Paul tells the believers in Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

So many Christians today want desperately to know what God’s will is for their lives. They want to make an impact for the Kingdom, they want to receive the blessings that God has for them, and some want to be Change Agents in a broken world. If we search deeply, the answer is found in the Bible, the Word of God. He tells us clearly what we must do to see what His will is for our lives: we must recognize what the pattern of the world is, we must disrupt the pattern in our own lives, and we must seek the supernatural transformation that comes by the renewing of our mind, our intellect.

First, we must recognize what the pattern of the world is. As I apply this to the workplace, I can certainly identify the pattern of the world. Everybody is selfish, wants to be first by stepping on other people, ethics and morals are ridiculed, and at times one is expected to lie, cheat, and even steal resources from the workplace. These are just a few examples of how the world operates. What must I do as a Christian? I should get on my knees and ask God to show me this corrupt pattern, so I can clearly see it and not conform to it. The first step toward being a change agent on earth is to recognize what and where the problems are. The pattern of this world leads to destruction, but we have the God-given power to stand strong against it.

Second, we must disrupt the pattern of the world in our own lives. It is humbling and amazing to me that God would choose out of this world weak people like me, to change the status quo. It might start in small things, perhaps by helping a co-worker in need or proving to be the only trustworthy employee in the office. I’m learning that my work is a holy calling from God. If that is true, then my workplace is not merely a paycheck provider. I must take my responsibility very seriously, my attitude should be much more enthusiastic then simply trying to survive in the workplace. It is there, in the workplace, where God’s light shines through me. I am called to be His change agent in the place where I spent most of my time during the week. Oh, how different then is my perspective when I go to work in the morning, when I greet my co-workers, when I face an ethical dilemma. May God help me to challenge the status quo, relying not on my strength, but on His strength.

Finally, we must seek the supernatural transformation that comes by the renewing of our mind. Ed Silvoso said there are 4 types of Christians in the workplace: one who simply tries to survive in the workplace, one who applies biblical principles in the workplace, one who works in the power of the Holy Spirit, and one who transforms their workplace for Christ. I don’t know about you, but I want to be the fourth type, I want to transform my workplace for Christ. Paul says that first I must renew my mind, in order to have an impact on anyone else. As I spend time in the Word, as I pray and meditate on God’s principles, as I apply them in the workplace, I am being transformed. And that is how the paradigm shifts: from ethics to supernatural living. Os Hillman, one of the speakers for the WAM House, identified this paradigm shift. I don’t want to limit myself to the application of biblical principles in the workplace. I want God to use me in the transformation of my workplace. Through excellence, integrity, service, signs and wonders, I become God’s change agent for a broken world, starting at my workplace.

Estera Pirosca Estera is from Romania. She came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. She speaks Romanian (native), Spanish and English and has a basic knowledge of Portuguese, French and Italian. Estera transferred from Romanian-American University of Bucharest in Romania to attend Southeastern Louisiana University, where she earned a B.A. in Organizational Communication and a minor in Computer Science. She desires to be involved in cross-cultural consulting. Cross-cultural interactions, reading, meeting new friends, and sports are among Estera’s interests

This week I would like to share a testimony as I have been applying what I have been learning at WAM House this year.  An important point from last term was that we should focus on relationships and being “witnesses” not “witnessing”.  This has been an increasing value in my life and I have noticed the fruit already as I have implemented such an approach to people.

In February I attended a training conference for my business and I had to drive down to Charlotte, NC with a business partner of mine named Ceceilia.  We prayed, as we were leaving, that God would allow us to be a blessing over the weekend to others and that he would allow us it see specifically how to implement that blessing.  Over the course of our trip, we got lost and ended up on some back roads.  As we headed back to the highway, we saw a man hitchhiking.  After prayerful consideration we came back and picked him up.  He looked disheveled and he had been collecting cans to sell.  His name was George and we blessed him with a PBJ sandwich and a bottle of water.  As he stepped out of the car at his destination, I asked him if he would allow us to pray for him.  George quickly climbed back into the car and obliged.  He had been through a lot in life and he admitted to victories in the big things in life but struggles with the small things.  I prayed that God would transform him into a victorious man from being a troubled man and that he would be able to support his family.  As he stepped back out of the car he thanked us and asked to take one of the small bibles I keep in the door pocket for just such an occasion.  Ceceilia were so pumped as we continued on our way; glad that God had opened our eyes to see George and that we could participate in one encounter to push him closer to knowing God.

