If they ever invite me back, you can certainly come with me. Maybe we can subversively flip the whole thing upside down in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Shay, you called all this conversation…I don’t really consider any of this bit by bit commenting to be a conversation. If we really wanted to commit to conversation then we should all just sit down and talk. I often think about how silly it really is that we engage in this forum. If we live within close proximity then we should meet and converse about topics like this one.

I am somewhat surprised that you would be interested in hosting again, but if you do I would like to come and be a witness.

Maggie, of course the power of the Holy Spirit is an appropriate power, but the conversation has been about worldly approaches to power. Power from the world comes from setting one’s self over another in a controlling manner. Power from God comes from humbly serving others in love. This power does not hope to control, but to reveal Truth in Love.

I hope that my time there did turn some of their mindsets upside down and at the very least their expectation for what they would hear that evening was turned upside down.

I have told them that if they ever want me to host again, I am more than willing to do so. I would love the opportunity to share my life and faith with them any time possible.

The only thing I would have done differently is to go with the actors to the bar after the show and hang out so I could talk to the head of the group and share with him that I was upset by some of the material, but I am not holding it against them and then I would take some time to separate the things he thought were offensive from what was actually offensive and give some reasons why. (The topic of the world’s understanding of Christian values is worthy of an entire blog in and of itself.)

Shay – Tough situation…but I appreciate the fact that you hung in there and continued to share from your Christian perspective! From the sounds of that crowd, it was bold on your part.

Your situation reminded me of Christ telling His disciples that the world will hate them because the world first hated Him. Too often, I believe that many Christians think of the lost world, and evangelism, in terms of just being “attractive”, or need-meeting, to draw the lost to a church/community…when in reality the unsaved hate Christ and Christianity. And they don’t hate Him, or it, because of alleged mean/harsh/hypocritical/judgemental Christians…they just hate Christ (and thus Christianity, or anything to do with it). They are slaves to sin and dark-hearted (as Scripture says).

I wasn’t there, so I can’t offer any specific input…but I was thinking about David, in 1 Samuel 17, when he heard Goliath mocking Israel. I liked his response: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of God?” Sometimes, I think that a worthy defense to an afront towards Jesus Christ is appropriate.

I think that an afront towards God should prompt a corrective reponse from a Christian…just like Carmen’s response, towards you, garnered a coorective response from Greg. He did that out of love towards you and I think that Christians need to do it out of love for God.

That kind of righteous/compassionate anger is what fueled the Apostle Paul’s evangelism in Acts 17. He was angered by all of the idol worship in Athens and called for repentance from sin while giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many did not like the Truth that Paul preached, and they were angered, but a few followed by faith in Jesus Christ.

If I am ever faced with a situation such as yours, I pray that I have the boldness to defend the faith and to also accurately proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ (because faith in Jesus Christ is what that unsaved crowd so desperately needed…and any unsaved crowd so desperatley needs).

I wonder if the evening could have been turned upside down without booing…I am thinking YES!!

Shay, if you could redo the night what would you do differently? Would you be a host again if they asked you?

I was one of the members in the audience with my wife Ashley. What struck me most during the exchanges wasn’t the mockery. That was to be expected. But as we watched it became clear they were attacking Christianity with strange underhanded comments and turning Shay’s stories around to mock rather than find humor. The amateurish actors behavior although totally inappropriate, was difficult to address or speak to inbetween skits. I was sitting next to Shay trying to think of ways to retort or speak to what had just happened, and it was difficult to find the words or opportunity to speak for our King. I mean, do you just get up and start preaching and address the comments straight on. That would pretty much have turned the evening upside down.

I wanted to help you Shay find a way to respond, and the decision to flip from being the storyteller to speaking to the comments of the actors would have been more bold and courageous and I personally would have found it extremely difficult. I really don’t like public speaking though.
As an audience member, in retrospect, I could have booed more often. But personally, I think Shay handled himself humbly, and with dignity in the face of ridicule. They would lie straight to his face and say we’re going to clean it up, and the guy who said it just continued his routine. Their idol is comedy and entertainment and they’ll sell anything for it.

The actors thought is was a great evening cause the crowd was loud and engaged. Of course casting jewels usually gets the swine a bit riled up.

I think you played the part well, Shay. I wanted to say that first.

I’m in a similar situation at one of my jobs this summer. There is no Improv comedy going on in the background (but that would be nice), but I’m perhaps one of the few Christians where I work. There has been no out front ridicule of me, but there are moments of “oh you’re the seminary guy” when discussion alcohol or other pleasures of the world. I laugh it off and smile and act as if I would around you or Greg or Todd. OK, well maybe not Todd.

The point is that Christ went to the places that we dare not go to sometimes in our own lives. The pastor of the church I served at prior to the start of the summer had a great sermon about it and how we are called to be Christ’s light in places or situations where we are not comfortable. It’s something I need to realize more and more.

There is a fine line there, obviously. You don’t want to be ridiculed to the point where it becomes inappropriate, but there is opportunity to teach and love in all situations.

Good Job, Father Shay.

To go off on a tangent here, I use humor (poor humor as can be seen on my blog) as a means to discuss (or even as a defense against) things I do not understand. I can hear Seinfeld in my head now…”what’s the deal with….”

I look forward to hearing comedy about Christianity because it is a window into the thought process of others. Some that do…and some that do not understand our faith. Take, the Simpsons for example, In my limited experience I actually value their takes on Christianity because it gives me a new perspective to consider and that oftentimes leads to new understandings for me as I struggle with the points and perspectives that the writers come up with.

My question: Is it not possible to view others’ comedy, crude or not, as a commentarty on a thing they do not understand? If this is the case, would it not serve us well to note it as a thing that we should consider in our faith and how we would go about witnessing?