Theme: We are called to spread the Good News

Introduction:  I like these stories about harvesting and working in the field.  They take me back to memories of working on the farm during my teenage years.

        The most exciting time of the summer was in August when the harvest began.

But it all started actually back in late April or May. That is when we planted. Then the waiting began.(We worked summer fallow, fixed machinery) Meanwhile the growing crop was literally all  in God’s hands. It was the warmth, the sunshine, the rain (hopefully without the hail) that growth to happen over the summer months.

Today’s Gospel lesson is about us  being a seed planters. We are called to plant the seed of God’s Word. 

     Wherever we are, whoever we come in touch with in our lives, whether it is family, friends, even the stranger that is our “field” where we live out our faith. 

      Often the loudest message that we convey about the Gospel is how others experience us day in and day out.  It is fair to say we are being watched.  People are listening to what we say in our normal day to day interactions. If God’s love is in our hearts, that should be showing through in how we live. We are witnessing to our faith whether we realize it or not.

      I read a book a book a few years ago which addressed this whole area:  It was titled: “Me an Evangelist?”  It addressed our apprehensions about how to go about sharing the Word.  It provided guidance on how to effectively be an evangelist.

Here are some pointers:

1.    Most of the sharing of our faith will come out best when it is done within a caring context. (The other person is not an object)

2.     Throughout Scriptures there are countless references to God’s love for you and me.  Because we have been loved by God, God can give you and me the gift of a caring heart, and a Christ like love for others too.

3.    Bottom line, our strongest witness will be in the quality of our relationship with that other person.  Genuinely caring is what is going to count and be the most effective.

4.    It is much like good sales practices. There is a much better chance of salesperson making a sale based for me on how I am treated.

5.    As the relationship grows, as we have listened carefully to the story of that other person’s life, then with the Holy Spirit’s help opportunities to share will come.

6.    For the past 35 years I have been teaching something called CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) It is a clinical experience of 400 hours where students come to hospital and spend a good deal of time visiting patients and also responding crisis whether it is day or night.

7.    Early on when they come they are so anxious and so concerned about what they should say when they visit patients.  What kind of telling should they do.  What is the correct way to do it.

8.    In their early anxious moments it becomes more about them and what they are supposed to do.   

9.    If they made big glaring mistakes it was usually by talking way too much or  giving  little sermonettes to help them feel better about themselves. It usually fell pretty flat. The visit bombs. No significant connection was made.

10. Instead, I suggested that they listen first; listen for the person’s story.  There will be clues about the other’s faith, what they are thinking about God and where they are struggling.  There may even be a big clue:

11. When the person asks, then they are ready. There is the openness to the word about faith.  

12.  So give it a whirl, listen to other’s story and the Spirit will provide the direction for the rest.

Amen