Holy Conversations Series

Intro

I first heard of how God had come to us in Christ … early 1970s… through my HS and college years… there was nothing unusual about believing in God… and even accepting Christ as savior. For sure there was the awkward tension some friends felt about how it might affect partying together in the same ways… but the general cultural mind wasn’t loaded with any deep negative associations.

I have felt how notably that has changed.

My sense is that most of us feel like it’s almost impossible to talk about our faith… without a sense of eliciting some strong reactions.

It may be with family members… friends… co-workers.

• It may be felt most consistently by those who are younger…because there has been a growing number of “cultural narratives” and negative associations that have shaped the minds and hearts of so many in recent years.

• Most of us feel there is a minefield of misconceptions and misgivings that make it too difficult to discuss God with those who don’t share our belief.

• We know that there are a number of “issues” that might be triggered…so if we speak of God… of identifying with the church… perhaps you wait to see if you hear the click of a landmine being triggered.

• It may be as general as resentment for the assumption that they are going to get preached at… because “religious people” are self-righteous.

• Or maybe they just show some fear that you haven’t accepted the cultural understanding that there is no absolute truth… and that you need to be reminded this can only be your truth…and only what is good for you.

• Or maybe it’s a reaction to the associations with “Evangelical Christians”… as a political force.

• Or maybe it’s the scandal’s and hypocrisy that seems so common amidst religious institutions and groups. Many feel that organized religion doesn’t just have problems amidst itself… it is a problem itself…and anything associated with it.

> The one thing most of those who believe in Christ and those who don’t yet believe have in common… is that we can have a hard time talking about God with people who don’t share our belief.

Whether you are committed to Christ… or still exploring … I believe that we have all lost something which should be as natural as anything in life…which is the ability to talk about the big questions of life… about spiritual beliefs.

> I want to encourage us to learn how to have healthy and holy conversations.

Consider this… the truth is that [1] …

Many people may be more guarded…but they are not closed.

You may think: no one believes in God any more. The truth is according to sociologists in 2022,

The proportion of atheists in the US has held steady at only 3% to 4% for more than 80 years.

You may think: there is a growing trend of people who simply aren’t identifying with any religious affiliation… often labeled as "Nones"…because if given a list of religious affiliations… they respond by check the box that says “None.” This has indeed been a major trend…but..

The “nones” represent something unsettled… stories unfinished.

The truth is there are stories of those who have departed from their faith… due to some conflict of ideas or experience…that need to be listened to… and explored.

And what we will find… is that the conflicts are not with Jesus.

You may think people have negative feeling about Christ. But the truth is that virtually no one is reacting to Jesus. [2]

The majority of Americans view segments of Christian culture negatively…but have positive opinions about Jesus.

The truth is that every life has a spiritual nature and nearly all know there may be more to life than what they have known.

What those who don’t yet know Christ need, is “not a sales pitch, argument, or information dump. Instead, they need caring, thoughtful conversation partners.”

So today… we are beginning a series entitled…

Holy Conversations: Talking about God in Everyday Life

A “holy conversation” is where two or more lives engage openly and authentically… without coercion….and the reality of God’s grace is revealed in such a way that one is drawn forward.

In this series we discover what Jesus shows us about how to enjoy “holy conversations” in everyday life.

And we are going to draw from one extended conversation through these weeks… a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman.

John 4:4-42…. Longer passage…but one that is easy to follow by way of imagining the scene and exchange.

John 4:4-42

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.