Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say on that day:
Give thanks to the LORD,
call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
proclaim that his name is exalted.
Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
One of the ministries that is most difficult to “staff’ in most churches is the EVANGELISM ministry. Many of us excuse ourselves from evangelism by saying “I don’t feel comfortable speaking about my faith to others. That is personal.”
The specific regions of your life that have been re-worked through God’s grace may include some very specific, sensitive or private matters. Those details don’t necessarily need to be part of the proclamation you offer. After all, it isn’t about you!
However, the reworking of your life reaches its fullness when you tell others about God’s power made known to you as God was present and took action in your life.
The call of evangelism is to draw people’s eyes, minds and hearts to Christ…and to God’s action that has been working to heal the world. That call is spoken to each of us.
St. Francis of Assisi said: “Preach the Gospel always….use words if necessary.” Your actions and your words will serve as “proclamation of the Good News” whenever they flow from your gratitude and praise for what God has accomplished and continues to accomplish in your life.
So…rather than wrestling with the words …Reflect upon the times when the trust you have had in the Lord has indeed been your core of strength. Linger in that memory. Sip from the pool of gratitude…and let words and deeds of praise flow.
Shout aloud…sing for joy! Surely the Holy One is in your midst!
1 comment:
God has certainly been a source of strength for Ford and me during his illness of 23 years. I was reminded of that when I spoke to the "Person of the Week", Bev Kahn. I told her that our church prayer group had been praying for her during her flare-ups with cancer during the last 19 years. She thanked us and then told how her Jewish doctor had said "I have a feeling many people have been praying for you." We agreed prayer helps!
Gretchen Tucker
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