Come and See

Early in the story of Jesus' ministry, we read about John the Baptist recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. As John was with his followers one day, he saw Jesus passing by and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" Two who heard him decided to pursue whatever that meant, so they got up and followed Jesus. When they asked Jesus where he was staying, he replied, "Come, and you will see." So they went, and spent the day with him.

I love the invitation here, the hospitality extended -- Jesus welcoming others into his space. And the hospitality was spread, too, when Andrew responded in his excitement by bringing his brother Simon to Jesus, and when Philip invited even the rather dismissive-sounding Nathanael.

It seems there was plenty that John the Baptist didn't fully know or understand about Jesus, but he didn't let that keep him from following what he did know and understand. And he didn't keep it to himself; he engaged with others.

And Jesus? He welcomed those who didn't really know who he was but were interested in finding out -- and he still does. He invites each person to not just know about him, but to deeply know him, spending time in his presence and discovering who he is.

-- Pastor Debi

(This account is found in John 1.)

Becoming Youier

John Ortberg

 

I listened to John Ortberg as I drove to Seattle.  He spoke of walking in step with God, enabled to develop in the good ways that He intends.  One point Ortberg made was that some things about each person will never go away, because God intentionally created particular traits in each person.  Rather than being eliminated with spiritual growth, they will be redirected.  God is very intentional about creation, including the creation of each person's personality.

For example, before he met Christ, the Apostle Paul was a passionate, brilliant, zealous man, and he persecuted Christians.  After he met Christ, he was a brilliant, passionate, zealous man, and those traits were instrumental to the spread of the gospel.  In more recent times, Chuck Colson's drive, motivation and ambition led him to places of significant political influence and then to prison.  After he met Christ, his drive, motivation and ambition led him to make an incredibly positive difference through prison ministries.  Redemption is not replacement of the old, but its return to a better state.  Ortberg concludes that God works His redemption in the life of everyone who is aligned with the Holy Spirit.  "You won't just get holier, you will get you-ier," becoming more and more the excellent version of you that you were created to be.

I was listening to this sermon on the way to Seattle for a two-day workshop on Fierce Conversations.  "Fierce" is not about being bloody, cruel, or threatening, but robust, intense, strong, powerful, and passionate.  "Fierce" conversations are ones in which we stop pretending, when we refuse to take the easy way out, when we bypass the simplistic answers that really don't mean squat.  Fierce conversations are ones in which we function respectfully and without masks, showing up boldly as ourselves.  Truly fierce conversations create respectful space that encourages others to show up boldly as themselves, too.

Scott's "fierce" sounds to me like Ortberg's "you-ier," and both sound like Christ.

Identity

"Who are you?"

There are many ways to answer this question, defining oneself by family relationships, friendships, work roles, culture, gender, ethnicity, preferences, skills, education, personality traits, sports teams, physical appearance, and so much more.  These can be an important to a sense of identity, and are certainly part of God's unique creative work in each of us.  But such descriptions cannot reach to the core.

Paul's letter to the Romans is an incredible work, articulating the foundations of grace, faith, and righteousness.  How does he begin such a letter?  He starts with the character of God and then his own identity in Christ.  Paul knew he was a servant, an apostle, set apart for God, one who has received grace.  His identity was in Christ, and only from that perspective could he begin to proclaim the gospel.

I am reminded of Jesus' words in John 13: "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist."  He took on the menial role of a servant who would customarily wash the feet -- likely they were dirty and smelly from walking along dirt paths -- of the guests before a meal.  Jesus knew who he was and he did not serve in spite of recognizing his divine nature, but because of it.

When we see clearly who God is, and who He invites us to be in Him, we create space for His transforming work to bring about great fruit in our lives.