In 2008, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church changed our membership vows adding the word “witness” to the membership pledge 10 young adults will take today. We promise that we will faithfully uphold our congregation with “our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and our witness!” (resourceumc.org-witness) The idea of Christian witnessing makes a lot of people nervous.

I chose to spend my 19th summer on this planet as a Southern Baptist Summer missionary to Minnesota and Wisconsin. We taught bible schools and worked with refugees, but also spent two weeks going door to door trying to win folks to our brand of Jesus.  After a week of 9 hour days walking in dress shoes, my missionary zeal waned. I accepted marking the “refused survey” box and moving on to the next house. One Friday night,  after our 8pm official door-knocking cut time, we walked past 104 Luther Lane once again.  We had checked “not home” there 77 times but that night cars filled the driveway and lined the street. After a week of “nos”, checking off an entire street felt like a victory.  My partner protested but I knocked. No one answered, but I heard laughter streaming from the backyard. I was going in. My evangelistic partner refused to come so I left him angrily pacing the sidewalk. 

The Citywide Directory noted that one Ollie Stenson lived there. I stepped through the open gate to see 25 people playing volleyball and socializing. They held solo cups and wore tank tops and flip flops. I had on penny loafers, khakis, a pink and green Lands End button down, packed a clipboard, and clutched five red white and blue Bibles. A friendly face directed me to the homeowner, Ollie, who was sitting on a picnic table staffing the keg.  Ollie greeted me, an overdressed stranger, asking “would you like a beer?” It would have been the first beer of my life.  I pondered it but declined and launched into my script, “Hello, Mr Stevenson, I am Paul Purdue from Friendship Baptist  Church, and we are giving away New Testaments and wondered if you would like to take a religious survey!”   Ollie was perhaps prepared for a sale’s pitch about replacement windows, but once realizing I was a southern baptist door to door evangelist, Ollie strangely decided to hide his beer behind his back. As Ollie’s Solo cup whipped past me its contents flew out soaking my pink button down in beer. The party stopped and everyone broke into laughter.  I do not remember if Ollie completed the survey but for the next 30 minutes Ollie and I shared one of the most pleasant conversations of my summer.  

As I walked back to the church, with my annoyed partner who refused to believe the story about my beer soaked shirt, I began pondering who was a more Christlike: 19 year old me with my survey and my stack of patriotic Bibles or Ollie: my host, who welcomed an overdressed stranger, offered me something to drink and a change of clothes after the beer fiasco, fed me a perfectly grilled bratwurst, introduced me to his friends, listened to my scripted theological pitch, and extended a generous invitation to play volleyball any Friday night. What does it mean to bear witness? 

I no longer understand bearing witness as trying to win someone over to my theological position. Witnessing is more about radiating the light of Christ out into the world. “You are the light of the world” Jesus said, shine so that people may see your good works and be drawn towards God. ( Matt 5)  Deeds surpass creeds.  We overlook how the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians “if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to them!” or confessed in 1 Corinthians 13 “we know in part” or how the writer of  Second Timothy said “Think about what I’m saying; the Lord will give you understanding about everything.”  Those verses belie a trust that God will show up.  2 Timothy 2 continues “Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. Do not be quarrelsome but be kind, patient, and gentle! Who knows maybe God will change their minds?”  2 Timothy 3 adds “hold onto the mystery of our faith”. The Apostle Paul was probably preaching to himself when he said “don’t be argumentative”, but we can trust that the living God is at work, the Spirit still speaks, God still draws people into Christ’s transforming love.  

Still, there is a time to speak up.  I love these parables as metaphors for how we can bear witness: “Jesus  told another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in their field. It’s the smallest of all seeds. But when it’s grown, it’s the largest of all vegetable plants. It becomes a tree so that the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.” 

 You plant this tiny seed of faith, hope, and love nurturing it in the congregational garden and the seed grows up and becomes like a tree. Jesus does not talk about making mustard from the mustard seed but how the mustard tree becomes a refuge for all the birds of the air.  Jesus welcomes the crows and hummingbirds that some farmers saw as competition for their crops. Jesus sees weary travelers in need of rest. We as people and a congregation are to become a refuge, safe places, for all in need of rest. Sanctuary means “a place of refuge and safety”.  Our words and deeds should offer the world a safe space to come and encounter God, who is with us and still speaking.  

If we see a brand of Christianity that is not safe- that excludes God’s beloved with a message that is quarrelsome and judgy, perhaps we need to bear witness of an alternative brand of Christianity.  Maybe our neighbors would welcome the Good News of refuge, welcome and belovedness?  It is funny how we will tell people about a great new coffee shop or movie, but not tell others if we have found a refuge, a community, and hope.  Friends, before the pandemic, over 54% of Americans reported usually feeling lonely and young adults are more lonely than retirees.  (2018 Cigna US Loneliness Survey).  The pandemic, social media and other factors have taught people individualism and the safety of isolation. People need communities of refuge- people are literally dying from a lack of it.  

Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.”  I love that image of Christ’s yeast flavoring the world.  So many people claim to speak for God, so many politicians align their campaigns with trappings of Christianity.  On Wednesday, PHD Bruce Rogers-Vaughn reminded us that the church needs to re-enter the market-place of ideas and remind our people and politicians that the Bible prescribes nationwide debt forgiveness and Jesus taught “you can’t serve God and wealth”. (Leviticus 25 & Matthew 6)  Bruce Rogers-Vaughn spoke of how young people and poor people trapped in generational debt need to hear the Biblical message that God is on the side of people in debt, not corporate profit takings. Our churches need to preach how God wipes out not just metaphorical spiritual debts, but financial ones: every debt- every debt- every 50 years. There are some good things in Leviticus! Rogers-Vaughn, as a counselor and divinity school professor, spoke of feelings of systemic worthlessness that invade our souls when our identity is tied to capitalism (a money or things centric ideology or idolatry).  Love of neighbors demands we speak up not just for ourselves, but for immigrants, strangers and people trapped in debt. We are to be yeast, a powerful catalyst to improve not just ourselves, but our nation and world. Love of neighbors demands we bear witness for justice, not just Jesus.  

So how are we nurturing the seeds of faith, hope, and love within you?  How are you growing in God’s seeds of hope? Is the leaven of justice working through us?  Are we bringing the Good news of an alternative vision for life, a refuge, a safe place, a just kin-dom for the lonely, indebted, and excluded? 

I want to invite you to invest your prayer, presence, gifts, service and witness in helping Belmont remain a refuge for the weary and voice for a different world. Last week, an 11 year old spoke of her 106 dollar pledge and how she knows how it helps us serve communion at Pride.  Connie and I have tithed for our entire 35 years of marriage. We could have our name in some UMC platinum donor Bishop’s Circle if there was one.  We give hoping to build a better world- we give hoping our church will be a well-known refuge for all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens. We give because Belmont articulates a different vision than the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times- we give because we believe we are planting seeds of change and hope. Oh, come let us build a refuge together right here with our prayers, presences, gifts, service and witness.     Amen