Witnessing
To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place.
Acts 26:22 (NRSV)
STORY
James Patterson is best known for his Alex Cross novels. He has written 322 books, with the assistance of 32 co-writers. One of those collaborators was former president Bill Clinton, in which they wrote two books together.
In February 2020 Patterson went to Nashville to invite Dolly Parton to be a co-author in writing a novel. She contemplated the idea, and then, two days later, she sent Patterson notes for a plot. Her notes also included the lyrics for seven new songs that she wrote based on her story outline. Over the next eight months Patterson and Parton worked together to write a book. The book, tilted Run, Rose, Run, was published 2022. At the same time Parton released an album of twelve new songs whose lyrics are threaded throughout the novel.
The novel tells the story of a young singer with a dark secret that inspires her music, who went to Nashville to seek her fortune and escape her past. The novel draws on Parton’s own experiences in country music. Patterson shared why he and Parton could so easily and successfully work together saying, “We both consider ourselves storytellers.”
DEVOTION
In our reading this morning we have the prisoner Paul, who after more than two years of confinement, standing in the auditorium in the city of Caesarea, before King Agrippa. The Apostle is publicly defending his theology, especially accepting Gentiles into the fellowship of the Jews who have come to believe that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah. This was a difficult encounter for Paul, as he stood before the man whose great-grandfather had tried to kill Jesus as an infant; whose grandfather had John the Baptist beheaded; and whose father had martyred the first apostle, James.
Paul was allowed to speak openly and freely as Agrippa said to him, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Our lesson then reads that Paul “stretched out his hand and began to defend himself.” Paul began by sharing his life as a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians, he continued with his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, and he then described his calling to be a missionary to the Gentiles. After this profession of faith Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?” Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am – except for these chains.”
When we witness for Jesus, we will be fortunate that the person to whom we are addressing is not as violent as Agrippa, though the receiver of our message will be hostile to the truth and challenge of our message.
As we review Paul’s testimony, we have a succinct outline for our own witness. We begin by sharing how we lived before knowing Jesus. We then share our conversion experience. This is followed by the new life that we live as a follower of Jesus. We then described what we consider to be our special spiritual gift and our Christian mission.
We do this with the same sincerity and confidence that Paul demonstrated standing in the auditorium in the city of Caesarea.
In order to achieve an effective witness our testimony, though many times spontaneous, must be well crafted. Kendall Haven in his book Super Simple Storytelling, which was published in 2000, outlines the basic elements that compose a well-constructed story. Haven, a West Point graduate, has a degree in oceanography and worked for eight years as a research scientist for the Department of Energy. He then went on to become a story consultant and is now an internationally recognized expert on the structure and use of story.
We must be midfall that a story is only as good as its presentation, which brought Haven to his “The Golden List.” This list comprises what a presenter must do to engage a listener. Haven offered five behaviors that must be expressed by the storyteller, which are:
· Confidence
· Emotional expression
· Enthusiasm
· Energy
· Humor
It is possible to provide a testimony that is relevant and believable if your presentation is authentic. It is possible to engage your your listener if your testimony is delivered with confidence and enthusiasm. Your testimony must always relate to an individual’s life situation. Often times your personal testimony has less to do in what you say and more to do on how you say it.
I was appointed by the bishop to be the pastor of Newell United Methodist Church, which is located in an improvised Pennsylvania railroad community by the same name. One day I visited a retired railroad worker, who was also a World War II veteran. In the course of our conversation, he told me that during the war he carried a Browning Automatic Rifle, often referred to as a BAR. Knowing that this weapon was large, heavy, and bulky, I was impressed by his stamina. What was even more impressive is what came next. Bob was seriously wounded in a battle during the war and was sent to England for surgery and six months of recovery. As soon as the bandages were removed, he returned to Europe and joined his original squad, and once again was a BAR rifleman. I was dismayed. I would have thought that once seriously wounded Bob’s duty to God and country was completed, fulfilled. I guess not. I sat there thinking how harsh life can be. How unfair. I questioned, even in a time of war, weren’t the demands of citizenship too great. Yet, I drove away from his home with something else – a heightened understanding of responsibility. A new awareness of commitment. A refined definition of discipleship. It was a message that we do not quit.
Personal testimonies can change lives.