Book Review: Building Bridges

Islam can be a frightening topic for someone to read about or talk about, but the more I read about how to minister to Muslims, the more struck I am by the simplicity of the approach and the intriguing secret behind the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.
Building Bridges by the late Fouad Elias Accad emphasizes some excellent ways to foster relationships between you and the Muslims around you, but there is one specific emphasis that this book has when it comes to ministry toward readers of the Qur'an: The Qur'an itself.

It turns out that the Qur'an is extremely favorable towards Jesus, the Bible, and Christians. Indeed, the Qur'an is an incredibly pro-Christian book, says Pastor Accad. The Qur'an is peppered with passages that affirm and highly esteem Jesus and those who are His disciples (Christians), such as the latter part of Surah 5:82 (A Surah is a chapter of the Qur'an; keep in mind that believer here is referring to a Muslim): "you are sure to find that the closest in affection towards the believers are those who say, ‘We are Christians,’ for there are among them people devoted to learning and ascetics. These people are not given to arrogance," (M. A. S. Abdel Haleem translation). That's quite a complement from Muslims to Christians! However, if one peruses Google for passages on Christians from the Qur'an, they'll come across both favorable and unfavorable attitudes towards Christians in the Muslim world of religious thought. This is where I'm in over my head at this point, because Pastor Accad takes it back to how the Qur'an was translated from its original Arabic.

Due to this book's focus on how pro-Bible, pro-Jesus, and pro-Christian the Qur'an is, it does quote texts from the Qur'an at length, which makes the reading a little dry at times, so I recommend it for those of you who are intrigued by the deep study of written language. A thin book with fascinating insights and illustrative stories, it is an excellent curriculum for learning how to build bridges between your Muslim neighbors and Jesus the Messiah.

Hospitality Evangelism (Acts 28:30-31)

Hospitality Evangelism is the act of transforming your home into a venue for ministering to people. It is intentionally organizing your dwelling, whether it be dorm-room, apartment, house, or estate, to be able to welcome and refresh people at the drop of a hat. A home that is truly a welcoming place is the extension of a heart that is truly hospitable and does not consider sheltering others a burden. In this, hospitality evangelism is a two step process: The disciple of Jesus needs first to have the zeal for hospitality and servitude in their heart, then they will be able to organize their home and create a welcoming, life-giving atmosphere where ministry and evangelism can occur.

A Welcoming Heart...
The first place we need to look at if we want to practice hospitality evangelism is the heart. In everyday normal life, does the Lord move you to take the low road, become the servant, descend into nothingness and submission so that others can be exalted, refreshed, honored, pleased, or served? Whoever wants to become great must become the servant, the slave to all (Mark 10:42-45). Do you take the opportunities the Lord highlights to you? Do you serve in the now by doing that one thing that won't be pleasant for you, but you know will bless the socks off of the other person? The small act of servitude is the seed, consistency is the water, and hospitality of heart is the tree that springs forth in strength, allowing others to come and find rest in the shade. At the core of true hospitality is strong servitude and selflessness.
Also in the center of good hospitality is a godly host or hostess, one who is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere (James 3:17). These are the standards that we expect from a server in any restaurant. Should we not go above and beyond in performance as we serve people the Bread of Life?
Practically, a good host/hostess is one who can put people at ease. They are patient, kind, content, modest, humble, polite, selfless, not easily angered, forgiving, truthful, ready to protect others, trusting, hopeful, and persevering (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). 

 A Welcoming Home...
Some ideas to set you up for success in hospitality evangelism are written below. I have a few years of hospitality training under my belt by virtue of the food industry, and have simply taken the standards applied to a restaurant and put them in a domestic context:

~Keep the Home Clean: Duh, right? I'm not your mother.

~Interior Design with Hospitality in Mind: This could mean transforming a room into a guest bedroom for those with larger houses or perhaps empty-nesters. You could even transform the master bedroom into the guest bedroom so that your guests have the adjacent bathroom right by them. It could also mean organizing your living room in order to host small-groups, engage in one-on-one ministry, or refresh travelers at a moments notice. If you're living in a studio apartment, simply have an area with some comfortable seating for both you and your guest.

