Some of my new CCO friends have been asking about the time(s) that we had a confession booth at Temple’s Spring Fling, as in Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz. So I went to the vault and pulled out these accounts.
The first time we did this was in Spring 2004. I sent out an email in advance, asking people to pray. (Over time I had forgotten the spiritual intensity of that time on campus). The second is my account of how things went. The third email is my account of when we did it again in Spring 2006–also a spiritually intense time on campus.
PRAYER REQUEST IN ADVANCE OF CONFESSION BOOTH (Spring 2004):
Dear prayer supporters,Please intercede for the ministry at Temple over the next few days. This semester is wrapping up with a flurry of gospel-sharing. This past Friday was “United in Christ Day,” when many of our students came out to share their faith (many for the first time). There were quite a few very good conversations, and contacts for future follow-up. It was also the most intense day I’ve experienced at Temple. I’ve never seen so much hardness and hostility when I’
ve approached people. Two other groups were preaching and sharing, neither of which I had heard of, and neither were from the campus. (I later found out that one was the cult International Disciples of Christ, which preys on college students). All this, plus the regular hellfire-and-brimstone guy. This led to a lot of confusion and made sharing the gospel more difficult. This spiritual warfare is real.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the biggest day of “Spring Fling,” a time for typical campus debauchery and rowdiness before the semester ends. Our group will be setting up a confession booth—not for people to confess their sins to us, but to allow us to confess the sins which have been done in the name of Christ, and to tell them that’s not who Jesus is. (This is based on Donald Miller’
s story in Blue Like Jazz).
The students are telling me the responses will be strong, either way. I hope they’
re right.
Please pray that the light of the gospel would shine through us, and that people’
s perceptions of Jesus would be changed.
Please pray for boldness and open doors for us.Pray that we would be allowed to set up the booth and use it the entire day
Pray that Satan would not be able to spring any more surprise obstacles on us.
Pray that God would be glorified through all this!
I am so thankful for your intercession and support in these things.
All for Jesus,
Steve Lutz
REPORT ON CONFESSION BOOTH
Dear Pray-ers,
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.”
On Tuesday at Temple we had a different sort of outreach on campus. For “Spring Fling,” we set up a Confession Booth. Some students from our group designed and built it. We were right next to a table giving away Frisbees. The idea wasn’
t for people to confess their sins, but for us to confess our sins to them as Christians.
One thing that’s cool was that this wasn’t a numbers game type of outreach.We talked to over 30 people. That’s not a lot. But I guess this was a case of quality over quantity. A few tables down, another ministry was giving out every type of Christian tract possible. People were tossing them instantly, so you almost couldn’t see the ground at certain spots. People were walking all over them. But I don’t think anyone trampled over what they heard in the booth.One thing I was praying as I stepped in the booth was that this wouldn’t just be a gimmick, an idea from a book, but that it would be the real thing, that my confessions would be heartfelt and genuine. God answered that prayer.The more I did it, the more I felt it. It was hard.
We talked about how as Christians we do such a poor job of being like Jesus; how we don’t love our neighbor or even give 2 seconds to them; how we’re judgmental and indifferent and often just like the culture that we condemn for it’s materialism and impurity.
I was personally confessing these things to people as they stopped in. I apologized to Muslims for the Crusades. I apologized to African-Americans for the way people used Christ to justify slavery or not stand up for civil rights. It was extremely humbling. I became emotional at times. People have really been hurt, directly or indirectly, in the name of Christ. That is grievous. And it has prevented them from seeing who Jesus really is, which is even more grievous. Quite a few people were deeply touched. People don’t own up to anything these days, so for Christians to do that speaks loudly. Maybe what’s prophetic these days is to come in weakness and humility, and to show people that we know we’re sinners in need of a Savior. (They know we’re not perfect). When we confess our need for the Cross, it disarms people and gives us an opportunity to share what Jesus is really about—not those many things that have become attached to his name but aren’t of him.
Let me tell you about a few of the people we spoke to yesterday:The first two people who stopped in said, “this is crazy! You’re nuts!” That was encouraging—
they got it!
