I rarely take the Staten Island Ferry during rush hour.  Usually I take it after the morning commute and before the evening.  But recently I returned from the city right at the height of the afternoon rush, and so I was treated to one of the ferry preachers.  It was one of the most annoying things I have ever endured.  All I wanted to do was sit in peace and quiet – I should say relative peace and quiet what with all the high decibel cell phone calls – all I wanted to do was sit in relative peace and quiet and read my book.  With this preacher striding around bellowing at the top of his lungs I found that almost impossible to do.  I don’t for a minute question his constitutional right to preach, but I wonder how effective it is.  Has this style of preaching ever brought a soul to Christ?  It’s a big world, so I suppose it probably has.  But I wonder if he has driven away more people than he has drawn.  It seems to me that Jesus had a very different method of evangelism.  I don’t recall too many stories in Scripture about Jesus ranting and raving at people who didn’t want to hear him.  Instead I think of the stories of people willingly coming to hear Jesus.  Perhaps the most famous account of Jesus’ preaching is the sermon on the Mount.  That story says that the disciples came to Jesus to hear him speak.  Or think of the stories of the feeding of the five thousand; people willingly travel long distances to be with Jesus and listen to him.  Jesus didn’t force himself on people.

Jesus’ method of evangelism is one of invitation.  The Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell the story of how Jesus called Peter and Andrew and James and John to be his first disciples.  As they tell the story, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee and saw those fishermen working at their trade.  He gave them each a word of invitation, “’Follow me’” and they stopped what they were doing and followed him.  Jesus’ method of evangelism through invitation is even more obvious in the Gospel of John.  In the Gospel of John, Andrew overhears John the Baptist look and Jesus and say, ‘”Behold the Lamb of God.’”  He and a friend start following Jesus around like puppy dogs, Jesus looks over his shoulder and says to them, “’What are you looking for?’”  They say to him, “’Rabbi … where are you staying?’”  Jesus says to them, “’Come and see,’” and they spend the afternoon together.  That is evangelism through invitation.

The disciples in today’s Gospel lesson practice Jesus’ method of evangelism through invitation, although they don’t know who it is they’re trying to evangelize.  As they walk along a quiet road from Jerusalem to Emmaus at the end of a long day, they are joined by a mysterious stranger.  They tell the stranger all about Jesus:  How he was betrayed, arrested, and executed.  They tell the stranger about disappointed they are that Jesus’ mission has apparently ended in complete failure.  And they tell the stranger that some of the women of their group have seen a vision of angels telling them that Jesus is alive, but, the implication is, you know how undependable those women are.  The stranger then leads them in a Bible study, interpreting how the Scriptures speak of Jesus’ life and ministry.  Still the disciples don’t realize who the man is; they still think that he is just a stranger.  The day is late, night is falling, they are all tired, and it probably isn’t a good idea to be walking the roads alone in the dark.  So the disciples offer the stranger and invitation.  They say, “’Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’”  These disciples must have learned something from Jesus because they continue his ministry of hospitality.

Church growth studies show that the most effective method of evangelism – in other words, the most effective way to grow your church – is the personal invitation.  Our church, like most churches, spends money on things like signs, brochures, mailings, and a website as a way of attracting new members.  All of those things are important and have their place and shouldn’t be neglected.  But the most important and effective thing we can do is to invite people to church.  Going to church can sometimes be intimidating for a visitor, so more than a casual offer may be needed.  Sit with your visitors, take them to coffee hour, and introduce them to your friends.  When we invite someone to church, we are continuing the ministry of Jesus and his first disciples.

The purpose of inviting someone to church is not simply to pack the pews or to recruit another pledging unit.  No one ever joined a church because the church needed more members or because it needed to balance its budget.  Take it from me, I’m from Michigan where the economy is tanking: No one ever bought a Buick because GM needs the business.  The reason we invite people to church is so that we can share with them the best thing we have: We share with them an authentic encounter with Jesus in Word and Sacrament.  Life can be hard, and we walk a long road together.  It’s been a long day; we’re tired; we’ve been to work; we’ve been grocery shopping; we’ve taken care of the kids; there is so much to do.  We need something more.  So we say to those we love, “Stay with us for evening is at hand and the day is past.”  Stay with us and your life will be changed; your eyes will be opened; and you will recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread. Amen.