Readings for Epiphany
5C:
Judges 6:11-24a;Psalm 85; I Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
February 8, 2004
The Rev. Mary B. Blessing
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Today is the 5th, and final, sermon in our series on Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life.
The first 4 elements of a Purpose Driven Life are Discipleship, Ministry, Fellowship and Worship. Today we hear the 5th element: Evangelism. Now, before you tune me out, thinking "there is NO WAY I'm going to become an Evangelist!" Just bear with me. Evangelism, says Warren, is nothing more than sharing your spiritual journey. Evangelism is the witnessing, or sharing, of your God-story for the benefit of those who have not yet come to know God.
Just as every Christian has a ministry using spiritual gifts and abilities, we each have a mission. Your ministry is your service to believers. Your mission is your service to non-believers. No matter who you are, Rick Warren says your mission is to tell your spiritual life story to others. Warren says it is not enough for you to be a Disciple, who engages in Fellowship with other believers. It is not enough for you to excersise your Minisry and gather for Worship. These 4 are, of course, important; these bring purpose to your life. But these 4 are not the complete Christian life. The meaningful, complete Christian life includes sharing your story with others. Just as Jesus told his disciples to leave their fishing nets and follow him, "to catch people", you are called to "catch people" for God. You will catch people with your story. Telling your story will change their lives, and will change your life, for God.
When Jesus tells Peter, James and John to leave their fishing nets, he says: "Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people." Jesus' image of "catching people" with a fish net intrigues me. It is as if he tells his apostles "throw a large net far, and drag it into deep waters to collect ALL the fish, regardless of whether you like this or that kind." It is this "casting the net far" image that I believe we are called to follow when we proclaim our faith OUTSIDE these walls, while standing in the grocery store line, at our work cubicle, waiting to pick our children up from school, flying on a business trip. We are to keep casting the net out to see who we can "catch" for God.
Episcopalians have failed "Evangelism", for the most part. I believe this is because we have tried to "witness" by telling OTHER people's stories. Rick Warren says we are to tell OUR story. If you were called to the witness stand at a trial, you would be required to tell YOUR story, what YOU saw, what YOU heard, not what someone else saw and heard. So it is with sharing who God is. You are to tell YOUR experience of God. This is your mission. This will bring mature spiritual meaning to your life, while bringing others to God.
You are invited to tell your story in your own way, using your own words. People are hungry to hear ordinary people share their real life stories of hope, joy, peace, of struggle and comfort-- that is your unique message to share. The Good News of Jesus Christ is lived out in your life, each time you choose to bring Christ into your life in prayer, when you come forward to this communion table in the name of Christ, when you make a meal to feed a homeless person in the name of Christ, and everything else you do in faithful community.
Of course, the obvious question is, "What do I say to this person? I'm certainly not going to start babbling about Jesus like some kind of Jesus freak. Pastor Mary must be nuts to think I'm going to start acting like a Bible thumping, soap box, street evangelist!!" Don't worry, I'm not asking you to whack people over the head with a Bible. But I am asking you to consider doing what Rick Warren suggests: be ready to share your spiritual journey. As in the 1st Letter of Peter: "Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence." (I Peter 3:15b,16)
Warren says the best way to "be ready" is to write out your personal spiritual story now and memorize the main points. Then, when you are in a situation where you have the opportunity to share an aspect of your journey with someone seeking purpose in their own life, you will be ready to share the relevant points.
Warren suggests you divide your story into four parts:
1. What was my life was like before I was aware of God, or Jesus, acting in my life?
(Warren uses "Jesus language" but you may prefer to think in terms of God or the Holy Spirit.)
2. How did I realize I neeeded God (Jesus, Holy Spirit) in my life.
3. How did I commit my life to God, (Jesus, Holy Spirit).
4. What difference has God (Jesus, Holy Spirit) made in my life.
Maybe you haven't journeyed through all 4 of these phases of life. That's ok. Write as far as you've come. If nothing else, you are here, at St. Jude's, seeking God in your life, so you have at least made it to step 2, knowing you need God. Even if you are only able to write step one and step two at this point, that much may help another person recognize they, too, need God in their life,. They can come along with you to learn more. Perhaps together you will commit your life to God and experience the difference God makes in both your lives.
Warren also suggests you make a list of all the problems, circumstances, and crises that God has brought you through. Then be sensitive and use the parts of your story that will assist your unbelieving friend. Don't just tell your story to puff up yourself, tell your story to bring hope and encouragement to others. Different parts of your story will be helpful to different people you meet. The good news is that you have experienced some level of healing, spiritual strength and hope through the power of Jesus Christ in your life--your life has been transformed and you are a living witness of Christ's tranformative power.
