opportunity to witness

from the message on 11/14/10 from Luke 21:5-19, 3 laypersons offer testimonies as part of the message

This message will be out of the ordinary. It begins with a song I heard when went to the Holy Land for the first time in 1987. We saw lots of ruins, including the place where the Temple used to be, before it was destroyed in AD 70 just like Jesus said. Our pilgrimmage included going to a huge Roman ampitheater at Caesarea, an ancient port on the Mediterrean. Imagine this: huge semicircles of stone benches in tiers rising up...the large stage down below with massive stone columns...and stretching out into infinity that particular blue that is the Mediterrean Sea.
A woman on our bus was the music director at her church. She was walking across the stage, getting a feel for the place. Several from our tour group shouted down to her, "Cynthia, sing something!" "No, I couldn't." "Yes, sing something." "Ok," she said. She was a black woman, steeped in the Gospel music tradition. When she began to sing, pilgrims from all over the world who had been speaking in French, Japanese, Spanish, and German, stopped and grew instantly silent.
She sang, "Who'll be a witness for my Lord?......I'll be a witness for my Lord." (I will sing, Terry can move to microphone as I finish)

We have our first witness today...Terry Lord

She talked about the Alternate Gift Market where we have helped supply clean drinking water to villages in Africa.



Luke writes this account many years after Jesus spoke the words. The Temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed. The emotional, spiritual impact of that event is hard to measure. Think back to 9/11.....a few radical terrorists fly airplanes into the Twin Towers in NYC...that can't possibly happen...it's unthinkable...that's what the people were feeling when Luke wrote. The words that Jesus spoke about all of the terrors...nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom....have seemed to fit every generation...including today. He talks about earthquakes, famines, and plagues...sounds a lot like what has happened in Haiti.

(I sing again)...who'll be a witness.....(Tom moves to microphone)

Our next witness is Tom Rioux



I was 1 of 10 Central Texans that went on a Southwest Texas Conference sponsored United Methodist Volunteers in Mission trip to Haiti on October 6-14, 2010, to help rebuild housing. Please see the insert in your bulletin for a more detailed discussion of my trip and the latest church newsletter for the full story.

It took all of the first and last day to fly to and from Austin and Port-au-Prince. We stayed at the Methodist Guest House in Petion-Ville (a suburb of Port-au-Prince about 5 miles east of the palace) and worked at Carrefour (a suburb of Port-au-Prince about 5 miles west of the palace). The daily commute took 1 hour. We worked 5 days removing debris using pick axe, shovels, 5 gallon buckets, and a wheelbarrow. We drank only bottled water the entire time.

One day our Haitian interpreter Joseph said
You really don’t understand why I am so thankful to God for your team… for all the teams. I am grateful because it is hard to live in Haiti, even before the earthquake. It is hard to walk the streets and see the people hungry and searching for something to eat; to see children playing in trash, and water running down the road from the houses. It is hard to live in a place that you love, but that breaks your heart and makes your spirit sink. Since we won our freedom, each election we vote hoping that the new leaders will help the people, but it has not happened. It gets harder and harder to convince friends and family members to vote because nothing ever changes. The powerful take the money and do not improve the lives of the people. I vote because I am a Haitian, but then I feel bad when someone I voted for disappoints the people again. And then there was the earthquake, and everything became much worse. When we watch television, we see pictures of other places in the world, and it is easy to believe that Haiti is forgotten. Or that maybe God has made Haiti the world’s trashcan and its people don’t matter. I know that isn’t true, but sometimes it is easy to think that. I know that Jesus came for all people, for me and for you; that God loves all people, me and you, and everybody in the world. But it is easy to be discouraged by what you see around you. Sometimes you have to work hard to hold on to hope and to live what your faith tells you. I am thankful for your team and others because by coming you remind us that we matter. When you work with us and talk with us and worship with us, you are saying that it is true – Christ’s love is for EVERYONE.

A very close friend of mine asked “Why didn’t you just write a check for $2,000 and send it?”. As Joseph expressed, money could not have done what our presence in Haiti accomplished.

On February 7-16, 2011, I will lead a Westlake United Methodist Church Haiti Mission Trip. The trip is limited to 10 people. Next Sunday at the Alternate Christmas Market, I will have a booth where you can express your interest in going on this mission trip, your financial support (American Airlines Frequent Flyer Miles and/or money), and your spiritual support (the Prayer Team).

Thanks.



As I read Luke's gospel, I thought about how every age represents the last days. The signs of evil and destruction and fear are evident. Jesus words still ring true. Whatever the hardship, we as believers have the opportunity to witness. Even when there are wars and insurrections.

(I sing again)..who'll be a witness...(Dugie moves to microphone)

Our next witness is Dugie Graham




May I tell you a story? About one year ago, a faithful and humble servant who loves the Lord with all she has and is, started on a project for a group of soldiers preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. As the soldiers were preparing for their work for the US Army, this servant who is a dear friend of mine, was preparing a little bit of comfort for these men who will live out the winter in a very cold area of Afghanistan. She started knitting 85 helmet caps for the 85 soldiers in a company led by my son-in-law and she prayed for them as she knitted. Well, we all know that our God has a sense of humor. The Captain, my son-in-law, was promoted to a new job within his battalion and with just a few months before their deployment, this servant was told that his new company had 245 men in it. Her commitment to this Captain and his soldiers didn’t change. So she started to knit faster and for many more hours each day and then felt God’s nudge to ask for help with her project. She needed other knitters. So in a loaves and fishes sort of way, her project of helmet caps, prayers, and concern for a group of soldiers grew. Earlier this week, 245 helmet caps were shipped to Afghanistan to warm the heads and hearts of some of our soldiers.

But there’s more to this story. I was one of her blessed helpers and on a recent international flight, I knitted my last cap with the yarn I had for this project. When I was finished, I put it away. A little while later, I guess I got a nudge too, and I asked the young man sitting next to me if he was a soldier. He introduced himself as Adrian and told me he is serving his 4th deployment in Iraq. He was traveling home on sympathy leave to attend his dad’s funeral. We chatted then about his service and his family and then I dug into my bag and pulled out that last cap. I gave Adrian that cap. He thanked me warmly and then after a few moments he, being a gentleman, asked me if he could give me a hug. With that one small gesture, Adrian hugged all the knitters everywhere for all the soldiers everywhere. God used my friend to teach many that His Love can be shown in countless ways and that it GROWS! Even in the midst of war, we can show God’s love through warm heads and hearts. “My God, How Great Thou Art!”

Who'll be a witness? I think it may be harder to witness today than it ever has been. We are not persecuted; we are counted as irrelevant; We are not thrown in jail; we are faced with apathy and cynicism. The evils we face may be consumerism and comfortablity. I read a great quote this past week, "We live in classy suburbs with too much freedom and too few limits."
God, Jesus, Spirit, Bible, Church....what difference do they make?

Who'll be a witness? Now is the time. We are the people. It makes all the difference in the world...as you have heard these three testify. It made a difference to the Petreski family. We have shown Christ’s love to Igor after his accident. His mom, Sonja has been after me for weeks to be baptized. She grew up in communist Yugoslavia; her father was in the military. God, Jesus, Spirit, Bible, Church...they were not done. Why today I asked her? Why do you want to be baptized now? She said, "I want to say thank you to God."

(I sing again) Who'll be a witness.....(Petreski's come forward as I sing) I'll be a witness for my Lord..