This was only one testimony from an incredible weekend of learning and being used by God to bless others in Charlotte.  I have found that focusing on relationship leaves a lasting impression in the life of your friend.  It is at that point that God can use you to have the most impact on someone’s life.

David Duble. David is from Columbus, Ohio, USA, although he spent many years with his missionary parents and brother in Eastern Russia and Brazil (he speaks Portuguese). He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship from The Ohio State University and is seeking employment opportunities. David enjoys cross-cultural interaction, basketball, traveling, and juggling.

Why We Do Theology?

The Reformation did not only influence Church hierarchy, the doctrine of Salvation, Interpretation of Scripture by lay men, but also changed the way the individual reflects about God. Brother Lorenc, one of the greatest teachers on humility states that “the greatest thought a men can think is the thought about God.” But it appears to me that people are afraid of doing theology. They are afraid of thinking about God, for as some suppose, it’s dangerous to their belief. Tim Keller and Josh McDowell would strongly object to this statement.  Some believe that theology is a static belief of what people think about the Bible and not the study of the Bible, and say that they are personal and will abstain from theology. For those, I have written some words of what theology must be in order to be called one, and what does a theologian do.

Theology is (1) Knowing God, (2) Understanding God, (3) Knowing ourselves, and (4) Being part of the Solution.

1. To know God is where reflection starts. The nature of knowing God is two dimensional. To know God means to have a personal relationship with Him, and not just an intellectual knowledge, but a knowledge which is submitted to the heart and mind, to the intellect and will. Knowledge of God is not just a personal knowledge, but having a caring/loving relationship with other people in the community. How can we love God that we don’t see and forget our neighbor that we greet every day? The book of James is written for this purpose. Knowing God means believing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, arose again and ascended to heaven, making Him God and Lord into our lives and offering hope, love and care to the community.

2.  Understanding God. This has to do with the knowledge of God. Although it is impossible to fully know God, we can get to know Him. God revealed Himself through Jesus Christ, the Bible, General (Cosmos) and Specific (Holy Spirit) revelation. The study of the Bible is vital for the life of the believer, and a daily discipline of prayer and listening to God should be practiced. The Holy Spirit ministers the word of God by revealing understanding and revelations about Him. God Reveals Himself though the nature, the Bible says that “the nature reveals the glory of God”. This knowledge, in order to be complete, should be exercised on the community.

3. Knowing ourselves. In contrast to humanism, we start the knowledge of men not by studying men but God. The reason why we are always longing for something more is because we are made for something more. With the fall, humanity became corrupted, and it’s always trying by human means to restore itself, but this is not the answer. God only can restore.

4. Be part of the solution. Although all men are made in the image of God, not all are empowered by God. There is suffering, spiritual problems, illness, death, poverty, etc., and the world longs for a solution. As sons of God and part of this society we have to contribute to solving the problems. We can’t offer an effective solution until (1) we know God personally and in community, (2) know the nature and word of God, and (3) know ourselves as new creations of God. The Bible claims to have the answer (the Gospel), the Holy Spirit witnesses this claim and ministers it, so we just have to be obedient and be part of the solution.

This is what theology is. I encourage people, before making opinions, to be familiar with the task of the theologian. I am also familiar that there are unbelievers who write and speak about the Bible, but they are only historians of religions, for they have no personal relationship, they are not theologians. Unless you are involved in all the above mentioned dimensions, you are not doing theology. This is why I am not scared to think, but encouraged to do theology, and be part of the solution.