~Learn the Art of Atmosphere: Atmosphere is a combination of sights, smells, sounds, textures, and placements that complement each other well. You wouldn't expect to hear Slayer being played in the background of a romantic Italian restaurant because it's not fitting for the atmosphere. The question is, what is the atmosphere you are trying to create? Regardless of the atmosphere, include the following: sight (cleanliness, organization, well-lit or low-lighting), smells (a candle or perhaps the scent of delicious cooking), sounds (music in the background or ambiance noise), textures (thick fluffy blankets in a cold winter's night perhaps), and placements (bookshelves, boardgames, a full set of armor, a fireplace, seating close together or far apart). One thing, such as a fireplace, can accomplish multiple aspects of the desired ambiance (sight, smell, sound).

~Have Beverages and H'orderves Ready for Serving: This seems really simple and easy to downplay, but think about how refreshing it would be if you were welcomed into someone's home, were given a seat in a comfortable chair and handed a bowl of freshly cut fruit or perhaps homemade kettle-cooked potato chips! Nom! Have comfortable seating in close enough proximity to the kitchen that you can easily step out to get them a drink and a snack without having to break the conversation or yell across the house.
In Middle-Eastern culture, it's proper etiquette to refuse any offers of food or beverage when you're visiting someone, to which the host will respond by bringing them anyway. It is then proper etiquette for you to select something that they brought to serve you. 
"Do you want something to drink?"
"No, but thank you."
"We have juice, soda, or water."
"I'll take juice please, thank you," is a normal interaction. The point is that your guest will most likely refuse if you ask them directly, so just bring out some finger-food (when and if the situation calls for it) and partake in some yourself while offering it to them also. Present it in such a way as to avoid them thinking that you're going to eat that whole tray of deviled eggs by yourself right in front of them :)

~Learn the Art of Conversation: Learn how to become a great conversationalist. Make people feel comfortable with your words. Have you ever spent time with someone who was easy to talk to? You may have just met them five seconds ago, but you feel comfortable with opening up to them and they just know how to make a conversation relaxed and enjoyable. I submit unto you that good conversationalists know how to effectively do these things: they know how to break the ice by simply talking about things both people can understand or by bringing up something light-hearted (it's not a sin to talk about the weather), they know how to ask questions that will get the other person talking (such as what the other person does for fun or perhaps what they do for a living), they know how to share the conversation by talking about their interests and also giving the other person the chance to talk about what interests them (this keeps the conversation from turning into an interrogation or a monologue), they stay on topic, they aren't easily upset, they listen well, and they aren't afraid to be cut off by the other person and won't take offense at it.
Conversation makes or breaks the hospitality experience, so learn to be a good entertainer, a good storyteller, a good listener, and a good counselor.

A Bold Witness...
The motivation behind all of this hospitality comes down to a desire to share the Gospel with people. In Acts 28:30-31, we see Paul the Apostle living in his home, welcoming those who come to him. That's the hospitality part. The Evangelism part is found in that he was "proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance" (ESV). Biblical boldness does not mean being proud, rude, arrogant, easily angered, or quick to talk over the other person. On the contrary, The Lord's servant must not quarrel, must be gentle with everyone, able to teach, and patient while instructing others in gentleness and respect and being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (2 Timothy 2:24-25; 1 Peter 3:16; James 1:19). As you welcome people into your own home, you are doing so to show them an environment ruled by the love of Christ, and you have more freedom to tell them about the Gospel that's transformed your life. 
It seems that Biblical boldness in sharing Jesus isn't so much about volume as much as honesty, honestly telling someone of your love for God and how God has made a way for us through the Sacrifice of the Messiah. Don't be timid. What are they going to do, kick you out? 

See Also:
~Romans 12:13
~1 Peter 4:9-10
~Matthew 25:34-40
~Matthew 20: 25-28

Interview: A Muslim Sheikh working in America

A sheikh is a teacher or leader in a Mosque or a Muslim community. Another title a teacher of Islam can be known as is an Imam. Setting foot in the Mosque, I met the sheikh whom shall remain nameless. He was a bearded man of average height, dressed in sandals, a thobe and a kofia. I took off my shoes and he his sandals before we walked through the main area in order to enter his office. I made sure to keep the conversation from getting the awkward hidden agenda feeling behind it by simply telling him the truth: that I went to Bible College, am a pastor in training, and would like to hear what Islam is and is not from someone who is qualified in Islamic thought, rather than from CNN or Fox News. 

