BLUE RIDGE UMCHURCH

We are committed to being in communication with one another and the community as we strive to be the hands and feet of Jesus and make disciples for Christ everyday.

April Newsletter Cover Article

Confessions of an Easter Witness

In classic Perry Mason style we find the confession of the troubled soul who can no longer bear to keep quiet in the face of injustice: "I did it. I'm the one." And the judge asks the bailiff to take the one who interrupted with the truth into custody. The accused is released on the basis of the testimony given by the confessor. And the theme music fades in.

For some we imagine the drama of being a witness picturing ourselves on the stand with all eyes, and the ears of the stenographer, on us alone.  In this age of reality TV and court room clips on the evening news, soap-opera judges Judy and the like, being a witness for some is trivial and even comical.

The vows of our membership conclude with the promise to be faithful witness of Jesus Christ. We are generally comfortable praying for the church fellowship and ministries. We are at familiar with the need to participate and attend studies, dinners, mission events and worship services. We are even aware of how important our consistent financial support is needed. But we struggle with thinking of ourselves as witnesses.

There are times that we see the suffering of others, but we don't want to acknowledge it, wither it is at home or other places in the world. If we don't look at it we don't have to be witnesses.

There are times we know of friends and neighbors who are dealing with domestic violence and we would rather not be aware. Because being aware is linked to being responsible.

There are times we hear rumors and we pass the stories along what we have not witnesses and may not have all the facts or know the whole story. Faithful church witnesses tell what builds up body and what includes others in the fellowship.

For some folks limit the role of Christian witness only as the next Billy Graham and don't want to be the side-walk-evangelist. But our witness is usually much more comfortable to our talents, experiences and opportunities.

Other folks have seen and experienced so little that there feels like there "nothing to write home about." This does not absolve us of being witness, rather becomes our invitation to move closer to God, dig deeper in bible study, and take more risk as mission servants.

Do you know the Easter Story? Easter is the Good News of how Jesus who was brutally tortured and killed as an innocent victim so that we can get off despite our sin and brokenness, came back to life after three days so that we might have a way to live most fully with God and as the people God has created us to become.

The question for us is: What about our own worship, own study and own Christian living tells those around us, for certain, that Jesus Christ lives through us. If it's not clear, then what we do about it is our witness.. See you in church.

                                            <john>

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John's Sermons are blogged at mysundaysermons.wordpress.com