Methodist churches are not often described as modern. We are a traditional church by both name and practice. We have a certain method of doing things here, and it has worked for us for a long time. A group of students at Oxford in the early 1700s were referred to as “methodists” by the clergy of the Church of England because of their habit of gathering together for bible study, prayer, fasting, and mutual encouragement in the faith. The students agreed that it was a formula, and thought it was such a good one that they adopted the name “Methodist” for the societies they established across England. Positive habits are a good thing. The best way to get rid of bad habits is to replace them with good ones. Smokers often replace cigarettes with sunflower seeds and those on diets trade cupcakes for celery sticks. Cultivating good habits is a good practice. Methodism has come a long way since those early days. It began as a radical rebellion against the complacency of the Church of England, and has settled into something much more comfortable. The Methodist church has been a relatively conservative, predictable institution for a long time. The society around the church has changed a lot over the last few decades - certainly much more than Methodism. How much should we allow these changes to affect our praise and worship? Traditionalists would say that change isn't necessary - that any changes that must take place should be gradual, and occur over a long period of time. What's wrong with the hymnals that we have? Why fix it if it isn't broken? Our praise and worship traditions may be old, but they are a source of strength. If younger visitors don't appreciate them, it's their fault, not ours. Our way of doing things is tried and true. This kind of thinking is dangerous. We are charged with reaching every generation with the message of Christ's love for us, and the young are leaving the church, only to return for Christmas, Easter, weddings and funerals. Whether we like it or not, they are losing interest in the way we do church. We have to reach them where they are, not where we wish they were. Many of them don't connect with the form of worship that we have grown to know and love, and we can't ignore that fact. For many in our culture, the traditions that we find so comforting are completely foreign. For many of them, a visit to your church is no different from attending a mosque in Iran. They feel as if everyone is watching and judging them, and in truth, some are. You have probably heard that some Methodist churches are starting new worship services to cater toward those uncomfortable with traditional worship. They are intentionally targeting younger members of their community, and trying different approaches to worship. Additional services are being launched that trade the organ & piano for synthesizer and guitar. Drum sets are being used. Skits are being performed to introduce the sermon. Videos are being shown during worship, and announcements have been shifted to projected powerpoint presentations. It's different, it's sometimes strange to long-time members of the church, but it's making a difference. Methodists may resist change, but many have decided that it's necessary. We are beginning to modernize for the sake of reaching the lost. It is ruffling feathers, dragging people out of comfort zones, and hurting feelings. It causes disagreements, inconveniences, and arguments. It isn't easy. It is worthwhile. The apostle Paul wrote that he wanted to be all things to all people in order to share the gospel with them. He would discuss philosophy with the philosophers, talk about Judaism with fellow Jews, and speak with Pantheists about Pantheism. In the same way, we have to speak the language of our culture to win their hearts for Jesus Christ. If this includes using different musical instruments, videos, and other creative techniques, then so be it. The sacrifice Jesus performed for our salvation is a gift beyond measure. As Methodists, we are learning to understand that the way that gift is packaged is not nearly as important as the gift itself. If a change in the packaging will lead to a greater number of people being willing to receive that gift, we should change the packaging. Methodism started out as a rebellion against the norm, maybe it's time that we rebelled against some norms of our own.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Modern Methodist Praise And Worship

An Unbeliever and a Step-By-Step Evangelism Video? Will That Work?You walk up to someone, and hand him something that gives the Gospel message. Which is easier, to hand over a tract, or a step-by-step evangelism video? Well, the tract would seem to be easier, because it's quick reading for them, and needs little explanation from you, and handing them a video would seem to take a lot more time. When we hand a stranger evangelism materials, we often don't know what the outcome is going to be. Did they read it? Did they find someone to whom they could ask questions? Did they believe what they watched? We'll always have occasions where we can only guess what happened, but there are certain things that we can consider if we ever choose to use something bigger than a Gospel tract, such as an evangelism video. It is so easy to hand a passerby a small tract and say something like, "Here. You can read this when you have a few extra moments," and then move on to the next person. But what if he would be willing to stop and talk to you about the contents? Is it possible that because it's so small, it takes less time for interaction, which is more comfortable than actually talking to them for a long time? Something bigger takes more preparation, and courage, it seems. Talk for a bit with the intention of creating interest, then when you give him the video he will want to know the answers and will probably take the time to watch it. It is important that you're willing to take whatever time he wants to spend talking (if at all possible). If you know you won't have the time for long conversation, use something other than the video tool. Whatever the case, make sure he knows that you're truly concerned and not just trying to get a convert. Situations with neighbors are completely different than with strangers. More often than not, you'll have adequate time to talk to them, and they should know fairly quickly that you're a Christian. As you continue to have conversations, try to create curiosity on their part so that you can offer something such as a step-by-step evangelism video to help them get answers. The advantage with neighbors is that you can check up on them to make sure they are understanding it, and can even offer to watch it with them. This has been used and proven to be effective! But what is a step-by-step evangelism video? Well, it takes you step-by-step through understanding what it is that God has done, and is doing, in the world. There are different ones using different approaches (which is nice if you know how to use them with different people), but few actually walk a person through the Bible, putting the puzzle pieces together as it progresses. These are hidden treasures when you find them, and are very effective with those who know nothing about God or the Bible, and with those who have grown up in church and know what the Bible says. The Bible never gets old, and there is always something new to discover, and many believers haven't ever seen how the Bible fits together as a whole book. Other evangelism videos focus on the life and death of Jesus, and can be effective for those who understand God's perfect justice and love, and the need of the sinner. Whatever tools you choose to use in evangelism, try to be intentional in follow-up. If, when you question them on things they've learned, they show a clear understanding, offer to be involved in a Bible study to help them grow in that understanding. If they don't understand, it would still be a good idea to see if they'd be willing to do a Bible study with you, to help them see things clearly. This may be the first time you've heard about or considered using videos as evangelism tools, so I'd encourage you to find and watch some. I think you'll be encouraged to know that there are such resources out there that give a new depth to evangelism, and you may want to use them yourself!

