Exodus 7:8-24
Psalms 119:145-176, 128, 129, 130
2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6
Mark 10:1-16
2 Corinthians 2:14-26
“…in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in His presence.”
A few of us were able to be at the recent Diocesan Council meeting and were privileged to hear Bishop Andy’s inspiring (in today’s terminology, awesome) address. His text (Isaiah 55v.11) which I have written just below, amplifies and completes the text I have chosen from today’s appointed readings. It is from Isaiah 55:v.11 and is as follows:
“…so shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty….”
Thus it seems we are not only as Christians appointed as persons speaking for God, in His presence, but we are assured that there will be an outcome from whatever we say and do. It strikes me we would be wise to pray deeply that the things we say and do have the effect that God wants and do not come back empty.
All my life I have believed that most Anglicans, and that includes Episcopalians, find that their evangelism fits most comfortably in the example we set in the way we conduct our lives and the ways in which we interact with others. We do not feel called to knock on doors or hand out tracts on street corners, but are more likely to work in the ways of the church, to give our time and our talents and our money to the many opportunities which increasingly seem to exist today. But given that our words (and actions) will not have the wrong effect we have to be careful. This does not mean being fearful, for we have our Lord within us and behind us, guiding us to do the right thing.
Of course we shall sometimes fail – we are human after all. But I take comfort from knowing that we can be forgiven and learn from our mistakes.
As we move on in this Lent season I pray that we can all be ready to listen to the words of Jesus, to reflect them in what we say and do. To speak with sincerity as persons sent from God, and that our words and actions do not return empty.
Ron Merrett