Have you ever thought about what it means to market your faith? We live in a society that turns everything into a commodity & I think we often resist marketing our faith, thinking that somehow or another, it cheapens God in the world. As if we could cheapen the Creator of the universe. Perhaps we’re more comfortable with “evangelism” when sharing or marketing our faith. Of course, that term has been co-opted by a select segment of the Christian tradition & turned into something I know I’m not always comfortable with using. If we don’t do something to share our faith, are we really living out our faith, though? Suppose we aren’t marketing our local church, evangelizing to those who haven’t heard about Jesus. Are we failing to honor Jesus’ request that disciples share his teachings to the ends of the earth?
Communication is a ministry, no matter what term we use for it. If we don’t effectively communicate & share the information, experiences, & opportunities of our faith, we fail to expand & express the fullness of God’s love & the good news of Jesus Christ. Suppose you think what’s happening at Song of Life is fantastic. In that case, I wonder what stops you from sharing that information? What stops you from marketing your faith as a way of shining the hope of Christ in a world that needs the hope to show a different way of being? I think sometimes we shy away from sharing the news because we worry about how our neighbors will look at us once they know we go to church. Will they make fun of us or stop inviting us to the neighborhood cookout? Will they think we’re like those Christians? Or perhaps we’re worried there will be trolls posting on our social media page or harassing us in the comments section on a group page.
Not everyone has the gift of effective communication. Some would argue communication isn’t even a gift since it’s not listed in the scriptures that reference spiritual gifts, but that’s a conversation for a different day. While everyone isn’t going to be an elegant communicator, everyone is included in the great commission. In Matthew 28, Jesus commissions all disciples present to share his teachings with the nations. In Acts 1, Jesus says when the Holy Spirit comes upon disciples, they become Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. In both cases, no one is left out of sharing the gospel. I wonder what would happen to the church called Song of Life if each person who believes in the work being done by this community of believers were to take this commissioning seriously. What would happen if each of us begins witnessing to the ends of the earth (or at least the ends of our streets) the truth of who this community is & what we do & believe? I wonder if we could start a revolution if we each market our faith, sharing with others the truth of Christ & this church we call home, sharing the good news that we are a welcoming, inclusive & beautifully diverse community of people loving God, loving others, & transforming the world.
In Christ’s Love,
