July 2009

Unbinding the Gospel

We’ve heard about this for some time now. It’s time to get going! On July 12th, Pastor Shane will lead a book study for Unbinding the Gospel, and wants YOU to participate, even if you’re in and out during July and August.

But that’s not all that we’re doing with this resource during July. We want the church, as a whole, to reflect and experience an aspect of Christian Mission that doesn’t often come up in Disciples churches: Faith Sharing. I would say, “Evangelism,” but I don’t think that word communicates clearly what our Mission-of-the-Month is about. Faith Sharing isn’t about ‘converting the godless’ or ‘winning people for Christ,’ which is often what folk mean by Evangelism. The emphasis shifts when you speak of ‘faith sharing’; it becomes a matter of what you do, not what response you receive.

Did you catch the difference? Simply put, you can share your faith with everyone, regardless their faith tradition, as long as you’re being true to yourself, your God and your Christian duty to love your neighbor. And there need not be any agenda behind sharing you faith. It’s worth sharing for sharing’s sake. And you may not even say the word, “Jesus,” because faith is a matter of trust in God that is always bigger and more than what we believe. Is your neighbor frightened that they can’t pay the bills, so you cook dinner for them and their kids? That’s sharing your faith. Does a person next to you on the plane seem anxious to tell her story and have someone listen, so you put down your book and try making a human connection? That’s sharing you faith. Does your adult child call one night desperate to share his concern for

your well-being, or for his own future, so you listen and say, “Thank you,” and tell him you’re glad for the love and respect you’ve developed? That’s sharing your faith too.

In fact, to make this Mission-of-the-Month about more than a group of people studying a book in the library, we’re opening things up wide. During July, outside the Sanctuary on the Welcome Center table/desk, we will place a “Suggestion Box,” expect the title will be “Sharing Faith.” When you come to church, Pastor Shane will ask every person every week to write a little description of something they are doing, have done or plan to do that involves ‘sharing faith’ in a unique and authentic way. And every week, Pastor Shane will lift some of those ideas up in prayer during service, and in the weekly bulletin. Next month, an entire column in the Creeksider will be devoted to sharing Plymouth Creek’s ideas of ‘Sharing Faith,’ so that

the creativity, courage and compassion of our fellow churchgoers can be displayed fully. If you don’t come to church, but think of something good, PLEASE CALL (763-458-1578) or EMAIL

(pastor@plymouthcreek.org). What happens when Christians share their faith? We’ll find out next month, I guess. But it probably looks a lot like life-transforming love…