Come and See
by Paul Larsen

John 1: 29-42

"Come and see." This is the way many good stories begin. The invitation to
come and see usually means leaving something behind. It might be something
physical like home, family, friends, possessions. Or it might be ideas,
attitudes, certainties, ignorance. John the Baptist's disciples leave their
teacher to follow Jesus. Peter and Andrew, James and John leave their nets
and boats. Nathanael abandons his prejudice against Nazareth.

"Come and see" is the storyteller's invitation, because until you come into
the world of the story there is nothing to see. "Come and see" calls us into
an alternative world, a place we have never been. "Come and see" is a
provocative invitation. It requires taking a chance on the unknown. Most of
us would prefer to see first and then decide whether we really want to
leave.

My grandmother crossed the ocean by boat and came from Denmark to the U.S.
at the invitation of my grandfather. His wife had died leaving him with the
care of three children. He needed a nanny so at age 16 Grandma came and saw.
Or did she? Even though she and my grandfather eventually married and had
several kids of their own, Grandma never learned English. She always longed
to go back to Denmark. She could never let it go. It probably worked out OK
for her children who spoke Danish, but her refusal to learn English cut her
off from a relationship with her grandchildren, who were more fluent in Pig
Latin. My memories of her are minuscule. She died when I was in elementary
school, but what I remember about Grandma is my parents dragging me along to
visit her in her apartment. Most of my visiting was done with Mary, her
caretaker. The conversation I could participate in with Grandma consisted of
"Tussen Tak" as I thanked her for the bottle of grape soda that Mary gave me
each time. Not much of a relationship. Even though she traveled across the
ocean blue, her heart never really "came and saw" the U.S. Keeping one foot
in Denmark prevented her from truly entering the hearts and lives of her
grandchildren.

It is hard to let go and really accept the invitation to "Come and see." It
can be frightening. We don't want to leave the security of the known. Our
situation may not be the best, but at least we are familiar with it. That
familiarity offers us some comfort. It scares us to leave what we know and
enter into something new. It is risky and requires faith and a spirit of
adventure.

How do we respond when Jesus invite us to "Come and see?" Do we try to keep
"one foot in Denmark?"

Just as Jesus invited Andrew and his friend to "Come and see", so he invites
us. He wants us to "Come and see" what it would be like to truly follow him.
He wants us to "Come and see" what it would be like to be his disciple. If
we accept this Epiphany invitation we will see the extra-ordinary in the
ordinary and we will learn to expect the unexpected. As followers of Jesus
we will discover that we have a mission from God. We have a purpose and a
vision to fulfill. We will find that we are called to invite others to "Come
and see."

Something amazing happens when we don't give in to our misgivings, but
instead step forward in faith. John the Baptist pointed two of his disciples
to Jesus. One of them, Andrew, told his brother Simon. Then Jesus called
Philip, who found Nathanael, and Nathanael told..... who told.... who
told... who told... and so on and so on.

Who could you tell?

Who could you invite?

Who could you call to "Come and see."

Hopefully, you received some Christmas gifts you were excited about.

Who did you tell?

What did you say?

Why is it so much easier to share our enthusiasm over our new "George Forman
Grill" than it is to invite someone to "Come and see" Jesus?

Our son gave us a new "George Forman Grill" and it truly is "a lean, mean,
fat grilling machine." It makes great hamburgers and steaks. But telling
people about the virtues of the George Forman Grill is a poor substitute for
sharing in the "Bread of Life."

Our mission statement at Christ the King says that we are Guided by the
Gospel to invite and welcome all to join in serving God and God's people by
Gathering, Growing and Giving." We are to invite and welcome others to "Come
and see."

The invitation of Jesus to "Come and see" launched not just a single journey
but a movement. It gave birth to the church which is the body of Christ in
the world. We have heard that same invitation. We are invited to leave
behind what we must, journey boldly into the unknown, open ourselves to the
unexpected, and invite others to do the same.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, of which we are a part, is the
largest Lutheran denomination in the United States. But it is getting
smaller. Despite the fact that we say we are Evangelical, that we share the
good news, that we invite others to "Come and see", membership in the ELCA
dipped below five million for the first time this past year. We have some
wonderful, good news to share. It is life changing, life transforming news
that tells us God loves us and forgives us and provides us with the strength
we need. But we are not being very effective about sharing that good news.
We need to find some new ways of inviting and welcoming others to "Come and
see."

