celtic evangelism

I'm reading George Hunter's, The Celtic Way of Evangelism and while not quite finished, I am very positively impressed. The first challenge was for me to stop reacting to some of the Celtic Christian's Roman Catholic practices. My issues with those behaviors tended to block me from seeing the good stuff in what they were doing overall. If you can get past that, this is an excellent, short (121 pages) read.

Hunter identifies five key themes in their approach to missions. First, "they usually evangelized as a team - by relating to the people of a settlement; identifying with the people; engaging in friendship, conversation, ministry, and witness - with the goal of raising up a church in measurable time."

Second, the "community prepared people to live with depth, compassion, and power in mission."

Third, they focussed "on the role of imaginative prayer in all the settings". The imaginative prayer language was one of the key places I had issue but if not taken to the extreme of today's contemplative prayer movement, this seems healthy. Here however is a sample that calms my fears and allows the practice presuming it is not abused. This is from the end of a piece entitled St. Patrick's Breastplate.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

For to the Lord belongs salvation,
and to the Lord belongs salvation
and to Christ belongs salvation
May your salvation, Lord, be with us always.

The fourth theme is relative to hospitality. This is found "in ministry with seekers, visitors, refugees, and other guests. ... The Benedictine Rule #53 explains that 'All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ, for he himself will say: 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me.''"

The fifth and final theme is around the overall model and the seeker's experience within that. The Roman Model is first presentation, then decision, followed by fellowship. The Celtic model is fellowship, then ministry and conversations, followed by belief and and invitation to commitment. In this Celtic model, I would want to be careful not to confuse the fellowship with the unbeliever as the fellowship we enjoy as the body of Christ but certainly in the sense of us going out and living among the world and then inviting them to come and live within our community, this is good.

The goal here is to put disciple-making and a Christian life over the oft too valued "decision for Christ". Hunter emphasized that "Christianity is more caught than taught." I would argue that it is both. But his point here is that we focus on the moment in time that a decision is made rather than the real goal of a life changed for Christ - living for Him every moment of every day. With the right approach, it is not a, "let's think about how to make the alter call easy", it is more, "hey, come see that a life in Christ costs everything and when you are ready to die to yourself, then you are ready to live for Him."

Hunter also provided some tips for speaking.

First, engage and speak as though personally, to individuals, not as to an audience en masse. ... Second, speak concretely, even poetically and imaginatively, rather than in abstractions. Third, speak to yourself as well as to the auditors, so that the speech has the effect of the audience overhearing the speaker addressing the speaker. Fourth, stress the possibility; that is, what a person's lie can become. If you tell stories of heroes of the faith, the goal is not for the people to admire the heroes ... but to glimpse what their own lives can become. Fifth, reject all temptation to pressure people to decide now; respect their freedom and encourage their free response in measurable time.

Hunter then provides some historic examples of miracles. I'll have to accept these at face value and as a Charismatic, they fit my Biblical "grid" fine. Of course others will "pooh pooh" this and then as one of their proofs that spiritual gifts as ceased is that there are no historical record of these. I'm accepting the accounts.

There is a small section on storytelling of which I am a big believer of. I teach small group leaders that one of their key roles is that of storyteller. They must be able to tell His story (the Gospel), our story (that of our community), and their story (how the Gospel and the community is transforming them into Christ-likeness).

These Celtic believers, as should all believers, were devoted, compassionate, and sold-out citizens of Heaven - and they understood that "the Christian faith never exists except as 'translated' into culture!"

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