New Beginnings and the Seeds that were Sown . . . by Heidi Jakoby and Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Seeds of possibilities!

The past four weeks by the way has been celebrating four years of walking together as an ever-changing community of faith. Feel free to scroll down past this post, to find some of btw’s bloggers reflecting on how God’s grace has been flowing through by the way. This blog posting marks our official point of closure, but the blog will remain online as an ongoing resource for you and others who may be stopping by.

As we close this blog we are reminded of the many seeds that have been sown, those known and unknown. We’ve heard many of your stories of seeds planted, eyes opened wide, walls crumbling down, God’s growth happening in so many ways. The two of us also have grown greatly through this ministry and we have all of you to thank: All 1000 plus of you! We are so grateful for all of you who have taken the time to read what we have written, those who’ve come to chat and/or worship in person, those who skyped with us, those who supported us financially, and those who prayed faithfully for the btw community. Thank you!

It’s been quite a trip to see by the way morphing into different shapes, according to the way we all felt the Spirit leading us. We have the sense of what it is like to be “transfigured”, re-shaped and re-energized for God’s mission to reach out to those needing faith community.

This Sunday is known by many around the world as “Transfiguration Sunday,” and the story told in Matthew 17:1-9  will be the primary focus. Take a look at that story to see a group of disciples invited to go with Jesus to a high mountain top where Jesus was then transfigured before their eyes.

Transfiguration is a marked change in form or appearance, a metamorphosis that reveals something BIG. Can you imagine witnessing something like this? What would a modern day transfiguration look like? How would being present for such an event change your life? Have you ever had a “mountain top experience” an experience that was so profound it forever changed you… as the experience with Jesus changed the disciples with him?

We have had a number of “mountain top experiences” throughout the journey of by the way. Here’s a peek at a few of our peaks:

• whenever we tried out a new public location, and there was a “moment” when this new space truly felt like God’s “sanctuary”
• whenever we met together to hash out our seemingly insurmountable challenges and ended up transformed by a surprising new insight and direction
• each time we gathered for Bread for Your Journey and found that a unique group of individuals was being shaped by God into a community where meaningful encounter was exhilarating
• the first time we had over a thousand hits on our blog
• when we changed from meeting in-person to meeting on audio-skype, and we realized that God could open us up to each other in new ways through this medium
• the times that our ministries led to someone being baptized

You may have noticed that as Jesus and his followers were coming down off the mountain Jesus asked them not to tell anyone until after he had risen. They were asked to wait until the appointed time, when the glory-story would make sense. We, too, need to listen carefully as God guides us to know when to speak and when to be silent. Today we are clear that this is the time to share our ending and our thankfulness.

Telling a story well is like blowing the seeds of a wild-flower into the air, not knowing where they will go or how they will take root. Today we let go of by the way and we pray for the many seedlings we trust God is still tending, that they may grow to help people know the love of God.

We hope that the ways we have shared God’s love has touched you in some way and that you will continue to feel God’s embrace. Please feel free to let us all know how what’s on your mind at this time of closure. And if you have any blogs or websites that have provided faith community for you, please share them in our comments below.

You are most welcome to stop by by the way’s last audio-skype conversation this Thursday (March 3) at 7pmEST, when we’ll be journeying into Jesus’ transfiguration story and praying together for the world God so loves. You need to have downloaded the program from skype.com and have a microphone with your computer (as most laptops do). Notice that you don't need a webcam, since it's not a visual call. Add "bythewaycommunity" to your contacts list on skype, and call in on Thursday.

We’ll close with these words of spirited poetry:

Finish then thy new creation, pure and spotless let us be;

 let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee:

 Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,

 till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise!

 ~ from Love Divine, All Loves Excelling  by Charles Wesley  

Walking with you in the way of Jesus,

Heidi and Kari

(One of btw's bloggers wrote this this amazing piece on the importance of by the way's insights for the whole Church.  Don't miss it!)

Dancing, by the way, with God

Sometimes the song that’s playing in the back of our minds is a gift, if only we will stop to listen.

