The Journey of the journeyless?

Hello,

Slight diversion from the readings todayv(did not fully understand today's so do explain if you know - Matt 12v46-50, Luke 18v19-21).

Anyways, just had a really awe inspiring community group where we were discussing the future of our group and where and what we would like to lead on to.  This sparked off several good discussions, many of which I have been pondering over.  Here are a few thoughts.

At the moment the journey reading plans are taking us through the gospels.   Excellent. I have been really surprised and really challenged to think about this time period and the meaning of the gospels in a different light....


So at the time, there were no Christians.  The name had not yet come to be.  Jesus had not yet died.  There was no sudden conversion experiences to speak of, no 'sinners' prayer', no wham bam Christian in the can type instantaneous conversion moments.  It got me thinking.  Often as Christians we are waiting for our non-christian friends to have that one life-changing conversion moment and then, boom, that's it, Christian forever, another number to the list, another bum on a chair in church, another 'success' story.  Perhaps surprisingly so, there are few of these moments in the gospels.  Yes we have Saul later on, but really the majority of those people who came to faith in the gospels were also on a journey.  They were on a path, they needed some experience of God, they needed to see Him, feel Him, touch Him, walk with Him for a bit, relate to Him, trust Him, build up a relationship with Him and so on.

These things take TIME.  It takes all sorts of things to make a 'Christian'.  Jesus walked with all sorts of people and journeyed with all kind of people in the gospels.  Sometimes He performed miracles and people 'converted' to the faith almost instantaneously.  Other times it took time.  Other times it didn't happen at all.  What can we learn from Jesus' dealings with non-Christians in the Bible or those who had no faith?  Did He refuse to hang out with them?  Did He only choose to hang out with those faith-full ones?  Did He place super high expectations on them?  Did He ask for a show of hands to see who had converted? (obviously this is useful in churches to day so we can approach, guide and talk to those who have chosen to make a committment - I'm not knocking this at all - I'm just saying).

So back in the day I was part of the Message Trust - working on their Eden projects, living and volunteering in a rough estate in Manchester and journeying with my neighbours who were often poor, vulnerable, in trouble with the police and so on.  This was my day to day activity.  However once a month we'd put on a huge event and invite loads of people from the estates, loads of churches and loads of school kids from all over Manchester to hear the gospel.  They were fantastic.  There were live bands, music, entertainment, a talk and guess what...?  Loads of people heard the gospel and put their hands up to make a committment.  Some evenings we'd see close to 100 people become 'Christians'.  But often these people wouldn't return the next month.  Neither would they return the month after.  Often they would return home and one of two things would happen.  They'd turn up to their local church, only to be turned away or put off because the church just wasn't equipped enough to deal with such people, or they would return to their 'non-Christian' lifestyle of drink, drugs, crime and so on.  Sometimes it was both.

Why?!!!  Why is this?  Are we placing to much emphasis on the 'moment' of conversion, rather than looking at the journey?  Are we just bothered about numbers in the Kingdom of God?  Are we lacking the knowledge, patience, wisdom and dedication to walking the journey with other people?  Are we afraid?  Are we too inward focussed on ourselves and our problems?

Look at Jesus.  Look at some of the people without faith that He hung out with.  He made time for them.  He walked with them.  He talked to them.  He laughed with them.  He cried with them.  He understood that each person is on their own journey.  He loved them.  He was REAL with them; not just out with an ulterior motivation and their conversion in mind.  He knew that each person had different needs, different issues, different questions.  There wasn't and still isn't one formulaic 'one size fits all' conversion package to Christianity. Sometimes I think that the sooner we realise this, the fuller our churches would be.  Let's journey with people, allow for their growth, allow for their stumbles, allow for their questions, allow for their turning away and coming back.  Let's not be people who eagerly await the 'conversion experience' that may never happen and then vanish from that person's life.  Let's walk the journey with our friends.  Let's bear with the things they do that we don't agree with, rather than turning our noses up.

Guys let me say - we do a fantastic job.  Some of you out there I can only dream of being more like.  Some of you are better journey companions than I could ever be.  Don't stop.  Not ever.  However just have a walk through my words and my thoughts from today.  What do we think?  Am I right?  What would you add?  And let's not forget, God is the author and perfector of our faith (Heb12v1-2).  He is the maker of our salvation.  It's not up to us.  Pressure off. :)

Oh and if anyone has the book 'Surprised by Joy' by CS Lewis, can I borrow a copy?

Ta!