Sermon of January 30, 2005
Presented by Rev. Julia Williamson
Scripture lesson: John 1:35-42

“What Are You Looking For?”

See if you can tell the difference between these 3 questions. “What are you looking for?” “What are you looking for?” “What are you looking for?” You may have guessed that I’m trying out different ways of posing this question, with the emphasis on different words, in order to change the meaning, if only just slightly. This is somewhat, but not exactly, like the story that my veterinarian shared with me when I brought our hamster in to get checked a few weeks ago. Our hamster’s name is Bamboo, because he looks like a panda, black and white. And this bit of information prompted my vet to tell me about the book called Eats Shoots and Leaves. The book is about language and punctuation. It gets its title from the dictionary definition of a panda as an animal who eats shoots and leaves. On the back cover is a picture of a panda sitting in a restaurant eating, pulling a gun out, shooting into the air, and leaving.  Where you put your emphasis and punctuation, and how you say something, carries a lot of meaning. And here’s where I’m going with this...  Where our culture puts the emphasis, or punctuation, what our culture thinks is important, is going to have a profound affect on us, and is going to influence the way that we see things.

These days, our culture is putting the emphasis on, or punctuating, individuality as opposed to community. It seems like we, as a culture, are more attune to thinking of ourselves as individuals, than as members of a community.  For example, last week I heard from a friend who has been very involved in her church up in Massachusetts . However this time she wrote: “I have spent the last year struggling with my faith and trying to figure out who I am in church if I am not the head of some committee.” I don’t think she’s alone in her struggles. And I wonder how her feelings factor into the dynamics of what keeps people coming to church when there is no pressing obligation to be here. What’s going on when someone stops attending worship when their term on a board or committee is up? Or when they retire from teaching church school? What can we as a community do to encourage people to be followers as well as leaders? We need all of our members to be in worship, in church school, at spaghetti and ham dinners, at the tea and at the Yankee St. Fair and to pledge their time, their talents and their treasures. In other words, we all need to take our membership in this community seriously, whether or not we are currently serving in an official role. Why?  Not only because we are called by God to do so, but because we have been given a gift, a gift that is fragile and that needs to be nurtured. So, the question becomes, what can we do as a church to continue to nurture and build community here, while keeping in mind that people become involved for very individual reasons?  I think the beginnings of an answer to that question can be found in Jesus’ simple words, “come and see.”

Jesus says to those two of his soon-to-be disciples, “Come and see”. They are following at a distance. They don’t want to get too close. Maybe they’re a little shy, a little hesitant. They’re not sure what they’re getting themselves into.  But they are following, and that’s the first step. They’ve gone out on a limb, so to say. They don’t know Jesus really well, but they’re willing to take a chance.  They’ve heard some good things about him. And so they start to follow him at a safe distance. 

If you’ve ever felt like just to get here on time on a Sunday morning is going out on a limb, you’re probably not alone. I only have one child. So I’ve never experienced the effort it takes to get here on time with multiple children, or after working a night job. That is certainly going out on a limb.  But I hope it’s worth the effort. I hope that when you get here you are greeted warmly and you are glad to be a part of this family of faith. If you don’t know this church very well yet, or if you feel like we don’t know you very well, then it may feel like you’re going out on a limb for a while to come. But give us a chance, keep following, and listen when someone says to you, in one way or another, “come and see.” Stick around awhile, and think about how your gifts can be used here.

And if you’ve been here forever, why not talk to someone you’ve never spoken to before. Be the person who says to a newcomer, “come and see.” Maybe you don’t know their name, but that’s OK. Go out on a limb. For the next 2 weeks we could say that everyone has a special compensation to confess that they don’t know someone’s name. Even if you talk to them every week and can’t remember their name, now is a good time to find out!

So we have those two disciples following at a distance, and Jesus turns and says to them, “What are you looking for?” And then, instead of answering their next question (Where are you staying?) directly, he says, “come and see.” It’s like the difference between trying to describe your new home to a friend, (Well, it’s got a nice front yard and the paneling in the dining room’s not bad...) and inviting them over to see it for themselves. The invitation leaves open so many possibilities. Maybe your friend just saw some new curtains that would go perfectly in the living room. Or, (to get the guy’s point of view) maybe his next door neighbor wants to sell his snow blower and you need one for your new, extra-long driveway. To translate this conversation to the church, I’m trying to say that it takes a while to find the right fit between your gifts and the church. When Jesus says, “come and see” he’s meeting them halfway and inviting them to respond, to come and find the answer themselves.

My prayer is that everything we do would include an invitation for people to “come and see.”  Sometimes you might be the one following at a distance and at other times, the one issuing the invitation.  And often we are doing both at the same time in different ways. Yet no matter which position we see ourselves in, we all have a job to do. Those two soon-to-be disciples needed to keep on walking in order to meet up with Jesus. So, to those of us who are searching, I would say, be a little bold. No matter if you are looking for community, for connections, for support, for a way to make a difference, for a way to give back, you may need to take some initiative. Don’t wait for an invitation. To those who would say, “come and see”, be creative. Be open to new perspectives.

If someone said to you, “You know I’ve heard a little bit about that church you go to. Where is it again?” You could say “It’s 228 Bolton Center Rd, you know, that building next to the town hall.”   You could also say, “Why don’t you come and see? Come with me on Sunday or on Thursday night, and I’ll show you.”  In those three simple words, “Come and see”, Jesus opened up a world of possibilities. We can too. He invites those 2 future disciples to explore where their gut is leading them. If we make the effort, if we start down the road, like those 2 guys did, Jesus will turn around and invite us to come and see. Come and see what this church is all about. Come and see how God is at work here. Come and see how your gifts can make a difference. Come and see how God’s Spirit, moving in and among us, could change your life.

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