The Ministry School

The pic is, I hope, giving you the subliminal message: BUY MY BOOK, PLEASE.  It was inspired by the two house of my childhood and I hope it is both funny and scary.

I was on the School on Thursday night - first part - a 3 minuter - the brief is on the website JW.org under the heading of: Library, then: "meetings". But basically it was about being flexible when witnessing, being prepared to go with what the person we are talking to is interested in, not what we have set our minds on telling them.

So this was the script I wrote for last night. I set it in a hospital waiting room.

Sue:  I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what time is your appointment?

HH:  It was for 10.00 o clock. They are running late today aren’t they?

Sue. They are. I am before you, so they are running well behind.. But they are always so busy.  I have brought some studying with me. I thought it might cheer me up to read what the Bible has to say about the time when there will be no more illnesses, no more sicknesses. (My intention at this point being to read Isaiah 33:24, however...)

HH:  The Bible may make all sorts of promises for all I know, but shouldn’t we be more concerned by what we are doing to this lovely planet?  We are making it very sick, terminally so I fear.

Sue:  You know that is a very good point.  Even if we were to come up with a wonderful worldwide NHS that offered a cure to everybody, it wouldn’t be much use if we had damaged the whole planet beyond repair in the meantime.  Is this something you have always been concerned about?

HH:  Well yes, More so as I have got older. 

Sue: And for sure you are not alone in that. I think many people would agree with you. But would you be surprised to know that the Bible has something very important to say about that.

HH.  Yes I would. I thought the Bible was all about going to heaven.

Sue:  When in fact it is telling us what is going to happen here on the earth.  If you had created this lovely planet would you allow it to be ruined by the greed and violence of some men?

HH: No, of course, not if I had the power to stop it.

Sue:  And our Creator, whose name is Jehovah, is the one who does have the power as he is the Almighty God. And more than that he has actually promised us that he will. May I show you this verse from Revelation, the last book of the Bible.  Revelation 11:18 ends with this assurance, that Jehovah will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth”.

HH:  To bring to ruin those ruining the earth.

Sue. Yes - a simple and clear promise. But back then when it was written down, two thousand years ago, would it have seemed possible we could bring a whole planet to ruin, let alone the only planet we have to live on?

HH.  No.  In fact I don’t think we could have imagined such a thing even a hundred years ago! But clearly we are going to.

Sue.  True. If we are left to ourselves we are.  But it is so reassuring when you understand that we are not abandoned to this.  I am sure, like me, you will have said the Lord’s prayer in your childhood and asked for God’s Kingdom to come.

HH.  Many times.

Sue.  So I would love to show you what the Bible says about that Kingdom, and what it is going to do here on the earth. But I see that the lady ahead of me is back at the reception desk making her next appointment, so they will be calling me in at any moment.  Are you a user of the internet?

HH.  Yes. I can google things and do email. But that is about it.

Sue:  Good for you. That’s great. So please may I leave this little card with you. You can use it to get to the website JW.org and if you put “The Kingdom of God” into the search you will find a wealth of Biblical information.  I have put my email address on the back if you have any questions - and I would love to know what you think about it.  Yes, they are calling me now, I will try not to take too long.

HH: Don’t worry, take the time you need. I am going to look up that website now, on my phone.

Ruefully though I have to admit that I am no good at all at witnessing to anyone in medical situation, which is a shame as I am now in so many of them... it is something I need to pray about. All I seem to want to do in such a situation is to get out of it as quickly as possible. It usually goes like this:

Doctor/Medic: (looks up from file as I enter the door). And how are you today?

Me: Fine thank you. Can I go now? Bye.

Really one can only cope with doctors, hospitals, treatments, wards, etc, when one is strong, fit and healthy. But that is never when they want to see you.

Well, in consolation, I come back to Isaiah 33:24 which I mentioned above, as it promises us that when the Kingdom of God is ruling over us no resident

 will say: “I am sick.”

It is a promise to hold on to, especially in old age.