In the 20th century, most American citizens shared a Christian affiliation.  It was assumed that your neighbors at least knew the basics of the Christian faith.  In this context, any further questions of faith were referred to a professional - a pastor, priest, elder, or professor.  There was little need for the average person to articulate, in their own words, the heart of their faith in Christ.   

Not so in the 21st century.  In our day, such articulation is critical.  Missional movements have been founded on the rapid sharing of the Christian message along the relational lines of everyday people.  For every St. Paul, there were thousands of Jewish and Gentile converts who shared the heart of their faith in Jesus of Nazareth. 

Can everyday Christians respond to these questions? 
​
"What do you believe?"
"Why does it matter?"  
"Why is Jesus so important to you?"
 
In answering these questions, four skills are critical for Christians to speak their heart in an increasingly non-Christian context.  

Today's parents of children and young teens are the first parents in human history whose kids have known smart phones and tablets from infancy.  The iphone came out in June of 2007.  It has completely changed the way we gather information, relate, and spend our time.

A big question is "When do we get our child a phone?"  Having recently outfitted our 13-year-old, I'll share our approach.  I recognize that some will think we're too strict and others will think we're too loose.  This is not meant to be law.   My hope is simply that it's useful as you consider your own circumstance, whether you're a tween, parent, grandparent, or guardian.  

Serving Christ can be agonizing.  Jesus said it himself, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake . . ." (Matt. 5:10).  

Especially for those working in called ministry positions, there is a weight.  A burden.  A cloud of pressure derived from spiritual forces under responsibility which has eternal consequences. 

You've asked, "How much difference am I making?  Should I go on?  Should I give up? "

Here is some help from 19th century English preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  The following is from his Lectures to My Students. 

Although he also traveled by water, walking was the primary mode of transportation for Jesus of Nazareth.  As a child, we know Jesus journeyed with his parents to Egypt.  Outside of that,  most of his life took place in a small territory in Palestine.  His public ministry spanned a region no further than 100 miles. 

I love these four words from John 9:1:  "As he passed by . . ."   A great many events in the gospels happened, “as he passed by,” along the way.  On the road.  In the marketplace.  Out in the countryside.  By the city gate.  On the shoreline, by the water.  In a home, at the dinner table.  Very little of Jesus' ministry took place "at church," in the temple.  Jesus’ ministry happened while he walked, “as he passed by.”  

Speed is an ultimate asset in our culture.  We have a lust for expediency.  Orders from Amazon come faster.  We eat fast food.  Microchips in computers and phones get exponentially faster.  (See Moore's Law.)    We want to make money faster, retire faster, finish a degree faster, get projects done faster.  Life is done in a rush.  We get to the end of a day and it’s a blur.  We think, “I did a lot today, but what did I do?” 

My  assumption is that you are hard-working and busy.  You like to get things done.  You feel good when tasks are accomplished.  You take pride in your vocations.  You are rarely accused of being lazy.  

If this is accurate, you need to work on being unproductive.  

I was watching 60 Minutes on Sunday night.  (Yes, I'm an old man.)  There was a segment on an upcoming documentary about Pope Francis.  60 Minutes interviewed the unique choice for this project, German “art house” director Wim Wenders. 

Wenders is a lapsed Catholic. He’s known for his eclectic body of work which includes U2 music videos and “Buena Vista Social Club,” a documentary about a group of aging Cuban musicians.  I was interested in Wenders' perception of the Pope, for he would not be enamored like a devout Catholic.  Nor did he seem to bear the stinging criticism of an anti-religious secularist.  He made two observations of Pope Francis that struck me. 

The reception desk was staffed with a team of bright, smiley 27-year-olds when I walked into Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, CA.  They were hip, casual, and optimistic.   After receiving credentials, we met Alex, a friend of a friend, and our "in" to FB HQ.  

Accompanied by a small team from my church on a mission expedition to the San Francisco Bay Area, we followed Alex to a corral with rows of bikes.  To traverse the complex of buildings, we gleefully biked like kids, calling them "Mark's bikes," a shout out to CEO Zuckerberg.  

Like it's own city, the Menlo Park hub has everything, and it's all free.  An employee will find:

• Dry cleaning.
• A bike shop.
• A cafeteria.  Mexican?  Thai?  A burger?  They have it.
• Snack corners on every floor with racks of gum, candy bars, and bottled beverages.  We filled our pockets with packs of Orbitz gum , which for days we referred to as "Facebook gum."

A sense of optimism permeated the grounds.  There was a feeling that "we're changing the world."  It seemed less a company and more a cause, nearly religious in nature.