Come and See 012008

John 1:35ff

Invitations—usually to something good

Jesus gave an invitation to Andrew and his friend

Come and see

Jesus gives each of us an invitation

We can give our friends an invitation

Invitations come in all sorts of fashions nowadays—always sounding good but unlike the invitations the children get, grown ups get more complex ones: invitation to a JCP sale

Invitation to the good life with this new credit card

Invitation to test-drive a new car

Invitations that come from Jesus are much simpler; not easy, but very simple: come and see for yourself

Jesus invites Andrew and his friend and you and me to a personal experience—not just because someone told you what to do or believe, but to choose for yourself eg confirmation—lent coming up, Johns class, women’s study in lent, interfaith groups: see for yourself

Come and see

Jesus turns to you, no matter who you are, what you’ve done, what your past is like, and invites you, personally, individually—he wants to know your hearts desire then says come and see, inviting us into a relationship, a lifestyle, that can meet our deepest need

Come and see what its like to hang out with me

Come home with me, come be in my presence

And its an invitation to go deeper than we presently are. Remember last week John reminded us that we tend to like to stay on the surface, but that we are invited to be immersed in God’s love, immersed in the prophetic tradition, not just toying with it, dipping our toes in when it’s convenient.

I was speaking with a mentally ill woman this week, and amidst her illogical ramblings she said this: people around here are pretty satisfied with their lives, and they think they don’t need Jesus.

Pam is reading a book right now called "Christianity for the rest of us", and one chapter has an image that will really challenge us: read from "From Tourists to Pilgrims"

I know that if we take time to look deeper inside ourselves, beyond the surface satisfaction, we can all identify a deep desire that our present lifestyles don’t fill

Come and see, says Jesus, look deeper, risk vulnerability,

Come and see what its like to be Peter, invited in by his brother then re-named, refocused by Jesus from Simon to Peter, transforming from an old identity to a new one that Jesus sees deep within him.

Come and see what its like to be like Andrew and his friend, safe but curious, wanting to go deeper, risking something new: a new study perhaps, a new behavior, giving up something you falsely depend on, a new belief perhaps: these two disciples were John’s followers, but he pointed them to Jesus so they could move forward on the journey, not be stuck in one set of rigid beliefs.

Which brings me to the third thing about Jesus’ invitation; it’s an invitation that, once accepted,

implies sharing. One cannot really follow Jesus without also extending the invitation to others.

John pointed them to Jesus, then Andrew goes to his brother and says exactly the same thing: come and see

Come and see what it’s like to be John the Baptizer, pointing people to Jesus, showing them how to go deeper on the journey: teachers, group leaders, prayer and share groups, pastors; maybe this is something you could do

Come and see what it’s like to be Andrew – finding something so exciting about his faith journey that he just has to tell someone else, come and see. In fact, all three times that Andrew shows up in the gospels, he’s bringing someone to Jesus!!

I saw a cartoon this week, two frames: first labeled evangelism 101 and one persons says to another, yeah I go to church. The second is evangelism 201: where the person says, yeah I go to church, wanna come?

Children bring friends to SS or youth group, saying come and see. We’re not talking rocket science here; it’s a simple thing to do. We’ve become such wimps about public God talk that we don’t even raise the fact we go to church with our neighbors or co-workers—we’ll tell people about good restaurants, or auto mechanics, where we’ve found the best price for fish, but not about where we have found Jesus, where we ourselves have been invited and welcomed and transformed.

(Mark Ralls story)

"Where are you staying?" these two disciples ask Jesus—where do you hang out, what’s your life like? Something I read this week struck me about the implications of this apparently simple question: where is Jesus going in our town, where would Jesus be. Never mind what would Jesus do – just go where he would be and take his love with you. It’s easy to do what Jesus would do if you’re not where Jesus would be—it’s easy to stand up in a church full of Christians and talk about God, but can we go to the hospitals, rest homes, detention center, jails, with as much compassion and ask: "what is it that your heart desires most?"

Some of us can, and do; some of us support them. Some of us play safe.

Mark, Gary, Mary, Kathryn etc: Where is Jesus hanging out?

Around the Sunday Dinner table, as we cook for our neighbors-come and see

At Francis Center, as we pray and eat with homeless men—come and see

At our Spiritual Lunch Break group, where we study the scriptures and share our lives – come and see

At Sanctuary House, as we eat and play with children and women trying to find a better life.

And at Advent House as we will hear in a few minutes.

Which part of Jesus’ invitation is for each of you, personally, only you and God know….whether it’s the first time to really say yes to Jesus, or to leave something behind and follow a different way, or to try a new thing, or share in a new way.

To each of us, Jesus turns a loving face, and looking us right in the eye, close enough to feel his breath, and asks what your hearts desire is…..then says

Come and see.

Amen

In this story, John points Andrew to Jesus, Andrew points his brother to Jesus. John didn’t just see Jesus, his cousin, or a new prophet; he saw deep inside Jesus, who he Really was—Then Andrew didn’t just see Jesus, a new prophet, he saw deep inside Jesus and saw him as the one they’d been hoping for all their lives, the one who would meet their deepest needs. Then Jesus didn’t just see Simon; he saw who Simon could become. Jesus see the potential in all of us, and tries to call it forth.

Following Jesus is about pointing others to him, bringing them to youth group, to church, whatever. Following Jesus is also about realizing what Jesus can see that we can’t – often about ourselves.

Close your eyes

Imagine yourself in a quiet, safe place; it might be a corner of your living room, or your bedroom, or even church, somewhere safe…..

You hear a voice, a voice of your past, whispering to you… there is something more to life than you know right now….what is your heart’s desire….

You wonder what more there might be to your life…you name your blessings, all the good things about your life….

And you begin to realize there is something you want that’s not anything to do with stuff…something deep within you that says I want to be…or I want to know….

And you know, from a friend or teacher or youth leader or pastor that there is indeed something deeper in life….and you hear a voice ask you: who are you? If you had a name that meant who you are, who you show the world you are, what would it be? Some of us might be called

Not good enough

Sweetie, loved one,

Try harder

Then you imagine that Jesus appears beside you; he names you that name and looks deep in your eyes……he sees more than that; he sees what you might become….what would he call you then? Simon, the listener, becomes Peter, the rock From an inactive participant, he will become something for others to lean on.

If Jesus saw right through you, what potential would he see?

Sit quietly with that thought for a moment. What does Jesus see in you that other people maybe don’t. What can you do to bring it out?

As we come together for communion tonight, think about this as a chance for Jesus to say to you "Come and see’ what you might become.

Come and see the kind of life and abundance and fullness you might have

As you take the bread of life, imagine Jesus saying to you "there’s more to this life than you know"

And as you dip the bread into the cup, hear Jesus saying to you,

I want you to be all you can be.