{"id":8273,"date":"2021-01-19T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/?p=8273"},"modified":"2021-01-16T11:11:14","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T16:11:14","slug":"january-24-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/january-24-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"January 24, 2021&#8211;Inviting Not Selling"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Warm-up Question<\/b><\/p>\n<p>When have you had success getting someone to change their mind, selling them something, or convincing them of a new concept. \u00a0What helped you do it?<\/p>\n<p><b>Inviting Not Selling<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Relevant Magazine online recently reported a list of 11 statistics that paint a striking picture of US consumerism.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Here are a few of the 11, but to find the whole list, you can use this<a href=\"https:\/\/www.relevantmagazine.com\/current\/11-stats-will-change-way-you-think-about-consumerism\/\"> link<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>1.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Nearly 40% of food in America goes to waste.<\/p>\n<p>2. Nearly half the world\u2019s toys are in America.<\/p>\n<p>3. The average American household has more than $7,500 in consumer debt while the median household<\/p>\n<p>income in the global population is just over $9,700 (as of 2013, according to Gallup).<\/p>\n<p>In a 2008 video called \u201cThe Virtue of Kindness,\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>one of the narrators shares a statistic which remains fairly unchanged 12 years later:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The US is 6% of the world\u2019s population and we use about 23% of the world\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n<p>Just coming out of the Christmas season, how do you feel about consumerism?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Has Christmas become primarily a consumer cultural?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Is it hard to stay focused amidst all the advertisements and marketing?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I noticed this year that many commercials are about treating yourself, or at least treating yourself after you treat others.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But isn\u2019t giving someone a gift at Christmas supposed to be a meaningful show of love, like God\u2019s gift of Jesus to us or the wisemen&#8217;s gifts to Jesus?<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, the top 200 advertisers spent a collective $163,000,000,000 on marketing, according to businessinsider.com.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Yes, you read that right.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>One-hundred-sixty-three BILLION dollars on marketing in ONE year.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s no wonder we are such consumers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We are bombarded with verbal and visual ads everywhere we look\u2014 social media, TV, radio, billboards, and print.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Consider what we could do with billions of dollars to care for the poor, the sick, or the stranger.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We could develop better care and programs for the mentally ill or persons with disabilities, or boost education&#8230;the list goes on and on.<\/p>\n<p>Because of our consumer culture, it\u2019s not surprising that many people look at participation in a faith community or church the same way:<\/p>\n<p>-Which church fits MY needs or the needs of my family?<\/p>\n<p>-Which church has a coffee bar?<\/p>\n<p>-Does my church worship at a time that I would like to worship, or should I find a new one that does?<\/p>\n<p>-We are \u201cchurch shopping.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Of course, none of these things are necessarily bad. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But how can we also make sure we aren\u2019t merely \u201cconsuming\u201d faith too?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>How can we be sure that our churches are not \u201cselling us\u201d an experience, rather than inviting us to be disciples?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What does it mean to be a disciple?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>How do WE invite others into a relationship with God and with our neighbors without manipulation or a sales pitch?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Because ultimately, Jesus isn\u2019t for sale, and neither are our relationships.<\/p>\n<p><b>Discussion Questions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Based on these statistics, how do you feel about consumerism in America?<\/li>\n<li>Given what Jesus says in Luke 12:34 \u201cFor where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,\u201d what is God teaching us about consumerism?<\/li>\n<li>When is going to church a faith practice and when is it consuming?\u00a0 In other words, how is participating in a faith community or church more than just filling satisfying our wants. \u00a0Is there a difference between what we want and what we truly need? \u00a0Is that difference important?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Third Sunday after Epiphany<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=477402720\">Jonah 3:1-5, 10<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=477402751\">1 Corinthians 7:29-31<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/?ql=477402783\">Mark 1:14-20<\/a><\/p>\n<p>(Text links are to <a href=\"http:\/\/bible.oremus.org\/\">Oremus Bible Browser<\/a>. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elca.org\/Our-Work\/Congregations-and-Synods\/Worship\/Lectionary\/YearB\">Lectionary Readings<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agnusday.org\/\">Agnus Day.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>Gospel Reflection<\/b><\/p>\n<p>In Mark 1:14-20, Jesus calls and gathers his first disciples.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0Jesus tells these men, who are fishermen by trade, that he will make them \u201cfishers of men,\u201d or in other words, \u201cfishers of people.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It seems like a relatively straightforward deal; I call you to follow me, and you call others to follow me (meaning Jesus).<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We use this story as a reference to how God wants us to invite and welcome people into our communities of faith.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We use this story to understand part of the work of being a disciple of Christ.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-8287 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704-300x192.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704-768x491.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704-250x160.jpg 250w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704-547x350.jpg 547w, https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/01\/iStock-1098403704.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>However, isn\u2019t it a little more complicated than what we hear in the gospel?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus walks up to these fishermen, calls out, \u201cFollow me.&#8221;<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They lay down their nets and follow.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>But WHY?!?!?!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you were to walk up to someone in today\u2019s world and tell them to just drop what they are doing and follow you, they would probably think you are crazy!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Even if they didn\u2019t think you were crazy, they would not likely follow.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Moreover, in today\u2019s cultural climate of marketing and consumerism, we\u2019ve become particularly tuned in to wondering what people are trying to \u201csell\u201d us and what\u2019s in it for them.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhy should I follow you?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s the catch?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s in it for me?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s in it for you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve spent a lot of time in recent years inviting young people who do not go to church or have an interest in church to come.