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contributed by Rev. Eric Carswell

Many people have found themselves feeling somewhat lost when a new friend or acquaintance says, "Tell me about the New Church." Or they become tongue-tied when asked, "What is different about The New Church?" And many cringe within should someone ask, "Who is Swedenborg?" The problem is not that we know so little about these issues. It's more of a problem that we know so much. Our large, general, and comfortable knowledge gained over many years suddenly becomes a chaotic mess when we consider trying to explain it to others. Another potential stumbling block is that the truth is almost too precious to us. Consequently we don't want to misrepresent it by saying something inaccurate and we do so want it to be appreciated and accepted. In addition there can be the lurking fear that the New Church will appear to be weird. Given these conditions it is no wonder that so many of us have trouble talking to others about the New Church.

Instead of trying to do the impossible (i.e. convey a comprehensive picture of the New Church in a few sentences) experience seems to indicate that it is far easier and often better if we speak of what the New Church means to us. A "rule of thumb" to help us feel more competent and do a better job of answering questions about the Church is:

No matter what the question is that has been asked, lead your answer into a form that allows you to say, "...and what I like best is..."

For example, imagine a friend at work upon learning that you go to the New Church asks, "So what is different about the New Church?" You could start into an answer something like:

In some ways it is quite different from traditional Christianity in the way that it explains God, the Bible and the life after death and in other ways it shares many similarities, but what I like best about the New Church is....

Or imagine an acquaintance gets around to asking, "So tell me about Swedenborg." You could start into an answer something like:

Swedenborg was a scientist and religious philosopher who, more than two hundred years ago, wrote a series of books presenting many ideas that are important to my understanding of God, the Bible and life after death. One of the ones that I most value is....

Or remember the last time a person said to you something like, "The New Church? What is the New Church?" You could lead into an answer something like:

I think the New Church offers some of the best ideas to explain many questions people have about God, the Bible and the life after death. One of its ideas that I particularly appreciate is....

There are a number of benefits of answering questions in this way.

1. We are far less likely to be explaining something that is unclear to us or is such a huge idea that it will not likely be understood by our listener. The ideas or qualities that we like best are more likely to appear useful to our listener than a set of potentially unclear and abstract-sounding doctrine.
2. We don't have to feel that we are doing justice to the whole subject of New Church doctrine and life.
3. It is easier to be genuine and not overly intellectual when we talk about what we like best. It will be clear that the ideas we are speaking about make a difference to us personally.
4. We much less likely to get a negative or apathetic response from our listener when we speak about something for which we are grateful.
5. Long after the listener may have forgotten our specific words, he or she is likely to remember our sense of personal appreciation for the New Church.

You might be wondering, "What do I most appreciate about the doctrine and life of the New Church?" Here are some possibilities that might remind you of something you particularly appreciate. Perhaps you like the way the New Church explains:

• God (How He loves everyone. Why He lets bad things happen to good people)
• The stories of the Bible are parables teaching us about the Lord and the steps of our own spiritual rebirth
• Life after death (Its reality. The fullness of life there)
• All people, no matter what their religious affiliation are welcomed into heaven if they live a good life according to their best understanding of what is true (one of my favorites)
• Our individual freedom and responsibility in the Lord's eyes (another one of my favorites)
• The complementary qualities that the Lord has created in men and women
• Evil and guilt
• How our minds work and how we can best cooperate with the Lord to become more useful and happier people
• The marriage of a loving husband and wife lasts to eternity

Or you like the way the New Church supports:

• Marriage
• The importance of caring for and educating children and teens
• Doing your best at the jobs that come before you each day
• The value and use of prayer

Many questioners will not be prepared for more than a few sentence answer at first so it is good to start with a single idea that you speak about. If the listener curiosity seems satisfied with the simple answer or he is uncomfortable with the whole issue and quickly changes the subject, don't let the hells inspire you with a sense of failure. The Lord may be able to use the seed of an idea you sowed to bear considerable fruit at a later time. It is important to remember that He is doing a million more things to lead your listener to the essential life and belief of the New Church than we can possible imagine. (AC 3854) But, we can significantly help Him in His efforts by what we say and do.

I hope you find this idea as useful as I have. With a little practice, many more of us could find that rather than dreading questions about our church, we could enjoy the opportunity to share some of our appreciation for how it serves us so well.