Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached on 1/14 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church. The text is John 1:43-51 . The other day I was in the grocery store. I noticed a couple wearing Bills regalia and decided to say to them, “Go Bills.” They smiled and responded in kind, “Go Bills.” Because they identified themselves as fans, we were able to identify each other and greet each other as fans. They displayed their identity and I saw it. I wonder how often we display our faith, not so much by t shirts and colors as by our actions. Others can then see Jesus in us. Sight is key in John’s gospel. In fact, the number of times it’s coupled with “come” is impressive. We hear “Come and see:”  A) When Jesus begins his ministry B) When the woman at the well returns to her hometown to invite others.  C) When they bring Jesus to Lazarus' tomb D) When they find Jesus on the cross E) When they come to the empty tomb. Today's gospel passage is found at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. We use the words ...

This is the sermon I preached at St. Timothy and St. Mark Lutheran churches on Sunday, Jan. 14. The text is John 1:43-51 . There is a cycle of discipleship that causes the church to grow: First is Jesus’ invitation to follow him, followed by the invitation to come and see. Then we are told what we will see, which is akin to receiving teaching and growing in faith. When this cycle is perpetuated and reproduced over and over in the lives of Christ’s followers, the church grows. This may sound a little crass, but it’s like the message on a bottle of shampoo: lather, rinse, repeat. In today’s gospel reading we see the lather, rinse, repeat of discipleship. First, we have Jesus’ invitation to follow him. Jesus found Philip. Philip didn’t search high and low for Jesus. We cannot find Jesus. He isn’t lost, for one thing. Jesus finds us. After finding Philip, Jesus says, “Follow me.” That’s good enough for Philip. “What is not obvious is the mysterious, inward, hidden work of God i...