Get back to church – you dirtty rotten skunck!

This wonderful man was not well educated and his manner was somewhat rough and crude. He became a Christian and took the Lord’s requirement seriously. He kept pestering his pastor to put him to work. Finally, the minister handed him a list of ten names with this explanation: “These are all members of the church, but they seldom attend. Some of them are
prominent people in the community. Contact them about being more faithful. Here is some church stationary to write letters. Get them back in church.”The man accepted the challenge with rugged determination and enthusiasm.  About three weeks later a letter from a prominent physician whose name had been on the list arrived at the church office. Inside was a large check and a brief note:

“Dear Pastor, Enclosed is my check for $1,000 to help make up for my missing church so much, but be assured that I will be present this Lord’s Day and each Lord’s Day following. I will not by choice miss services again. Sincerely… P.S. Would you please tell your secretary that there is only one `T’ in dirty and no `C’ in Skunk.”

Ah, those unexpected evangelists. To this day, that nameless Samaritan woman (see John chapter 4), the first unexpected evangelist, is revered in many cultures. In southern Mexico, La Samaritana is remembered on the fourth Friday in Lent, when specially-flavored water is given to commemorate her gift of water to Jesus. The Orthodox know her as St. Photini, or Svetlana in Russian. Her name means “equal to the apostles,” and she is honored as apostle and martyr on the Feast of the Samaritan Woman.

Can you do what she did? Invite friends and neighbors? Of course, you can.

- David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons