Practice By Practice: The art of everyday faith (The Preacher and Me Book 1)

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This social mission is advanced in many ways -- by the prophetic teaching of our Holy Father; by the efforts of our bishops' Conference; and by many structures of charity and justice within our community of faith. But the most common and, in many ways, the most important Christian witness is often neither very visible nor highly structured. It is the sacrifice of parents trying to raise children with concern for others; the service and creativity of workers who do their best and reach out to those in need; the struggle of business owners trying to reconcile the bottom line and the needs of employees and customers; and the hard choices of public officials who seek to protect the weak and pursue the common good.

The Church's social mission is advanced by teachers and scientists, by family farmers and bankers, by sales persons and entertainers. The Catholic social mission is also carried forward by believers who join unions, neighborhood organizations, business groups, civic associations, the pro-life movement, groups working for justice, or environmental, civil rights or peace groups. It is advanced by Christians who stand up for the values of the Gospel. This mission is the task of countless Christians living their faith without much fanfare or recognition, who are quietly building a better society by their choices and actions day by day.

They protect human life, defend those who are poor, seek the common good, work for peace, and promote human dignity.

Working for justice in everyday life is not easy. There are complex and sometimes difficult challenges encountered by women and men as they try to live their faith in the world. We applaud the efforts of all Catholics to live the Gospel by pursuing justice and peace in their everyday choices and commitments. Being a believer means that one lives a certain way -- walking with the Lord, doing justice, loving kindness, living peaceably among all people. Christian discipleship means practicing what Jesus preached. Discipleship is found in a relationship with Christ and a commitment to His mission of "bringing good news to the poor, liberty to captives, new sight to the blind and setting the downtrodden free.

According to the Second Vatican Council, "It is the special vocation of the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. They live in the world, in each and every one of the world's occupations and callings and in the ordinary circumstances of social and family life which, as it were, form the context of their existence. There they are called by God to contribute to the sanctification of the world within, like leaven, in the spirit of the Gospel, by fulfilling their own particular duties. Service within the Church should form and strengthen believers for their mission in the world.

With this pastoral statement we are addressing in a special way the demands of discipleship in the pursuit of justice and peace in everyday activity. Followers of the Lord Jesus live their discipleship as spouses and parents, single adults and youth, employers and employees, consumers and investors, citizens and neighbors. We renew the warning of the Second Vatican Council that the "split between the faith which many profess and their daily lives deserves to be counted among the more serious errors of our age. Catholicism does not call us to abandon the world, but to help shape it. This does not mean leaving worldly tasks and responsibilities, but transforming them.

Catholics are everywhere in this society. We are corporate executives and migrant farm workers, senators and welfare recipients, university presidents and day care workers, tradesmen and farmers, office and factory workers, union leaders and small business owners. Our entire community of faith must help Catholics to be instruments of God's grace and creative power in business and politics, factories and offices, in homes and schools and in all the events of daily life. Social justice and the common good are built up or torn down day by day in the countless decisions and choices we make.

This vocation to pursue justice is not simply an individual task -- it is a call to work with others to humanize and shape the institutions that touch so many people.

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The lay vocation for justice cannot be carried forward alone, but only as members of a community called to be the "leaven" of the Gospel. Workers are called to pursue justice. In the Catholic tradition, work is not a burden, not just how we make a living. Work is a way of supporting our family, realizing our dignity, promoting the common good, and participating in God's creation. This means often doing the ordinary well, making the most of our talents and opportunities, treating others fairly and with dignity, and working with integrity and creativity. Believers should be encouraged to choose their work based on how they can best use the gifts God has given them.

Decisions made at work can make important contributions to an ethic of justice. Catholics have the often difficult responsibility of choosing between competing values in the workplace. This is a measure of holiness. Associations that enable workers, owners or managers to pursue justice often make the witness of the individual more effective. Owners, managers, and investors face important opportunities to seek justice and pursue peace.

Ethical responsibility is not just avoiding evil, but doing right, especially for the weak and vulnerable.

Decisions about the use of capital have moral implications: Are they creating and preserving quality jobs at living wages? Are they building up community through the goods and services they provide? Do policies and decisions reflect respect for human life and dignity, promote peace and preserve God's creation? While economic returns are important, they should not take precedence over the rights of workers or protection of the environment.

Investors should examine ownership, management, and economic decisions in the light of the Catholic call to protect life, defend those who are poor, and seek the common good. These decisions promote human dignity or undermine it. As consumers , believers can promote social justice or injustice.

In an affluent culture that suggests that what we have defines who we are, we can live more simply. When we purchase goods and services, we can choose to support companies that defend human life, treat workers fairly, protect creation, and respect other basic moral values at home and abroad. We can also make conscious efforts to consume less. All human beings have unique talents, gifts from God that we are called to develop and share. We should celebrate this diversity.

People who use their skills and expertise for the common good, the service of others, and the protection of creation, are good stewards of the gifts they have been given. When we labor with honesty, serve those in need, work for justice and contribute to charity, we use our talents to show our love--and God's love--for our brothers and sisters. As citizens in the world's leading democracy, Catholics in the United States have special responsibilities to protect human life and dignity and to stand with those who are poor and vulnerable.

We are also called to welcome the stranger, to combat discrimination, to pursue peace, and to promote the common good. Catholic social teaching calls us to practice civic virtues and offers us principles to shape participation in public life. We cannot be indifferent to or cynical about the obligations of citizenship. Our political choices should not reflect simply our own interests, partisan preferences or ideological agendas, but should be shaped by the principles of our faith and our commitment to justice, especially to the weak and vulnerable.

