Each of us is here today because we have responded to an invitation. Some of us were specifically invited to attend because today is Back to Church Sunday. The card says to “Come as we are”. Others of us have been attending this church fellowship and perhaps feel part of a community; in some way we must have felt invited or called to be here. Still others of us cannot remember any time in our lives when we were not part of the church; our parents or others issued the invitation to us when were very small and too young to remember.
Our gospel passage this morning begins with John the Baptiser pointing out his cousin Jesus to two of his followers; they were already seeking the truth. We proclaim Jesus to everyone around us, but we do not go out of our way to force him upon the unwilling!
John calls Jesus the “Lamb of God”. Perhaps this was mysterious to them at the time, but as we have later learned the story of Jesus sacrificing himself for us on the cross, it becomes full of meaning.
The disciples follow Jesus, prompting him to ask them what they want. They want to be with him. Jesus issues the invitation “Come ....”, and they spend the rest of that day with him.
There must have been something. We are not told what they did or what they talked about (there are plenty of Jesus’ talks recorded later in the gospel). We do guess, however, that it was a time of excitement and wonder. Something must have happened.
I think this because of the effect on the disciple called Andrew of his time with Jesus. We are told that the first thing he does is to find his brother Simon. It is a time of excitement and sharing. If it had been taking place today we would call it a Facebook/Twitter moment!
We learn first that you do not have to have the gift of the gab. We hear very little of Andrew but he pops up at key moments helping people to meet Jesus: the boy with five loaves and two fish, some anonymous Greek seekers, and here his own brother Simon. Andrew does not seem to say much, but at the important times he speaks.
Second, it is good to share good news about Jesus in our networks, perhaps among groups of friends or colleagues or as here within the family. (Note that there are two brothers, and that only one will end up leading their party!)
Third, Andrew does not share good news about a thing or an experience or an ideology, but about Jesus. When we talk about Back to Church, we are not making out this building or the particular group who meet here to be the main thing. It is short hand for saying that we see no substitute for living in a real relationship with Jesus.
Fourth, Jesus meets us where we are. For Simon this involved a new name Cephas, Peter, the Rock. Jesus not only saw Peter as he was, but could see what Peter could and would become if he threw in his lot with him.
For Simon now called Peter this was the start of an adventure that would transform him. There would be other invitations, to be a fisher of men, beside the lake shore to feed Jesus’ sheep, to rise up kill and eat.
For each of us, whether we are newly arrived this morning or if we have been following Christ for many years, the invitations keep coming to encounter him, to grow in him.
As a church we will spend time this coming Wednesday in responding to the invitation from Jesus to be his church here in the way that is right for Camberley at this time. I invite you to come as you are, to follow him and work for him.
No comments:
Post a Comment