Going to school in this town you are bound to end up at a few parties.
These situations are both strategic and dangerous.
They are strategic as a relational opportunity to connect with your friends, meet new people, and perhaps even find a chance to share your faith. One of the things that Jesus was criticized for was that he hung out with drunks, tax collectors, and prostitutes, and beggars. We need to do the same.
But as Christians, we also have to realize that these situations can be full of pitfalls...or maybe another good metaphor would be the idea of running through mine-fields. We should not be ignorant of the fact that while God may call us to enter these situations from time to time, we should go in with our heads up, taking the advice of 1 Peter 1:13-- having sober-minds, prepared for action.
Here are some general guidelines that may help you work through which situations you should be in and which situations you need to avoid:
1. Be sensative to the Spirit-- pray beforehand -- if at any point you feel you shouldn't be there, get out!
2. If you are double-minded at all (in other words you know that you are kindof looking for an opportunity to satisfy your flesh, but rationalizing it telling yourself you are being missional), don't go!
3. Set up some accountability-- let a Christian friend know you are going into this situation, and decide on a time for them to give you a call and check up on you. Better yet, take a Christian friend with you!
4. Know before-hand why you are going, who you want to connect with, and the amount of time you want to stay.
5. Make an effort to always be in conversation-- on your feet-- not lingering, watching, or leaving yourself open to temptation (you know what that means for you). If you are there to reach out to your friends, be intentional and do it! Don't coast into neutral.
6. If your friends are too drunk to have real conversations, doing something else might be a wiser use of your time.
7. Don't participate in or appear to condone any behavior that is illegal, or sinful. If you feel like you are condoning illegal or sinful behavior by just by being there, then you should leave. Keep in mind 1 Peter 4:3,4: "The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkeness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery..."
8. Always remember that you are a missionary-- a representative of Christ-- wherever you are. The question is: Will people see Christ in you, or will you blend in to the crowd?
9. Are you in the position where you could host parties-- where you could be in a little more control of what's going on, but still hang out with the people you want to reach out to? Think about hosting parties at your place, and show people you don't have to get drunk out of your mind to have a good time. Have good food, drinks (you can make the call about whether or not any alcohol will be involved...perhaps it can be a byob if people want to drink alcohol...), games, movie, whatever your creative mind can come up with.
10. Remember 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
This is not an extensive list...there are probably a lot more things that could be added, but hopefully I got you thinking.
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Good post and good thoughts here. Lots of food for thought. Yes, we should be thinking missionally even (especially!) at a party.
ReplyDeleteThe good thing about this take on parties is that it avoid the two ways Christians tend to fall off: running away and ignoring them (often creating our own, lame subculture in the process); or just caving in to culture doing the same things everyone else does.
The missional/Gospel approach is a third way. It's different, it's fresh, it's surprising, and it's the hardest. In fact, I'd say we can't do what Dan's described here apart from Christ.
The other thing I'd like to add, on the alcohol thing: if you're underage, don't drink. We're commanded to obey the authorities God has placed over us--this includes the legal system. If you're of-age, don't serve minors, and don't encourage or facilitate drunkenness for anyone. (I think Chad's basement parties have been great examples of this). And if alcohol causes you or other christians to stumble with something they struggle with, better to avoid alcohol all together.