Enough with the sermons already -- Would someone please testify!
I’ve sat through literally thousands of sermons in my lifetime. I’ve heard it all — everything from tent revivals in Southeast Kentucky, urban ministries, mainline churches, to the slick digital presentations. While a handful of these pastors have truly touched me, I often find myself forgetting the context of sermons as time passes. Granted, it’s difficult to make a connection every week, and I admit I’m not always prepared to receive the message. But there’s one absolute that I can always count on – the raw, unprepared and unedited testimony of a follower of Christ willing to share his or her profession of faith is transformative.
Recently a former inmate from a maximum security prison shared his history story with our congregation. We have a very strong prison ministry and pen pal network. For many of these prisoners, this becomes the only contact they have with the outside world. This specific young man shared how this ministry offered him hope. His willingness to openly share his journey was transformative and something that will last with me for a very long time.
I believe that our testimonies are what bind us together as Christians. We may worship differently, and often not agree, but our conviction that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life transcends those differences. Our personal stories of how we came to know Christ vary widely. Some come to know Christ over time, some can pinpoint the moment, while other paths start from rock bottom.
I have to admit; with my line of work I spend a significant amount of time online – everything from reading the latest news, keeping up with trends, and monitoring chatter from my social network. The online universe is ripe with testimony. People you know are professing their faith on Facebook, crying out for help on Twitter, or searching for a place to belong at eHarmony.
So here’s the challenge. How do we as Christians begin to embrace new media to celebrate our common testimony? Throughout history, we have been given tools to communicate. It’s our will to either use these tools to build Christ’s Kingdom or allow them to create further division.
