As we finish up Epiphany, we finish up thinking about the people that we’re praying for on Sundays in specific categories. There is one segment of people that we should be praying for that aren’t “disconnected from the Church or God,” however – and that is other witnesses. We are called to be witnesses of Christ, but we are not called to do this alone. God uses the entire Body of Christ to reach out into this world, and we need to be in prayer and support of our fellow witnesses.

Paul states this best when he tells the Corinthian church that “[Paul] planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” There are times when some of us plant seeds, there are times when we are watering seeds, there are other times that we are doing things like preparing the soil or weeding the garden. The whole Body of Christ works together to plant and nourish new believers in Christ, and each of us have our roles.

This can be disappointing sometimes, because sometimes we can feel like we’re “always just watering” or “always just planting”. Sometimes we yearn for the feeling of seeing a shoot pop out of the soil, or the first fruit come from a new believer’s life in Christ. Nonetheless, we are called to do our thing, and to celebrate when others see shoots pop out. 

You can ask Liz, sometimes I get a little downhearted about this myself. We often don’t get to see the full impact made by our witness. But we trust that we were put in that place for a reason. So even though we may not see that moment of conversion in someone, even though it seems like there are others who see that moment all the time – we trust that the Lord of the Church has His plan in mind and is working that plan. 

Let us do what we are called to do, and let us leave the rest up to the Body of Christ – knowing that someday we will also be able to rejoice when we see someone baptized at our font at University Lutheran or someone renew their faith in Christ because we befriended them, because we too are a part of Christ’s Body.