Ksenafo “Sam” Akulli is from Albania. Ksenafo came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. He has his B.A. in Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia, Diploma in Biblical Studies at WOL Elet Szava Bibliaiskola, Hungary, and is currently enrolled as an on-line student working on his Masters in Political Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia. Ksenafo speaks three languages and has a basic knowledge of four others. Talking politics, reading, and helping the poor are among Sam’s interests.

Book: The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller

Assigned Reading: Chapter Four, pp. 52-69

 Main Points

1. Many people who take an intellectual stand against Christianity do so against a background of personal disappointment with Christians and churches.  So we have to address the behavior of Christians—individual and corporate—that has undermined the plausibility of Christianity for so many people.
2. Three issues stand out:
   1. First, there is the issue of Christians’ glaring character flaws

                              i.      Growth in character and changes in behavior occur in a gradual process after a person becomes a Christian.  The mistaken belief that a person must “clean up” his or her own life in order to merit God’s presence is not Christianity.

                              ii.      “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”

1. Second, there is the issue of war and violence

                              i.      Evidence seems to indicate that religion aggravates human differences until they boil over into war, violence, and the oppression of minorities.

                              ii.      Alisar McGrath points out that when the idea of God is gone, a society will “transcendentalize” something else, some other concept, in order to appear morally and spiritually superior.

                             iii.      We can only conclude that there is some violent impulse so deeply rooted in the human heart that it expresses itself regardless of what the beliefs of a particular society might be—whether socialist or capitalist, whether religious or irreligious, whether individualistic or hierarchical.   

1. Third, there is the issue of fanaticism

                             i.      Many people that are considered fanatics appear intolerant and self-righteous when arguing for the truth of their faith.

                           ii.      Many people try to understand Christians along a spectrum from “nominalism” (one who is a Christian in name only) at one end to “fanaticism” (one who over-believes and over-practices) on the other.

                           iii.      The problem with this approach is that it assumes that the Christian faith is basically a form of moral improvement.

                           iv.      If, however, the essence of Christianity is salvation by grace, salvation not because of what we do but because of what Christ has done for us, then what we consider fanatical is actually a failure to be fully committed to Christ and his gospel.

1. What is the answer, then, to the very fair and devastating criticisms of the record of the Christian church?  The answer is not to abandon the Christian faith, because that would leave us with neither the standards nor the resources to make correction.  Instead we should move to a fuller and deeper grasp of what Christianity is.

Thoughts

I felt that the author really gave a well thought out argument as to why you should not turn your back on religion because of the injustice the “Church” has caused.  Marx argued that if you believe in a life after this you won’t be concerned about making this world a better place.  The opposite can also be argued.  If this world is all there is, and if the goods of this world are the only love, comfort, and wealth I will have, why should I sacrifice them for others?

 Questions

Didn’t Christians kill many people in the name of Jesus during the crusades?  How could they do this if they where Christian? 

(They still had an Anglo-Saxon mentality.  They were shame based cultures in which earning and insisting upon the respect of others was paramount. They supported the Crusades as a way of protecting God’s honor and theirs.)

David Duble. David is from Columbus, Ohio, USA, although he spent many years with his missionary parents and brother in Eastern Russia and Brazil (he speaks Portuguese). He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship from The Ohio State University and is seeking employment opportunities. David enjoys cross-cultural interaction, basketball, traveling, and juggling.

Sacred vs Secular on Money

The Sacred Secular division has created a barrier within the church. I believe that there are three different groups; (1) the withdrawn from the society; (2) the engaged with the society; and (3) the engaged with the society, but for the wrong reasons. The way churches view money is very different. Some say that Christians should hate money, and others view having money as being in good terms with God. Within this study, I have attempted to explore the way money and wealth is presented in the Bible. I start with the Bible since it is the authority where all the different interpretations come from.

