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"A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
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I don’t know about you, but in my teens and early twenties I was terrible at dating. I would be interested in a girl - but then I would be too nervous and shy and the moment would pass and I would have missed my chance. It’s seems really stupid - after all, if I asked her out, what’s the worst that could happen? She could say no. It’s not like she was going to boil me in oil, she’s just say no. And I would be no worse off than if I hadn’t asked her. But she could always say yes.
I remember someone saying to me at uni that the hottest girls often ended up with the guys who were the worst players. His theory went like this. Most guys looked at the hot girls and thought “you are out of my league” so were too frightened to ask the hot girls out. So considering their looks the really hot girls has surprisingly few guys ask them out.
But the players made a pass at everyone. Most of the time most of the girls just told them where to go. The players didn’t mind - they just turned their attention to the next girl. When they got to the really hot girls - well most people were too scared to ask those girls out. So the girls were actually really flattered when someone finally asked them out. So they end up dating the player….
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It was 1944. The old man sat alone in his sitting room, feeling depressed. His life felt a waste. Once he had been full of hope. As a young man he had taught Sunday school at his local church. For years child after child had gone through his classes. Yet it seemed to make no difference. Seven years ago he had given it all up - what was the point?
And then a knock at the door. He shuffled up out of his chair and went to open it. And there in front of him stood a twenty year old soldier in uniform. “Are you Mr Jones?”
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In December 1995 the Church I had just joined went carol singing. I don’t think I had ever actually been carol singing before. I was new, so I can only imagine what sort of conversations might have gone on gone on among “the important people”
I don’t know- perhaps some questioned that it wasn’t raising money for the church? It’s all very well collecting money for charity, but how are we going to pay our common fund. And maybe the Vicar said “this is about sharing the Good News - we don’t want people’s money,we want them to hear about God’s love.
Perhaps some people questioned “Was it worth it - you put all that effort into singing around the streets and did anyone ever come to church as a result of it? Rather than just scattering the seed everywhere, shouldn’t we focus on people who are more likely to respond to the Gospel?....
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Once upon a time in a land far far away a wicked witch put a spell on a beautiful princess and she fell asleep for a 100 years. Only the kiss of a brave knight could wake her from her curse.
So the wise old owl flew out to find a knight to rescue the princess.
The first knight he came to -
“Twit tawoo - come and rescue the princess - Tawoo - You must kiss her to wake her from her 100 years sleep - there will be many challenges on the quest. There will be thousand foot high wall of thorns you must cut through. Before that there will be Ogres you must fight, and before that a long journey, first you go to the crossroads but the gnarled oak….
But before the owl could finish what he was saying the brave knight had already rushed off. Which was fine until he got to the crossroads with the gnarled oak and he didn’t know which way to go so he went left and got more and more lost. And then an elf appeared and offered him another quest, so he abandoned the first quest and started on that. But again he didn’t listen and while he was wandering through the forest a Gnome appeared appealing for him to take on another quest - which again he rushed into without listening properly and ….
...meanwhile the Princess slept on in her enchanted sleep so the owl found another handsome knight.
“Twit tawoo - come and rescue the princess - Tawoo - You must kiss her to wake her from her 100 years sleep - there will be many challenges on the quest. There will be thousand foot high wall of thorns you must cut through. Before that there will be Ogres you must fight, and before that a long journey, first you go to the crossroads but the gnarled oak where you take the right fork, follow through the dark woods for three days and three nights past all the foul fiends …
Well the knight listened carefully to all the instructions. He set off with great enthusiasm. He polished his armour. He told others how committed he was to the quest. He went on the long Journey to the gnarled oak, took the correct fork. He walked for three days and three nights. And there in front of him - an ogre. Ten foot tall with fangs like daggers and muscles like mountains.
The knight looked at the ogre. The princess might be incredibly beautiful but the knight didn’t fancy being squashed by the ogres’s massive club. He turned tail and fled.
Meanwhile the Princess slept on in her enchanted sleep...
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It’s 1829 and my ancestor Henry Williams is a failure, a failed leaded of a failed mission to bring Jesus to the Maori people of New Zealand.
The mission had been there in the bay of Islands had been there 15 years- he had been there 5 - and what was there to show for it?
Before he had arrived it had been even worse before Henry had arrived. Some missionaries had been convinced that if only the Maori learnt the civilised ways of the British they would embrace the Gospel. But when the word of the Kingdom was hidden in messages about wearing long dresses and singing God save the Queen the hearers did not understand it and it was snatched away from them.
Then there had been the fear of not having enough. The missionaries had been proud of having left all thought of wealth behind when they left England, but it’s lure is always there. When winter approached they became anxious. Would they have enough food? Would they starve? Let’s forget preaching for a while and focus on staying alive - lets trade with the Maori. And the Maori who may have listened a bit to the strange stories of Jesus - but the lure of Muskets was more attractive. The white men had muskets - “give us muskets and we will give you food”. And the glory of violence choked the word.
Henry had put a stop to these things, yet still by 1828 the mission was a failure. One or two Maori had given their life to Jesus, only to fall away when the rest of the tribe was unhappy. There was nothing to show for 15 years of sowing the Good News.
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"‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’"
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It’s 1829 and my ancestor Henry Williams is a failure, a failed leaded of a failed mission to bring Jesus to the Maori people of New Zealand.There was nothing to show for 15 years of sowing the Good News.
