At church on Sunday we were in Revelation 10-11, and seeing how God gives John a picture of the church as we wait for Jesus’ return as a speaking church.
John’s commissioned to speak a message, essentially the gospel, that is both sweet and bitter to taste (10:1-11). Likewise the church, pictured in the form of two witnesses, is told to speak, to prophesy (11:1-6). In the context of Revelation, that means to testify to Jesus Christ (19:10).
But anyone who’s ever attempted to speak about Jesus knows that it often feels pretty awkward. Jesus isn’t exactly a topic you read about in the paper, or hear about when you turn on the TV. Let me recommend to you a brilliant post by Ken Currie that’s just come out over at the Desiring God blog, ‘That Awkward Moment When… We Speak About Jesus’.
Here’s a little taster, but it’s well worth clicking on over and giving the whole thing a read:
I’ve done a little research and can confirm to you that there is not one documented case of someone dying, or even being severely injured, by awkwardness. Not one.
But when I read my kids’ Twitter, I see nearly half their tweets starting with “That awkward moment when… .” Awkwardness is catastrophic, and maybe especially so among the younger generation.
Awkwardness! It’s as if we imagine fire and asteroids and dragons. As if people are running through the streets yelling, “Run from the awkwardness, it’s going to get you! You might feel awkward. It would be terrible if you felt awkward!”