Wealth in the Bible

The Bible is concerned very much with economics. According to Preachingtoday.com there are more than fifty presages closely related to the above mentioned issue.[1] Mark 10: 21-22, 25 is one of the most important verses on the subject. This is the reason why I would like to study it closely.

“…You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Larry W. Hurtado points out that the way Jesus looked at the rich man “is intended to make the man’s refusal all the more tragic”[2] R. Allan Cole said that “he could not…be a disciple of Christ for this demanded a total commitment…[he] was not ready to give.”[3] To be a disciple of Christ means, “…ones appointment to be a son and daughter of God in and through the Son, where it becomes an actual and thus active faith, impacting all aspect of life.”[4] The young man desires to follow the Lord because otherwise he would not pursue Him.[5] R. Allan Cole[6], John Barton[7], John Muddiman[8] R.T France[9] Larry W. Hurtado[10],  believe that what was holding him back from following Christ was the love for wealth, and not the wealth itself. Moreover, Michael Wilson in his book Managing your money tries to help us understand the above mentioned issue in today’s context “It will be easy to assume that money in the bank equals happiness and protection….”[11] He is referring to wealth as security in men’s life which is in contradiction with the first commandment. The problem of the young man was not that he was rich, but that his heart and protection was based on wealth and not in the Lord.  Paul Welled, writing in Christian Century, (2009) said that wealth has hindered men to have a genuine relationship with God.[12] Does it meet that men should flee from wealth? No. This is a clear misinterpretation of the passage. The point of the story is to show that the love for money is the opposite of the love for God or “you can’t serve two gods at the same time” or “your heart is where your harvest is.”

The fact is that there is no reference in the Bible referring to money as evil, but the love for money as evil. God enables men, and makes us stewards of the gifts that He has provided. Money is one of them which is just as all the other blessings. With it we can praise God and do His work of delivering the good news to the poor, protect those who cannot protect themselves, or we can build our own satisfaction and empire.

Ksenafo “Sam” Akulli is from Albania. Ksenafo came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. He has his B.A. in Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia, Diploma in Biblical Studies at WOL Elet Szava Bibliaiskola, Hungary, and is currently enrolled as an on-line student working on his Masters in Political Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia. Ksenafo speaks three languages and has a basic knowledge of four others. Talking politics, reading, and helping the poor are among Sam’s interests.

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[1] Preachingtoday.com, Illustrations; Topical Biblical references; Money,  Available at http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/topicalreference.html?keyword=Money Accessed on 15 December 2009.

[2] Larry W. Hurtado, New International Biblical Commentary, Mark, Hendrickson Publishers, Massachusetts, 1989, 167

[3] R. Allan Cole, Tyndale New Testament Commentary, Mark, Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England, 1989, 163

[4] Hendrikus, Berkhof, Christian Faith, William B Eerdmans, Publishing Company, Grand Rapids Michigan, 450

[5] William Barclay, The Gospel Of Mark, The Westminster Press, Philadelhpia, 1975, 243.

[6] Ibid.

[7] John Barton and  John Muddiman, The Oxford Bible Commentary, Oxford University Press, Oxford,  2007, 907.

[8] Ibid.

[9] R.T France, The New International Greek Testament Commentary; The Gospel of Mark, William B Hardmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan/ Cambridge, U.K, 2002, 400.

[10] Hurtado, Larry W. 167

[11] Michael Wilson, Managing your money, Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England, 1984, 8

[12] Paul Wadell, The Christian Century, 126, (2009): 23

“What is God doing in this person’s life, and what can I do to come alongside?” – I think this is an extremely important question that I should ask myself, as a follower of Jesus in the workplace. The question has two main implications: 1) God is in control, He is the one holding the steering wheel; 2) God invites me to partner with Him in bringing people to the Kingdom. As a result the pressure is taken off my shoulders. I do not have to worry about how to create the perfect environment or circumstance when my coworker would suddenly become interested in spiritual matters. I can trust that God would open doors. At the same time, I can develop meaningful relationships that would allow me to identify and meet the needs of my nonbelieving friends.

