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A Few Great Evangelists - Part Four- Dr. King

Martin Luther King Jr was a minister who preached the Gospel by speaking truth to power. He spoke throughout the country and led marches and boycotts on behalf of the oppressed. He spoke against the injustice of racial segregation and using violence to acquire what you want. He put up with many persecutions for the sake of the Gospel. He was jailed, his house was bombed, he was maligned by many leaders of the church, but he would not back down. He placed Christ at the center of everything that he taught, and looked to him as his example. In 1968 he followed Christ unto death. He was shot in Memphis while fighting for Justice. From jail he wrote “Just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Graeco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular home town.”

A few Great Evangelists - Part Three- Gianna Beretta Molla

Gianna Beretta Molla was a doctor, wife and mother. She spread the gospel in her work, and in her home by loving others more then herself. She considered all the duties in her life a way of serving God. Like many of us she struggled with feelings of inadequacy, but found happiness in giving thanks to God in every moment. Although she wanted to become a missionary to Brazil, poor health kept her at home. When she become pregnant with her fourth child she was told that it would probably kill her to have the child. She put the unborn baby’s life before her own and went though with the delivery saying "If you must choose between me and the baby, no hesitation; choose – and I demand it – the baby. Save him!" She died 7 days later.

A few Great Evangelists - Part Two - Dorthy Day

Dorthy Day was a Journalist who after a spiritual awakening turned her experience in publishing to spreading the Gospel through a magazine called “The Catholic Worker.” In it she inspired people with the message of Social Justice found in the scriptures, and in the church. This grew into a "house of hospitality" in the slums of New York City and then a series of farms for people to live together communally. The movement continues to grow around the world combining direct aid for the poor and homeless with nonviolent direct action on their behalf. Although she is being considered for sainthood she once said “Don't call me a saint. I don't want to be dismissed so easily.”

A few Great Evangelists - Part One

At Mission Christ we have been speaking about spiritual disciplines. These are basically ways we can serve and seek God in our daily lives. So far we have been talking about Singing, Giving, and reading Scripture in a more contemplative way called Lectio Divina Today we are going to be talking about Evangelism. I thought I might post a few of my heroes over the course of this week. There are a lot of people who I consider to be great evangelists.

So many times we consider an evangelist to be only someone who proclaims the message of the Kingdom of God, and the victory of Jesus the Christ to people with words. The image that comes most readily to my mind is the man on the Soap box screaming "REPENT" at all that go by. Jesus gives us a fuller view of what it means to proclaim the Gospel.

When Jesus talks about his mission he quotes Isaiah 61. We see this in Luke 4:16-21

[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Jesus says he is anointed to preach, but what else is he anointed to do? Read it again.

There is so much more to bringing the kingdom of God then simply speaking.

Remember the words of St. Francis of Assisi
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

This week I will be writing mini biographies of a few people I would consider Great Evangelists... Stay tuned!