Evangelism and Eeyore!
/It has been a long time since I thought of one of my childhood favorite cartoon storylines that spawned several TV shows. Specials: Winnie the Pooh. He was a “silly old bear” as Christopher Robin liked to call him. Pooh was always trying to invent a way to get more honey. His antics to get honey usually put him in positions from which his friends had to rescue him. He was Christopher Robin's best friend, and his loyalty to Christopher Robin and his friends knew no end. That “silly old bear” was just easy to love.
That aside, the Winnie the Pooh series had an interesting host of characters, each with a distinct human trait. For instance, there was a wise old owl who was very introspective. There was Mrs. Roo. She was watchful, motherly, and always seemed to have the right touch dealing with delicate matters. She made others feel at ease. Little Roo, her son, was inquisitive, loved to explore, and teetered on being rambunctious in nature. Mrs. Roo often had to pull him back before he got into trouble. Rabbit was always busy and in a hurry. He often came across as being a little bit frazzled and short-tempered. Ahh, every story needs a Tigger! Tigger couldn’t find it in himself to be serious. He was too busy having fun and bouncing. He just wanted to bounce and laugh on his tail or his head. He was the ADHD one in the crowd and everyone’s life of the party. The shy, bashful, fearful one was Piglet. He was full of self-doubt and had a self-image problem because of his diminutive stature. And then there was Eeyore! Eeyore was always pessimistic and filled with sarcasm. While others saw a beautiful spring day, he couldn’t enjoy it because he was sure it would end with rain. He was everyone’s party pooper. Always seeing the bad, he didn't often smile. Eeyore just muddled through.
Sometimes my mind runs off on rabbit trails, and it happened again today. I questioned, “What kind of impact could you have if you had to work with Winnie the Pooh’s cast of friends. I looked at them with their various human traits and realized that each of them is already present. Their names may not be Tigger or Mrs. Roo. Their names may be Fred, Sue, or Karen, but mark my words, they are present. I realized that I’ve worked with, or at least tried to work with them all.
To make a potentially long story short, let me say that there is success to be had with all but one. Did you guess it? Eeyore! I can work with one-track-minded Winnie the Pooh. Keep his task limited. Owl is going to be my project supervisor and problem solver. Mrs. Roo is going to help me with hospitality. Little Roo will be great one day, but for now, he is going into a discipleship class and will be given small duties until he matures. Since Tigger has a lot of energy and lives for fun, he will participate in fun activities and greet newcomers with his vibrant personality. Rabbit will be the guy who takes care of broken things behind the scenes. He’s a can-do guy and project-oriented, but probably going to place higher expectations on others than they can handle. Piglet is my intern. He needs confidence; nothing builds confidence like being taught by a leader and walking with a leader. He needs small projects to start, but he and his duties will grow.
What do you do with Eeyore? Nothing! Barring a transformation from God, Eeyore can’t help you. Eeyore is so discouraged by what he has seen and his expectations that he can’t be an encourager. He’s convinced that everything is bad. When allowed to speak, he will spread his negativism to others. His sour demeanor is contagious. His presence dampens the mood. His facial expression says I’m miserable. His tone of voice speaks of defeat. Eeyore changes the atmosphere to one of gloom and despair and fatalism.
Now, imagine that Eeyore is not just another church member. He’s not a councilman, a youth/children's leader, or a committee or outreach team member. He’s not the music director or greeter at the door……HE’S THE PASTOR! HE/SHE IS YOU!
Pastor, don’t allow yourself to be your church's biggest hindrance to winning people and inspiring would-be soul winners. Yes, we live in the last days wherein we need seriously committed people leading the cause of Christ, but don’t be a Debbie Downer. Greet your community in the streets with a smile and kind words. Get involved in community activities and festivals. Let the JOY OF THE LORD exude from you! Go to the places where the worst sinners might be found. Carry Tigger's bounce and Mrs Roo's ability to make people comfortable on the streets. Carry Little Roos’s inquisitive nature and talk to people you don’t know. Yes, even those wearing white magic symbols and tattoos. Please get to know those who have dedicated their bodies to piercings and wear all black. Get to know those politically different from you. EVEN MORE…teach your people to do the same. Pastor, you set the tone. Give your community a reason to like you, to trust you, and to visit your church. I once heard of someone accused of being “a friend to sinners.” How can you be a friend to them if you don’t meet them?
Everyone wants to spend time with Winnie the Pooh, but no one wants to hang out with an Eeyore!