From the Deacon's Desk

Each day, I reflect upon a word or a phrase from the readings of the day. I encourage you to do the same and perhaps incorporate that word or phrase into your daily prayer.

“…perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-8)

THE WORK OF EVANGELIST: While these words were intended for Timothy, they should ring true for all Christians. By virtue of our baptism, we carry the responsibility – the obligation – to share the gospel message. Any way you look at it, that makes us evangelists.

That said, the word evangelist should not frighten us. Luckily for us, being a daily evangelist requires no special talent or advanced degrees. We simply need to share our experience of Jesus working in our life.

We experience Christ daily and our inclination is to ponder what we have experienced and take it into our hearts. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. Pondering is a wonderful practice. However, it is only Step 1.

Step 2 is sharing that experience with others. In doing so, we plant seeds of hope, seeds of hope for those who may feel that Jesus has forgotten about them. When they hear our story and see the joy Jesus has brought into our life, a flicker of hope flashes in their heart. They think, perhaps if I am more attentive and intentional, Jesus will make himself known to me as well.

Each day, we are obligated to “perform the work of an evangelist.”