@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“I shall not hesitate also to put into ordered form for you, along with the interpretations, everything I learned carefully in the past from the elders and noted down carefully, for the truth of which I vouch. For unlike most people, I took no pleasure in those who told many different stories, but only in those who taught the truth. Nor did I take pleasure in those who reported their memory of someone else’s commandments, but only in those who reported their memory of the commandments given by the Lord to the faith and proceeding from the Truth itself. And if by chance anyone who had been in attendance on the elders arrived, I made enquiries about the words of the elders—what Andrew or Peter had said, or Philip or Thomas or James or John or Matthew or any other of the Lord’s disciples, and whatever Aristion and John the Elder, the Lord’s disciples, were saying. For I did not think that information from the books would profit me as much as information from a living and surviving voice.
~ Papias of Hierapolis (c. 60–130 AD) From the Preface to his lost ‘Expositions of the Sayings of the Lord’
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Sharing God’s Grace with the Conflicted

We have seen that there is an evangelistic opportunity presented by people’s expressions of cognitive dissonance. This opportunity is one that appears more frequently than you might think. Cognitive dissonance is common and includes things like: (1) Overspending: “I know I should save money, but I just bought something I want but don’t really need.” (2) Procrastination: “This project is important, but I’m ‘doomscrolling’ social media instead of working.” (3) Dieting: “I really want to eat a healthy diet, but I just ate an entire box of cookies.” (4) Staying in a bad relationship or job: “This situation makes me unhappy, but I keep staying.” The opportunity for evangelism comes whenever someone shares with you a conflict of this kind. In such a situation one might reply along the lines of, “I can imagine how you must feel” or “That must be so frustrating for you” or “Yes, I’ve had similar struggles myself.” Then, having connected with them, one might ask them, “Can I share with you what helped me?” (your testimony of God’s grace in that situation), or “Let me tell you what I have found helpful” (share the Gospel and the difference it’s made in your life). Answer any questions they may have and invite them to take the same step of faith, leading them in the Sinner’s Prayer.