The voices and votes of lay Catholics are needed to shape a society with greater respect for human life, economic and environmental justice, cultural diversity and global solidarity. Catholic involvement in public life and legislative advocacy are important ways to exercise responsible citizenship. Participation in politics is a worthy vocation and a public trust.

Believers who serve in public office have unique responsibilities and opportunities to stand up for human life and dignity, to pursue justice and peace, and to advance the common good by the policies, priorities and program they support or oppose. Church statements, structures and initiatives are important for Catholic formation and action. Social ministry programs and structures provide valuable opportunities for believers to learn to act on the justice demands of their faith.

Church social ministry efforts should encourage and complement the vital roles of believers in family, economic and public life. However, there is simply no substitute for Catholic men and women carrying their faith into the world. Everyday discipleship for justice and the Church's organized social ministry can reinforce one another and help shape a more just society and more peaceful world.

We hope these reflections can serve as an opportunity for increased dialogue on the demands of discipleship in our time. Parishes are essential sources of support and encouragement for Christian discipleship. At their best, parishes help believers prepare and go forth to live the Gospel in everything we do. The Sunday liturgy sends us forth to renew the earth and build up God's kingdom of justice and peace. We encourage our pastors and preachers to listen to their parishioners on the challenges of their daily lives and help bring the insight of the Gospel and the principles of Catholic teaching to these experiences.

We affirm prayer and worship which help believers apply the Gospel to everyday situations. Across the country, there are examples of Catholic men and women gathering in small groups to examine the moral dimensions of their lives and work. They enlarge their vision beyond the immediate and the individual experience when they are enabled to examine the structures and processes that shape social life.

Catholic schools and religious education programs provide important lessons about living a life of justice and compassion, and promoting participation in civic life. For Those Wavering Between Belief an Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention evangelism gospel share christian leonard god christ practical jesus approach john christians grace helpful natural pray listening truly lives examples.

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Get Real is a highly practical how-to for the basics of sharing your faith without scaring others away, and without being afraid yourself. Throughout the book Leonard distinguishes between traditional evangelism methods and the way Jesus taught, and provides many examples of the methods he suggests from his personal life. Sometimes there were a little too many personal examples, distracting from the point he was trying to make and shifting the focus to his triumphs, although I am sure that is not what was intended.

Besides that, I appreciate the book for how straightforward and simple it is. I have to confess that when I read reviews, I usually start with the negative ones first. I find I learn more there. Sometimes I will be convinced by the arguments, sometimes not. In this case, I couldn't disagree more with them. I found the book to be refreshing and encouraging but most of all practical.

I've been a Christian a long time and learned many ways of evangelizing: Too many times I have seen others and been guilty myself of marching into battle with these tools without doing the main thing that Mr. Leonard stresses - listening and respecting the other person. This was a good reminder for me.

I also appreciated being reminded that I am planting seeds. Finally, it was encouraging to be reminded of the truth that it is God who does the converting, not me. There is nothing particularly new here, but Mr. Leonard presented many natural, unforced, practical ways to implement them. In light of that, I respect that this book may not be helpful for everyone, but it did renew my desire to share the gospel which I am sure we can agree is the main point.

Any attempt to do evangelism and teach evangelism should be applauded. The author had some good points in the book to take to heart. Recognizing that conversion doesn't happen immediately but tends to follow a journey of learning is good to keep in mind. I was disappointed by how the author seemed to shy away from using the law in a gospel conversation. We must share the gospel in the context of the law to be effective.

The final chapter seemed to be written as an add-on which was also disappointing. It should have been the first chapter and not the last because it explained the gospel and described the gospel as the motivation for evangelism. Does your church teach you to walk up to strangers and ask "Do you know where you're going when you die? Read it and then pass it on to your pastor and small group leader. This book offers 21st century methods to reach the world for Jesus Christ.

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Three key takeaways I got from this book are: The majority of churches today are just the opposite. To lead someone to Christ, listen more than talk. Pray with your eyes open, especially with non-Christians. I've used for several years one of the evangelism methods the author recommends. Tell your waitresses you're going to pray before you eat the meal they've brought you. Ask the waitress if they have a special need you can include in your prayer.

The author says he's now known by all the staff in his favorite restaurant as "The Pastor who prays for waitresses. We have all heard a multitude of ways to share the gospel but the author here takes you back to the beginning.

Similar authors to follow

It is not about what you memorize it how much you know, it is about keeping it real. It begins between you and Jesus and it should be the same through you to others. Extremely enjoyed the simple approach and the reminder of where it is all at I chose 5 stars because this is not only well written, but it made me rethink how I've shared Jesus.

My desire is to be led and filled with the Holy Spirit. I like this book because it is not a book of formulas, but led to understand the love of Jesus. What a breath of fresh air! John Leonard presents sharing your faith in a whole new way. He definitely forces you to reconsider all you have been taught about sharing the faith. Idea is not to force it down their throats but to offer them a better way-to help make up their own minds.

Any Christian serious about doing a more effective job of witnessing needs this book! This is the best book on evangelism I have ever read! I just taught a short class 5 weeks in my church and referred to this book many times. As any other book, I have a few disagreements and some minor complaints but, to paraphrase the Apostle, they are not worthy to be compared to the weight of value and practical goodness to be revealed though a careful reading.

Truly will help you Get Real. See all 71 reviews. Most recent customer reviews. Published 18 days ago. Published 29 days ago. Published 2 months ago. Published 7 months ago. Published 1 year ago. Very well written and very helpful in Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway.

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