Right now the words and melody of Donna Summer‘s Last Dance , is the gift that I’ve been trying to ignore but now have turned around to embrace. It’s not that the lyrics  are especially rich. It’s just the sense of the song that’s appropriate: the sweet mood of moving to the music one last time before the festive event comes to an end.

Heidi and I offered the invitation to our past bloggers to connect with the by the way community one last time before our closing next week. Dustin Wright responded with his images of God acting though by the way to provide a shelter from the storm  when he needed it most. Bill Petersen offered his take on living in the perfectness of God's love for us  rather than the perfectionistic goals we tend to pursue.

This week we have two more btw bloggers joining in the dance. And then next week Heidi and I will together compile our last reflections, on how God has indeed been dancing with us these past 4 years… as we’ve tangoed with the texts of God’s Word and the contexts of God’s world, through God’s dancing partner known as by the way.
Kari Henkelmann Keyl


To Linger Along the Water Way  by Elisabeth Aurand
 
The name “By the Way” and the blog’s attendant publicity cards had caught my attention, yet it was some months before I felt I had time… to explore this new “congregation via Skype.” I appreciated the empathetic and wisely reflective voices on Thursdays at 7pm, enough that I wanted to “meet them further on up the road,” (as Bruce Springsteen would sing it ).
 
I think my image… is “The Way”, a dusty way, tapering into the horizon where it now joins a way of waters. This water “way” still invites one for a journey –past the dusty road and on into the regular current. This is the river with us in our baptisms and it keeps rolling. I hope we who have gotten to know each other here can continue to linger along the water way together now and then.

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Where do you see God?  by Anne Roser

How amazing it is when God’s loving and healing presence is recognized in the world! As I have read the bytheway blog through the years, I have seen others point to the holy in new and exciting ways.

Isaiah 43.19 offers these words to us: “I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

Who could have imagined that when the internet took hold many years ago, that it would become a tool of faith? Or that social media via Facebook, originally geared for college students, would explode into use by many ages, groups, and organizations for their communication needs? Not to mention other social media inventions!

The science world is always on the fringe of new and exciting discoveries as well. A former college classmate of mine, Dr. Leonard Zon (read more about what he does here ) was recently featured on National Public Radio’s program Science Friday on his amazing work with stem cell research.  Do check it out!

God uses what is common to reach us, and that includes the wonders of science and technology. The gifted people of this world point out to us the wonders of life around us. They use what is common to bring new life. And we as well can use what is common to point to the Christ, the light of the world, using our gifts as God intends.

God is ever deepening our desire for what is holy. In ways old and new, God is reaching out to restore, renew, and nourish the world. We are all invited to new life, new possibilities, new futures – and the darkness of alienation, illness, injustice, despair and suffering do not have the final word upon the nations, cultures, and peoples of the world.

Where do you see God? Through invention, science, technology…as well as mutual dialogue, relationship and community, the power of the holy is revealed. New things indeed springs forth, do you not perceive them? Thanks be to God!

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Thank you, Elisabeth and Anne!  And thank you to the entire by the way community for joining in the dance.  Please add your reflections by commenting here, so we can all sway to the music of your dance with God.

(And if anyone has a link to the song Dance With Me, the one that starts with, "This is holy time", please do share it.  The lyrics fit with what we're talking about here, but I'd love to share the music as well.)

Perfect Retaliation = Love for Your Enemies (including yourself)

Today's post is from Bill Petersen, whose spirited imagination was vital at btw's beginnings as well as at other points along the journey. This being the last few weeks that by the way will be blogging (see the post from Feb. 2), we're hearing from those who have been central in btw's organically-growing life. On behalf of the btw community, I'd like give thanks to God for Bill's gifts and his enthusiasm for coloring outside the lines!   ~ Kari Henkelmann Keyl 

Is it really possible to love your enemies?  Can we really be so perfect?  It's a tall order, but it's a challenge that Jesus puts in front of us in Matthew 5:38-48, the big climax of Jesus' collection of teachings often called The Sermon on the Mount (from the 5th chapter of Matthew's Gospel).

