You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone…
you are a letter of Christ…
2 Corinthians 3:2-3, NRSV
You are an open book! Think about that. Everything you say or do says something about you. And it says something about God. Now that’s a sobering thought! The saying goes – you may be the only Bible someone ever reads. WOW! Now THAT’s a sobering thought, that our very lifestyle says something about the God we serve.
If you’ve ever seen a court trial on TV or in person, you no doubt have seen persons come to the witness stand and give their testimony. But the first thing the court asks them to do is to take an oath, swearing on the Bible that they will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help them God. Each and every time God is invoked as the witness of that person’s testimony. Now THAT’s a sobering thought. I know, I sound like a broken record, but think of the gravity of that statement. God is the witness to our witness.
Church, we are also to be witnesses outside of the courtroom, in this broken and chaotic world. In a world full of fear, anxiety, divisiveness, rudeness, and depression, we are the ones that testify to the hope, love, joy, peace, and redemption that can only be found in Jesus Christ. So what’s the best time to witness? In the worst of times!
The Apostle Paul went from being a persecutor of believers to a witness for Christ. And the Corinthian church was like a letter for the defense, the summation of Paul’s ministry there and the result of Christ’s work in them. They were a letter, a testament, to transformed lives because of Jesus Christ.
How about it church - do you want to be that kind of letter? You can have your best witness in the worst of times because you’ve got a story to tell. Witnesses testify to what they have seen and what they have heard. And you have a testimony of what you’ve seen and what you’ve heard from the Lord. The songwriter wrote: “If it had not been for the Lord on my side, where would I be?” We’ve all come from somewhere, and we all have a testimony to give, a story to tell of God’s love. And that, my friend, makes YOU the best witness!
This Sunday, September 20, join us either outside in the prayer garden at 9 a.m. or online at www.umcgt.org, as we worship and testify to God’s goodness. Don’t forget to bring your chair and mask, and maybe a jacket – this weekend is going to be a little cooler. In October we may change our worship time back to 10:00 am, so that we can take advantage of the later sunrise and warmer temps. But we know how it is in St. Louis, next week we could be in the 90’s!
Please support our last week of Porch Drop! We are so very close to collecting 200 pillows for Home Sweet Home. I know we can do it! And as always, I give thanks for your continued generous support of Green Trails Church through your giving. You, Green Trails, are a letter of Christ, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God! May God bless you and keep you.
Blessings,
Pastor Linda