Mark 8:31-38
Preached by Dr. Jon Burnham at Batesville Presbyterian Church on March 12, 2006
Preached by Dr. Jon Burnham at Batesville Presbyterian Church on March 12, 2006
A cartoon in a recent issue of The New Yorker magazine showed a woman with her hands around her big round belly and the caption read: "Ask me about my recent weight gain." Obviously, the woman was pregnant. When a woman is pregnant we say she is showing. Pregnant women can't conceal that they are pregnant. And we can't conceal that we are showing Jesus.
A couple of years ago I attended a clergy retreat at Camp Hopewell at which we looked at some statistics of the counties in our presbytery. The statistics were based on the year 2000 census. When we studied the Panola County statistics I was excited to learn there are 9677 Evangelical Christians, mostly Southern Baptists, in Panola County and there are 3781 Mainline Christians, mostly Presbyterian and United Methodists, in Panola County. And there are 20,583 "unclaimed" people in Panola County. The fields in Panola County are ripe for a spiritual harvest. In the gospel reading today Jesus challenges us to be unashamed of the gospel. To let our lights shine right here in the Batesville community. As Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few." So let us be bold in showing Jesus in this county.
Our deacons and elders will gather at Camp Hopewell next Saturday for some fun in the woods and some serious reflection on how our congregation is showing Jesus to this community. We know there are some ways we are showing Jesus. We are showing Jesus when we celebrate our Scottish Presbyterian heritage in the Kirkin' o' the Tartans service that has become so popular in this community. And we are showing Jesus when people see a line of hungry people waiting to get into our church each Tuesday morning so they can be screened and then get some groceries from the Food Pantry. Think of others ways we can show Jesus in this community and in our world. That is what our deacons and elders will be doing next Saturday and I encourage you to pray for us as we seek God's vision for our common mission as a congregation.
Perhaps we don't think of ourselves as showing Jesus but that is just what we do as Christians. In all our activities, from the important to the insignificant, we are showing Jesus whether we realize it or not.
A poem has been circulating titled I SEE JESUS. It is attributed to Summer Waters,
age 11, who writes:
I saw Jesus last week. He was wearing blue jeans and an old shirt. He was up at the church building; He was alone and working hard. For just a minute he looked a little like one of our members. But it was Jesus . . . I could tell by his smile.
I saw Jesus last Sunday. He was teaching a Bible class. He didn't talk real loud or use long words, But you could tell he believed what he said. For just a minute, he looked like my Bible teacher. But it was Jesus . . . I could tell by his loving voice.
I saw Jesus yesterday. He was at the hospital visiting a friend who was sick. They prayed together quietly. For just a minute he looked like Brother Jones. But it was Jesus . . . I could tell by the tears in his eyes.
I saw Jesus this morning. He was in my kitchen making my breakfast and fixing me a special lunch. For just a minute he looked like my mom. But it was Jesus . . . I could feel the love from his heart.
I see Jesus everywhere, Taking food to the sick . . . Welcoming others to his home, Being friendly to a newcomer . . . and for just a minute, I think he's someone I know. But it's always Jesus . . . I can tell by the way he serves. (WIT AND WISDOM, RichardWimer@xc.org)
You see, we are showing. Showing Jesus. We are showing Jesus each and every day.
Showing Jesus is what we are to do in our Christian lives.
