I can remember becoming increasingly passionate about my faith in high school and wearing a variety of “Christian” t-shirts with quirky and witty phrases on them. At my public high school, I felt pretty bold wearing those t-shirts around. After high school I attended a Christian college and realized that wearing them on a Christian campus didn’t really set me apart anymore. Neither did my various works of service. The next step for me was to share my faith story with others.
On Sunday, September 7, many of us across the Central/Southern Illinois Synod will wear our “God’s work. Our hands.” t-shirts as we serve our neighbors. Often, we hope that those t-shirts will speak about the work we do and why we do it and let us off the hook when it comes to sharing our faith story. With so many competing messages about what it means to be a Christian, I think we need to take the next step and share with our neighbors who we believe God to be and why our faith compels us to do this work.
On “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, what if we ask our neighbors about their lives, listen to their stories, ask about their faith, learn about their joys and their sorrows, and then also tell them who we are and why we serve Jesus?
When Jesus sends the disciples out for the first time in Matthew 10 he says: “Go to the lost sheep and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near.'” Think about ways that “God’s work. Our hands.” projects will let people know “the kingdom of God has come near.”
I am an ideas guy, so here are a few, and by all means, please add to it:
- Take worship to where you are serving — a nursing home, park, food pantry, etc.
- Listen to the joys and sorrows, laments, and struggles of those being served.
- Find ways to pronounce a blessing upon the people being served.
- Invite friends or other family members to serve with you.
- Ask those being served or those serving with you: what can we pray for?
- Hold a welcome event after “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday and invite those you encountered.
- Ask people to tell you their faith journey and follow up with further listening.
- Recruit a listening team who will listen to those being served while others are working.
- Ask those being served what they think some of the needs are in the community.
When it comes to our faith, this year let’s do more than WEAR IT, let’s SHARE IT! Invite folks into conversation. Listen to their stories. Talk about Jesus. Lean into their lives and keep inviting them into yours. Then be ready to be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit!
Yours in Christ,
Deacon Jason