February 22, 2015
Sunday

“Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you…” 1 Peter 3:15

I have talked about “relational evangelism” before – evangelism that happens because one person is willing to share their encounters with Jesus with someone else – usually someone they know. A good example is what happens when Jesus comes to Philip and Philip runs to tell Nathanael. (John 1:45) We look to Philip’s response and we wonder how we could do the same – be so willing and so compelled to tell anyone we encounter about our relationship with G*d, or about something that is happening in our church, or about our faith story. We all have a faith story. What is yours?

While I was in Seminary, we were constantly asked to write about and to tell our classmates and congregations we were invited to, to tell our faith story. It became a story we knew so well it rolled off our tongues with such ease. It became such an easy story to tell because we were compelled to tell it often. And that is how telling our story becomes second nature to us. I have often compared it to learning how to juggle. I was a child who needed to entertain myself a lot because I did not have many friends. So, one day I watched someone on television juggling, and I decided I was going to learn. And for the next many, many hours and days I practiced and practiced until I taught myself to juggle. Juggling is not something you can learn to do by watching others juggle. You have to do it to learn it.

The same is true with proclaiming to others why your faith matters in your life. In the story of Jesus Baptism, immediately after hearing that he is G*d’s “Beloved Son”, Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the same Spirit that descended into him at his baptism. And once he was there he was tested and tempted. And Jesus was there forty days. And afterward he went out to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom. In just the same way, as we are tempted and tested in life and in our faith, these experiences form and inform our faith – and helps us put into words our faith stories. But we have to practice putting them into stories and into words so that we can proclaim them to others. And practicing them and telling them makes that whole process easier over time.

Find someone today, a friend, a fellow church member, a family member, and tell them your faith story. Practice it – so that, when the opportunity presents itself, you will be ready to share it with someone who needs to hear how Jesus has changed your life. It may just change their life…

Pastor Dave