Evangelism - Part 2

The following is adapted from the second half of a talk I gave at WYnet Summer Camp 2011. The theme for the week was Discipleship, and I spoke towards the end of the event about mission-ship, or evangelism.

In the first half of the talk, I spoke about What evangelism is, the Context of bad news that makes the Good News worth listening to, and the Distractions of issues secondary to Jesus' death and resurrection.

I introduced the talk by saying that I knew they (the teens) had, or could get, advice on how to be "nice people" very easily, and therefore I wanted to cut straight to stuff about evangelism that could be applied in their school and college lives.

Who

A possbile next question for the simple act of evanglism is "Who do we evangelise to- friends or strangers?" Well, considering the example of Jesus, the answer appears to be "both." He gave lots of time and attention to explaining God to his closest friends, the disciples, but He also healed and preached to thousands of other people in first century Israel.

Evangelism - Part 1

The following is adapted from the first half of a talk I gave at WYnet Summer Camp 2011. The theme for the week was Discipleship, and I spoke towards the end of the event about mission-ship, or evangelism.

I introduced the talk by saying that I knew they (the teens) had, or could get, advice on how to be "nice people" very easily, and therefore I wanted to cut straight to stuff about evangelism that could be applied in their lives at school and college.

What

During my time at the University of Chester, I heard what I think is the best definition of evangelism I have ever heard. It went,

"Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where he can get free food."

24 Games That Never Made It

Here is a small collection of games that probably didn't make it into your childhood:

1. Heads, Shoulders, Knees or Tails
2. Cops and Lawyers
3. Edible Jigsaw Puzzles
4. Water-Ski-Rugby
5. Real Snakes and Ladders
6. Solo Texas Hold'Em Poker
7. What's the Time, Mister Yogenschlangheifennhturichsuen?
8. Invisible Chess
9. Relay Darts
10. Truth or Truth
11. Real-time Snooker (none of this "taking turns" rubbish)
12. Latin Scrabble
13. Table-Javelin
14. Tranquilised Lions
15. Five-a-side Solitaire
16. Art-Attack Pictionary
17. Horizontal Rock Climbing
18. 100 meter staring contests
19. Guess the Law-Of-Thermodynamics
20. Underwater Basketball
21. Democratic Rupublic of Congo Roulette
22. Charades in the Dark
23. Keep-me-ups (with a shotput)
24. Rock, Paper, Scissors, Selotape, Card, Glue and Acrylic Paint

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Image source: http://desire-microblooms.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/confused-baby.html

Journeys Across Two Types of Fictional Landscapes

Regarding the journeys taken across them, I think that the landscapes in a fantasy story can speak to and inspire us more than the settings of a science-fiction one.

The fictional genres of science-fiction and fantasy have very different types of generic landscapes or settings. Science-fiction is usually set in the depths of space, possibly across many planets and maybe galaxies, with vessels flying between the worlds. Fantasy, by contrast, is usually set on a single world, possibly across many countries and maybe continents, with characters trekking or riding between settlements.

Science-fiction, even if it is not set in an idea of our own future, is seen to be futuristic because of how advanced the technology is. Fantasy, even if it is not set in any real history, is seen to be like past ages, with simplicity serving as an adjective for much of the imagined world.

Stories, Maths, Politics and Board Games

Stories and numbers seem intertwined in a confusing way. That one should come from another seems odd, but they do have some things in common. Stories involve change, and our earliest lessons in maths teach us how to change numbers. Politicians, game designers, and many other workers in the world require some skill at translation from one to the other, yet I wouldn't know where any of us learned how to do this.

Short Story: The Expedition and the Time Shadow

Nakkie stood shoulder to shoulder between five other men. One of them was Simon from his own team, another looked like a builder from the third construction team, and the other three were cavers. They had been herded into the square room by all of Crune's boys about twenty minutes ago, turning the cube they had spent the last two days putting together into a torchlit cell with depressingly black walls. A single cell, in the deepest of six caverns, sitting one thousand, two hundred and fifteen feet below sea level. That was a lot of rock between them and the sunlight on the brazillian desert above their heads. Not for the first time on this trip, Nakkie didn't like the feel of this.

Religious Duality

Duality is where a person behaves differently around different people. I've gotten the impression that most of us notice ourselves using it while growing up- you learn to behave differently around your teachers than you do around your friends, for example. It can appear common sense in some situations, but in others it may cause us to question whether we are being genuine.

Of all the relationships a person can have, perhaps the most far detached categories are people and God. We relate to people every day, and can choose to relate to God as well, but should we behave differently around the creator of the universe because we cannot see or touch Him?

I am not referring to whether we should respect God or not. That is a question for beliefs and relationship, not for duality. I am instead asking whether we should be behaving very differently to God during our conversations with Him compared to when talking with friends on the street.

Graduation vs. Communion

After years of working hard, the ceremony of Graduation gives each University student a chance to recognise their success, and a sense of closure. It also accompanies at least one motivational speech about facing the future, and the challenges and rewards it may bring.

Graduation is a ceremony which marks the past and points ahead to a hopeful future. So I have found myself comparing it to Holy Communion in church.