In these teachings, Jesus moves from words of blessing to declaring an end to vengeance. Jesus tells us that God’s law (including the command to forgive and love our enemies) is based on God’s unlimited love.  Because of God’s love for us, we are not to respond to evil with retaliation, rather love and forgiveness. Jesus goes on to say that living in perfection is to live in the power of God’s abundant love.

Unfortunately many of us see perfection in a less than godly light. We have expectations of perfection demanded of us by our parents, friends, bosses, and if we truly admit it… ourselves. Even Jesus' words at the end of the passage from Matthew can add pressure: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Perfect, a word that I mutter as a curse more than I give as a compliment to myself, or anyone else for that matter…  perfect :(

I am reminded of Alanis Morissette’s song Perfect from her 1995 album ‘Jagged Little Pill’ is all about the pressure of perfection that can be piled on children by parents. The song has haunting, pressure filled lyrics that opens with:  Sometimes is never quite enough. If you're flawless, then you'll win my love. Don’t forget to win first place, don’t forget to keep that smile on your face…

It goes on with messages for sons: Be a good boy, try a little harder. You’ve got to measure up and make me prouder. How long before you screw it up, how many times do I have to tell you to hurry up. With everything I do for you, the least you can do is keep quiet.

And equally pressure filled words for daughters: Be a good girl, you’ve gotta try a little harder. That simply wasn’t good enough, to make us proud. I'll live for you, I'll make you what I never was.

And ends with the bottom line of: We'll love you just the way you are if you’re perfect!

How can a son or daughter live with that kind of far from perfect pressure…? I think Jesus recognized that there is pressure to be perfect and that as humans we can never measure-up. The law is a gift that isn’t meant to remind that we have to be perfect, but that as people, we can’t be. That doesn’t mean we should ignore it, but admit and ask for forgiveness when we screw up knowing that God loves us in all our perfect and less than perfectness.

There is a current song Perfect sung by P!nk, a singer influenced by Alanis Morrisette by the way, that confesses imperfection and reminds in the refrain that God see’s us as we are, loves us anyway and calls us to live awash in God’s perfect love. The refrain (the clean version here) are words that could be sung by Jesus to remind us of who and whose we are, children of God, made in God’s image…

Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel,
Like you're less than, less than perfect.
Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing,
You are perfect to me!

The P!nk Perfect video shows the less than perfect life of a girl growing up and the challenging struggles she faces as she tries to be perfect. It is raw, it is hard to watch, and it reflects the difficulty many experience trying to live-up to expectations of perfection. As I watched it and reflected on it, I recalled Jesus’ teaching about loving our neighbors, many of whom struggle with perfection, and how we are called to live in the love of God.

The video, and uncensored version of the song uncensored version of this song  will probably never be shown in schools or churches due to its “R” rated material and sensitive subject. But I recommend it because the beautifully crafted video shows a young woman who grows up facing the very real issues of bullying, drugs, self harm and theft in a world that is far from perfect. I also think that P!nk’s song is a reminder that one doesn’t have to live up to any of our worldly expectations of perfection, because to God you are perfect.

No matter what your emotional experience around perfection is, or was… you are made in God’s image. Yes you are flawed, but you are still given life and forgiven your mistakes by God who loves you. God knows every hair on your head, your deepest secrets, and all your imperfections but gave you Jesus to show us what perfect love is, to bring forgiveness, and to remind you that you are accepted with open, loving and welcoming arms by the One who sees you as perfect!

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Bill Petersen serves as the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church  in East Hartford, Connecticut and blogs at Signs Along the Way: At the Intersection of Grace + Reality

Shelter from the Storm . . . by Dustin Wright

Today's post features Dustin Wright: blogger, worshiping member, and leader in the by the way community.  This being the last month that by the way will be blogging (see the post from Feb. 2), we're hearing stories from those who have been central in btw's organically-growing life.  Thanks, Dustin, for your insightful words here, and for all you have given to this community!    ~ Kari Henkelmann Keyl

As by the way continues its journey, entering into a season of change and evolution, I'd like to reflect on how this community's ministry has been important to me, in light of the Bible reading that many Christians around the world will be focusing on this Sunday, Matthew 5:21-37.

