[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon: Come and See

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:

This is my sermon for tomorrow using the John pericope.


__

Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB
www.ffisher.net
Interim Pastor
First Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, IL
www.fpckewanee.org
Elmira United Presbyterian Church
www.elmiraunited.org

aka

Brother Oscar Romero
Oblate of St. Benedict's Abbey
Bartonville, IL
www.SBAbbey.com


"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so
that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."-Cherokee proverb


________________________________

It was a beautiful 
spring day.
At first glance,
everything, 
 seemed to be at peace,
in Lambston;
everything that is
with the exception
of the monthly meeting
of the ministerial association.

For the past few months
the association meeting
had become a bit boisterous.
The normally 
 tranquil discussions
of prayer and scripture
had given way
to a subject
near to everyone's heart.
And each of the three pastors present
felt their own congregation
had come up with
the best method
for doing evangelism.

Pastor Pyre E. Brimstone
led off the discussion
by showing his colleagues
his congregation's
 flashy new tracts.
"The multicolor printing
was really expensive,
and I had to really sell
my design
to the church board,"
he said proudly.
"But I think
it was worth every penny."

Pastor Brimstone,
or P.B. as his congregation
was wont to call him,
proceeded to show off
the tract's detailed graphics.
Each page
was filled with graphics
of people being thrown into flames
by pitchfork wielding devils.

He seemed especially proud
of the cover
which was emblazoned
with what he described
as his congregation's new motto;
"Come to our church
 or burn forever.
The choice is yours."

"That certainly is, 
ah, 
interesting,"
the other two pastors replied.
But even though 
they were a bit hesitant,
P.B. convinced them
to give his evangelism method 
a try.
So armed with
 cases
of the new tracts
all three pastors
returned to their congregations.
And  congregants
spread out all over the city
to hand out the tracts
to everyone they met.

When the three pastors
gathered
 at their next association meeting,
P.B. seemed a bit distressed.
In fact,
all three of them seemed upset
about the results
of P.B.'s evangelism campaign.
"I can't understand it,"
P.B. moaned.
"The tracts are stacked up 
in waste cans
all over the city.
No one's reading them.
Well,
no one,
that is,
except for the fellow
who told me 
if he was going to hell
he'd be sure 
to save me
a seat by the fire."

"Yes,"
answered Pastor Netta Prophet.
"It seems
fear hasn't been really useful
as an evangelism tool.
It's even driven 
some of our members
away.
They said,
they'd be back
when we stopped threatening people
and tried doing things 
their way."


"And what way
is that,"
P.B enquired?  
"After the drop in attendance last month,
I'll try anything!"

So Pastor Prophet
described the evangelism campaign
developed by her board.
It was all about
how wonderful it was
to live as a Christian,
and about 
all the wonderful things
God returned to us
when we give money
to the church.
"We firmly believe,"
Pastor Prophet concluded,
"if we give ten percent
to God,
we'll be made rich
in all kinds 
of blessings.
And we want to share
that good news
with all of Lambston.

"I'm not sure
this is gonna work either,"
moaned P.B.
as he looked out the window
at Pastor Prophet's 
new advertising truck.
But he did go on to say
 the logo,
displayed prominently 
on the truck's billboard
was . . .
striking! 
"I don't think
I've ever seen
a picture of angels
feeding slot machines,"
he muttered.

Pastor Prophet
convinced the association
to go along
with her board's evangelism campaign 
for the next month.
But all three of them
were discouraged
when their association next gathered.
"How can the State's Attorney say
we're running a Ponzi scheme,"
Pastor Prophet wailed.
"You can't believe
how much the bail money
bit into our budget."

"It didn't help my budget either,"
P.B. chimed in.
"Not to mention
 attendance has dropped again
and we certainly
aren't attracting any new members.
What's your congregation's plan
Pastor Servant?"
Our ideas certainly
don't seem to be working!"

"I'm afraid our board,
didn't go along
with either 
of your evangelism campaigns,"
Pastor Servant replied.
"They felt
we should simply go on doing
what we've been doing."

"Just what
have you
been doing,"
P.B. and Pastor Prophet
asked in unison.
"We see
you've had to add 
another Sunday worship time.
That make's four services
each week
doesn't it?"

"Actually,
with the new worship time,
we're gathering six times a week,"
Pastor Servant said.
"And I can't say
we're doing anything special.
Oh,
we certainly advertise
with signs and direct mail.
But it's the congregants
who bring other people in."

"You see,
a couple years ago
we decided to go 
back to the basics.
We've formed all sorts
of small groups.
These groups
all get together to pray
to study
and to serve others.
At first
it seemed nothing much 
was happening.
But over time
we all found
our lives
were being changed.
We found 
we were getting 
closer and closer 
to God.
The closer we got to God
the more we changed
and the more we wanted to serve
God's people."

"But how is that
 evangelism,"
P.B. and Pastor Prophet called out?
"What gets the people
in the door?"

"We think
God 
gets them in the door,"
Pastor Servant calmly replied.
"You see,
when we go out
to serve someone else,
or when someone
sees a change
in one of our members,
people ask us why.
Why are we caring for someone
with no attempt
to get something
in return?
Why are we different people
than we were before?"

"When we're asked 'why'
 questions,
we just say 
what Jesus said
when he was calling the disciples.
'Come 
and see.'"

"That's all we say,
'Come and see.'
And many do come,
they see,
and they stay,
for they've found
a life with the Lamb of God:
the One
who takes away
the world's sins;
the One
for whom they've been
searching
without even knowing
whom they sought."

"Hmmm,"
P.B. and Pastor Prophet quietly said.
"Perhaps
you're on to something."

And all three pastors
returned to their congregations
to continue,
or to begin,
 a way of changing lives
into something
entirely new
and spreading 
the Gospel message
of God's incredible love.
As they did
more and more people
asked questions
like "why" and how, 
"what," and "where."

And more and more people
simply answered 
with a gentle smile,
"come and see."

To God alone be glory.
Amen.






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