            In our postmodern world people no longer doubt the validity of Christianity as a religion as much. Their issue is whether or not Christianity can fix their life problems here and now. Like the book Going public with your faith says, “They want a God who’s good for today, not just in the hereafter – a God who can handle their needs, dreams, hurts, disappointments, and failures right now.” (p. 57) This is where we come in, living our lives as followers of Jesus in the marketplace. The reality of life with its everyday problems doesn’t seem to relate to the many activities of a church building. Thus, I can understand how it is difficult for people who don’t go to church to create an image in their mind of church as a place that is only welcoming on Sunday morning. The immediacy of people’s felt needs is a great opportunity for me as a Christian in the marketplace to follow the example of Jesus Monday through Friday, in the place I spend most of my time.

            The book Going public with your faith makes a good point about the fact that distance is dead in the workplace. From experience I know that distance is dead. When I had my job as a technology liaison in college at first I was excited about witnessing to my coworkers about Jesus and bringing them to the Kingdom. But as soon as I noticed spiritual topics were not desirable most of the time, I got into a routine of “hiding” in my cubicle and flowing along with the current, without attempting to engage in meaningful conversations anymore. I found that it was more comfortable that way. After reading this book, it is interesting to think about what I would have done differently to develop deeper relationships with some of my supervisors or co-workers. I shared with them about my life, some of my struggles and victories and how God was the one who helped me overcome. I’d like to think that I left a legacy of faith in that place. And I believe I did. I think God is in control regardless of our weaknesses. But I also think that my life as a Christian on Sunday, with my friends from the “holy huddle”, can be the same at the workplace, where I would try to be competent in what I do, apply biblical principles in my work, and try to develop friendships with my coworkers at the same time.

            As a Christian I know that I am the light of the world and the salt of the earth. So, that means that there is something that I have that people around me, who don’t know God, don’t have: light and salt, two vital elements for life. Thus, by learning how to find common ground with my co-workers and learning about their families, what their hobbies are, what their needs are, by getting involved at a deeper level, I can make an impact and perhaps get them closer to the One who can bring fulfillment and satisfaction.  

Estera Pirosca  Estera is from Romania. She came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. She speaks Romanian (native), Spanish and English and has a basic knowledge of Portuguese, French and Italian. Estera transferred from Romanian-American University of Bucharest in Romania to attend Southeastern Louisiana University, where she earned a B.A. in Organizational Communication and a minor in Computer Science. She desires to be involved in cross-cultural consulting. Cross-cultural interactions, reading, meeting new friends, and sports are among Estera’s interests

There is a tendency for the contemporary Christians to use the word “Christian” in different forms some of which, as I will demonstrate, are improper theologically and grammatically. I made a small questioner and applied it to the students at Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek and concluded that “Christian” is often used as an adjective.  The majority of Christians use it in context of Christian Cards, TV, Radio, Music, Movie, Restaurant, Coffee shop, College, University, etc. I typed the word Christian in google and eight out of first ten suggestions used the word “Christian” as an adjective.[1] The question that I will tryanswer is: Is it acceptable to use the word “Christian” as an adjective?

According to the basic rules of grammar at CCC, “Adjectives are words that describe or modify another person or thing in the sentence.”[2] When the word Christian is used as an adjective, its role is only to describe something/someone else. It does not have any meaning in itself. In order to do justice to the subject it is essential to explore how is the word used in the Bible, and what are its implications.

