"I'd like to share my testimony. Witnessing is an important part of my walk. You see, I had a burden, until I found the lord, confessed and repented of my sins, and invited Jesus into my heart. I want to share the good news of God's grace"
do we as Christians sometimes let jargon and banter get in the way of evangelism?
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Permalink Reply by Will on May 30, 2012 at 8:46pm
Permalink Reply by Shane on May 30, 2012 at 8:52pm I was convicted of my sinful nature and carried that burden until...
Permalink Reply by Will on May 31, 2012 at 7:44am The way I have heard the jargon, "convicted" means something like "felt guilty/became convinced of guilt (and that's a good thing despite our belief we are completely forgiven) about some particular activity," as in "I really was convicted about the way I was speaking to so-and-so." To "carry a burden" is to "have a feeling of caring about someone or some situation," as in, "I really carry a burden for motorcycle riders who need to hear the Gospel."
Permalink Reply by Elliott Jason Ridgway on May 30, 2012 at 10:58pm I don't understand a word you guys are saying...
Permalink Reply by Elliott Jason Ridgway on May 31, 2012 at 5:50am How to get a Burden for Lost Souls...
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
http://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/BibleStudy/Series25/Study3.htm
http://www.swiftcreekbaptistchurch.com/Sermons/Romans09_01-5,%2010_...
http://www.christiananswers.net/evangelism/burdenforthelost.html
http://www.danieljkoren.com/2011/06/christians-hell/
http://www.soulwinning.info/articles/soulwinners_needed.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer's%20Corner/tears.htm
http://www.valleybaptist.com/a/spiritual-helps-mainmenu-39/26-spiri...
Permalink Reply by Native Son on May 31, 2012 at 8:40am "Bathed in the Blood? Around him, I'm bathed, doused, rained on, covered and fairly reeking with the Blood."
Permalink Reply by KermitKebab on May 31, 2012 at 9:55am To answer the OP:
8 For truly, if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle? 9 In the same way also, unless YOU through the tongue utter speech easily understood, how will it be known what is being spoken? YOU will, in fact, be speaking into the air. -1 Corinthians 14:7,8 (NWT)
If my memory serves me correctly in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he used a total of 720 different words. His apostles were recognized by both the crowd and the Pharisees as being "men unlettered and ordinary".
To the extent that we can make the Good News of God's Kingdom simple and direct we make the truth most easily available to the most people.
I was in chat with Rebekah the other day and someone (I believe Liam?) said "It sounds like you are speaking a different language."
"When I brought the prosphora into the altar Father asked me to come get his epitrachelion, he left it in the kitchen when he was making sarma for Petrovdan and he needs it for the Crowning of Jovan and Thekla. Vladyka will be here for Petrovdan too, so make sure the dikiri and the trikiri are polished. Did you see that special on Athos? 60 Minutes did it on Pascha. If you see Matushka, will you let her know I found have her husband's epitrachelion now? I can't find him, I think he's going over the troparion and kontakion for Liturgy with Diakonissa..."
You wanna talk jargon...lol.
But to be fair, there's a big discussion about what language should be used in North America in the worship services of Orthodoxy, and I come down generally on the side which says we need to consider evangelism and embrace English. Those parishes which are using the vernacular are seeing much greater growth from convertsky than those which are holding tight to Slavonic and Greek. *Shrug*
In general I think it's unavoidable. Even the term "Bible" is jargon, as is technically "church". Any group that shares a common anything is going to develop jargon, you just have to explain it to people. Here's a contrary argument: People enjoy joining a group which is happy to explain it's jargon, because once people know it it helps them feel part of the group and a possessor of some knowledge unknown to the "outsiders." True? No idea, but it could be a counterpoint.
Permalink Reply by Elliott Jason Ridgway on June 1, 2012 at 11:41pm + 1 ...
LoL, of course I was using a lot of words to make a funny, but just for people who are interested:
"When I brought the (bread used for Holy Communion) into the altar Father asked me to come get his (stole-like vestment), he left it in the kitchen when he was making (Serbian cabbage rolls) for (Serbian Name for Ss. Peter and Paul day) and he needs it for the (Marriage) of (common-ish boy's name) and (uncommon-ish girl's name). (Bishop) will be here for (Ss. Peter and Paul Day) too, so make sure the (double armed candelabra, signifying the two natures of Christ) and the (triple armed candelabra, signifying the Blessed Trinity) are polished. Did you see that special on (a mountain in Greece where there are a ton of monasteries)? 60 Minutes did it on (Orthodox name for Easter). If you see (the priest's wife, translated "little mother"), will you let her know I found have her husband's (stole-ish vestment) now? I can't find him, I think he's going over the (small hymn assigned to a specific feast) and (a different small hymn assigned to the same feast) for (the Sunday service) with (the Deacon's wife)...
Permalink Reply by John Muir on June 2, 2012 at 1:29pm Rawb, your post gets to the heart of what I was thinking when I posted.
Jargon and banter is one part verbal shorthand and 9 parts exclusivity, I think.
For better and worse.
For the better, it fosters a sense of belonging, and creates a shared set of definitions. It's also good, to a degree, for a denomination to be destinct - if their actions are benevolent, it helps to give the glory to God.
For worse, if their actions are not Godly, the news is sure to spread further and faster than behavior of a non-religious affiliated groups having behaved the same, only with more amplifying characture and implied evil intent mixed in.
Also, I think some - SOME - people in some denominations think of themselves as Sneeches with Stars on their Stomachs - better and different from all the Sneeches on the Beaches, and that even IF a Starless Sneech acquires a Star, he's less a Star-Spangled Sneech than the one born with one. The phrase "Cradle Catholic" is one example of the exclusion-ism I think it can engender.
Finally, I will end this reply by taking advantage of the opportunity to post this pic:
Permalink Reply by Elliott Jason Ridgway on June 2, 2012 at 1:40pm + 1 ... :)
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