Steve's Letter: "Hustling the Product!"

I just spent a number of days at The International Christian Retail Show here in Orlando. It used to be called The Christian Booksellers Association convention, but it's a lot bigger than books. In fact, by any stretch of the imagination, if it can be called "Christian" and if it can be sold, it was there...statues, jewelry, clothing, paintings, computers, software programs, candy, dieting programs, films, music, books and a whole lot more.

Aisles and aisles of booths of bric-a-brac and books...It was overwhelming.

Frankly, I planned to write you a kind of funny/critical letter about trinket salesmen and Christian hustlers. I wanted to tell you about the convention a number of years ago that introduced "God's Airline." (They had the shell of an airplane on the floor of the exhibit hall and promised to play only Christian music and serve only apple juice on their flights.) And then, another year, a cowboy came riding in on a horse to promote a book on cowboys or something.

This year, there was a man dressed up as Jesus-sandals and all-walking around on the convention floor and giving out pamphlets (WWJD...What would Jesus Distribute? Sorry...Just a joke!).

A friend of mine ran into him and said, "Hey, I read your book!"

"Did you like it?" Jesus asked.

"Some of it, but if you ever need a good editor, I'm your man."

There were new Bible translations (I guess the previous three million translations missed something), a bunch of new books on marriage (I guess the three billion previous books on marriage missed something) and a book on humility written by a guy who was giving out foot washing towels with his name and the title of his book on them.

I could hardly wait to write this letter to you. It was going to be really funny and caustic and, believe me, there was plenty of material at the convention.

That's when Jesus messed up everything.

And how did you get the material?

I was there and saw it myself. That's how!

And what were you doing there?

Well...uh... I have this new book and the publisher wanted me to do interviews and sign books.

And what is your book about?

Actually, it isn't a new book. It's the new edition of an old book with great new stories and a study guide. Is that cool, or what?

That wasn't the question. What is it about?

It's about prayer. Okay?

All the previous millions of books on prayer missed something?

Well, no, not exactly. But they wouldn't say it the way I said it and, besides, the publisher thought it was worth doing.

In other words, you're sitting in front of the computer getting ready to write a caustic letter to your friends making fun of people at a convention hustling product.

Yes.

And you were at the same convention hustling product?

I didn't think about it that way. It is a bit hypocritical, isn't it?

So you're going to miss one of the funniest letters ever written about "wild and crazy" Christians at a convention hustling product.You would have loved it!

But don't blame me. It's Jesus' fault.

Paul wrote, "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things" (Romans 2:1).

Ouch!

So I repent.

Have you seen the bumper sticker that reads: "I like Jesus. It's his followers that drive me nuts"? I'm going to get one of them (I probably could have purchased one at the convention) and create another one to go right under that one. It would read: "And I'm one of them. Sorry."

Do you know the reason our witness doesn't have any power? It's because we forget that the witness isn't about us, our purity, our wisdom or our insights. The truth is that, if it is, we're in serious trouble.

I have a friend (you would know his name...he's a famous Bible teacher) who was introduced at a Bible convention this way:

You're very fortunate to be here. I've been asked to give an introduction and the man I'm introducing to you has spoken to audiences the world over. His message has changed millions of lives and his presence has brought peace, repentance and love to very difficult situations throughout the church. He is profound, wise and compassionate, touching people everywhere with his message.

His name is Jesus.

And here is _______________ to tell you about him.

And so I started this letter to you one way and it ended up being something else altogether.

Did you hear about the arrogant young preacher who went into the pulpit quite sure that his sermon would be published in the "Great Sermons of Christendom." It ended up being one of the worst sermons anybody in the congregation had ever heard.

As the young man came down from the pulpit, there were tears of shame in his eyes and a dear saintly lady said to him, not unkindly, "Son, if you had entered the pulpit the way you left it, you would have left it the way you entered it."

Am I going to the convention again next year? Are you crazy?

Of course, I am!

But, next year, I'll laugh at us and not at them. We really are a funny bunch...

...and Jesus is quite fond of us.

You too!

He asked me to remind you.

In His Grip,