The word “Christian” is found three times in the Scripture, Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. In all instances it is a noun. The Bible refers to the individual as becoming different, as becoming the follower of Christ, as changing the identity. The individual is now Christian. Constable in his commentary on Acts 11:26 writes: “…the church…called the believers “Christians” (lit. those belonging to Christ’s party, i.e., Christ followers)….”[3] He also comments in the commentary of Acts 26:28, “You are trying to make a Christian out of me in such a short interview!”[4] 1 Peter 4:16 testifies about the theme of suffering as Christian. The common element among all the cited passages is the noun-verbs relationship. It points to the fact that the individual becomes a Christian and suffers for Christ. The individual was different else, but now is called and becomes a “Christian” by trusting in Christ. The same thing cannot be said for Music, CD, University etc. The way “Christian” is used in the Bible does not describe the individual or the object, as it is commonly used, but it is the individual itself. The individual becomes and acts because he/she is made new “Christian” by Christ.

Therefore I conclude that “Christian” cannot be used as an adjective. This does harm to the witness of the Scripture and manipulates the theological implications of the noun “Christian”. As students of the Scripture, with a desire to read and study it properly, we must allow the Scripture to define itself, and follow its definitions when doing theology or rhetorics.

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[1]Christian, [on line], Available at http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Xgp&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&ei=-N-nS_SDBKW8mwO295HjDQ&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CAUQBSgA&q=christian&spell=1, Accessed on 23 March 2010.

[2] Capital Community College, Adjectives, CCC.edu, [on line], Available at http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm,  Accessed on March 22, 2010.

[3] Thomas Constable, Notes on Acts, Sonic Light, 2008, 163, [on line], Available at http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/acts.pdf , Accessed on 24 March 2010.

[4] Thomas Constable, 305.

Ksenafo “Sam” Akulli is from Albania. Ksenafo came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. He has his B.A. in Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia, Diploma in Biblical Studies at WOL Elet Szava Bibliaiskola, Hungary, and is currently enrolled as an on-line student working on his Masters in Political Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia. Ksenafo speaks three languages and has a basic knowledge of four others. Talking politics, reading, and helping the poor are among Sam’s interests.

I’m looking forward to a new term at the WAM House. At the same time I am grateful for the term that just ended. I learned a lot about what God’s view on work is, and that work is holy in itself. We are all ministers of reconciliation and agents of God’s kingdom on a fallen world, wherever we work. The last term really challenged my standpoint in regards to secular versus sacred in terms of work. I realized that God does not see a priest as being more important and as doing His work more than an IT specialist. This truth changed my perspective over work completely.

            Now that our foundation is laid and our understanding of how God values our work, during the second term we will take a closer look at how to become a spiritual influence at the workplace. As a Christian I have a responsibility to equip myself  with God’s Word and be ready to answer tough questions that my coworkers or boss might pose. Some of those questions might include: if God exists, why is there evil on earth, there is certainly more than one true religion, all religions have the same God? A few years ago I had a coworker who was an atheist. He didn’t believe God existed, he felt like it was a product of human mind, and he was quite upset that Christians would say that God is love yet there was so much evil in the world. I must confess that there were many times when I tried to explain to him that God did not create evil, and I would try to use the Bible as a foundation for my answers. However, I soon realized that my coworker didn’t see the Bible as an authority, as God’s words for us. So, we didn’t have a common ground to discuss on. It’s just like what Tim Keller says in his book, The Reason for God: “Arguments depend on having commonly held reference points that both sides can hold each other to” (p. xv).

            Keller suggests then that the only way forward consists of two major elements: first, to admit that both religious belief and skepticism are strong on their sides and won’t be destroyed soon; and second, to take a time of self-examination and to inquire and find answers about the doubts that we all have. Only then will we be able to answer to those who have those doubts in a logical and intelligent way. In 1 Peter, we are told that the devil is our enemy and that we ought to stand strong in our faith. In Ephesians, Paul tells us to “stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around our waist” so that we would never be caught off guard.

            Recently I was sharing with a nonChristian friend about God. He asked that if God exists, where could he see Him. I told my friend that God exists in a different dimension that we cannot see with our physical eye. A really good argument that I just read in Keller’s book was made by C.S. Lewis. When a Russian cosmonaut went to space and said that he didn’t find God, C.S. Lewis compared that with Hamlet searching for Shakespeare in the attic of his house. As Keller puts it, “[God] would relate to us the way a playwright relates to his characters. We (characters) might be able to know quite a lot about the playwright, but only to the degree the author chooses to put information about himself in the play ”(p. 122). That makes a lot of sense. As a result, we cannot prove that God exists by treating him as an object that exists solely in our physical and known universe.