As you may know, I have been reading a lot of books about Islam and ministering to Muslims, but to quote Indiana Jones, "You gotta get out of the library!"  meaning, you must balance good study habits with actual experience. Here then is the conversation we had over the span of an hour in his office. The use of quotations will simply be to simulate the experience of the conversation and should not be taken as authentic quotes from the sheikh. Still, the essence of his responses have been kept the same and not tampered with. The conversation was pleasant and cordial, and we made sure to schedule a follow up meeting afterward.

I began the conversation by showing him that I have a Qur'an already and also a list of questions I came prepared with.
"But we can talk about anything you already have prepared," I said.
"Well," he began, "Let's let you ask the questions so that I don't spend the entire time talking about something not important."
"No problem... I didn't write this question down, but it just dawned on me to ask you about 9/11. How long has this Muslim Community Center been here?"
"Since 1995. It was about 6 years old when 9/11 happened."
"What was it like for the Muslim community when that happened? Was there a lot of fear or concern in your congregation?"
"Muslims were watching 9/11 on tv when it was happening and were afraid. They were wondering what Americans would do because the terrorists were said to be Muslims, but there were a lot of swift actions by the government and the local community that checked any aggression against us."
The sheikh then explained that these three things happened the day after the terrorist attack:

~The federal government quickly established a proper understanding of their true enemy. I was amazed to learn from this Muslim leader that President Bush, in the following week, went to a Mosque in Washington D.C., respectfully took off his shoes, and gave a brief speech to the congregation, telling them that Muslims are not the enemy; terrorists are the enemy, and that's who they are fighting against. (Michigan Daily)
~The local governments positioned a squad car outside of Muslim gathering centers, such as Mosques and schools for Muslim children, in order to protect the Muslims from any angry Americans.
~The local churches visited the Mosques to drop off flowers and offer their condolences, assuring them that the local Christians know they're not the enemy. The Christian women also offered to accompany the Muslim women who wear the burka whenever they needed to go out. Again, the motivation was to protect the Muslims from the threat: big bad angry Americans.

"After the terrorist attacks," the sheikh began, "the American Muslims needed to start being more independent. Usually, if a Muslim in America wanted to pursue further education in Islam, they would go to Egypt or another Muslim country where there are plenty of schools and training centers for deep study of the Qur'an; they would also fly Muslim scholars and educators into America in order to train Muslims here. When 9/11 occurred, it became extremely difficult to fly scholars into this country as well as for students to fly out of the country for Islamic studies. This is why America is seeing more elaborate mosques and more Muslim schools popping up. The American Muslims needed to be more independent from Muslim countries and develop their own centers for training."

This made a ton of sense, and I could immediately see how the appearing of more mosques can be interpreted wrongly, just like the stationing of squad cars outside of mosques after 9/11 could be interpreted wrongly.


I then began to ask him the questions I had prepared. "Are there a lot of different translations of the Qur'an, and do you have one you recommend?"
"Yes, there are a lot of different translations. The one I recommend is the Abdullah Yosuf Ali translation." He then emailed me some further resources on understanding Islam and Qur'anic translations. Later on, he gave me a copy of this translation.
I then asked him, "If one were to start studying the Qur'an, where would one begin?"
"In devotional practices, you would start at the beginning and proceed to the end" (just like we start in Genesis). "The first surah is regarded as most important in the Qur'an." He also stated that there are several different ways one can read the Qur'an: by topic, chronologically, devotional, as well as some others. There were times when the sheikh would recite the Qur'an from memory in beautiful, melodious Arabic.

There were a couple of other questions I had, but the majority of our discussion was on the Muslim's view of the Qur'an as well as 9/11. I asked him at one point about his thoughts on Isis, to which he expressed a disapproval toward them to the point of saying they weren't even Muslims.

He then showed me around the property, which required me to put on my shoes and then take them off again, causing me to vow to myself slip-ons for next time! 

