Jesus Calls

John 1:43-46
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip 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.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

The first time that I met medical missionaries Paula and Denny Lofstrom, they issued the invitation to “come and see.”  They had come to our church in Wilmington through a winding, convoluted stream of connections, and because of their “invitation,” two years later I began planning to lead a group from Wilmington to go to Tanzania to help build the first pediatric hospital in Tanzania.  A year and half later, we would be in Tanzania.

When Paula and Denny first visited, they shared some of their experiences and gave some statistics about mother/infant health and morbidity rates, but they also knew that just hearing this information would have limited impact.  They wanted people to “experience” Tanzania and the work being done at the hospital.  In their presentations, they weren’t just “telling the story,” they were inviting others to become part of the story, and then these “others” would also tell the story and “invite” others into the story.  “Come and see” is always part of their presentations, and it works.  We went, we saw, we experienced the work and culture of the hospital in Tanzania, and upon returning, we’ve been telling the story and inviting others.*

Philip invited Nathanael to meet Jesus.  Nathanael was skeptical; Philip said, “come and see.”  Philip knew that just hearing “about” Jesus would only go so far; he wanted Nathanael to “experience” the presence of Jesus, and afterward, Nathanael was a believer AND A PROCLAIMER.  Nathanael experienced the transformational power of encountering Jesus, and it began with a simple invitation to “come and see.”  It’s been the best evangelism tool for the last 2000 years.  Come and see, and invite others to come and see!

Prayer: Most holy and gracious God, we thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, with whom we have a life-giving relationship.  Help us always to receive the abundant life you desire to give to us, and then lead us to invite others into this beloved community that is one with you through Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

*Because of Covid-19, mission trip plans to Tanzania for 2021 have been on hold. We are hoping to resume plans this summer so that we might be able to go in 2022.