Overcoming Our Reluctance to Share
- davidwperk
- Sep 11, 2024
- 6 min read
Devotional Reflection, Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Proper 18, the week of the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s Acts reading:
19 But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch.
You will find the full text of today’s Acts reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 983)
AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49,[53]
Job 29:1,30:1-2,16-31; Acts 14:19-28; John 11:1-16
Today we celebrate the Feast of Harry Thacker Burliegh. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
The brief narrative in today’s Acts reading opens a window into the challenges the early missionary evangelists faced. According to Acts, Paul and Barnabas were mistaken as human manifestations of Zeus and Hermes. They were pioneers bringing the message of a new faith into areas in which local pagan religions and Greek mythology were prevalent. They were pioneers doing cross-cultural missions. Getting the message about Jesus across proved a unique challenge. And, every person who embraced their message was a first generation Christian with no role models, no fund of vocabulary, no background of exposure. The earliest missionaries faced challenges different from those we face planting a new church. We can assume some Christian background or some exposure to Christianity, however inadequate, on the part of some of the unchurched.
The tenacious initiatives of those first missionaries, reflected in the Acts narrative, makes our fear and reluctance to expose our faith seem trivial compared to the risks these pioneers were taking. We all have stereotypes of the "hard sell" Christian, someone we hardly know, who confronts us with questions like "Are you saved?” or “Have you been born again?”. Those stereotypes and our experiences at the hands of such enthusiastic, if misguided, people would best be avoided. Our fears of being misunderstood also shrink in the face of the way these early witnesses rose to the challenge of communicating their faith in different religious and cultural settings. True that people do struggle with inner darkness. True that their misunderstandings and caricatures of Christianity intensify that darkness. Yet, it also is true that the Christian message is by its very nature light producing, and darkness does yield to light.
These texts challenge us to become more sensitive to the people we encounter regularly. Are they indeed Christians? What clues do we detect that might tell us something of their faith perspective? Can we heed our instincts by praying for those about whom we find ourselves becoming concerned? Can we offer ourselves to Christ as servants to those people? Can we take courage and be alert for any opportunity that naturally presents itself to share our faith or invite them to worship with us? Can we find freedom enough from our stereotypes of "hard sell" Christians to allow God's love to reach through us to another naturally, to risk being seen as religious “nuts.”
The church thrives by inviting. We attend worship, we feel enthusiastic about our experience of God and community there, and we want to include those we know who lack such a richness in their lives. You do not have to be a skilled witness to invite. You can use various strategies, like planning a blessing of your home and inviting those in your relationship circle to come for the blessing, the refreshments, and the contact with your priest and your fellow parishioners.
May the passion of these earliest witnesses become more fully ours—to share our experience of God in Christ with those who suffer through life without the experience of God’s saving love in Christ and without the joy of living in a loving community. Our ways of sharing will naturally differ, given our different cultural setting and faith community orientation. But, their resolve to share and their undaunted sharing do offer models to be emulated.
(Note: The late Ben Campbell Johnson, when serving as professor of pastoral theology at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, penned a brilliant little book, still available used on the internet, Speaking of God : Evangelism as Initial Spiritual Guidance. Published by Westminster/John Knox. It’s the most creative and sound work I’ve seen at giving a reluctant Christian strategies for non-invasive sharing of their faith.)
Collect of the Day, Proper 18, the sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 233)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Harry Thacker Burliegh, vocalist (died 12 Sep 1949 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Harry Thacker Burliegh
God, our strong deliverer: We bless your Name for the grace given to Harry Thacker Burleigh, who lifted up in song the struggles of your people. Let that Spirit of love which spurred him draw us and your whole Church to raise our distinct voices into one great harmony of praise; through the same Jesus Christ, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Peace
O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
For stewardship of creation
O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 259)
A Prayer for Light
Lighten our darkness, we beseech you, O Lord; and by your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, Jesus Christ, Amen. (BCP, 111)
Prayer for Love
O Tree of Calvary, send your toots deep into my soul. Gather together my frailties—my soiled heart, my sandy instability and my muddy desires—and intertwine them with the strong roots of your arboreal love. Amen.
Daily Prayer for All Seasons (New York: Church Publishing, 2014), p. 28.
A Collect for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (BCP, 101)
Daily Office Epistle, Acts 14:19-28
19 But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21After they had proclaimed the good news to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, then on to Iconium and Antioch. 22There they strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’ 23And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe. 24Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed. 27When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. 28And they stayed there with the disciples for some time.
Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
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