In summation, a genuine studier needs to inquire if all the reading that they're doing is accurate or not. Just because something is in a book doesn't make it true; simultaneously, just because something is in a book doesn't make it false. As stated before, I've been doing a lot of reading on Islam, and this meeting with the sheikh helped confirm some and refute some of the things I've read. It is true that one sheikh doesn't define all of Islam, but the point is that if you want to be a good student, you have to get out of the library at times. If you want to be a minister of the Gospel, you have to get out of your comfort zone and learn how to minister to real live people.

Book Review: Introducing Cultural Anthropology by Howell & Paris

Find it on Amazon.com

This being the first anthropology book I’ve ever read, I came into it without any expectations except to be stretched. Now, an anthropology book isn’t my first pick, but it being a part of the curriculum for online schooling compelled me to read it. In the end, I’m glad I did pick this up; the insight (and not just the grade) is vital for one who will be working cross-culturally. Some of the key lessons that I’ve learned from this book include the following:

First off, it appears that culture is not so static as much as it is an ever-evolving conversation. As a missionary, one of the things that I’ve noticed is the common perception that Native America would have remained the same had the pilgrims not landed, or Africa would have remained the same hadn’t missionaries “ruined” the African culture (more on that in a later blog).  This has apparently never been true. Whether a people-group is isolated or rubbing shoulders with another people-group, their culture is ever changing. We must not be ethnocentric in thinking that we Westerners make or break the world. The peoples of the world are involved in the fluid conversation of culture, and that culture can change apart from American or European influence.

Secondly, the West is not the sole influencer in globalization, nor is globalization a modern Western creation. Rather, America is being globalized as well, not simply globalizing. Case in point: We look at McDonald’s getting a footing in China and the word Westernization comes to mind. But what do we call Californian Suburbanites doing Saturday morning Yoga? Indianization? America is not solely influencing other cultures, but being influenced as well, and it turns out that globalization is far more complicated than just some cruel capitalist wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk, seeking the next culture to stamp out.

Due to this book, I’ve also noticed the… egotistical attitude of America in general. I was on a ranch in a particularly large southern state when I met a cowboy (literally, he had spurs, a hat, and a lasso) who told me how superior America is to other or “second-rate” countries. Had I read the book before I met him, I could have pointed out his ethnocentric attitude. Being ethnocentric means that you glorify your culture over that of other nations. It’s the view that if everyone just did things my way, the world would be a better place. One’s own culture becomes the standard. This is what was perhaps the most interesting lesson I’ve learned from this book: the potential to be ethnocentric. It was evident in the thinking of early anthropologists, and it’s evident in American culture now. While the rest of the world is swimming in speedos, American men are wearing swim-trunks. The ethnocentric American looks at the rest of the world swimming and says, “They’ll eventually come around,” while the anthropologically savvy person realizes that we’re just the weird kid in the corner of the pool swimming in little pants.

The end goal is not to come to hate American culture, but to put it in its appropriate place. I love being an American, but I do not hold America up to a glorified light. I love the fact that I grew up in Philadelphia visiting Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, watching baseball, and eating Philly cheese-steaks. I love America and its passion for freedom, but I understand that American culture is not the answer to the world. Jesus is the answer.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I’ll wrap it up and recommend it for this reason: to stave off any ethnocentricity in yourself.

Why we Give to Missions

It is understood that not all are called to travel across the border of their home
country. Each disciple of Jesus has their particular assignment from the Lord and is behooved to obey it to the nth degree, keeping in mind the day when we will stand before the Bema Seat and give an account of our faithfulness.

While some are called to go, others are called to send, but what is the heart of the sender? Particularly, what is the heart of those financially funding missionaries to go to a foreign field? I would like to take a moment to spell out the Biblical heartbeat of financial partnership in Jesus' name, describing what it is and what it is not. I encourage you to select the Bible references and see each verse cited, doing your own research on the topic.

First, the definition of giving to missions is this: expending our money, time, energy, assets, services, and/or anything of value in order to enable missionaries to do their job effectively. This is called partnership. From here on out, we'll define sending missionaries or giving to missionaries as partnership, and I'll explain why in a moment.

 1. Partnership is about joining in on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). It is not about the spread of conservativism, republicanism, religion, or Western culture. It is simply about telling people the Gospel and leading those who believe the Gospel into discipleship and becoming more like Christ in whatever situation and culture they're in.

