I use WordPress.com as a quick and easy way to create an evangelistic website. I discovered the Daily Prompt last year. I tried it, and now it’s part of my regular routine. I’m addicted 😀. It’s fun to hear from people from all over the world and to think that some of you might read my material. But there’s nothing particularly special about my material. Over the years, I’ve met some famous people and some very gifted people. But I also met lots of ordinary people. And they’ve all had their influence on me.
Way back in the late 1970s, I used to come across evangelical preachers preaching in the streets of Cork. I liked them because they had the flavour of the New Testament about them. And they weren’t heretical or sinister cults. I wasn’t very happy in Roman Catholicism, so I wondered what it would be like to be an evangelical Christian. But I had an idealized view of them. Would someone like me fit in? But when I became an evangelical Christian, I discovered that they included all sorts of people, and soon, I was perfectly at home among them. But I’d like to have heard from more ordinary evangelical Christians in the early stages rather than from the ultra-zealous from among them.
The point I’m trying to make is that it’s good for ordinary people, whatever your faith is, to be willing to give reason for the hope that you have. That helps prevent people thinking in terms of stereotypes. I think of Peter’s words:
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
I do appreciate likes and subscribers. But it’s not my highest priority. I’d much prefer to point them to Jesus. Maybe it might seem a little pompous to compare myself to John the Baptist, but one of my favourite New Testament verses is a statement that he made when some of his followers were a bit peeved because people started following Jesus instead of John the Baptist.
John 3:30
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
And when the Apostle Paul heard of different factions developing in the church at Corinth, this was his response.
1 Corinthians 1:11-13
11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
Paul was troubled because they were focusing too much on aligning themselves to human leaders. And when that happens, we often end up finding fault with the rival “tribes”. Paul mentions that some say “I follow Christ”. Why does he complain about that? He isn’t complaining about people following Christ. I think that he means that some Christians categorized others as followers of denominations or humans, while seeing themselves as the true followers of Christ. But when you investigate their little faction or sect, you generally find that they’re also a faction or denomination. It’s probably inevitable that we’ll have preferences in terms of theology, movements, denominations and so on. But our chief focus should be Jesus Himself. And we should avoid a tribal mentality that sees anyone outside our own group as competitors or think the worst of other groups and never notice the shortcomings of our own groups.
So, what else should I say with respect to today’s prompt? If I wanted to build genuinely loyal subscribers, I’d need to put much more effort into my material. But there’s just so much excellent material out there that I can’t see that happening. I do include my personal testimony and personal thoughts on this site, so at least that’s unique. I suppose I could have more subscribers if I subscribed to other sites. I have subscribed to a few, but for a subscription to be meaningful, I should spend time on the site. And I have so much to read and distract me that it isn’t easy. But I think it’s nice to have a daily glance through the prompts and like them. Liking them doesn’t mean that I approve of everything that’s said. I like the fact that people across the world are communicating with each other. I do want to spend more time reading through the blogs in the coming months and years, but currently, I just tend to do so randomly.
What I like best about my posts is the YouTube videos. I had no involvement in their development, but it’s a little like me wearing my Stranglers T-Shirt back in 1979. I was pleased to identify as a fan. And now I’m a fan of hymns – though I still like the Stranglers 😀 – but more out of nostalgia.
Hibernia Gospel 
Correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem to talk about the Catholic Church and evangelical Christians as if they’re mutually exclusive. Surely there are Catholics that are evangelical?
I remember once introducing myself and my wife to some Methodists that we were evangelical Christians, and they protested that that’s what they were. 😊
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Thanks for your comment.
From a doctrinal perspective, if you look at an evangelical statement of faith, and compare it to Roman Catholic doctrine, you could see why it would be difficult to be evangelical and be a proper Roman Catholic, adhering to its dogmas. But there are Roman Catholics who see themselves as evangelicals. I recently listened to an audiobook by Bill Creasy – Paul: From Sinner to Saint. He’s a Roman Catholic, but there’s very little hint of it in the book. It sounds very evangelical to me, though I don’t think that he claims to be evangelical. And many new Irish evangelical churches emerged out of the Roman Catholic charismatic movement back in the 1970s. It would be very convenient for me to be an evangelical Catholic because the local Roman Catholic church is a 5-minute walk away 😀. But I don’t believe Roman Catholic doctrines, such as praying to Mary, that aren’t supported in Scripture. And if I were a Roman Catholic, I’m not sure that I’d like my church being infiltrated by evangelicals who might be hoping to change it from within. I think it’s a matter of balance. Some evangelicals have seen the Pope as the anti-Christ and the RC church as an evil organization. Others see it as a Christian denomination that’s in need of reform in a number of matters. It’s a matter of ongoing debate. And likewise, you’ll get plenty of evangelicals in traditional Protestant denominations, but you’ll also get people who aren’t and who dislike evangelicals. I once heard a Methodist minister on Premier Radio’s Unbelievable who didn’t believe in the miracles in the gospels. And even Baptists – though they’re thoroughly evangelical in Ireland, in Great Britain, it can be a little hit and miss whether Baptist churches are evangelical. And of course, you’ll get evangelical churches that are worth avoiding too 😀. If I moved to the UK, I’d probably check whether a church had links with a good federation of evangelical churches such as Affinity. But most people just attend for a while and see what churches are like. I was a Roman Catholic until I was 18. I saw very little interest in spiritual matters in the population in general. And the Roman Catholics who were devout tended to be devoted to distinctive Roman Catholic teachings such as praying to Mary. Maybe things will change. Far fewer people go to Mass these days, so maybe those who do have more genuine interest. But I’d like it to shift more towards purely biblical doctrines. A survey of practising Catholics in Northern Ireland found that 38% now describe themselves as evangelical. I’m curious about that. I’ve rarely met an evangelical Catholic. I’m wondering if modern worship music has something to do with it.
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Wow. That’s a lot to think about. Thanks! 🙏🏼👍🏼 By the way, as popes go, I do like Leo. 😃
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I like this culture
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