How Do You Know?
Illustration
Stories
“Hey Bill.” Jim made his way through the departing crowd and stuck out his hand. “Great meeting.”
“Yeah, it was a great meeting.” Bill smiled and shook the other man’s hand. “Thanks for being a part of it. I remember when I mentioned the 12-step program, you were doubtful.”
“You made a believer out of me.” Jim smiled back. “ I didn’t want to admit how much of a problem I had but you refused to accept my excuses and refused to give up on me. You changed my life.”
“No, you changed your life with the group helping you. I got to help but you did the hard work.” Bill patted the other man on the back. “I hear you and Arlene are back together again.”
“Yeah. Making amends was rough but it has made all the difference. Which is actually what I wanted to talk with you about.” Jim cleared his throat. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Bill waved at a few people who were leaving the meeting before leaning on the table. “What’s on your mind? Something about the program?”
“No, the question I have is actually about church.” Jim frowned. “You go to this church, don’t you?”
“This church? Yeah, I go here.” Bill paused. “If you have a question about church though then Pastor Hans might be a better person to ask.”
“No, I think you can answer what is bothering me if you don’t mind me asking.”
Bill shrugged. “Okay I’ll give it a try.”
“I went to church when I was younger and learned the stories of Jesus.” Jim took a deep breath. “Arlene is asking me to go with her now that I’m sober.”
“And?”
Jim rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure about church.”
“Be honest about it with her,” Bill said. “If you don’t want to go just tell her.”
“That’s the problem, I do want to go. I like the teachings of Jesus and lots of things that the church does.”
“But?”
“How do you know?”
Bill tilted his head to one side. “How do you know what?”
“How do you know if Jesus is really the one sent from God?”
“Ah.” Bill rubbed his chin for a moment. “I remember Pastor Hans talking about the story of the disciples of John the Baptist coming to Jesus and asking him the same question.”
“What did Jesus say to them?”
“He asked them to look at what he was doing- at the lives he was changing and the wonders he was doing in the world.”
“I’ve read the stories of what Jesus did and they are pretty remarkable.” Jim furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure they are enough for me to believe.”
Bill smiled. “Then look around here.”
Jim looked around the empty church hall and the empty chairs from the meeting. “I don’t follow.”
“Look at what his followers are doing and how Jesus is working through them. There are meals being served here, addicts finding hope, and people discovering that God’s love isn’t simply a story but something that is happening right here and right now- in this place.” Bill spread his hands. “Which of course is only a small part of the larger story of what Jesus is doing through Christians around the world. The hungry are being fed, the naked clothed, the lost are being found.”
“That makes sense,” Jim said. “I knew you could answer my question.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Bill asked.
“Of course, ask away.”
“Could you mind helping me put the coffee urns away?” Bill gestured at the empty room. “We got to talking and I forgot to ask for help before everyone else left.”
Jim pretended to wipe his brown. “Whew- I thought maybe you were going to ask me a question I had no answer to. I’d be happy to help clean up.”
“Great.” Bill paused and looked at the other man carefully. “One more thing if you don’t mind me asking.”
“Ask away. Whatever you need.”
“If you have any more questions about church or faith could you ask Pastor Hans?” Bill grinned. “I was able to answer the question you had but honestly I’m still finding my way in faith and I’d hate to lead you astray.”
“I can’t imagine you ever doing that but from now on I’ll be sure to ask Pastor Hans,” Jim said “Can you introduce me to him on Sunday?”
“That would be my pleasure!” Bill patted the other man on the back and they got to work cleaning up the meeting.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 11, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Yeah, it was a great meeting.” Bill smiled and shook the other man’s hand. “Thanks for being a part of it. I remember when I mentioned the 12-step program, you were doubtful.”
“You made a believer out of me.” Jim smiled back. “ I didn’t want to admit how much of a problem I had but you refused to accept my excuses and refused to give up on me. You changed my life.”
“No, you changed your life with the group helping you. I got to help but you did the hard work.” Bill patted the other man on the back. “I hear you and Arlene are back together again.”
“Yeah. Making amends was rough but it has made all the difference. Which is actually what I wanted to talk with you about.” Jim cleared his throat. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Bill waved at a few people who were leaving the meeting before leaning on the table. “What’s on your mind? Something about the program?”
“No, the question I have is actually about church.” Jim frowned. “You go to this church, don’t you?”
“This church? Yeah, I go here.” Bill paused. “If you have a question about church though then Pastor Hans might be a better person to ask.”
“No, I think you can answer what is bothering me if you don’t mind me asking.”
Bill shrugged. “Okay I’ll give it a try.”
“I went to church when I was younger and learned the stories of Jesus.” Jim took a deep breath. “Arlene is asking me to go with her now that I’m sober.”
“And?”
Jim rubbed his chin. “I’m not sure about church.”
“Be honest about it with her,” Bill said. “If you don’t want to go just tell her.”
“That’s the problem, I do want to go. I like the teachings of Jesus and lots of things that the church does.”
“But?”
“How do you know?”
Bill tilted his head to one side. “How do you know what?”
“How do you know if Jesus is really the one sent from God?”
“Ah.” Bill rubbed his chin for a moment. “I remember Pastor Hans talking about the story of the disciples of John the Baptist coming to Jesus and asking him the same question.”
“What did Jesus say to them?”
“He asked them to look at what he was doing- at the lives he was changing and the wonders he was doing in the world.”
“I’ve read the stories of what Jesus did and they are pretty remarkable.” Jim furrowed his brow. “I’m not sure they are enough for me to believe.”
Bill smiled. “Then look around here.”
Jim looked around the empty church hall and the empty chairs from the meeting. “I don’t follow.”
“Look at what his followers are doing and how Jesus is working through them. There are meals being served here, addicts finding hope, and people discovering that God’s love isn’t simply a story but something that is happening right here and right now- in this place.” Bill spread his hands. “Which of course is only a small part of the larger story of what Jesus is doing through Christians around the world. The hungry are being fed, the naked clothed, the lost are being found.”
“That makes sense,” Jim said. “I knew you could answer my question.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Bill asked.
“Of course, ask away.”
“Could you mind helping me put the coffee urns away?” Bill gestured at the empty room. “We got to talking and I forgot to ask for help before everyone else left.”
Jim pretended to wipe his brown. “Whew- I thought maybe you were going to ask me a question I had no answer to. I’d be happy to help clean up.”
“Great.” Bill paused and looked at the other man carefully. “One more thing if you don’t mind me asking.”
“Ask away. Whatever you need.”
“If you have any more questions about church or faith could you ask Pastor Hans?” Bill grinned. “I was able to answer the question you had but honestly I’m still finding my way in faith and I’d hate to lead you astray.”
“I can’t imagine you ever doing that but from now on I’ll be sure to ask Pastor Hans,” Jim said “Can you introduce me to him on Sunday?”
“That would be my pleasure!” Bill patted the other man on the back and they got to work cleaning up the meeting.
*****************************************
StoryShare, December 11, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
