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| Pastor Bill |
Pastor's Message
"But who do you say
that I am?" (Mark 8: 29)
Called
to be witnesses of our Lord, if we asked our children and grandchildren to write a paragraph about us, what would they write?
Would they say that we are people of faith?
Would they know and say that God's Word, worship, prayer and service are central
to our life?
We are called to be our Lord's witnesses at
this time and place. I'm remembering today the witnesses of some of the saints that have gone on before us. Saints like Polycarp,
that great Christian witness from 156 A.D., with the strange sounding name.
Polycarp was the bishop of Smyria, in present-day Turkey, during a time of great persecution in the early church.
He was known by John, the author of the book of Revelation. At age 86 he was asked to renounce his faith and thereby save
his life. Polycarp replied to the magistrate before him, "Eighty-six years I have served
him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"
The magistrate who made the offer was reluctant to kill a gentle, loving, old man,
but he felt he had no choice. Polycarp was then burned at the stake and his death itself became a strong witness and testimony
to his faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
The people
around Polycarp, both friends and foe knew of his faith and were touched forever by his witness. Would those whom we interact
with each week know that we too are people of faith? Would they know by our words and actions how we answer Jesus' question
to us, his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?"
Prayer:
Lord, empower us to be bold witnesses in your name to all whom you place in our life each week. Help
us to reflect you love, your forgiveness and your welcome, in both our words and our actions. Amen.
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