Our Vows: Witness

This is a new one that has been added in the last year or so I believe. It used to be that our vows were (in the Methodist church at least) were that of prayers, presence, gifts and service. In the last year, or since the last General Conference of the UMC witness has been added. I like it, I think it is important to have that as one of our vows.

So what does it mean to make a vow of witness? Again all I can really offer on this are my own thoughts and insights (if that is what we want to call them). But I know what it brings to my mind. For me, to make a vow of witness means that we are going to do what we can, to the best of our ability, to allow Jesus to be seen in us. Paul seems to really hit on this in 1 Corinthians 9.

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul writes about his approach to doing ministry. Here he says that he does his best to become all things to all people in order to win at least a few of them to the Gospel of Grace that is the good news of Jesus. This can be very easy to misunderstand it seems. It almost seems to imply that Paul is trying to be many different things and in a sense is being two-faced or hypocritical about things. In truth, as William Barclay writes in his commentary on this letter, Paul is doing more to find that common ground with those people he is being a witness to. He is in a position where he is able to speak to them about the tings that they know, not only what he knows. His witness is that of getting to know people and what matters to them and then being able to talk to them about those very things and relate to them.

This is where our vow of witness should begin: with understanding of those around us. Barclay says that "the man who can never see anything but his own point of view, who is completely intolerant, who totally lacks the gift of sympathy, who never makes any attempt to understand the mind and heart of others, will never make a pastor or an evangelist or even a friend." It is through this ability to relate and know and listen to others that we are able to win others.

It is important for us to remember that as the Body of Christ, it is not always the things we say that will convey the Grace of God that is Christ to others, but rather the things that we do. We are being watched, even when we don't know it (and i don't mean by Big Brother). This is how we convey the truth and depth of Grace to our world and those around us. The world must be sick to death of our talking about the Grace, and is longing to be a witness to that Grace. As a witness it is time for us to talk less and act more in the name of Jesus. In the words of Saint Francis "Preach the Gospel at all times; if needed use words." If we are truly wanting to extend the Grace of God that is Christ to others we must first demonstrate it to them lived out in our lives. That is how we fulfill our vow of being a witness. Peace and Love y'all.