Engagements

For whatever reason a few years back (could be 3, could be 10, I don't know they blur together for me) it seemed like there were like 40 different bride shows and all kinds of wedding movies. Out of all of that I think that is where the term "Bridezilla" came about. According to Google, Bridezilla is a word and it's defined as: "A woman whose behavior in planning her wedding is regarded as obsessive or intolerably demanding." These are the people that take something that is supposed to be a joyous occasion and get really angry over the centerpieces being 2 inches off of center, or a groomsman having a carnation pinned slightly higher than another groomsman (I don't know, I made those things up but someone is out there thinking, that is the worst). They lose focus of the bigger picture.

Recently on Facebook, I started a page called Questions4Pastors with the idea that there are questions that each person that reads the Bible must reconcile with the doctrines in their church. In a sense, We hope to engage a dialogue using the Socratic method to either have people research the answers as to why the believe God's law has been done away with, or hopefully, for them to ask their Pastors and get them involved in the study. I see these things as planned engagements in critical thinking.  How do we as Torah believers engage the Church, as there is a vast body of people that are hungry for the Truth of the word but have inherited bad doctrines. What, and how, are we reaching these people to bridge the breakdown in understanding.

Now, some of the Torah community have offered suggestions for questions to us. The questions, though logically sound, would not be perceived well. Take this question for example "If the Church says that the Law of God was done away with, then that means that I can marry my sister right?"
Even though this is an example of how the logic of the church breaks down, It presents the asker as an incestuous weirdo who wants to marry his sister instead of someone that is loves God and His Law. In this question and questions like it, what the Torah presenter thinks that they're showing flawless reasons as to why the Torah should be kept, when in reality they're show  a hostility and anger toward the one that does not understand. That isn't to say that the occasional shocking question isn't needed to jar someone awake to a mindset that they're sleeping in, but that shouldn't be our default reasoning should it? Think about the Bridezilla that sucks any sort of happiness out of the occasion of establishing a covenant relationship. Is that how we are presenting the Torah to non-torah believers, not by words but by expression? It makes me think of Luke 12
 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”  And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? ⁴³ Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. ⁴⁴ Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; ⁴⁶ the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. ⁴⁷ And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, ⁴⁸ but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
Beating other believers and not giving them their rations at the proper time. Our job isn't to make other believe, but our job is to not be odious in our engagements. Our job is to reflect the Messiah and His glory, not our anger at their rejecting him or our pride at them not submitting to us. Don't be a Bridzilla in your evangelism. Be a loving bride inviting others to the joy of a relationship with the bridegroom.