One Muslim girl I know was deeply moved. She said it was “awesome”ten times and brought back some friends.
Another girl has been questioning her faith, and actually been looking into other religions. Our conversation set off something in her. One of her friends, who is a Christian from our group, talked with her at length last night about Jesus. He asked her if she has a personal relationship with Christ. She said no, but she wants one. She is SO close! Let’s pray her in!One guy was invited to our weekly meetings many times and he never came; but he and his friend stepped inside the booth, and later heard presentations of the Gospel. He too has Christian friends who will follow up with him.One girl Geoff Bradford talked to is a Muslim, she said she had no idea this is what Christians were about; she hated Christians but now she wants to visit a church. She said “This is the way things are supposed to be.”
One girl said she’s been having a lot of doubts—the confessing spoke to her, and she gave me her contact info so we can talk some more. Please pray that we would be able to talk soon, and that the Spirit would be growing saving-fruit in her.
The last girl I spoke to said she used to be a part of the church, but been hurt by people there. As we spoke, she concluded that she needed to get back in fellowship with people. She said “God is so patient and forgiving; I need to do that too.”
Join me in thanking God for the many good conversations we had yesterday, and join me in praying that the seeds which were sown yesterday would grow and be harvested.
Thanks for your partnership in these things,
Steve Lutz
REPORT ON CONFESSION BOOTH 2006
Hey everyone–thanks for your prayers for the confession booth last Thursday. Many of you emailed and asked how it went, so I’m encouraged to know you’re actually reading these things!
I was really pleased with how this year’s Confession Booth came together. Andrew, a sophomore majoring in Engineering, designed and built an AMAZING booth out of PVC and curtains. Hopefully, you can see it in the pictures here. The weather was perfect–sunny and 80. Thank you Lord! In all, we spoke to around 20 students. The reactions ran the gamut of what we’ve come to expect, from confusion to being deeply moved. We had several Catholics or lapsed Catholics who were–no surprise–expecting something very different. We had several others with some kind of Christian background, but also many non-Christians and people of other faiths.
The first girl I spoke to was from a catholic background. I confessed the various ways Christians–including me–have done a poor job of being like Jesus to those around us. I have found that it really resonates with people when we confess “Yes, I know I am not perfect. I don’t have it all together. I’m messed up.” And I’ve also found it’s an incredible bridge to the Gospel. It helps people understand why we say we need a Savior. People today often don’t have that baseline sense of “I’m a sinner who needs to be saved” that the big evangelists could assume in previous generations. Instead, we need to explain why “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst!” Putting our own mess out there can do that. You know, it’s really amazing how humility connects so easily to the Gospel. It’s like God designed it that way or something.
One blessing of doing this is the way it can connect us to people who previously weren’t aware we existed. The second girl I talked to said she was a Christian, but hadn’t connected with a christian group or church in her time at Temple. We are now “Facebook Friends” and I’m praying our conversation will lead her to get reconnected.
I wanted more students to get a taste of doing the confessing, so I only started off the day and talked to a few students before giving way to 5 others who confessed during the day. Several of them were nervous and a little fearful, so it was a big step. Each of them said it was hard to confess these things, and that the more they did it, the more real these sins became to them. One of our confessors spoke to a couple where the guy is Hindu and the girl is Muslim. Now there’s some worldviews colliding! But they had a good conversation, and I trust some seeds were planted.
Barna once found that the average adult convert knows 27 different Christians before they become Christians. I often tell my students “You may not realize it, but people are always watching and drawing conclusions from your life. You don’t where you are on that timeline. You might be number 1. Once in a while, you’ll get to be number 27. You might be number 14, but that doesn’t make your role or words or example any less important! We’re called to be faithful in living out the Gospel in Word and Deed, and God makes the seed grow.” It’s important to remember that when you’re out there having conversations with people, and you have no idea how it’s going.
Please pray that God would make those seeds grow in each of the people’s hearts we spoke to. Through the wonders of Facebook (btw, Facebook is like myspace for college students. It’s an awesome connecting tool), we’re able to follow up with many of these people.
Thanks for your prayers, and your holy impatience to know how things went!
Grace and Peace,
Steve