Aleena Denison has a heart for seeing the message of the Bible presented in a clear way,and is dedicated to sharing Jesus with the lost and helping believers see their responsibilities in evangelism, discipleship, and Bible study. For more information and free downloads, see http://www.goodseed.com

by Denny Smith

Having written on the subject of the new birth before I was surprised, although I doubt I should have been, to have gotten some comments back to the effect that the water mentioned in John 3:5 where Jesus says, “most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (NKJV) had reference not to baptism but to the water of childbirth. Probably shows what a sheltered live I have led to be surprised that people could come up with such a wild explanation. I was aware that others explain it away in other ways as not being baptism but this childbirth explanation came as a little bit of a surprise. In any case I thought it good to write yet another article on the subject dealing this time not so much on biblical arguments, for that I have already done in other articles, but upon the historical record in order to show that today’s interpretations of water in John 3:5 as being something other than baptism are modern day explanations. While it may seem about everyone supports those views today it was not that way in the past, in fact, just the opposite. In the book entitled, The Gospel Plan of Salvation, first published in 1874, by T. W. Brents, I quote as follows: “The religious world, with one voice, from the days of Christ until quite recently, has ascribed this language to water baptism.” (Page 490) He goes on to quote a Dr. Wall as follows: “There is not any one Christian writer of any antiquity in any language, but what understands it of baptism.” (Page 490, a quote from Wall’s History of Infant Baptism, Vol. l, page 147) Burton Coffman in his Commentary on John, page 81, says, “it is only quite recently in Christian times that interpretations of this verse have been devised to exclude its obvious reference to Christian baptism.” He goes on to quote John Boys, the Dean of Canterbury, a famous preacher and scholar of the Church of England in the seventeenth century who said of his time (1600’s) that some few (he says “few” – not “many”) were saying that the water of the passage we are speaking of, John 3:5, “are not to be construed of external baptism.” Boys is further quoted as saying, “Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Cyril, Beda, Theophylact, Euthymius, in the commentaries on this place (3:5), along with Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Ambrose, Hierome, Basil, Gregory, Nyssen, and many more, yea most of the Fathers—Hooker, a man of incomparable reading, openeth his mouth wider, avowing peremptorily that all the ancients…have construed this text, as our church doth, of outward baptism.” (as quoted in Burton Coffman, Commentary on John, page 81). One last quote from Coffman’s commentary is from the famous church historian Phillip Schaff, of the nineteenth century, Professor of Church History, Union Theological Seminary, who said, “It seems impossible to disconnect water in John 3:5, from baptism. Calvin’s interpretation arose from doctrinal opposition to the R. Catholic over-valuation of the sacrament, which must be guarded against in another way.” (quoted in Burton Coffman, Commentary on John, page 82) Online there is an article entitled, “Born Again: Baptism in the Early Fathers,” from whence I quote this: “Every Christian, all the Church Fathers, bishops, and saints who lived after the apostles (and some while the apostles were still alive) interpreted our Lord's words in John chapter 3 that to be ‘born again’ and ‘born of water and the Spirit’ refers to the Sacrament of Baptism. There are no exceptions. And Protestant scholars frankly admit this fact (note the relevent sections on Baptism in Reformed/Presbyterian scholar Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, Anglican scholar J.N.D. Kelly's Early Christian Doctrines, and Lutheran scholar Jaroslav Pelikan's The Christian Tradition).” No author is listed for this article but the home page suggests it is by Phil Porvaznik. In any case there are extensive quotations from what the author says is all the church fathers through the fifth century to back up his statement of what the thinking was in the early years of the church. I do not list the article link here lest I run afoul of the article directories rules. Because an interpretation is old does not make it right but conversely because an interpretation is new does not make it right either. Christianity is now about 2,000 years old. For about 1500 years of that most who considered themselves to be Christians understood the passage in John 3:5 pertaining to being born of water as being a clear reference to baptism. The modern day interpretations being given to that passage should not be considered infallible or as being the traditional understanding. I will go beyond that and say that what has come to be the generally accepted understandings of the passage today are in error. They have come to be the new traditional for they now go back a few generations but when looked at from a historical perspective the traditional today is only recent history. I understand I have not discussed John 3:5 with regards to making scriptural arguments. I said in the beginning that the purpose of this article was to throw some light on the historical record and not do what I have already done before in several different articles where I have discussed the passage in depth from a scriptural perspective. Those articles will not be hard to find should the reader so desire to read them.

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