2. Partnership is voluntary (2 Corinthians 9:7) Forcing someone to give is a huge no-no in God's eyes. Those who are lead by God to fund a missionary do so willingly out of obedience to and love for God. God can quicken the heart of anyone to partnership, and partnership must be done with a heart of worship.

3. Partnership (funding missions) is of equal value as going (3 John vs. 8, Romans 10:15) This is why we call it partnership. The one who sends and the one who goes are both participating in reaching people with the Gospel. If the sender doesn't have someone to go, then he can't use his money to worship God and invest in the coming Kingdom. If the goer doesn't have someone to send him, then he won't be able to go, spread the Gospel, and invest in the coming Kingdom. The one who sends and the one who goes are both partnering with each other and with God in the Good News. One job in the Great Commission isn't any less valuable than the other. The goer needs the sender; the sender needs the goer.

4. Partnership will be rewarded in the coming Kingdom (Matthew 6:19, 1 Corinthians. 3:8, Revelation 22:12) Being called to partner with missionaries financially is no meager calling. God will reward those who faithfully go, and God will reward those who faithfully send. Money is a very powerful thing and is able to make astounding impact on the world for God. This present time before the Kingdom comes is the only opportunity for us to use our money to invest in such a way that will last for eternity.

My desire is to enter into the Kingdom knowing that I did everything possible to store up treasures there. My family and I don't want to be in the Kingdom and ever find ourselves saying, "I wish I did more!" We want to put all of our effort into the Kingdom by spending the rest of our lives making disciples. It is our prayer that you have such a desire too whether you go or send.
Grace to you.

Job Description: A Philosophy on Missions

I have been preparing for missions ever since I graduated High School in 2006, starting off unwitting diligence with ministry internships which eventually lead me to Biblical and cross-cultural training at BCOM. Throughout college, I was impassioned for the Gospel, the Great Commission, and the unreached peoples of the earth. Passion is usually what we see in missionaries, and passion is essential. There is, however, another thing that all missionaries need as much as passion: Planning.

Every worker of the Gospel, no matter if they're in Marseille, France or Brownsville, Ohio, needs a plan. The unspoken question of, "So, Jarred, what will you actually... do with your time?" must be answered. It must be understood by the Senders that my family and I aren't going to Marseille for vacation, but for the important work of laboring for the Gospel. It is my desire to be open with the various activities that will make up my 40-45 hour work week, that those who send may be encouraged by our faithfulness, that fellow missionaries may be exhorted by our intentionality, and that we may be strengthened by your accountability.

To-Do:

Here is a list of the various activities I will engage in as a pastor/teacher:

~Prayer This is not an exhaustive time of extreme isolation, but rather taking time with others every day to intercede for the French people.
~Communication Skills This involves reading French books and taking language classes to develop a robust French vernacular. This will also include Learning Arabic via Rosetta Stone.
~Preparing to Teach Studying the Scriptures in order to be thoroughly versed in the Bible as well as reading a broad variety of subjects in order to be a competent teacher.
~Individual Meetings Sitting down with Christians in order to encourage them in the faith and with non-Christians in order to share the Gospel with them.
~Developing Discipleship Curriculum Blogging devotionals as well as designing and printing Bible study handouts for small-groups.
~Hosting/Facilitating Small-groups Welcoming people into our home as well as the homes of other believers for teaching, worship, communion, fellowship, and prayer.
~Assisting Fellow Missionaries Taking time every week to lend a hand to my fellow missionaries in whatever ministry they're participating in.
~Updating Senders This includes but is not limited to writing letters, emails, post cards, Facebook updates, and video chatting via Google Hangout.

There is more that we can put on the list, undoubtedly, but this is a clear job description of what we will be doing during the week. As a teacher, I will dress as a teacher and conduct myself as one too, having in mind my mission while in France: To teach the Bible and to preach the Gospel. This will take many forms, but I am a teacher in the end and will answer as such when asked what it is that I do.

It is our prayer that us practicing excellence, integrity, professionalism, and faithfulness will encourage all to do everything possible to schedule their time with the Kingdom in mind.
Grace to you.