            A few years ago I was asked by a friend who knew I was a Christian to debate with a classmate of his who was atheist. I was a bit reluctant at first but I agreed. I started talking with this man and I asked him to imagine that all the knowledge in the world was like a circle. Then I asked him how much knowledge he thought he possessed. He responded that perhaps a dot on the circle. Then I posed the question: Do you agree that God might perhaps exist outside of your dot of knowledge, somewhere in this vast circle of knowledge? This question really shocked him because he had never thought about it that way. A year later I met this man again and he told me that our discussion had triggered his search for God and he now believed that God existed. That experience was very encouraging to me as a Christian and I praised God for it.   

Estera Pirosca  Estera is from Romania. She came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. She speaks Romanian (native), Spanish and English and has a basic knowledge of Portuguese, French and Italian. Estera transferred from Romanian-American University of Bucharest in Romania to attend Southeastern Louisiana University, where she earned a B.A. in Organizational Communication and a minor in Computer Science. She desires to be involved in cross-cultural consulting. Cross-cultural interactions, reading, meeting new friends, and sports are among Estera’s interests.

The reading this week was from Going Public with your faith.  What really stuck out to me was the quote, “Evangelism is not an event but a relational process, and God has gifted each of us to play a critical role in drawing men and women to himself.”  This statement summed up what the whole chapter was about.  It cut through all the questions and hit on the heart topic that evangelism is organic, and not a mechanical process.  Although we play an important role in evangelism, it is ultimately God who is at work behind the scenes to create opportunities for meaningful discussions about spiritual topics.  “Our job as God’s representatives is not to try to ‘start a fire in the rain’ but to discover where he is already at work and to pour fuel on that fire.” 

     Based on the agrarian model, evangelism can be divided into four phases: cultivating, planting, harvesting, and multiplying.  The hardest phase, according to Jesus himself, is the cultivation phase.  “Cultivation  focuses on the soil of the human heart, which includes addressing emotional barriers.”  “The planting phase addresses intellectual barriers—misconceptions, misinformation, and ignorance about God and the Christian faith.”  “The harvesting phase focuses on a person’s will and its resistance to make a decision to trust Jesus.”  “The final phase, multiplying, entails implanting the new life (the new Christian’s life) into a community where it can grow and flourish.” 

     Throughout history, there have been five models of evangelism identified.  The first is proclamational evangelism and it features public preaching and announcing the truth to a large audience.  Next is confrontational evangelism which occurs when someone initiates a conversation with an individual (usually a stranger) with the specific aim of leading the person to Jesus.  Another model is intentional evangelism and it refers to creating opportunities to expose friends and colleagues to Jesus in a nonreligious, nonthreatening atmosphere. The fourth model identified is passive evangelism.  This model uses symbols, objects, or art to arouse curiosity in the observer.  The last model of relational evangelism builds a bridge of friendship based on common ground between a Christian and non-Christian.

     This reading was able to show me that my preferred evangelism type was relational evangelism mixed with intentional evangelism.  I have felt in the past that I was not being bold enough with my faith and I desired to be more of a confrontational evangelist.  This reading encouraged me that I should feel comfortable in the way that I evangelize and that I should not try to force myself into a different area of evangelism of which I may not be suited for.  Paul puts it best when he said, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ (Philemon 6)”

David Duble. David is from Columbus, Ohio, USA, although he spent many years with his missionary parents and brother in Eastern Russia and Brazil (he speaks Portuguese). He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship from The Ohio State University and is seeking employment opportunities. David enjoys cross-cultural interaction, basketball, traveling, and juggling.

