Tuesday morning evangelistic smack-down, iv

Who you gonna follow?: “Clarence Jordan (photo on right) preached in a Southern church and observed an elderly woman ‘as crisp with pride as a dead honeysuckle vine’ making her way down the aisle, her eyes telegraphing the tone of her response to his message. He braced, and she delivered – straight from the gut level of her culture. ‘I want you to know that grandfather fought in the Civil War, and I will never believe a word you say.”

“Clarence who was tall and gracious and Southern as a sowbelly himself, smiled and replied, ‘Ma’am, your choice seems quite clear. It is whether you will follow your granddaddy or Jesus Christ.’” (Jordan, The Substance of Faith, Introduction)

Our Kierkegaard Shift-uneasily-in-our-seats Moment: “Today’s Christianity is a matter of being elevated for an hour once a week just as in the theater. It is now used to hearing everything without having the remotest notion of doing something.” (Provocations, The Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard)

Barna.org data to think about:

• Nearly half (43%) of all Americans who accept Jesus Christ as their savior do so before reaching the age of 13 (2004)
• Two out of three born again Christians (64%) accept Jesus Christ as their savior before their 18th birthday. (2004)
• One out of eight born again people (13%) made their profession of faith while 18 to 21 years old. (2004)

$ cost per baptism (or why we believe in sending money to the mission field): in USA, $1,551,466; in Mozambique, $1,366; in India, $9,803. (World Christian Encyclopedia)

Interesting church planting website http://www.redeemer2.com/themovement/
issues/2004/oct/churchplanter.html