Dwight L. Moody was a famous evangelist. A man came and visited with him
complaining about how pushy some members the church were about inviting
people to come to worship. Moody asked the man, "Well, how do you do it?"
And the man replied, "I guess I don't, but I don't think we should be that
pushy." Moody said, "I have to tell you I like their method of inviting
better than your method of not inviting!"

I don't think we have to buttonhole people or be pushy about sharing our
faith, but we also should not ignore God's call to invite others to "Come
and see." I believe it is time for us to take some new approaches and learn
some new methods. If we always do what we have always done we can only
expect to get what we have always gotten.

I really, really want you to come to the retreat on Saturday, February 5th
as the St. Paul Area Synod Inviting Team helps learn how to do a better job
of inviting others to "Come and see." It is my hope that all of you will
respond positively to my invitation to come to that retreat so that together
we can grow as a congregation in our ability to invite and welcome others.
Sign up on the insert in the bulletin and let us know you are coming.

That is an invitation to "Come and see" at a congregational level, but we
also have an invitation to "Come and see" on an individual level.

What has got you keeping one foot in "Denmark?"

What are you having a hard time leaving behind?

What is keeping you from accepting Christ's invitation to "Come and see"?

I recently read a story about Gina Low. Gina was approaching what she
called, "The Big Five-O" , her 50th birthday. She was a divorcee with grown
children who was not really expecting any major changes in her life. But
then her daughter announced, "Mom, for your birthday I'm going to send you
on a trip you'll never forget. Name one place in the world you've always
wanted to go." Gina immediately answered, "The Amazon." That would not be my
answer, but it was hers. Her tour boat chugged down the Amazon and
civilization fell away. Four days into the journey they pulled ashore at a
little village. She enjoyed meeting the children who came out to greet them,
but in the background she could hear the moans and groans of sick children.
She didn't know Spanish but understood what the villagers wanted when they
requested, "Aspirina." The guide explained that the children had yellow
fever, but that she need not worry because she had been vaccinated against
it.

Once she was back home she couldn't stop thinking about those poor children
suffering for lack of a simple aspirin or routine vaccination. She woke up
with their cries echoing in her ears. She tried to tell herself that there
was nothing she could do. She tried to convince herself that she was doing
plenty with her volunteer work at home. But eventually she discerned that
this was a call from God to "Come and see." She took classes in emergency
medicine and traveled back to Peru. Now she spends most of the year there
trying to improve the lives of children like the ones she met when she got
off the tour boat that day. She delivers babies. She gives medicines to
people who are suffering needlessly for the lack of them. She teaches health
and conservation. For her, it is like having a whole new family in a new
part of the world. She still comes back to the U. S. to see her family and
to pick up medical supplies. But she answered God's call to "Come and see"
how she could impact the lives of people living along the Amazon. She
answered that call and you should see what a difference she has made.

God is calling each of us to "Come and see." God is calling us to leave some
things behind things like grudges, prejudices, negativity, sins, faults and
failings. And Jesus is inviting us to "Come and see" something new. He is
calling us to "Come and see" what it is like to live in faith, to trust in
grace and to rely on God's leading. He is calling us to an Epiphany, an
"aha" moment where we see things in a new way. Where we discover the
extra-ordinary in the ordinary. Where we come to expect the unexpected and
even rejoice in it.

What is more God is calling us to invite others to "Come and see." We are to
invite others to "Come and see" Jesus, that they too might know what it is
like to be loved unconditionally, forgiven completely and accepted as an
important and valued part of the body of Christ. Please, answer that call.
Invite others as I now invite you to "Come and see." Amen.

(Comments to Paul at paullarsen@mediaone.net.)
Christ the King Lutheran Church

New Brighton, MN