and to what extent do we also have to take into account that sometimes there's only so much you can do? Again, not that I think the jurisdictions have money to burn (except maybe the Greeks) for this stuff; just that I think sometimes we get some things backwards out of fear. Richard I think that, more broadly, what we can say is that evangelism is through being bold in one’s faith (which is assumed to be a struggle for holiness aided by prayer). “Being bold in one’s faith” != “Being safe and comfortable with what you’re given”. I sometimes think, when looking at what the financial costs associated with existing as an organization, we forget the parable of the talents. The question is, I guess, what does it mean to be bold in one’s faith, and to what extent do we also have to take into account that sometimes there’s only so much you can do?

Again, not that I think the jurisdictions have money to burn (except maybe the Greeks) for this stuff; just that I think sometimes we get some things backwards out of fear.

Richard

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