As we enter this Second Sunday in Lent in our book study of Max Vincent’s “Because of This I Rejoice,” we move from prayerful person to witness of the Gospel. I imagine for many of us, if we are being honest, the idea of being a “Witness for Christ” strikes a bit of fear in our hearts. Vincent says as much as he begins the chapter, explaining the challenges of the duties, title, and perceptions of being an “evangelist.” Language is an important aspect of our lives…words not only have meanings, they carry around baggage (some intended, some not intended), and we must be careful to understand both the intended and unintended meanings of the words we use…and there are few words that have more baggage than the word “evangelist.” So, how can we be evangelists of the Good News of Christ without sending everyone around us running for the exits? Good question…

I appreciate the tension Vincent creates in the beginning of this chapter between the “frightening aspect of becoming a pushy evangelist” and a quietly reserved “my faith is only for me” Christian. After detailing a few experiences of why the word “evangelist” might strike fear in our collective hearts, Vincent reminds us, “willingness to witness to the gospel is an expectation of all disciples of Jesus.” So, you can be afraid, but Vincent isn’t letting anyone off the hook…I appreciate that approach. He continues, “Remember, the gospel is good news. We need not dread evangelism. Paul offers a joyful witness and believes that whatever the future holds, he will continue to rejoice in witnessing.” And Vincent rightly points out that if anyone had reason to be discouraged by the unfortunate events of life, the Apostle Paul had many good reasons to be sad…but, he steadfastly refused to release his claim on the joy of the gospel. Vincent then brings the conversation into modern times, paralleling the difficulties of witnessing and tragic end of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life. Writing from the jail in Birmingham AL, King speaks of the martyrs of the Bible, and says that he, in the sacred tradition of the Bible, “rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed.”

After working through the details of what it might mean to be an evangelist, Vincent speaks of what living a life of an evangelist might mean as a spiritual discipline. I appreciate this discussion as well because the idea of being a “witness for Christ” as a spiritual discipline is likely not a common way of understanding the actions of spreading the Good News. Vincent helpfully begins with a comparison: the better understood spiritual disciplines of reading Scripture, prayer, and fasting (disciplines that help to foster our personal relationship with God, according to Vincent), and comparing these to the discipline of witnessing…something that has an obvious external focus. Perhaps predictable feelings of fear begin to grow as you consider that “proper witnessing” requires one to speak of Scripture, to boldly go where few Christians have dared go, or to proclaim your faith in eloquent speech and actions. Maybe that fear is unfounded because these actions are not necessarily the exclusive list of “things evangelists do for God.” Much better to shift the focus away from “what I can do for God” to the more Christ-centered, “What is God doing that I can tell others about.” Vincent writes, “a focus on sharing the good news of God’s work in the world frees us for joyful witness…By disciplining ourselves to concentrate more on Christ as the subject of our witness and by using everyday events and circumstances to relate to others how our commitment to Christ impacts decisions in our life, we grow in our ability and opportunities to witness.” In essence, we become story-tellers of the acts of God…and who doesn’t love a good story? I think this way of thinking about being a witness also helps us to be more intentional in our daily lives, looking for the still, small voice of God in the daily miracles that surround us.

I think one of the most powerful parts of this chapter is the final paragraph, so I do pray that you got that far. And if not, I cannot think of a better way to end my post this week then to end with Vincent’s words. His practical advice gives concrete reason to my belief that God is always up to something, and we all, as followers of Christ, need simply put ourselves in the path of God’s Spirit and amazing things will happen. Here are Vincent’s concluding thoughts: “Jesus says not to worry about what to say or how to say it or when it will happen. When we need to witness to him, we trust the Spirit to help us find our way. (See Mark 13:11) Our disciplines of paying attention to God’s working in our lives and the lives of others gives content to our testimonies. As we continue through Lent, let’s open ourselves to joyfully share with others how the gospel shapes lives.” And that is how one becomes a witness to Christ’s love in the world.