This piece was first published in The
Universe
Christianity Pure and Simple
By Dwight Longenecker
In May
I travelled to Vienna to attend an extraordinary conference
called the International
Congress on the New Evangelisation or ICNE for short.
From all across world people had come to pray, listen,
learn and discuss the principles and practicalities of
the New Evangelisation. ICNE was not just a talking shop.
It was a conference with a difference. In the morning we
crowded into Vienna’s great St Stephen’s Cathedral to hear
theologians, sociologists, missionaries, cardinals, philosophers
and youth workers discuss evangelisation. In the afternoons
and evenings we took part in a joyful citywide mission.
An amazing
variety of events took place. There were pop concerts,
classical concerts
and jazz concerts. Theatres and halls were crowded for
drama, film showings, lectures and debates. There was a
feast for homeless people, work with drug addicts and the
disabled as well as seminars on theology, politics, economics
and the arts. There were also events targeted to get the
truth and beauty of the Christian faith out to the people
of the city.
For example, one afternoon
a group of us went to St Michael’s Church in the centre
of Vienna. Inside the Blessed Sacrament was on the altar.
A group of people were absorbed in adoration. A small choir
sang quietly. Candles flickered. The smoke of incense ascended
silently. Around the church priests were posted to hear
confessions. The rest of our team went outside and spoke
to passers by. We asked if they would like to ‘give five
minutes to God.’ If they entered the church they could
simply wander around the historic church, or they could
say a prayer and light a candle. They could speak with
one of the team, join in Eucharistic adoration or return
to God by making their confession. The whole exercise was
a direct, but low-key way to invite people to get back
in touch with God.
The pope has called us to get
involved in the New Evangelisation, and has pointed out
that ‘to be a Christian is to be a missionary’. Because
of our baptism each one of us are called to follow Jesus
Christ. Part of this means hearing the call, like the first
disciples, to leave our nets, follow Christ and become
fishers of men. ‘What me evangelise?!! You must
be joking.’ I can hear you say. ‘Yes, I’m sorry. That’s
part of the deal. If you’ve accepted the good news its
not fair to keep it to yourself.’
But how can ordinary
Catholics get involved in evangelisation? If you’re like me you cringe at the
thought of talking about your faith to others. Even if
you want to, maybe you feel inadequate. Perhaps you don’t
have the answers and wouldn’t know what to say. None of
these worries need to be a problem anymore.
The Catholic
Truth Society has come out with a new resource to help
all Catholics
be involved in evangelisation. Because I was brought up
as an Evangelical they asked me to help write a series
of booklets called Christianity Pure&Simple. The
five booklets explain the basics of the Christian faith
in a simple style for ordinary people. We’ve tried to avoid
churchy language. We’ve tried to keep it ‘pure and simple.’ The
first booklet is about God. The second discusses Jesus
Christ; the third, the Holy Spirit, the fourth, Prayer
and Sacraments and the fifth, the Church. The booklets
can be used by anyone to understand the basics of the Catholic
faith, but an exciting idea was brought into the project
that helps Catholics reach those outside the church with
the good news about Jesus Christ.
CTS have also produced something
called a ‘seed leaflet.’ The seed leaflet is a colourful
little handout that gets the reader thinking about the
basic questions of life. ‘If God is out there does he care?
Does he care about me?’ At the end of the leaflet the reader
is invited to take the first step towards discovering the
Catholic answer. He or she is asked to say a short prayer
asking God to direct their journey of faith, and then to
send away to receive the first of the Christianity Pure&Simple booklets
free of charge. The back page of the seed leaflet tears
off and folds over to make a freepost reply form. It’s
all simple, attractive, easy to use and powerful in its
impact.
Everyone can be involved in
evangelisation using the seed leaflets. When you buy a
packet of seed leaflets you are helping to fund the availability
of the free booklets. You are also spreading the gospel
in seed form because the seed leaflet, in a simple way,
actually presents Jesus Christ as the answer to life’s
huge problems.
How should
people use the leaflets? If they are bold they can hand
them out on street corners,
give them to sales people in the shops, hand them to friends
with a word of encouragement or give them to everyone they
meet. If others are not so bold they can simply leave the
seed leaflet on the train table, on the table in the restaurant,
in the phone booth or on their seat on the bus. They can
buy a pack of leaflets, get some envelopes and do a bulk
mailing using addresses from the phone book. They can work
with members of their parish to put one through every letter
box in their parish or include them when they pay a bill.
In the gospel we’re
told that the word of God is like seeds and we are the
sower. When
we use the seed leaflets we living the gospel story. We
realise that many of the seed leaflets will fall on stony
ground. The birds of the air will take some. Others will
spring up, but wither in the sun. However, others will
take roots and bear a rich harvest.
No one
can say what great things might come from just one person
picking up the seed leaflet,
reading it, then sending away for the first of the Christianity
Pure&Simple booklets. Through this contact some
great saint might be born. Through this many may return
to the faith. Through this some great leader social reformer
might see the light for the first time. The gospel says
we are not responsible for the harvest. God is. But we
are called to be faithful in spreading the word. Christianity
Pure&Simple helps us get involved in a pure and
simple way. Let’s get involved. Let’s pick up the tool
and use it. Because if we don’t-- who will?
Learn more about Christianity Pure&Simple from CTS’s website: www.cts-online.org.uk/pureandsimple.htm or ‘phone
020 7640 0046
Return to Articles main page
