G’day,
I wonder if you would have had Leviticus on your list of motivational books for mission and evangelism? I probably wouldn’t have, until now. I’m realising more and more how helpfully Leviticus is reminding us of God’s holiness, that he is worthy of our whole-of-life devotion. Leviticus shows us God’s passion to be with his people even as it so vividly teaches us that our sin separates us from him. Leviticus is showing us again and again that God is the only one who can bridge the gap for us. And this Sunday we will learn from the Day of Atonement that the only hope of relationship with God rests in Jesus and his death and resurrection. So, it’s a natural step from Leviticus to a passionate, prayerful longing for people to join us at Taste and See! If we know the glory of God, his love for those far from him, and that Jesus is the only hope for our friends and family to enjoy life with the Holy God, then let’s pray for opportunities to invite them along to Taste and See in September. (details and rego here).
Let me share a bit more info on how Taste and See runs:
– Week 1 (Sept 4) we start with the Bible’s foundational premise: “In the beginning… God” So many of our friends don’t share our basic assumption that God exists, so this is an excellent place to start. We learn what the Bible teaches about him as creator, and our unique place in the universe as his image bearers. Along the way we touch on the issue of science and God, while a vegetarian banquet sets the scene of good food that reminds us of God’s abundant creation.
– Week 2 (Sept 11) we eat fast food, because even though we know it’s not good for us it is very tempting and we kinda like the taste (even if we’d rather not admit it). It’s a great hook to help people understand what the Bible teaches about sin – and in our experience it’s a simple point of connection that is both disarming and insightful for non-Christians. We’ll consider how sin impacts our relationships with God, each other and our world, with a few helpful reflections on suffering and evil along the way.
– Week 3 (Sept 18) we learn about God’s work of rescue as we go right back to the Passover traditions of the Old Testament, which point us forward to Jesus work on the cross. A delicious Middle-Eastern inspired lamb dinner helps us reflect on the ancient roots of our faith, and the radical rescue that Jesus offers each one of us.
– Week 4 (Sept 25) points us forward to God’s work of renewal – gathering people of every ethnic background around his Son in a new creation. It also lays the groundwork for participants to consider what their next steps will be: perhaps a conversation over coffee, or a more structured approach to exploring Christianity further, or even a decision to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Throughout all of this, there is plenty of space to simply listen and reflect, or to get involved in discussion over food in an environment where no question is considered too silly or too offensive to ask.
Can I encourage you to prayerfully consider who you could invite to come along, to taste and see what life with the Holy God might be like?
Cheers,
Simon