Bearing Witness

This is the fifth and final in our five-week sermon series on the vows we make to support the church by “our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.” The reading is from Acts 10, where Peter has a dream that opens his mind, not only as to what is allowed or forbidden to eat, but that Gentiles, for example, could become believers. It is set in the context of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, who, along with his entire family, summons Peter to tell them whatever Peter has to say. It is the beginning of the mission to the Gentiles and, by extension, to everyone. We, too, are called to witness, sometimes by simply listening, but other times by inviting. Our West End signs, “God loves everyone unconditionally,” do just that.