| Mark Conard |
 | Mark ConardHutchinson KS45 friends | 6 groupshttp://www.umcommunities.org/markconardLast Login: 10/24/2009view full profile |  RSS |
Monday, May 05, 2008 9:00 am | 2 comments | 263 views
One for the Thumb
by Mark Conard
"One for the thumb" was the motto for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their quest for a fifth Super Bowl championship. They had won four in the 1970s and 1980s (1975, 1976, 1979, 1980), and they finally got their fifth championship in 2006.
Though without the hoopla and hullabaloo, United Methodists now have "one for the thumb," with the addition of a fifth promise in our membership vows. For all the years I can remember, we have asked people if they would be faithful as members to support the church through their "prayers, presence, gifts, and service." In action taken by General Conference on April 30, we have now added "witness" as the fifth promise or vow of membership.
This addition may seem trivial, it is really profound. It highlights the need and opportunity to be witnesses to our faith both in the congregation and beyond.
My hunch is that this will be hard for many of our members--and some of our clergy! We have become accustomed to letting other denominations or faith communities do the witnessing. We are so low-key and subtle in our witness that others may not notice that we are followers of Jesus Christ.
Our witness need not be coercive, manipulative, or self-serving. It should be straightforward, faith-filled, and joy-driven. It should be "apostolic," in the words of Paul Nixon in I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church. That is, it should embody our experience of Christ. As Nixon writes, "There simply are no apostles who haven't met CHrist personally, somewhere, somehow" (P. 20).our call
Each of us has an experience with Jesus along our life's journey--some spectacular and others mundane. It is to that life-changing encounter that we give witness--through what we say and do and through who we choose not to say and not to do.
That is "one for the thumb" for us as United Methodists, as we add "witness" to our commitment to our vows of "prayers, presence, gifts, and service."
May God grant us the strength, hope, and courage to live out these vows in ways that are refreshing and renewing!
| Comments |
| Thanks for pointing out the significance of this change. I was a bit aware of what the change was, but had not thought through the implications. Another step toward perfection :)by Andrew Conard | |
| Mark, I was somewhat ambivalent about that change...though I appreciate its importance and hope that it has the intended effect of helping us all be more aware of that responsibility as disciples of Christ. I also appreciate you pointing out that each of us has an experience with Jesus along our life's journey. When I speak or lead small groups on personal evangelism/witnessing, I ask folks to think about that life-changing event in their Christian journey. For some it may be their very first personal acceptance of Christ--the "being saved" moment as some of our more conservative friends may call it. For others, it may be the valley through which they walked only by the grace and support of Christ. For others, it may be the change in their life experienced when they finally caved in and let Jesus have control of the situation. Then we put that in a BC-Cross-AD storyline: What was life like before Christ (BC)? What was that personal experience with Christ at the cross? How is life different now (AD)? We start with just a two-minute description and practice sharing our stories. I encourage them to think about the basic elements of that story and how they could relate it to someone else going through a similar experience. I have them write it out to help them think about and own that story in a way that makes it easier to share with someone else. I think it's a useful exercise for all of us to go through on occasion. If nothing else, it reminds us of just how great a God we serve in Christ. At best, it prepares us to be more prepared and effective witnesses when the opportunities arise. Peace, Mikeby Mike Sykuta |