Wednesday, May 4, 2016

He's my Daddy and he loves me.

              When you are witnessing to people about Christ, whether it's in some formal way or by your daily life, you really want it to be eloquent and straightforward.  I'm not one for the loud and in your face style I've witnessed at train stations where a preachers screams "You're a sinner" and "repent!"

               The question then is how to get across the message that you are a beloved child of God, that everyone is a beloved child of God.  Jesus was the best, from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. But we really didn't need this one passage to convince us of that.   No, if you are given the gift of preaching, you should do that. If you have not been so gifted, live your life as a witness so that others will see that in your living, in what you do every day, your bear witness to the love and peace of Christ.

           When I was a bit younger and was still teaching religion classes in my parish I had a way in which I tried to highlight for these children how much they are loved. It worked for me and still does. What I would do is ask each child in my class their name. The'd say Johnny, or Bill, or Heather  or some such. I would then ask them, "are you sure?" I would get the "duh!" Yes, that's my name!  I would explain to these kids that as sure as they know that teir name is Johnny or Sally or Bill, that they should be equally as quick and sure that when someone asks "does God love me?" the answer should be a snappy and resounding "yes!".  There should never be even a small amount of doubt in the answer just like there was no hesitation and doubt when I asked for their name. 

         Did my small exercise work? That I do not know for certain. I am not even certain where I got the idea from. Perhaps it was from inside my own gut. I know the answer to both  with lightening speed.  I know it so much so that the comfort of God's love for me has seen me through a great deal of adversity, even when I was perhaps not deserving of it by my actions. I knew I was always loved. I know I am loved.

          Other than that small gift I tried to give those children so long ago, my eloquence I hope will be spoken loudly in the actions of my life and the love I have shared. I have no desire to be someone I am not. I am blessed to be just whom God made me to be. 

          How do you witness? ( this is a 'go out and do' exercise, no a tell me exercise )

Matthew 22:41-46

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ‘What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
   until I put your enemies under your feet’ ”? 

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?’ No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

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