Dear Dave,

I wanted to illustrate what I mean by fellowship/more familiar/emotional involvement, not in a boasting way, but just out of gratitude to the Lord for some really nice opportunities which opened today at our church's Memorial Day picnic, which I feel would not have occured had I been "less familiar", or felt it impoper to fellowship apart from "sharing the gospel".

..I had a few wonderful minutes with a brother from a different church, a former muslim who is entering Westminster this fall to become more grounded in the Word, whom I had never met before, learning first-hand about life under Idi Amin. We spoke of not fretting over the wicked, of persecution strengthening the church, of Uganda then, of the Sudan now, of rising persecution in the West, of complacent materialism being a more ominous threat to the church.

...One student of several months shared how, although he is committed to restoring relations with his wife and children, if her continued rejection of him--due to his being a Christian--continues, he is committed to seeking the Lord whatever the cost.

...A church member seemed a little too quiet, and it took a while for him to open up about his urgent need for affordable housing, and his discouragement at finding work which would open more options. He agreed to speak with a pastor who may have options available.

..Another student has been in the program only a week. We compared notes on our mutual enjoyment of the 60's-lite band that was playing (Denver, Birds, etc.) and slowly his story came out: he is a guitarist, raised in East Berlin, political prisoner in the 70's, released in a prisoner exchange, ashamed of post-war Germany... When I got home and remembered I had a long-unused German "Die Bibel" on the shelf, I wish you could have seen his eyes when I asked if it would help him in his bible study...

..And yes, my family and I had a great time together as well, from what I could see.

"Sharing the Gospel" has to take place in a context of real life. The Lord created us to be cultural beings, which requires real communication, in which emotional interaction must play a part, I feel. There is certainly a place for direct exposition of the Word--and I love to point newer (and older) believers back to Christ--always back to Christ--but I believe the Lord is glorified when Christ is seen as Lord of every real situation, and biblical fellowship is a blessed means of seeing that worked out in his Church. I don't see how this fellowship can be realize without time, availability, energy, emotional investment being made in people's lives.

In Christ,
Paul S