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ve often heard that they just don\u2019t see the point.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>These are exactly the people I feel God is calling me to invite into a faith community.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>However, finding ways to invite them and not make it \u201ctoo churchy\u201d or sound like a sales pitch has proven hard.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Simply asking them to \u201cfollow me\u201d doesn\u2019t seem realistic either.<\/p>\n<p>So I look to the gospel story and wonder, what does it mean to be a fisher of people?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And how can I be a fisher of people without becoming a salesperson?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A few things come to mind:<\/p>\n<p>1. Jesus invites the disciples to follow AND tells them he will make them fishers of people.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>When we invite someone to come to church, we should be clear about what we are inviting them to and why.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>When you want to ask someone to share a special thing in your life, how do you ask them?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What do you say?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 D<\/span>eveloping a relationship with God different than just coming to church&#8211;and people need to know why.<\/p>\n<p>2. The story doesn\u2019t tell us is why these men just dropped their nets to follow.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Did they KNOW Jesus?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Was he an acquaintance?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A stranger?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Did they hate their jobs and see that Jesus offered something better?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Had they heard that Jesus was proclaiming the good news of God?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What would make someone in today\u2019s world hear that the gospel is good news?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Does knowing a person and hearing about what they are doing that is unique or special make a difference in whether someone follows?<\/p>\n<p>3. Jesus doesn\u2019t make a big fuss or spend a lot of time on the invitation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s simply an invitation.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Sometimes, when we work too hard to convince someone, we begin to sound like a salesperson trying to sell something instead of simply inviting.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Keep it simple.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Just invite.<\/p>\n<p>4. Finally, a fisherman knows that some days you catch a bunch of fish, and some days you don\u2019t.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>And when you pull in the nets, some get away or never get caught in the first place.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If we apply this to fishing for people, we remember that fishing for people isn\u2019t about catching everyone or catching anyone in particular.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s about the fishing itself, the inviting.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>God asks us to be faithful disciples and \u00a0fish, but God doesn\u2019t expect us to always make a catch.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Additionally, if we get too caught up in trying to catch the fish we missed, we lose sight of those we&#8217;ve caught\u2014and they may then slip away.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Fishing for people is not about making a catch or a sale.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s about \u00a0extending an invitation to something which is life-giving, nourishing, sustaining, and filling.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s about inviting someone deeper into a relationship.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s about sharing the opportunity to experience God\u2019s love with others.<\/p>\n<p>Fishing for people is not about selling something.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s not even about making a catch.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The point of fishing for people is to throw out the net and gather people in who want to know how God is part of our lives.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s about inviting people into hard, beautiful, merciful, forgiving, filling, comforting, beloved relationships; the things that being a disciple are all about.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>In our consumer world, fishing for people can sometimes feel like just another marketing scheme, but it doesn\u2019t have to be that.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>After all, an invitation to a party is way better than an ad for another thing to buy.<\/p>\n<p><b>Discussion Questions<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What\u2019s the difference between inviting someone to follow Jesus and marketing your church or faith community?<\/li>\n<li>In today\u2019s consumer society, why is it important to invite someone into a relationship with Jesus rather than \u201csell them Jesus\u201d?<\/li>\n<li>What does it mean to you to be a fisher of people and why does God call disciples to be fishers of people?<\/li>\n<li>What are some ways you could fish for people rather than \u201csell them Jesus\u201d?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Activity Suggestion<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Role play a way you might \u201cfish for people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you need assistance, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<p>a.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Determine why your faith or your relationship with Jesus is important to you.<\/p>\n<p>b.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Think about a story you could share with others that describes why your faith or relationship with<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>Jesus is special to you.<\/p>\n<p>c.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Practice sharing your story with a partner.<\/p>\n<p>OR<\/p>\n<p>After answering the discussion questions above, you may have come up with some different ways to fish<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span>for people yourself.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Try these out in your role play.\u00a0When you are finished with your role play, have your partner help you fine tune your invitation and explore other ways you might \u201cfish for people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Closing Prayer<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Jesus, our teacher, You have called us to follow you and made us fishers of people.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Give us the courage to become the fishermen you ask us to be, and the faith to know how to share your love rather than sell someone on why they should believe in you.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Equip us with the tools we need to extend your forgiveness, mercy and compassion to others, and gather in all those who are drawn to you.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Amen.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX Warm-up Question When have you had success getting someone to change their mind, selling them something, or convincing them of a new concept. \u00a0What helped you do it? Inviting Not Selling Relevant Magazine online recently reported a list of 11 statistics that paint a striking picture of US consumerism.\u00a0 Here [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1400],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-post"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>January 24, 2021-Inviting Not Selling - Faith Lens<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/january-24-2021\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"January 24, 2021-Inviting Not Selling - Faith Lens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Heather Hansen, San Antonio, TX Warm-up Question When have you had success getting someone to change their mind, selling them something, or convincing them of a new concept. \u00a0What helped you do it? 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