This entry has in focus Max Weber’s research in relation to Protestantism and Economy. I am not aiming to critique Weber’s research[1], but only overview it critically. In his book Protestantism the rise of Capitalism he concludes that the change of the attitude toward work, in such a drastic way, has to do with the change of religious spirit. This change he said “…must be sought in the permanent intrinsic character of their religious beliefs and, not only in their temporary external historico-political situations”[2] He observed that the percentage of protestants pursuing higher education was much higher than that of Catholics. Since Protestants went to better schools, and pursued higher education, they were employed in better jobs.

What I am concerned in this study is the effect Protestantism played in the economy. According to Weber there are 6 major ways Protestantism in particular reformed economy. They are as bellow.

1. Overcoming Traditionalism “…the chances of overcoming traditionalism are greater on account of the religious upbringing.”^[3]
2. The Calling, the change of its meaning. The world was seen not as evil as Aquinas saw it,[4] but as good and needed to be understood to do God’s will.
3. Pure religious motives, Salvation of the soul was the centre of the reformers work and not a ethical reform.[5]
4. The Doctrine of Predestination (Calvinism). “by a type of Christian conduct which served to increase the glory of God”[6]
5. Expression of Salvation in the earth as better Christians by enjoying the blessings of God.[7] (Methodism and Pietisms)
6. Ana-Baptists (not Baptist as the author calls them) or the “Reborn Only”. They lay the biggest emphasize in works not as a mean for salvation, but as an output of salvation.[8]

Some of the problems on the above mentioned points, e.g. point “c” used by Weber to prove his theory, is very difficult to stand because it denies the very being of religion. If talking about religion and economy and overlook salvation, is the same as not talking about their relationship at all. One of the goals of religion is salvation of the souls, but the result of that is an ethical reform. Even if I were to say that Weber failed on this observation, it still does not change the fact Protestantism has affected economy and the perception of work, but was not necessarily the fuel of the spirit of Capitalism.

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[1] I am not aiming to prove if Protestantism is the geneses of Capitalism[1] as Weber states in this book, but I feel responsible to give some hints for such a study.To answer this question the researcher should take in consideration the raise of Capitalism not only in Europe, but Asia as well. Some studies done by Curt Samuelsson prove that there were Catholic Countries (e.g. The Nederland) who were richer than the Protestant ones. Other factors to be taken in consideration are: “The Rise of the Gentry: 1558-1640 … the rising middle-class…that effectively and ineradicable shifted the economic face of England and certainly not the result of a Protestant spirit.” I would like to point out that Capitalism raised up even in the East, and not with the help of Protestantism

”When a man has capital, small though it may be, he must allow himself no relaxation in his attention to household problems or the running of his business, and must continue to make the earning of a living his principal concern. This is his lifelong duty. If, when one has capital, one begins to relax, to buy things one longs for, to behave in a willful manner, to live in style, and to do all the things which one wishes to do, the money is soon spent. . . . One must set to work from the moment one has capital.”^[1]

This quote was written in 1610 in the East and there is no doubt that Protestantism had no effect. I would like to conclude that Capitalism would have started in spite of Protestantism, and Protestantism did not create the “Spirit of Capitalism”.

[2] Max Weber, Protestantism and the Spirit of Capitalism, University of Virginia, American Studies program, 2001, [Online], available at http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/weber/WeberCH1.html, Accessed on 7 October 2009, Chapter I.

[3]Ibid.

[4] Ibid Chapter III.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid, Chapter IV

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

Ksenafo “Sam” Akulli is from Albania. Ksenafo came to Columbus to intern at International Friendships. He has his B.A. in Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Croatia, Diploma in Biblical Studies at WOL Elet Szava Bibliaiskola, Hungary, and is currently enrolled as an on-line student working on his Masters in Political Theology from Evangelical Theological Seminary, Croatia. Ksenafo speaks three languages and has a basic knowledge of four others. Talking politics, reading, and helping the poor are among Sam’s interests.