August 14, 2014

 

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

As most all of us are aware, the Three Rivers Festival of Hope featuring Franklin Graham is coming to the Console Energy Center in downtown Pittsburgh this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Yes, Franklin is the son of the great evangelist, Billy Graham. Yes, the goal of the weekend festival is much the same as was the goal of Billy's famous crusades, namely, to present the Good News of Jesus Christ so that non-believers may trust in Him and receive God's great gift of new life or salvation. Our church family is heavily invested in the festival--in prayer, planning, preparation, people, and financial support--so I ask us to seek the success of this festival. Come if you can (Friday, 7 p.m., Saturday, 7:00 p.m., Sunday, 4:00 p.m. We have a carpool arranged for Friday, meeting at the church parking lot at 5:15 p.m.). Bring non-Christians if you can. And pray, because I know you can!

 

Focus your attention with me on a single word change in the language of Franklin's event from the last one led by Billy that came to town about 25 years ago. I've already mentioned it. Billy held evangelistic crusades; Franklin holds evangelistic festivals. Interesting substitution of terms, don't you think? Why the change? How do we evaluate it?

 

I think that the most basic answer to the change has to do with public perception. Everyone loves a festival. We are attracted to festivities and festive occasions. And who doesn't want to show up for a feast? Count me in! In contrast, crusades and crusading rank somewhere alongside swear words in our culture. The Crusades were that "god-awful" era when medieval knights stormed the Middle East, raining down terror and death on innocent Muslims, right? (Note: truth be told, the story of the Crusades is not nearly so simple, but this is the basic version we get in the public square these days. This is what people perceive, though it is only part of a distorted history.) "Crusader" is so unpopular that the Christian college my wife attended changed its school sports teams name by dropping "Crusaders" about 15 years ago. I don't even know what the new name is, but maybe something like the "Wheaton College Nice Guys & Gals." If it's along these lines, I bet they lose a lot.

 

So, which do we choose, festival or crusade? From where I stand, this is a case that calls for both concepts, not for one or the other, because both are part of a biblical and Christian vision. Begin with the more controversial term, crusade. It reminds Christians that Jesus Christ is our King of kings, and He would have us extend His blessed kingdom rule to every continent, nation, state, language group, and locality. We advance His wonderful agenda, full of grace and truth. And yes, we engage in spiritual battle for the hearts and souls of men, women, and children. The stakes are high, eternally high. Christ calls us to go forward for Him, fully equipped with spiritual armor--salvation, righteousness, faith, the gospel of peace, and the Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-20). We are on His crusade, armed with words of life and deeds of love that seek to persuade the perishing to call on His great name and own Jesus as their adored King. Let us never forget His cause, nor shrink from His spiritual call to arms.

 

Yet on the other hand, we are people of celebration who call people to Christ's festival. The New Testament calls it "the Marriage Feast of the Lamb." People will come from north and south, east and west, to sit at table with festival joy in Jesus' forever kingdom. We are Christ's servants, sent out to all people to announce the invitation for everyone to "come, for everything now is ready" at Christ's banquet house (Luke 14:15-24). We don't want anyone to miss the Big Event, because Jesus bids all to come. When the earliest Christians gathered, they celebrated what they called "love feasts" because of the joy they experienced together in Christ. Every Sunday at MLEPC, we continue in this tradition when we hold two "Celebrations of Worship" at 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. Join us.

 

The bottom line for me is that I do understand why Franklin has chosen the word festival. He is seeking to attract unbelievers using language that is, well, attractive. For him, leading with the word crusade would be the rough equivalent of a prize fighter leading with his chin. But I don't think that Franklin has lost sight of the fight, the spiritual conflict for the eternal well-being of the world. I believe that the crusader motivation of his father remains very much the engine of motivation inside the outer shell of festival. And it must always remain there, if the biblical vision is to hold fast.

 

Perhaps this is instructive to how we at MLEPC approach our call to herald Christ and His Kingdom not just for a three-day weekend, but all the time. Perhaps it is food for thought about how we as individuals consider our role for Christ in our everyday lives. Let's give it thought and prayer.

 

Pastor Tim

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