[Mark J Hornbacher]

Suffering is the biggest question for a great deal of people. I think that the intellectual answers that we have as Christians are sound; but the question remains on an emotional level, when we suffer greatly. An emotional “question,” then, requires an appropriate “emotional response.” We need, as you say, to let people know that they are not alone, by being with them — “weeping with those who weep,” and helping them encounter the Lord in their suffering. That’s the real “answer” to suffering. The intellectual answer only goes so far.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Thank you!

[Mark J Hornbacher]

That’s a good story, Maureen! May we share it in our newsletter?

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Also, have you asked the Lord about someone with whom you have a more long-term relationship with, to evangelize?

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Thank you, Dr. Grant, for doing this practical activity! The pioneer!

It’s perfectly fine that it was not at the grocery store. The point is to let the Lord guide you in the practice of direct evangelization. You’ve done that! Now, remember to pray for him from time-to-time.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

What?!? Can you tell me more?

[Mark J Hornbacher]

That can feel like a big step to take — from sharing the gospel with believers to sharing it with non-believers. Practice helps a lot, but it is also good just to get out there and do it. It also helps to share the kerygma as part of sharing a testimony of your own. See the next lesson for more!

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Hi Melissa! Good to “see” you again!

Note that Dr B says that “in a sense,” we are not competing with other world religions. So that, as he continues, he’s telling us the precise sense in which he thinks its true. In another sense, we are.

In speaking of religion as marketed products he’s using an analogy, of course. What is the product a non-Catholic religion might offer people? Buddhism (according to my basic understanding of it): freedom from suffering, ultimately in nirvana, where we lose our selfhood in the mix of the universe. They are trying to solve the problem of suffering.

So, I think what Dr B is trying to say is that the Catholic faith is so different from these other religions, that we’re really offering something altogether different than they when we preach the gospel. For that reason, we should perhaps be less concerned about trying to counter them than we might otherwise want to be, because the gospel speaks for itself. It’s something different and immensely better than what the others have on offer.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Mitchell, you ask, “What part of our testimony we should focus on most?”

It really depends upon the needs of the person/situation, and how the Holy Spirit moves you. That being said, the encounter with God’s saving love is so central to the Gospel, that this part of our testimony might get priority many times.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Keep praying for them, Evan, and don’t stop! Surely, the Lord has put you in their lives as a witness and intercessor.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Hello Sue! If you have any questions about the lesson, please email me at mark@stpaulse.com.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

I’d say, “Tell me about that. What do you mean when you say, ‘spiritual but not religious’?”

After they give their answer, I’d ask them “How did you come to those conclusions?”

Depending upon how they answer all this, I might do something different — but I think in some cases I would follow up with something like the following:

“This is the way I think about it: Everybody, or most people, are spiritual in one way or another — but spirituality can be good, bad, or very often, it can be mediocre. Religion is organized spirituality. It helps us to be more consistent between belief and action, and accountable to others, in our spirituality. It gives us the insights of others — not just of some small group of individuals, but the collective wisdom of people over centuries. And then there’s the question of true religion and false religion: if spirituality can be good, bad, or mediocre, then religion also can be be good, bad, or mediocre. It’s not enough to say that we’re spiritual. If we want to benefit from our spirituality, we want to have the benefits of religion, and more than that — we want the benefits of true religion.”

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Great job, Peter! I agree with Dan, but I also agree with the feedback you got — especially the part on simplicity. I think that some people are primed for the whole thing, with all its parts, but most people are more able to understand the basic truths of the gospel to start. The rest might be shared in the context of the wider conversation.

[Mark J Hornbacher]

Thank you, Rysose!

[Mark J Hornbacher]

@David

That’s great, David! May God bless you as you discern His will!

[Author]

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