Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mary was ecstatic. For the first time she knew what it meant to feel the power and the presence of our Lord at work in her life. For the first time Mary felt called to be a witness for Jesus Christ. But now she had a problem. Mary didn't know how to witness. Mary grew up knowing that it was not right to talk about her own experiences. It was not right to talk about her success because that might sound like she was boasting, and it was certainly not right to talk about her weakness because that might sound like she was complaining. So, what could she say that would convince others that God loved and cared for them? Mary was so confused that she decided to talk with her pastor about how to bear witness to her faith in Christ Jesus. Mary's pastor gave her two suggestions. She was to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. She was to read and pray about Romans 5:1-8. Mary was a little disappointed with her pastor's advice. She had been hoping that he would give her the words to say. Instead, he had given her homework. But if praying and reading were going to teach her how to bear witness to Christ, then Mary was more than willing to do both. As time went by Mary found that God was leading her into situations where she needed to talk about her life experiences. She met a young woman who had just had a miscarriage, and for the first time Mary spoke about her own miscarriage. The two women shared their pain and their tears. When the younger woman asked Mary how she made it through her pain, Mary was able to talk about God's healing love and peace. Mary met a woman her own age who was struggling with the need to put her mother in a nursing home. This time Mary found herself talking about the turmoil she went through when her mother needed around-the-clock nursing care. As they talked Mary found herself describing how God helped her make it through. About a month later Mary went back to visit her pastor. "Pastor," she said, "I was taught that it was wrong to talk about myself. But I've discovered that in order to bear witness to how God is at work in my life I must talk about my own experiences. I've discovered that when I tell my story, others feel free to tell me their stories. When that happens, it is possible to tell God's story."
-- Conroy