Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. – Mark 4:1

 Today's Scripture Reading (November 11, 2020): Mark 4

John Wesley was known for his travels and willingness to preach outdoors. In a society where the Anglican Church was responsible for planting churches and ordaining those who were allowed to preach, John Wesley charged unordained men with the task of carrying the gospel message to the people, and these men planted small congregations throughout England. Wesley had no intention of ever leaving the Anglican Church. He desired to support it and strengthen it.

But his help was never accepted. Instead, Wesley and his followers were persecuted. Wesley routinely ignored parish boundaries and accepted methods of evangelism that the established church rejected. He preached in fields rather than in churches. He took the message to the places where the working person went, rather than requiring them to come to the church. Wesley strongly believed that the sinners were no longer being called to repentance. And Wesley stepped into the void with new and unusual ways to get that job done.

And it was not unusual for Jesus to use a boat as a pulpit, but that does not mean that it was not a unique way of reaching the people. And it is easy to imagine that the established church of Jesus's day was not amused. Pastor David Guzik openly wonders about the reaction that some of the Jewish religious establishment leaders might have had.  

"You can't do that! Teaching belongs in the synagogue or in some other appropriate place." It would be easy to come up with objections: "The damp air might make people sick" or "There are a lot of mosquitoes down at the shore" or "Someone might drown." But Jesus knew that teaching from a boat suited His purposes well enough (David Guzik).

We, the religious establishment, often don't like new ways of doing things. Some years ago, I was involved in a discussion around having a church picnic. The idea was that we would rent a park area in a neighboring community and invite the church family to come and share the day. My reaction at the time was if we are going to spend the money, why don't we spend it so that our neighbors can come to a party right here. In fact, why don't we do it on a Sunday? Let's move our church service to the parking lot, and then after church, why not throw a party and invite our neighbors to come to it, all free of charge.

The idea didn't go over well at first. The parking lot was no place to hold a church service, especially when there was a comfortable sanctuary just next door. And partying with the neighborhood sounded almost sacrilegious.

But our neighbors had a different reaction. On the day of the party, I went next door to visit a traditionally grouchy neighbor of the church and apologize for the noise. The neighbor's response; "It's about time the church paid attention to the neighborhood." And he was right. It is about time for the church, and church leaders, to find new ways to share the gospel, and that does not mean telling them that they are going to hell, but rather that the world is both important and loved by God and his church.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 8

Personal Note: To those who are celebrating Remembrance Day, may we "never forget."