When I turned 21 my parents asked what I wanted for my “age of majority” birthday. I asked for a CD (I’m really old) collection of Handel’s “Messiah” and a set of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. (Be still, my spiritual concerned friends, I had received a Bible from them when I graduated from high school.) There are few pieces of music that have God’s power to move and restore me than Handel’s “Messiah”, and fewer still, books that are the summer rain for my spirit than the “Chronicles”. C.S. Lewis is known as a great evangelist. He certainly was in his writing, lecturing and intercessory prayers for others. He certainly wasn’t in personal gatherings or as a preacher, as seen during WWII when he spoke to gatherings of Air Force personnel. His apologetics have shaken many an agnostic from a doubtful branch, only to come crashing down into the arms of a waiting loving God.
John Goodwin and I are re-visiting how to engage evangelism in our CBWC in its many and varied ways. We are all so different. I became a Christian at Gull Lake at age 9, was baptized at 13 at Strathcona Baptist, re-committed at age 19 by being persuaded once again of faith by Pascal’s Wager and have had innumerable re-awakenings and renewals since. Billy Graham said that we need to be continually filled by the Holy Spirit because we leak. He is right. I leak. While I have just outlined my own continuous story, I want you to read the attached article for all of us to learn about C.S. Lewis’ story. We are all called to share the faith; is your call by prayer, writing, lecturing, journeying, intellectual giftedness or Godly winsome persuasion.
The article can be found at the following link. https://www.cbwc.ca/images/stories/news_and_notes/clive%20the%20evangelist.pdf
Reprinted by permission from Crux, A Quarterly Journal of Christian Thought and Opinion published by Regent College, Fall 2008, Vol. 44, No. 3.
Read and reflect.
John and I will write more on this topic over the Fall and I’ll share some more exciting stories in this area then.
Warmly
In Christ,
Jeremy