19
Jun '20

Speaking About What We Believe

Posted on Jun 19, 2020 in Uncategorized |

19
Jun '20

The book of Acts of the Apostles is filled with stories of these followers of Jesus speaking up with the voices they are given to proclaim Jesus Christ is Lord.

In November 2018, I was blessed to participate in a class sponsored by Lutheran World Federation. This class brought Lutheran pastors from around the world, from Mexico to Myanmar, from United States to India, from Namibia to Nicaragua, from Brazil to Denmark, from Germany to Madagascar and more. I was thankful the classes were in English, and we were able to converse in English as well.

We spent a day going to Wartburg Castle, where Luther hid out and spent time translating the Bible to German. As we walked up the path, one of my colleagues from The U.S. said, “I wish I had my binoculars!” Our German friend asked what binoculars were. She didn’t recognize that word. So we explained to her what they were. Later she tried to recall this new English word, but it came out “banana-killers.” My American friend corrected her and told her how to say “binoculars” again. Then she pointed to her teeth and said, “THESE are my banana-killers!”

I believe sometimes we are afraid of speaking up and speaking out about what we believe, because we don’t have the right words or know what to say. I would argue that you do have the words. It is as simple as sharing where you see God in your life. Where have you seen the hand of God today?

In sharing this, we share that God is a part of who we are, and that God is with us. That works in EVERY language.

A few weeks ago, my friend from Mexico asked us to send him a video of ourselves reading a passage of scripture in our native tongue. He compiled it for Pentecost Sunday. Check it out to the right. 
 

Philippians 2:11 

“Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

 

Let us pray

Almighty God, we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Open our lips to proclaim the Good News today. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Acts 5:17-26 

 

17 Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18 arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” 21 When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.

When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. 25 Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
 
 

 

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