Last Friday after the Epiphany 2021

John 1:35-42 (NRSV)

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).

Come and see! It's just that simple. There are no problematic hoops to jump through, no pre-requirements, no physical exam, no test to take, and nothing to do but come and see. We sometimes forget how simple Jesus' invitation is. 

In today's reading, John the Baptizer has just claimed that Jesus was the "Lamb of God." Andrew and another disciple of John heard John say this and immediately followed Jesus. When Jesus saw them following, he simply asked, "what are you looking for." After Andrew and the other disciple asked where Jesus was staying, Jesus told them to come and see. In the church, we have brought this simple invitation further into the Episcopal Church's catechumenate process. Admission to the catechumenate begins with the question, "what do you seek?" and the response is "Life in Christ."

What strikes me is how "different" this call story is compared to the synoptic gospels. In Matthew, Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18-22), and in Luke, Jesus is standing beside the lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1-11). One thing for sure is that Andrew was a fisherman, and so was his brother Simon. In John's account, Andrew is responsible for bringing his brother Simon to Jesus. 

Then comes one of my favorite parts, probably because I like "nicknames." Nicknames are terms of endearment that we bestow on others (family and friends) that we care about. After knowing Simon all of 2 minutes, Jesus calls him Cephas or Petros (Peter), which is basically calling him Rock or Rocky (I'm wondering what Dwayne Johnson and Sylvester Stallone think about that). The term means something substantial here because he recognizes Peter as a dependable person, grounded... one on which he will build his ekklesia (community or church). But it all started with the simple invitation to "come and see." I also suggest that the invitation didn't go to Simon (or Peter), but it went to Andrew, his brother. His brother, Andrew, went and brought Simon to Jesus and said to him, "we have found the anointed."

God calls us through many different avenues at many different times (not just 4pm). It comes through sisters and brothers, family and friends... and the invitation is always simple, "come and see." Experience what the ekklesia has to offer, see what purpose it might give to your life. Lent is a time of connection and reconnection. This is how we are connected in the community of believers, and it is the way we can connect with others. Who have you asked recently to "come and see" what life in Christ is all about?

Hebrews 5:1-10 (NRSV)

Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent - Reflections on the Letters of Lent

Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you" as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Appointed...  You are appointed! Selected to do something that you probably otherwise wouldn't do. You have been given a task to complete, a vocation, a duty that you cannot turn down. I have always liked the old Mission Impossible episodes: "Your mission Jim, should you choose to accept it, ... As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." (I used to watch the series with my dad) Now, maybe you think my head is far off of this scripture but hang on, I'll get there. 

I love the Parker Palmer quote, "Vocation is something that you can't not do." I believe the talented educator used the double negative on purpose. He used it to show us that one cannot turn down a vocation (our true mission) as impossible as it seems. It's something within us that we must do. It is of a higher calling, a higher purpose... more than just a job, it is your reason for being in this world.

Now, that's a bit deep for some folks to go, but I believe that is what the writer to the Hebrews was trying to get across. The writer was trying to give the people a sense of their calling a purpose as believers in Jesus. He was trying to get them to understand their place in the world and the vocation that they have been given to do. They have a higher calling to connect people to God through their faith in Jesus. That's what some of them were appointed by God to do. 

The call to action that I hear today is, once you've discerned with prayer and struggle, "do what you have been appointed to do." Do it with urgency, sincerity, and faith. Do it, not to glorify yourself, but to bring glory to God in the restoration of the world. Do it, and God will make the mission possible.