What I will do is look at the cliches he tells us to avoid (which will be in bold lettering), and then I will give you my response (which will NOT be in bold lettering).
"Everything happens for a reason." Piatt is right in that we should avoid this cliche! As a Methodist (and Arminian - go look that up in a theological dictionary - something that is opposed to a Calvinist - yup another theological term), I don't believe that our lives are predestined. In other words, everything doesn't happen for a reason. Or to be blunt about it (Maybe my Christian Ethics Professor, Stanley Hauerwas, would say it this way), Shit happens. We get the bad end of a deal sometimes. Tragedy strikes the most faithful of people. Great fortune strikes the most evil of people. There's no logic to this. Telling someone that everything happens for a reason will not comfort their pain. There are many things in life that we cannot explain. The only thing I know during tragedy is that God is present with us. Why it happens, I have no clue.
"If you died today, do you know where you'd spend the rest of eternity?" I agree that this is an inappropriate question to ask, but for different reasons from Piatt. I believe we can know our ultimate resting place (or non-resting place). However, like Piatt, this is not the best recruiting tool for Christianity. In fact, it is a tool I would never use. First of all, there's a lot of theology that goes into this that makes this question not really make sense. Second of all, salvation is a message of love and redemption. It is not something to receive out of fear. I didn't choose Jesus just because I wanted to avoid Hell and because I wanted to go to Heaven. I chose Jesus because this life is worth it, and I wanted Jesus with me now too. Sure, Heaven is important - Very important - But so is now! Let's not be in such a rush to die!
"He/she is in a better place." Piatt is correct here - We don't know if he/she is in a better place or not. We can't know the faith of another person. Even if we are almost certain a person had no faith, can we be 100% certain of God's judgment? I'm not willing to bet on it! Then comes the theology. What happens at the moment of death? Do we immediately go to Heaven or Hell? Or, do we go to some "holding place" until Judgment Day? Biblical evidence seems to point towards the latter. It seems to say that those in Christ go to "somewhere" with the Lord, and on Judgment day are reunited with a Heavenly Body (yes, a material body - but I'm willing to bet it will be better looking that the one you or I have now), and those who are not in Christ will be cast away. Is that Hell? Yes. What do we know about it? Well, I know I don't want to be there...and I know God isn't there. Is it fiery and hot? There are hints of that in scripture, but it's not definitive.
"Can I share a little bit about my faith with you?" The only thing I wish Piatt would have added to his point here is that before we start talking about faith, we should let the person know we care about them as a person. There should be some sort of relationship. There's no set rule for when to do this. Each case is different. Just be loving and respectful and you'll know what to do.
"You should come to church with me on Sunday." I'll summarize what Piatt says because he has a good approach. FRIENDS invite FRIENDS to church. Inviting people is not a contest. That said, when a new neighbor moves in, I dont' think it's wrong to let them know where you go to church. I also don't think it's wrong to invite people you have just met if you do it in a nonthreatening and nonjudgmental manner. Just take out the word "should" from the invitation, and you might get it right.
"Have you asked Jesus into your heart?" I get what Piatt is saying, but I don't think many others will. He is trying to combat the teaching that Christianity should always be an emotional experience, and if you're not emotional, you're doing it wrong. In that, he's right. I've been married for 10 years. I love my wife, but every time I see her, I'm not struck with the emotion of a lovesick teenager...and I doubt she is either...and that's fine with me. I love Jesus...a lot! But every time I pray, I don't cry, get goose bumps, jump up and down, or scream. Most times, I feel nothing. That doesn't mean I'm not close to God. That may mean I'm closer than I was before! Asking Jesus into your heart means believing that he died for your sins and deciding to live life the best you can to follow the way he would want you to. I don't hate this "into your heart" statement as much as Piatt does. In fact, I kind of like it. It's something that people understand, and that's what's important. As with anything else, just be careful how you use it.
"Do you accept Jesus as your personal lord and savior?" Piatt sees this as an antiquated statement. He also sees a level that many people will not see. While Jesus is Lord, he was a servant. The only word that causes me a little discomfort (and only a little) is "personal." Yes, we can only be sure of ourselves. But, Jesus is Lord of all of us. So, when you accept Jesus as YOUR lord and savior, you must also realize he is the lord and savior of every other person on this planet, though some just don't know or accept it yet.
"This could be the end of days." I too hate this statement. It reminds me of what I used to think of as "Rambo Jesus" coming back and killing us all. But, that is not the end at all. The end is about redemption. Sure, there will be destruction. Things will get bad. Things are bad. But the entire Christian message is about Hope...not fear! Could this be the end of days? Maybe, but quite honestly, I don't much care...and I'm not going to talk anymore about it...and I'm going to sleep easy tonight because God is a God of Hope and Promise...and there is no Fear!
"Jesus died for your sins." Ummm....Ok, I don't get his problem with this...Unless this is something being said to someone who is a non-Christian on the first visit. If that's the case, then that's a lot to take in for someone who knows nothing about Christianity. If we're talking about someone saying this to other Christians or to someone who knows about Christianity, this is pretty much our message.
"Will all our visitors please stand?" Main point here - Make your guests feel welcome! Because, hopefully, they won't always be guests - maybe they'll become part of your flock!
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