At first glance, Jesus seems to be speaking here in very plain language. He tells us to reconcile with others, or we will "pay the last penny".  He tells us not to look at others lustfully, or we will be “thrown into hell.” He tells us that all oaths come “from the evil one.” Once some of his prescribed actions are considered however, it becomes quite clear that Jesus is doing more than simply giving commands. Instead of commanding us to gouge out our eyes or cut off our limbs, Jesus is instead teaching us how important our thoughts are instead of simply our actions.

When we lust over wealth, prestige, or indeed another person, we’re already loosing focus on what God is trying to tell us. When we give into anger and dismiss the concerns of a spouse, a parent or even a close friend, we end up violating God’s intention for us to be in community with others. Whenever we lust or don’t work to release anger from our hearts, whether we act on such emotions or not, we’re already distracted from our relationship with God, and life can indeed become a living hell.

Of course, it’s so easy to get distracted! In world that is constantly trying to pull us in different directions, we all need a place that is a “shelter from the storm” so to speak, a community where we know there are loving people that care for us and want to walk with us as we get back on track. The by the way community provided that shelter for me, in a time when I needed it the most.

When I first came to by the way I was in the midst of a great period of loss in my life, and I was grasping at almost anything that I thought might keep me afloat… having recently graduated college into a well paying but life-consuming job, I was living a pretty hedonistic lifestyle in the little spare time I had, longing for wealth and relationships in a vain attempt to fill all that was missing. Every time I took that long drive to Nashua, NH however and participated in by the way’s "Bread for Your Journey" gathering, I briefly had a chance to refocus on my relationship with God. As I got increasingly involved with the by the way community, I was empowered to listen to God’s call, and now only a couple years later, I am beginning my second semester at seminary, on my way to -- with God’s help -- becoming an ordained pastor.

At the beginning of this post I mentioned how by the way is entering into a season of change… and that’s exactly what it’s doing! As much as it might seem like it, by the way is not ending, not at all! Instead, through the ministries of all whom it has touched over the years, by the way is evolving into what it was always meant to be. Through all of us, by the way will continue to have a lasting positive influence on others, be a ministry centered on learning and growth, and most importantly, be a way for individuals to feel part of the body of Christ who wouldn’t otherwise.

God’s peace,
Dustin

Note:  For some insight into Jesus' challenging words on divorce, see this translation: Matthew 5:21-37 - The Message    ~ Kari

Lights on in Egypt, lights on in us...

by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

The eyes of the world are on Egypt. Hopeful eyes: Will the protests bring about positive change for the Egyptian people (and others hungry for justice)? Fearful eyes: Will the protests get really ugly, and if they do, who will get hurt, and how will it affect us?

It’s almost as if there is a spotlight shining on Cairo. We hear a drum-roll. We know this is huge. How will this play out? I don’t know about you, but I’m praying, praying, praying. God, be with those thousands of people putting their lives on the line for justice. Hold them close. Move through them that they might be a light to all surrounding nations...

…And a light to us. To us? Yes, God, let the light of those who work for justice open our eyes, too… so we’ll see where justice is needed and act boldly.

How can we be beacons of hope, too? How are we already doing that? How do you see God at work in the world, moving those who are oppressed to speak up, moving those who have lots to take risks for those who have too little?

The whole “beacon of hope” idea is big in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah gets his people pumped up plenty of times by calling them “lights”. He wants them to strive for justice.  Do it because justice it's good for us as a people, and good for our relationships with God.  But more than that: Do it so God can shine a light to the world through us. This big-picture thinking breaks the molds. This is huge.

Take a look at these beautiful words:  Isaiah 58:6-10.  Isaiah is speaking to people who think that if only they “fast” (hold back on eating, in the way their religion prescribes) then God will smile on then. If only they worship impressively, God will help them re-build their destroyed country and jump-start their economy.  But no, Isaiah says!  Live the light that you are, boldly sharing, enacting God's justice, and getting closer to God in the process!

