Back On The Horse

"It doesn't matter whether you're selling Jesus or Buddha or civil rights or 'How to Make Money in Real Estate With No Money Down.' That doesn't make you a human being; it makes you a marketing rep. If you want to talk to somebody honestly, as a human being, ask him about his kids. Find out what his dreams are - just to find out, for no other reason. Because as soon as you lay your hands on a conversation to steer it, it's not a conversation anymore; it's a pitch. And you're not a human being; you're a marketing rep." - The Big Kahua

I just read that quote from an article "The Gospel: For Here or to Go?". I haven't seen that movie but I would say that that quote really captures my old door-to-door ministry with Jehovah's Witnesses. It was all about the sales-pitch.

Really when you look at it the Service meeting that I attended was nothing more than a sales meeting. You learned similar tactics that were taught at any multi-level marketing seminar. You are told to smile, take a personal interest, look a person in the eyes, call them by name. But all this was geared toward distributing magazines or studying a book.

As I began becoming more and more disillusioned with the Watchtower Organization I slowly dropped the sales pitch. After finding out that the Awake! magazine had been used in the past to support a political obligation to the United Nations I stopped offering the magazines. When people began to notice I would simply say, "I'm trying to use the Bible more." Through my personal Bible study it began to be harder and harder for me to reconcile some of teachings of the Watchtower Society with what is said in the Scriptures. The result was that I was no longer comfortable offering "home Bible studies". It was also getting to the point that despite that positive aspects of the Organization I couldn't in good conscience bring somebody into it.

Those circumstances caused me to lose the sales-pitch aspect of the ministry. At that point I really had no agenda other than to get out and get to know people. What was interesting was how much my ministry opened up. I wasn't selling a product I was just there to share a thought, a scripture, a prayer. It was neat to begin offering prayers right on the door step of an intial call or maybe just give a hug to a stranger. (Most Witnesses that I knew where timid about praying with a person even after many weeks of Bible study sessions.)

I'll say this that I finally started to find joy in the ministry. I was becoming more productive - not in selling but in sharing and feeling. Not everyone was receptive but I did get to contact some really nice people in the work. And then I got disfellowshipped from the Organization and my field ministry activity came to a grinding halt.

On Sunday I went out in the field ministry work for the first time since being removed from the congregation in April. No time sheet, no tie, no magazines - just me and a Bible. I mainly wanted to touch base with some of my old return visits. The first house I went to was put up for sale and appeared to be vacant. At the second house the lady was asleep.

At the third house I knocked and there was no answer. Next door there was a boy watering plants on his porch. I felt the spirit nudging me to go next door. The boy tells me, "She's over here." So I go next door and the lady I wanted to call on was next door watching these neighbor kids.

It was kind of an awkward introduction because I had to explain why I was missing for the last few months. I tried to explain that I was no longer representing the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses. She asked me, "Who are you with now?" I paused and said, "well I guess I'm a Christian."

We had a nice little chat by way of catching up. She related a little problem she had with having to deal with a squabble between her daughter and another relative. We went to the book of James and I shared some verses about how dangerous our tongues can be. We also looked at Galatians about manifesting the fruitage of the spirit such as mildness and self-control. I concluded with a prayer.

Since this woman isn't able to get to a church on Sunday she said she was happy that I return. It felt really positive to get out and get some face-to-face time with individuals to be able to try to offer some assistance and a prayer. I'm not really a good teacher but I love shepherding.

I don't really know where I go from here but I'm eager to find out.

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I've started re-reading the Christian Scriptures again, this time in the King James Version. It is a really difficult version to read but the plus side is that it causes me to have to slow down and really concentrate on what is being said.