Embracing the Awkward
Have you ever been invited to do something that you really did not want to do at first, but you did it anyway, and you ended up loving it? I can think of plenty of examples in my life. Initially, I have often thought…”No way, that is not my thing.” But I end up loving it. When someone first described sushi to me, there was literally nothing about it that sounded appealing…but then I gave it a try, and now it is one of my favorites. Okay, so that is a lame example compared to introducing someone to Jesus, but I think we all can relate to having things that at one time did not interest us, but once we were willing to give it a try, turned out to be something good.
Admittedly, there are plenty of things that keep us from inviting others to join us at church or to hear our story of faith. It is helpful to remember that we are Christ followers today because someone loved us enough to get a little awkward and invite us to hear more about Jesus. I like saying that some people's lives require us to “embrace the awkward.” Obviously, talking to strangers, our co-workers, or our family about eternity, life, death, sin, etc., is incredibly personal and particularly awkward. But that does not mean it is not a great idea.
I think most of us can relate to the reaction of the disciples when they saw Jesus talking to the woman at the well in John 4. Literally, they say, “Jesus, why in the world are you talking with her?” You can just sense their confusion about her; she was a despised Samaritan, and she was living with a man who was not her husband. They had plenty of reasons to say to Jesus…this is awkward…but Jesus embraced the awkwardness and had an encounter with her that changed her life forever.
Some of the conversations we have today about our faith can be pretty awkward. Of course they are, because they are far more difficult than talking about the lousy weather in Ohio; they are talking about the most important things in our lives. I have decided life is too short not to embrace the awkward, and I try to start spiritual conversations because someone loved me enough to do the same. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
As I mentioned last week, this Easter we are planning to have opportunities in our Easter services to celebrate stories of transformation. We hope that as we share our stories of God’s grace in our lives, others will hear and understand the type of relationship Jesus wants to have with them. So, I have some challenges for you to consider. First, check out this list of the exciting things that are happening at Hope this Easter. Please take some time to consider who you might invite to join you at them. Second, if you have a story of transformation that Jesus has done in your life, and you are willing to share it in one of our Easter services, please click here for more information about how you can participate.
Sometimes, inviting others to join us on a Sunday morning or to be in community with us feels like wasted time, but I want to challenge you to embrace the awkward, give it a try, and see what happens.
Expectantly,
Shawn
