Warm, like the sun
I was visiting Yasmin*, an Iranian asylum seeker from a Muslim background, when she showed me around the family’s new rental home.
‘I felt like a light shining on me, Joy, like calm… warmth like the sun, PEACE’.
After the tour we read from the English Farsi Easy Good News Bible the story of Jesus appearing to his disciples after the resurrection: ‘Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord’ (John 20:19–20). We finished with prayer, and afterwards she said, ‘While you were praying I remembered a dream I had when I was living in the other house’.
I asked her to share it.
‘I was in a big church, with lots of people. I was looking around for a way out. I was lost; I didn’t know where to go. Suddenly a hand gently rested on my shoulder and led me to a door. He led me out.’
I replied, ‘I know who that man was’.
Smiling, she said, ‘I know; it was Jesus’. Jesus had appeared to her in a dream. She described her experience: ‘I felt like a light shining on me, joy, like calm … warmth like the sun, peace’.
The John reading had reflected her dream and the feeling of peace.
I suggested she share the dream with her husband. She said she had already told him about her dream and he had said, ’You should share your dream with Michelle’.
’But I never did until you were praying with me; then I remembered.’
Yasmin met Jesus in a dream. It was affirmed through sharing her dream, through Scripture and prayer. Now she is on a journey in the Christian faith.
Jesus is moving among Muslim people. May the Holy Spirit continue to move through our ministering to them.
Praise be to God.
*Yasmin is not her real name
Michelle Filipovic is a lay worker at St Phillips, Werribee, Victoria. Her role there is Ministry Development Worker.
Working to build faith
Lay workers fulfil many roles in the life of our church: its departments, agencies and congregations. The Board for Lay Ministry wants all LCA congregations and organisations to have appropriately skilled lay workers involved in their ministries as they build faith within their communities.
To find out more about lay workers and how they can contribute to your team ministry and mission, contact Nevin Nitschke, Director of Lay Ministry, Phone: 08 8267 7300
Email: layministry.director@lca.org.au
This feature story comes from The Lutheran February 2016. Visit the website to find out more about The Lutheran or to subscribe.
