Testify!

© 2019 Christy K Robinson

I grew up in conservative churches and Christian schools that taught us not to exhibit emotion in our church services, and definitely not to raise our hands in worship, sway to the music, or speak during sermons and prayers by others, except for a quiet, restrained "Amen" once in a while. As a young adult, I was church keyboardist for a congregation where the choir director joked that they were the Frozen Chosen when it came to religious expression.

Then, I began attending a large church in California, with a cosmopolitan congregation from many cultures. One of my treasured friends, Cliff, sat about two to four pews back from the stage. He is an African American who came from the Black church charismatic tradition, where frequent affirmations from the audience are actually solicited by preachers who say, "Come on!" Cliff would be listening to the sermon in our church, both ears pricked up, and when he could contain his excitement no longer, he would raise his hand, or even stand momentarily, and say in his outdoors voice that could be heard in the transepts and balcony, "Testify!" or "Come on!" or "Preach, preacher!" It wasn't disruptive. It was encouraging.

I've made no secret of my struggles with financial survival since the Great Recession (Depression) of 2007 and on. But I couple that concern with a strong faith that grows daily: God is in control, and as my loving Father, he will sustain me. His provision of manna (the Hebrew word translates as "What is that?") is just what I need each day.

It's easy to laugh about the irony of this image, but
remember, the rescue crew are on scene with the resources
to save the stranded and salvage the sinking boat.

 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Phil. 4:6 MSG

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [watchfully].  1 Peter 5:7 AMP  

"Hakuna Matata" means "no worries," according to The Lion King characters.
U.S. Coast Guard crew members help dewater a vessel
off Cape May, New Jersey, November 2017.
(Photo courtesy of the USCG)

"Whenever your heart starts to be anxious about the future, preach to your heart and say, 'Heart, who do you think you are to be afraid of the future and nullify the promise of God? No, Heart, I will not exalt myself with anxiety. I will humble myself in peace and joy as I trust this precious and great promise of God -- He cares for me.'"  --John Piper

Preach, Preacher!
TESTIFY!

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Christy K Robinson is author of these sites:

·       Discovering Love (inspiration)

·       Rooting for Ancestors (history and genealogy)

·       William and Mary Barrett Dyer (17th century culture and history of England and New England)

and of these books:

·       We Shall Be Changed (2010)

·       Mary Dyer Illuminated (2013)

·       Mary Dyer: For Such a Time as This (2014)

·       The Dyers of London, Boston, & Newport (2014)

·       Effigy Hunter (2015)

·       Anne Marbury Hutchinson: American Founding Mother (2018)