{"id":744,"date":"2009-06-27T17:42:37","date_gmt":"2009-06-27T17:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=744"},"modified":"2010-12-22T12:52:14","modified_gmt":"2010-12-22T17:52:14","slug":"7164","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2009\/06\/27\/7164\/","title":{"rendered":"Novak: We Need \u2018Culture of Conversation\u2019 About Jesus"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Stan Friedman<\/p>\n

PORTLAND, OR (June 27, 2009) \u2013 \u201cI invite all of us to create a culture of conversation where significant, sensitive words are spoken and appropriate deeds are done,\u201d Mark Novak told worshipers gathered for tonight\u2019s ordination and commissioning service as the 124th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church drew to a close.
\n
\nNovak, the North Pacific Conference superintendent, rooted his sermon in Acts 17:16-34<\/a>, which recounts the Apostle Paul engaging philosophers of Athens at the Areopagus.<\/p>\n

Those verses, Novak said, \u201chave not only shaped this message tonight, they have shaped my ministry and my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Five\"The story demonstrates that Paul valued people, Novak said. \u201cHe loved talking about Jesus, and he invested his time. Paul\u2019s life was a conversation about Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following Paul\u2019s example, Novak said, \u201cWe must rediscover, we must create a culture of conversation where it is natural and normal to talk about spiritual things, even about Jesus, about new life for the sake of the gospel.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 1,300 people attended the service with some 700 others around the world watching the live broadcast online, including Hong Kong, Colombia, Mexico, and Canada.<\/p>\n

Novak began by quoting some of the early lines of the book The Soloist<\/em>, in which Los Angeles Times<\/em> reporter Steve Lopez recounts his first meeting with Nathaniel, a homeless man who turned out to be an alum of the Julliard School of Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy chance encounter had affirmed the golden rule of journalism: everyone has a story, so get out of the office and talk to people. There is no telling what you may find.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mass use of social media such as Facebook demonstrates that \u201cthere are a myriad of ways in which we are trying to create conversation, just so somebody listens to us and hears our story,\u201d Novak said.<\/p>\n

\"Two\"Novak lives in the Seattle, Washington, area and he reflected on the high concentration of coffee shops in the city and how they provide the opportunity for being a modern Areopagus. \u201cIf you sit long enough and listen, you will hear conversations about spiritual things,\u201d Novak said.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, he added, \u201cWe are far too busy doing church to even care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul demonstrates what a culture of conversation looks like, Novak said. \u201cHe valued people, he loved talking about Jesus, and he invested his time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Novak declared, \u201cPaul\u2019s life was a conversation about Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

The conversation that took place in the Areopagus was the culmination of many conversations with individuals and smaller groups, Novak said. \u201cPaul\u2019s presence in those places made a huge statement about his priorities, about his love for people,\u201d Novak said. \u201cHe ached for them to know Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

That presence was equally as important as Paul\u2019s words, Novak said. \u201cThis was his appropriate deed for this time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Three\"Novak added, \u201cConversation is not only a verbal communication. It is a lifestyle for a world that is weary of words.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristians too often miss out on the joy of that conversation, however, because they are too afraid of engaging the rawness of the world and people different from them,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n

The conversation can also be inconvenient. \u201cIt is a calling to nighttime phone calls,\u201d Novak said. \u201cIt is a call to interrupted plans and schedules.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he added, \u201cWhen love has a context, it has no equal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Novak highlighted the redemptive work of Joseph and Carmen Ottley, both of whom had lives nearly destroyed by drug addiction. Joseph had spent several years in prison. With the help of their Covenant church, they have gone on to open four homes for people seeking to lead sober lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might not know Jesus when you come to live there, you might even leave without trusting Jesus, although I doubt it, but I will guarantee you that you will hear and engage in meaningful conversation about him while you live there,\u201d Novak said. \u201cIt is a place where sensitive, significant words are spoken and appropriate deeds are done.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Four\"Novak turned to an unlikely YouTube video<\/a> as a call for Christians to engage in such conversations. In the video, Penn Jillette of the Penn and Teller illusion and comedy team recalls a man waiting following a performance to share the gospel with him.<\/p>\n

Although Jillette\u2019s comedy often is off-color, he was appreciative of the man\u2019s concern. \u201cIn the video, Penn asks this haunting question,\u201d Novak said. \u201cHow much do you have to hate somebody to believe in everlasting life and not tell them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Novak reiterated that a conversation about spiritual things should not be missed. \u201cPaul\u2019s life is a conversation about Jesus,\u201d he said. \u201cYour life is a conversation about Jesus. May we find great joy in the simplicity of conversation about Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

He concluded by encouraging the newly ordained and commissioned ministers. \u201cI pray that you will find incredible joy in this great adventure we call ministry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the sermon, David Kersten, executive minister of the Department of the Ordered Ministry, noted that the conversation about Jesus includes vows. \u201cThe highest vows we ever speak are the vows of our conversion and baptism.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then led the entire gathering in renewing those vows.<\/p>\n

Editor’s note: Top photo is of Novak; remaining photos are representative of the evening’s ordination and consecration ceremony.<\/em><\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PORTLAND, OR (June 27, 2009) \u2013 \u201cI invite all of us to create a culture of conversation where significant, sensitive words are spoken and appropriate deeds are done,\u201d Mark Novak told worshipers gathered for tonight\u2019s ordination and commissioning service as the 124th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church drew to a close.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNovak: We Need \u2018Culture of Conversation\u2019 About Jesus - Covenant Newswire Archives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2009\/06\/27\/7164\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Novak: We Need \u2018Culture of Conversation\u2019 About Jesus - 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