Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him. Luke 5:10b-11. 

Buckle up, my friends. We’re gonna talk about the e-word.

Edification? Nope. Enlightenment? Bzzzzz! Episcopalian?! Sorry. But thanks for playing.We’re talking about evangelism. We Episcopalians know that e comes just before f; ergo, the e-word must come right before . . . yeah. It just feels dirty somehow.Trouble is: God isn’t overly concerned about our discomfort. I mean, if you had gone to such lengths to reconcile with your beloved—if wayward—children, wouldn’t you want your kids to spread the Good News until every last sibling comes home?Now if you’re worried that everyone at Holy Trinity is going to be issued a John 3:16 sandwich board to wear to work—please, breathe into the paper bag, it won’t be as hard as that. It will be much, much harder.

Think noun, not verb. Evangelism is not so much a thing to do as something to be. How we are in the world, especially in our relationships, speaks much more loudly than any God-talk we can dream up.ow we are is directly related to how frequently we say Yes to God. The story of the call of the fishermen captures just the very first yes. Our Christian life is one of continual renewal—of our minds and hearts, of our relationship with God, and of the promises we make when we are baptized.

And h

Two perpetual  motions create ongoing conversion of life. We must continually hear God’s tender command: Don’t be afraid. For only when fear is relinquished can we take the second step. We must continually bring the boat of self to shore, leaving behind everything that does not serve His vision of a reconciled world.