Can you just feel those warm rays shining out of you? They probably are. I bet you can think of one or more ways that your choices help to make this world a better place, ways that God shines a light through you. David Lose, in his  weekly message to preachers, suggests that we could each keep a Salt and Light Log, a list of ways God works through us to be the “light of the world” and “salt of the earth” It can get you thinking about how those justice-filled actions affect your faith in God. It could get you asking yourself what God is prodding you to do next.

Jesus is the one who gets us thinking about being salt and light, in this quite famous passage. Take a look at this version (Matthew 5:13-16 NRSV), and then at another (Matthew 5:13-16 The Message), just for fun (and additional illumination!) and to see how two different translators view the words of the Bible.

This whole business of shining your light, and of noticing lights shining in the world, has been so important in all that by the way has been and done these past 4-plus years. The by the way community has morphed a number of times, taken on different shapes to fit how the Spirit is calling us, in order to be effectively shining God’s light to those who might not ordinarily see it. It’s been quite a ride, and I thank all of you for your part in this journey (whether you are reading for the first time or if you’ve been here for the duration!)

Please stay tuned-in this next month, while by the way goes through it’s next morphing phase. We’re going to be celebrating how God has led us and we’ll be drawing our ministry to a close. It has been a difficult decision. We’ve prayed lots and will continue to do so. And it feels right to be moving on.

We’ll be asking you to consider sharing your thoughts on how by the way has been a light for you or has somehow connected you to God and to others in new ways. As always, you are invited to comment below to connect to others in the by the way community. Let us know what’s on your “Salt and Light Log” or what concerns you have for people who are in crisis around the world, and how we can support them and advocate for them.

I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus as I am hearing them today: You ARE my light. Absorb my warming love. Let it move around in you, and then out through you: in bold acts of justice and love.

What’s in your wallet?... or... What do you carry? by Anne Roser

"What's in your wallet?" Capitol One has made that question a pretty common one withtheir their memorable commercials.

This commercial always makes me think about what I carry with me. Too often the little daypack I carry gets stuffed with too many writing implements, too many tea bags, various forms of ID (hey, I have to keep that Red Sox Nation card!), cell phone, keys, appointment cards, and whatever I use for money these days. Oh, it’s winter, so add the meds and the tissues! And lists, to remember what to do and where to go…it’s exhausting just thinking about it all! Exhausting because as much as I try, there is no way to prepare for every contingency the world throws my way.

Beyond the tangible things we carry, there are intangible ones as well. These can wear us down even more. We might call them burdens, or worries, or doubts, or just plain fears. The school bus is late…has something happened? There are 7 messages on voice mail….that can’t be good! A family member is hospitalized. A national tragedy heightens our anxiety and grieves our spirits. The bills are piling up, and we are being stretched so lean that we feel we will break. These are burdens many of us carry.

Yet, life also includes blessings. Here are some definitions… Burden: something that is carried, something oppressive or worrisome. Blessing: something conducive to happiness or welfare.

Have you ever noticed how some people can endure and even surpass the most incredibly difficult times in their lives? How is it that some thrive despite all that impedes the way of light and hope and love? And how is it that others are easily crushed, broken, or cast aside by the simplest of events?

Jesus has something to say to us about that. Read this passage from the Gospel of Matthew, from the translation, The Message: Matthew 5:1-11

We are told that no matter what situation claims us, we are blessed (we can be content, we can rest easy). We are blessed even when we fear we are at a dead end, or a time of deep despair. We are blessed in the midst of frustrations, calamity, and heartbreak.

Why is this? Because God, the holy One, the One who created you and fills you with all that is good and life-giving, is present. God promises to carry you through the storms and struggles and celebrations and triumphs. You are blessed with a love so fierce, so faithful, that even in the darkest of times, light will make itself known, light that clarifies, reveals, and supports you. You will recognize it because the tables will be turned. YOU will be carried – beyond what you have known -- to a new future, a hopeful future, a future that is touched by the holy.

