Our final Stewardship focus will be Witness, a conversation about how the ways that we share our faith – either overtly or through choices – impacts the people around us. One of the most famous people of the Christian faith was first known in early Christian communities for his negative witness: for his persecution of those following Christ. Through profound experience, Saul became Paul and is arguably the most effective witness the Christian faith has ever seen.
Acts 22:12-16 (CEB)
12“There was a certain man named Ananias. According to the standards of the Law, he was a pious man who enjoyed the respect of all the Jews living there. 13He came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ he said. Instantly, I regained my sight and I could see him. 14He said, ‘The God of our ancestors has selected you to know his will, to see the righteous one, and to hear his voice. 15You will be his witness to everyone concerning what you have seen and heard. 16What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins as you call on his name.’
How do you share your faith? Are you overt or obvious about your faith, or do you keep it quiet? What would it look like or feel like to be more open about your faith? How do you feel about that?
Post-Sermon Update on 10/31
Yesterday, we talked about witness a bit like our current reality of sharing the things that excite us or that we find meaningful. We also touched briefly on the idea that witness can be that kind of sharing, and it can also be living out our beliefs in tangible ways.
To hear the sermon including more details about these ideas, check out the audio below:
Follow-up: consider your own comfort level. Are you comfortable sharing your faith or inviting someone to do something at your church? Is it hard because of what some “Christians” voices are saying? Here are a couple of low-risk suggestions:
- Invite a group to watch your favorite version of A Christmas Carol together. We’ll be paralleling that story with our faith story during Advent.
- Invite family/friends to one of our great Christmas musicals. Our children are presenting on December 4th and adults on December 11th.
- Invite family/friends to go Christmas caroling on December 18th! We start here at the church at 5pm and then caravan to several spots around PB to sing.
It is my hope that sharing our faith will help us to see the presence of God in the connections we make.
One Comment
Hope Anderson
There are so many versions of A Christmas Carol to choose from! I’m looking forward to watching one with friends.
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