A Guide for Lay Members (5 of 5)

Today’s words to ponder is the fifth and final review of the General Board of Discipleship (GBD) of the United Methodist Church published guide for lay members (www.gbod.org).  I decided to share this article with comments for the 2014 Lenten season. The steps include the Lay members' covenant commitment to 'pray' for the church, to accept and exercise their responsibilities as the body of Christ with their 'presence', to use their 'gifts' to nurture and grow the body of Christ and to take an active role in the body of Christ by ‘serving’ his or her faith community through the ministries and life of the church.  This week we are looking at ‘witness’, which is how we live out our faith on a daily basis, both in the life of the church and in the secular world where we work and live.

The author reminds us that when we join the church “we covenant to witness to other people who see and hear us all the time.”   It is important for us to remember; not only to witness, but that we are witnesses all the time. “Our living, our words, our actions and commitments are a witness to our priorities.” We can claim Christ as Lord, but how we live our lives tells the truth about who or what we deem most important in life.

“To uphold God's church with our witness is a vow to let our life speak, 24/7. 

• Live with integrity so that our words and actions honor God, honor ourself, and honor others.
• Greet and speak warmly to others, especially visitors in our church, co-workers and people with whom we live, do business and interact every day.
• Learn how to share your faith naturally and comfortably; invite people to attend church events with you.” (http://www.gbod.org/)

The 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church added the statement to uphold God’s church with our witness; however, this is not a new tenet. Adding this vow only reminds us of what we already know: how we live is a testimony to what is important. This does not mean we cannot have hobbies or be involved in other activities. What the author is saying, is that other people will notice our priorities and our witness will either benefit God or hinder God’s mission to make disciples for the transformation of the world.  In fact, participating in hobbies and enjoying secular activities are great places to witness our faith.

To join the United Methodist Church is to say, “I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and I will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and live my life as a Christian.” This does not mean we believe when we join a church we will be perfect. When we join a church we are saying, we are going to be intentional about living out our Christian faith by following the teachings of Jesus Christ 24/7.


Published in the Morrow Mirror (Morrow First UMC, Morrow Ga) March 2, 2013