It may happen in the company of a friend or a stranger. It may be words offered at just the right time. Or you may wake up one day and realize that something you have deeply longed for has indeed come true. And other times, there will be those surprising, amazing coincidences that occur which are all about mystery, a holy mystery, because through these events you will receive what you most need.

We will carry burdens. But blessings are different. They are given. They come from beyond us, and they are gifts. Blessings come to us and bring contentment, joy, and well-being. The most profound blessings take away the sting of burdens and encourage us to live in hope, to seek wholeness, and rest in the promises of God that all will be well.

Julian of Norwich, an English person of faith who lived during the years of 1342-1416, is known for this quote: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” She realized in her life that if “God made it, God loves it, and God keeps it.” She understood each day as a blessing from God. Here is a beautiful example of  her words put to music.

So I think maybe Capital One is missing the point. Maybe it’s not at all about what we carry, or what we feel the need to carry. But this I believe: it is all about the One who carries us, beyond what is, to what will be.

May the God of new life, shown to the world in Jesus, continue to carry you and embrace you through all that is before you. “All shall be well” is the promise God invites you to rest upon. May it indeed be so!

Losers unite, and step into the light! . . . by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Getting un-stuck can be such a pain. Sometimes you just can’t find the right words to express yourself. Or you can’t get your feet out of bed to get the day started. Sometimes it seems like your whole life is frozen. Like you wish you had a giant “Refresh” icon to click, to get a brand new try at making connections.

Being refreshed… sounds so good. Just give me a bit of sunshine, an energy boost, a new sense of urgency for living. New Year’s resolutions can sometimes function that way. Sometimes companies or families or individuals write mission statements, to articulate a vision that will inspire and get things moving again.

I’ve been impressed by the “Six word Memoir” movement started by the online magazine, Smith, encouraging you to tell your story in 6 words. (See Smith's 6 word challenge  Smith's Six Word Challenge ). Now that’s not necessarily like finding your reason for being, but it does get you thinking about what’s going on at your very core. Here's one that was recently posted on Smith’s site:

“Born weak. Reborn strong. Thank God”. Sounds refreshing alright!

I keep playing with my six word memoir, but it usually comes out something like this: “God's bridge-building, to me, through me”. Those six words tell the story of how I'm living fully when I'm attempting to build bridges: between different people or different ways of thinking, for example. And in the middle of that bridge-building is where I find God, or probably, where God finds me.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day seems like a great day to get unstuck, to come up with a driving principle, a reason for being… since we’re celebrating the life of one who had such passion for changing his world and knew the words to say to refresh those who were oppressed.

I’ve been musing on what might be Dr. King’s six words. “Fighting non-violently for God’s freedom dream” is one that I’ve come up with.

The Savior that Dr. King believed in had a freedom dream, too. Jesus saw God’s people stuck in the darkness, and he longed to bring them into the light. When Matthew wrote down Jesus’ story, he wanted to make sure his audience knew that Jesus wanted ALL people in that light, especially those who’d previously been squashed down by the powers that be. Take a look at this piece of Jesus’ story: Matthew 4:13-17,23.

There’s no way Jesus will be stuck in one place; he is on the move! He starts out by leaving his hometown to go to “the land of Zebulun and Naphtili”. If you’ve never heard those obscure places, you are not alone. That region was known to be the place of losers, since they were constantly being oppressed by one nasty force or another.

But they weren’t losers to Jesus. He tells them: Repent! (which means: Completely turn around!) because God’s kingdom is within your reach! Right here, right now!  Turn away from your loser status and step into God’s freeing power...

What might Jesus’ six word memoir be? How about: “God’s freedom for those squashed down”. That’s what I’m hearing when I read that passage. In this very moment, when I’m trying to write a blog that might somehow bridge someone closer to God, I have God’s freeing power. Though I started off this post totally stuck (could you tell?) and at a loss for words, God’s energy began to flow when I admitted my stuckness and accepted God’s freeing lead.