Yet he stayed faithful, preaching about Jesus, negotiating peace between different warring tribes, showing love to all and fear of none.
Then 7 February 1830 - a baptism. Rawiri Taiwhanga a high ranking member of the Ngapuhi tribe hears the word and it proved to have fallen in good soil. First he was baptised then he began to preach and share his faith. His family and friends followed him into baptism. Thirty, Sixty one hundred the Ngapuhi tribe came forward to baptism - within just a year or two most of the tribe had received Jesus, and by 1840 almost all the Maori had become Christians of one sort or another.
…..
...meanwhile the Princess slept on in her enchanted sleep so the owl found a third handsome knight.
“Twit tawoo - come and rescue the princess - Tawoo - You must kiss her to wake her from her 100 years sleep - there will be many challenges on the quest. There will be thousand foot high wall of thorns you must cut through. Before that there will be Ogres you must fight, and before that a long journey, first you go to the crossroads but the gnarled oak where you take the right fork, follow through the dark woods for three days and three nights past all the foul fiends …
So the handsome knight listened carefully, he took the correct fork at the knarled oak. He walked for three days and three nights. He met the ogre and despite his knees knocking he fought the ogre and slew it… and he came to the wall of thorns a thousand feet high. He started to hack through it but it was hard work - and then a goblin appeared to tell him of another quest, a sickly dragon with a massive treasure. Heck though the knight, my mother is ill, with that treasure I could pay for her doctor and we could live comfortably happily ever after. So he abandoned his quest.
...meanwhile the Princess slept on in her enchanted sleep so the owl found a fourth handsome knight.
“Twit tawoo - come and rescue the princess - Tawoo - You must kiss her to wake her from her 100 years sleep - there will be many challenges on the quest. There will be thousand foot high wall of thorns you must cut through. Before that there will be Ogres you must fight, and before that a long journey, first you go to the crossroads but the gnarled oak where you take the right fork, follow through the dark woods for three days and three nights past all the foul fiends …
So the handsome knight listened carefully, he took the correct fork at the gnarled oak. He walked for three days and three nights. He met the ogre and despite his knees knocking, despite being terrified he fought the ogre and slew it… and he came to the wall of thorns a thousand feet high. He started to hack through it but it was hard work - and then a goblin appeared to tell him of another quest, a sickly dragon with a massive treasure. He too had a sickly mother. The treasure was very tempting. But he had made a commitment. He would not let the princess down. So hour after hour he hacked away at the wall of thorns until finally he came through. There inside was the castle - and inside the most beautiful princess he had ever seen. He kissed her and she awoke and at that very moment magical peace and prosperity came upon the land and for 30, 60 , one hundred years everyone lived happily ever after.
And owl smiled. It didn’t matter that the first knight hadn’t listened, or that the second knight had run away from the ogre or that the frightened third knight had gone for lure of the dragon’s wealth. Because the final knight made it all worth it.
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In December 1995 the Church I had just joined went carol singing. Perhaps some questioned whether it was worth it - telling so many people about God in a way where so few would respond. I don’t know what discussions went on. But I do know that at one of the doors we knocked at, the lady inside and her then husband came out “we were just looking for a more local church to join”. And on Sunday they turned up at church. And that lady’s name was Patty Linders and that church was this one. I don’t know how many people we sang carols to kept their doors shut and their curtains closed, or came out wished us well and never thought of us again. But I do know that Patty Linders joined this church as a result of that Carol Singing, that she is being ordained priest in two months time, and that 30, 60 , 100 - many more people have had their lives touched by her ministry here that would never have happened without sowing the seed widely through that carol singing.
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The old man opened the door. There in front of him stood a twenty year old soldier in uniform. “Are you Mr Jones?”
“Yes?”
“You know (let’s call him) Aled Wright”
“Yes - His parents used to bring him to my church when he was little”
“I fought with him at DDay. He got hit with Shrapnel. I was with him when he died. I asked him if he had any messages. He said “Go and tell Mr Jones what he taught me in Sunday School when I was little is helping me die now.”(1)
…..
I remember someone saying to me at uni that the hottest girls often ended up with the guys who were the worst players. His theory went like this. Most guys looked at the hot girls and thought “you are out of my league” so were too frightened to ask the hot girls out. So considering their looks the really hot girls has surprisingly few guys ask them out.
But the players made a pass at everyone. Most of the time most of the girls just told them where to go. The players didn’t mind - they just turned their attention to the next girl. When they got to the really hot girls - well most people were too scared to ask those girls out. So the girls were actually really flattered when someone finally asked them out. So they end up dating the player….
And the message for evangelism - why are we scared when it comes to sharing our faith? Why are we like some super nervous teenage boy.
If you talk to someone at work and invite them to come along to your church, what’s the worst that can happen? They are not going to boil you in oil. The worst that can happen is they say no.
Research shows that of every five people invited to church, or to an Alpha Course, or to some other way of exploring faith - for every five people invited, one says yes. (The figure is actually higher if they are close friends, and higher if they have more than one friend who is a Christian). So if you invite one person to church, the chances are they might say no. But that’s the worst that can happen. If you invite ten people - the odds are that at least two of them will end up Christians - and who knows what impact their ministry will have.
….
"A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’"
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(1) This story is taken from Fr Nicky Gumbel in The Alpha Course -”How and Why should I tell others”. Gumbel’s story contains few details - so the names etc have been made up
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