PASTOR’S ARTICLE…….

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How then shall they hear?

Game shows became popular with the advent of televisions in the homes of America following the Second World War. In the early 1950’s, one particular game show met with great success. What’s My Line? was a show dedicated to the art of professional guesswork! Several famous regular and guest panelists were introduced to a unknown person by the host (originally John Charles Daly), the panelists were then given a series of questions they could ask seeking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. If a question produced a ‘yes,’ the panelist continued until they either guessed the correct ‘line of work’ or failed to produce the correct guess. It was all in great fun and became so popular to American and European audiences, that the show was heavily syndicated after it went off the air in 1967, only to be revived again from 1971 through 1975. What made this game show so fun was the creative energy used to develop the correct line of reasoning in order to manufacture a correct guess. (You remember Steve Allen’s famous question, “ is it bigger than a breadbox? ”).

Now, imagine if they developed a game show today to creatively determine whether or not you (or anyone you loved) were a follower of Jesus…you know, a Christian ! Would a panel of paid actors or guests be able to correctly guess whether you’ve given your life to Jesus? Whether you are, indeed, in the line of living your life of faith visibly?

The Apostle Paul had a great line of questions he invoked to raise a similar line of reasoning in the tenth chapter of the Book of Romans. Paul asks, “But how are they (panelists perhaps?) to call on [the Lord Jesus] in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

This fall I am hoping to create some space in our worship time together to create a little game show of our own – called, What’s My Faith Story? It won’t really be a game show per se – that would take way too much practice and we’d have to find all kinds of sponsorship monies just to go public with it! No, what I was thinking was that we might begin with a few, maybe more, opportunities for you to share your faith story with others – right here in worship! How cool is that?!? There are so many wonderful stories ‘out there’ where God has done some pretty amazing things among the folks to come to worship, that I think it’s high time we create some space to share those stories! Just imagine how exciting it will be to share and how grateful all of us will be to be blessed by your story of faith!

How then shall anyone hear your story of faith unless you share it with others?! You never know, maybe we could find some television sponsors and go live with this stuff! It could be truly life-changing!

See around town this summer!