Like Jesus, Dr. King preached that the freedom his people sought was theirs already. God in Jesus had already given them all the dignity they needed. They need not earn it or grab it or borrow it from those in power. They would wear their full God-given freedom for all to see, and fight for the rights that should come to all free people.

God’s freedom is ours. As we live into it, and share it with others, we can find refreshing energy and God’s own power. 

Please feel free to leave your own thoughts or 6 word memoirs or hopes for refreshment, by clicking on "post a comment" below.   And for a bit more reflection on Dr. King's Day (and how Martin walked in the way of Jesus), check out this U2 tribute.


Portions of this blog post appeared on btw's blog January 18, 2010.

Come, Live in the Light!

by Patricia Harris (who also blogs at http://thepastorsmusing.blogspot.com/ )

After following the btw blog for a couple of years, I am delighted by the invitation to share a few thoughts with you…

When the sparkling energy of Christmas is over, it can seem like there is little to look forward to. Many Christian communities strive to continue the Christmas spirit (the spirit of Christ born within us) and let it shine even more! This “follow-up” time after Christmas is called the season of Epiphany.

Take a peek into this “Epiphany” story, where people just like us are caught up in the charismatic light of Jesus: John 1:35-42.

Did you catch Jesus’ words to come and see, inviting two intrigued people… and inviting you? Yes, you personally have received an invitation to “Come and see”! This is an invitation into the experience of being in Jesus’ presence. These words, recorded in the Gospel of John are written for you, as well as the two disciples originally addressed by Jesus.

He said to them ‘Come and See.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.” (John 1: 39).

Jesus had seen these two disciples following him at a distance and first asked them what they were looking for, and then invited them to hang out for a while.

Jesus’ invitation to followers is warm, inviting, and down to earth. He calls to them and encourages them to see for themselves. Jesus doesn’t give an abstract discussion of what it means to follow him, but rather shows what it means to be in his company. The disciples came for an afternoon, and after the experience remained his disciples for the rest of their lives.

How do we invite people to join us in following Jesus? Do we give abstract reasons why it would be good? Do we attempt verbal descriptions of what it means to be a follower?

What can we learn from Jesus’ own words: “Come and see”? Come, join me in reading and responding to a blog. Come, join me in a Skype conversation. Come, sit and pray with me. Come, join me at the homeless shelter. Come, join me at the soup kitchen. Come, join me at a worship service. Come and see!

Some of the spirit of this personal invitation is captured in these verses of a poem by Bessie Flint.  (The rest of the poem can be found at faithwriters.com.)

For many years the great story has been told,
of the man who walked the shores of Galilee.
We’re told of the many miracles which he does,
to truly believe, you’ll need to come and see.

Oh come and see the eyes that he has opened,
see the lives that he has mercifully restored.
Come look at the broken hearts he’s mended,
just come and meet him, this wonderful Lord.

We are often reluctant to issue personal invitations to others to join us in a life of faith. Our faith in God may seem too personal to discuss with others, or we might be afraid that our invitation will be rejected. Yet, most people join a faith community because they have been personally asked by another person. So…  issue that invitation!  Call to someone else to “Come and see” and come and experience. Help someone else personally learn the joy of becoming a follower of Christ.

You are the most important component in giving Jesus’ invitation today to “Come and see.” Without your invitation, someone else may never have the opportunity to:

Come, live in the light!
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord.
(from  "We Are Called"  by David Haas, from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Augsburg Fortress, 2006)

You have been personally invited to “Come and see” what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Accept the invitation yourself and spread it further. Put it on Facebook, send a text or email, of just personally ask someone else to “Come and see”!!!

Please feel free to join in the conversation, by leaving your comments and looking out for the comments of others. You can also join in an audio skype conversation Thursday at 7pm (EST), Jan. 13. You need to have downloaded the program from skype.com and have a microphone with your computer (as most laptops do). Then add "bythewaycommunity" to your contacts list on skype, and call in on Thursday.