— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —
Despite growing up as a “missionary kid” and being a believer for as long as I can remember, I must admit that I have often been lacking in the skills to share my faith and sometimes didn’t know quite how to approach people. Yet I wanted to share my faith more effectively and better articulate what it means to me.
Always be prepared to give an answer
I Peter 3:15
to everyone who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have.
Alpha is a series of 11 sessions presenting the basics of the Christian faith while providing a forum for open discussions. Now into the sixth week of helping to lead the Alpha course, I can say that this experience has been thrilling and goes beyond what I had imagined. Basically as Nicky Gumbel (pioneer of Alpha) put it “Alpha is a way of sharing Jesus for those who don’t know how.”
Seeing the eagerness of the participants to discuss faith and to seek answers combined with the special atmosphere of talking about what is really essential, leaves me awed and overwhelmed with joy. So far we have been grappling with questions such as: how can I know that I’m a Christian; how could the death of Jesus make a difference in my life; how can you have faith in someone you cannot see; why should I pray; how and why should I read the Bible?
At least two of the participants shared that if not for the Christians they had met, they would not be where they are today faith-wise, which is a challenge to me and perhaps to you as well – if we come alongside people who are seeking direction for their lives, it may make the difference between uncertainty and true belief. After all, isn’t it of infinite value to share the hope that is in us?
How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke your name into the night
Then through the darkness
Your loving kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope
(Living Hope by Phil Wickham)
Dear Lord,
Help us to see the eternal value of sharing our faith,
may we not shy away from talking about the hope that is within us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.
Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.
We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.
Freiburg Anglican Church 
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