Represent

Sixth Wednesday in Lent

Noon worship service at First UMC Huntington

Scriptures read: 1 Peter 2:4-12, Matthew 5:13-16

• I don't know you. My human assumptions about who would come to this: NOT new believers... folks who attend mid-day mid-week Bible study, folks who attend mid-day mid-week Lenten worship service. (assumptions are sometimes wrong; I'll get back to that)

• You don't know me. Kerry, UM pastor for a dozen years, three different churches in Eastern PA, accepted mid-year cross-conference appointment, First UMC Barboursville for past 6 months.

• Going with assumptions... there is plenty of negative press out there about the church. Plenty of Christians who don't speak for me.

Negative attention from Westboro to Pat Robertson and every stripe in between.

• My word to this mid-day mid-week gathering: 

Represent. 

You are the light of the world. 

Live in such a way that others will see how you live and will give glory to God
not in such a way that they will run when they see you coming.

• My hope for the church, a la Isaiah 58... that the church would be a haven for outcasts (and not a maker of outcasts)... that the church would be a healer of wounds (especially church-inflicted wounds)... that the church would be a defender of the oppressed. “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn...”

Represent.

Live in such a way that others will see how you live and will give glory to God
not in such a way that they will run when they see you coming.

• The church is the bride of Christ (Revelation 21). We gotta do our part to be appealing, attractive. I look forward to the day when the nations look to the church with awe, respect, eagerness to learn what it is we have, how our lives have been changed, shaped, and saved by Christ.

• On wrong assumptions: my google autocomplete this morning...
The five autocompletion results I got when I entered "why do Christians"
- fast
- celebrate Christmas
- eat pork
- worship on Sunday
- pray

• Live so that others will glorify God because of your conduct.