Wednesday 30 June 2010

Ear-ring Evangelism

image

Isn’t it frustrating! On Saturday I lost a zip ear-ring, and on Sunday I lost a pretty diamante one. The former had a ‘bullet’ on the back, the latter was a hook type. So it is not the style of the jewellery that is at fault, I obviously have a dodgy right ear. [Unlike Davy Crockett, who has left ear, right ear and wild front ear!]

 ear-ring bullet

I remembered a piece I wrote a while ago about ear-rings…

About twenty three years ago, another pastor’s wife told me that she had been criticised by a church member, because ‘spiritual women do not have pierced ears’. I was so cross that someone could make such a judgement that I went straight to Bromley ‘Army and Navy’ and had my ears seen to. I am not good with pain, so insisted Bob came and held my hand through the process!

Since then, I have amassed a weird and wonderful collection of ear-rings. When teaching very small children, I wear a pair that reflects the ‘Letter of the Week’ [I have cats, zigzags, ice-creams…] Whilst sorting them out – yes, I do keep them alphabetically in a box with separate sections – I realised that ear-rings actually can make a spiritual point.

er bullet

bullet

er hook

hook

er butterfly

butterfly

The fixing on the back usually comes in one of three types, known in the trade as ‘bullet’, ‘hook’ or ‘butterfly’ – and it struck me that evangelism can be like that. Some people can just go up to complete strangers and hit them hard with the Gospel. Zap! Just like a bullet [e.g. Evangelism Explosion, door-to-door Evangelism, street preachers].

Others invite people along to something special [a meal, a special event] and having been drawn in, people get ‘hooked’ [Alpha, seeker services, Billy Graham rallies etc].

But some Christians live such beautiful lives, that others are attracted to them and want to find out what it is that makes them special – rather like the butterfly attracts attention, and then these Christians have the opportunity to share Jesus.

I am not saying any of these three methods is more valid than the other – I just want to build the Kingdom of God in my generation. Once I have ‘retired’ maybe I should write a book on Ear-ring Evangelism - but don’t forget, you read it first on the blog!

5 comments:

  1. Captain Kirk has three ears too - a left ear, a right ear and a final front ear!!

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  2. Definitely a subject to be developed...maybe for some Bible studies?

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  3. Matty: Grandma, how much do a pirate's ear-rings cost?
    Me: I don't know how much a pirate's ear-rings cost!
    Matty: A buccaneer!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've never seen so many ear jokes in one place. Please include all of them in your next sermon!

    frances

    ReplyDelete
  5. This really made my smile my beautiful butterfly friend - oh and it is catching I lost the back of my earings too

    ReplyDelete

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