John 1:43-51

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John 1:43-51

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow me.' 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.' 46Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' 47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, 'Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!' 48Nathanael asked him, 'Where did you get to know me?' Jesus answered, 'I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.' 49Nathanael replied, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!' 50Jesus answered, 'Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.' 51And he said to him, 'Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.'

Think
So as priests/deacons clergy types in general we are often acting as Philip did in this story.  All Christians are called to bring about reconciliation between God and each other, but ordained ministers feel this call in a more direct way.  We think we are supposed to bring people to God.  Its part of the reason I agonize over sermons sometimes when it is really unnecessary.  But in the best scenarios we don't need to do much work because all we have to do is say something like: let me tell you about this guy I know, Jesus.  and the rest will unfold much like it did for Nathaniel after Philip spoke to him.    We hope right?  Isn't that what we hope we get out of our evangelism? 

A friend of mine is writing a blog this Lenten season about his 40 days of evangelism and I wonder if he fancies himself a Philip-follower (I wrote Philipian but that was too much of a pun).  I think that I want to be more like Philip, although often times I find myself in Nathaniel's shoes instead being reminded by people to whom I feel I am evangelizing that God loves and knows me, and he called me long ago to be his beloved child and I am the one who keeps going astray.  Sometimes I just need to be reminded that Jesus truly is the Son of Man and that I am better off for acknowledging him. 

Pray

Heavenly God, caller of all people, remind me that in my reaching out I am not spreading my word, but yours, doing my work, but yours caring for my people, but yours.  Help me to be more like Philip at times and more like Nathaniel at times and be a honest disciple in all that I undertake listening to your call in my heart of hearts and soul of souls.  Through Jesus the Son of Man and the Spirit eternal.  Amen

Contemplate

15 minutes of centering prayer if I don't fall asleep in the quiet warmth of home after a long but fulfilling day at the Renewal Assembly.