Evangelism.

What a sticky word.
We've been so burned, annoyed, and numbed by the idea of evangelism, and it's become a bit of a joke in my neck of the church. Even at our Sunday meeting a few weeks ago, when Seth brought this topic up, I could feel the air shift in the room. Backs were straighter, eyebrows hinting at skepticism, resisting an inner rolling of the eyes while we were trying our darndest to get ready to hear truth pulled from weeds.

One of Seth's questions to us was:

How do we respond when we love what we see, or what we're experiencing?

We pull ourPhones out, snap a couple of super artsy pics, frame them up digitally with cool vintage looking effects, and "share" them immediately online with our FB friends, thoughtfully captioned so that we can try to get our viewers to feel even for a moment what we just felt when we saw that sunrise, ate that cupcake, kissed that baby's face, heard that super impressive musician, etc. Or those of us without smart phones use the low tech (arguably more effective) alternative - our mouths, our hands, raised eyebrows, fantastic adjectives.. whatever we can use to express and share what we've experienced.

Photo by Justine Armstrong

So what do we do when we encounter God??
A very beautiful and natural kind of evangelism can happen when we see some sort of evidence or glimpse of our living God, and that experience or encounter compels us to share it with someone else. We as a faith community believe that God is doing something amazing, that right now He's growing something lovely, true, and eternal. And somehow He is making a way for us to see it, experience it, and even choose to join Him in it.

All of that to say, I've listened to Karla Adolphe's new album, Honeycomb Tombs, several times now, and I think I would describe this new work as a simple, true, and ultimately life-giving example of good evangelism. It's a collection of songs inspired by witnessing the death of a dear friend's daughter and it's become an album meant to join, comfort, and restore people who've found themselves in the midst of grief. These songs seem to me to be a natural response to the appeal in Romans to "rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn." 

Album art by Caleb Friesen

Take 3 minutes to give her #2 track, Flying Low, a quick listen.

Wake up, love! Wake up, love! Wake up, love!

I know I'm alive.

Raised from the dead inside.

Breaking out of honeycomb tombs.

Growing gardens out of my wounds.

I know I'm alive.

--
There are lyrics, harmonies, and movements in this album that I want to Instagram, Tweet, put up on Facebook, write across my chest, tattoo on my arm, and sing on Sunday morning.. Ultimately I think it's totally worth sharing, not just with our people who are in the midst of grief, but it's for all of us who "carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."


Karla has chosen to make this album available FOR FREE at http://www.karlaadolphe.ca/. I'll be promoting the heck out of this beautiful piece of work to all of my friends and family and I encourage you to do the same, after picking up the free download and listening to the album yourself. I pray that Honeycomb Tombs would bless you and bring you new life. I pray that through this album, God would use His Holy Spirit to act as Lazarus' friends and help remove from you your grave clothes, to remind you of the restored life he has for you.

Photo by Joanne Abraham Photography

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 

So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

 -----------

Download Honeycomb Tombs FOR FREE.

Find Touring/Booking info at http://www.therustycaravan.com/

Aaaaaand, like her on Facebook.