Remember: Your life is the Good News your friend has been waiting all his or her life to hear.
If you have never written your spiritual journey, perhaps take the opportunity this Lent to do just that. If you need help, ask one of the clergy,or perhaps those who served on St. Jude's Vestry this past year. Each was invited to write and share a short homily on their spiritual journey. Some even had their stories published in our Diocesan Newspaper. Perhaps one of these leaders can help you get started on writing your journey.
Once you have been given a chance to stop and reflect upon your personal faith story, and have shared it with believers, you will be ready to "take it on the road". Sharing your story will be your next purpose in your purpose driven life. That will be your mission, to share your story with non-believers.
The idea of sharing your spiritual story is very intimidating. This is why you are engouraged to write your story ahead of time, know the main points, and be ready to tell it to whomever when the time comes. I'd like to give you a couple of examples I recently experienced.
I went to an Alumni reunion recently where I met a young man in his late twenties. As he chatted about his college days he mentioned he was raised Episcopalian in New York, but in college drifted away. When he moved to San Francisco he visited Grace Cathedral and tried another non-denominational church, but didn't make connections. He loved the music at Grace, but felt like a spectator. He said he'd like to connect with something meaningful, but the formal, cold liturgy of the Episcopal church didn't work, and the non-denominational church had contemporary music that was "too weird" for him. As he talked I found a moment to share: I, too, had drifted from the Episcopal church in my twenties in favor of a non-denominational evangelical group that emphasized small group Bible study. We discussed concerns of the day-global concerns of war and peace, caring for sick children, new scientific advancements, and such. These small groups gave me the personal support I needed to get through those challenging young adult years. I encouraged this young man to seek a church that met his personal growth needs in small groups. I was able to suggest he check back with Grace Cathedral because I heard they have a "twenty-something" group called "Theology on Tap". They meet in pubs in San Francisco. He was eager to hear more, and offered me his email. In fact, he emailed me the next day to thank me, and said he would check it out. By sharing my story of my 20's, seeking relevant, spiritually based young adult groups, I hoped to help him see his situation is common. By offering a place for him to go to explore his spirituality at this stage of his life, there is a chance that he will go looking for a faith community to bring him closer to God. It was a casual conversation, not more than 15 minutes. I wonder, did I "catch a person for God" that day?
In another case, I was at a meeting of the 5C's here in Cupertino. A group of Cupertino citizens from various cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds gather to learn more about one another, to celebrate difference and find unity. While talking about the Unity Lunar Parade which will be going past St. Jude's on the 1st Saturday of Lent, I mentioned that St. Jude's changed its Lenten Quiet Day to accommodate the parade. A woman from India asked me during the break: "What is Lent?" It was a teachable moment. However, in this case I was not prepared. I failed to share my spiritual story in this context. I gave her a sort of "calendar" explanation of Lent. I wish I had been ready to say something like "Lent is a season for Christians to stop and reflect upon the ways they have strayed away from God, to prepare for reconciliation, and remembrance of the death our Lord suffered." I wish I had said, "Lent is special to me because in my spiritual journey it is a time to look within to consider ways I may have harmed others. Lenten Quiet Days have been for me a time of deep spiritual healing, bringing me closer to God and my fellows in wholesome relationship." If I had shared a piece of my spiritual journey when asked "What is Lent?" I may have helped a non-Christian understand ways in which various religions are similar in their quest to deepen humanity's relationship to God and each other. I may even have had an opportunity to find out if she has had a similar spiritual experience. But, as I said, I did not prepare myself for this moment of "witnessing", and this one got away..
When I was a child, I was a natural born "evangelist." I loved going to church. I made my parents take me when they were too tired, or I went with my neighbors. I loved telling anyone I met "I love Jesus. Do you love Jesus?". As the years go by, I am less eager to share my faith with complete strangers. I've missed a lot of opportunities to offer people the hope which God has truly given me through grace. I am sorry I let these people get away. I pray God finds someone to "catch them" for good.
There are a handful of people here at St. Jude's who are "natural evanglists", but for the most part we have been conditioned, or were never encouraged, or never had the inclination in the first place, to invite others into relationship with God. The time has come to get over our shyness, to take seriously the Great Commission to go into all nations proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. And, conveniently, we don't even need to travel to reach all nations. All nations have come to us. Right here in our neighborhoods are a multitude of freedom-seeking souls who one day will be in our midst, eager to hear the amazing story of your life, and your life, and your life, and your life. They are eager to hear how our Lord Jesus Christ transformed your ordinary life to a life of joy in the face of struggle, and grace in the presence of success.
What are you waiting for? Start telling your story now.
AMEN
| Updated 2/9/04 |
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