Second Sunday after Epiphany

Today's Link
Patterings

Saying for the Day
If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again. ~Flavia Weedn,

Picture of the Day
My great Aunt in England a long time ago

Liturgical churches today celebrate the second Sunday after Epiphany.
Epiphany is the season where we celebrate the beginnings of the Church.
It is where we first see the light of God breaking forth in Christ.
Today’s gospel , John 1:43-51 tells the story of the calling of Phillip and Nathaniel.
It is a simple story as many Biblical stories are.
Jesus finds Phillip and invites him to follow Him.
He doesn’t argue. He doesn’t lay out a five point program to save the world he just invites.
Phillip responds by going and calling Nathaniel.
Again there is no theological discussion though Nathaniel would like one.
There is just the come and see invitation.
This text takes me back to when God called me out of my self appointed atheism and back to the faith of my Baptism. I was ready to argue. I knew all the proofs for God and where they fell short. I could not be defeated.
But the old Pastor he didn’t argue. He just shared his Christ with me. The more I saw of Christ in him the more I wanted to say yes to that Jesus. By the end of the week I did.
God calls and people say yes or no.
All we can do is say “ Come and see”.
Come and see.

News from Pigeon Falls

The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
It’s lucky that the parsonage of Last Lutheran is right next to the Church. Herman and Nancy worked things out so that Nancy watched Oops while Herman went to the eight o’clock service. Then Herman watched Oops while Nancy went to the ten o’clock service. Both of them hate to miss Church.
Pastor Joan preached on “Come and see” evangelism. Sometimes she said we get angry with the people who won’t come but that is not what God wants. We are to invite. After that it is up to the Holy Spirit. We are to continue to love and care about the people we invite even when they say no and even when they laugh at us for saying yes. That isn’t always easy. But the gospel is not served by our anger but by our love.
During the second service Herman and Oops built a Cathedral rather than a castle out of Lego blocks. Herman still has trouble understanding how so many Legos come from such a small box. But he loved the cathedral. Perhaps, someday Pastor Joan would be a Bishop but right now she has a Cathedral in her living room. He can hardly wait for Pastor Joan to see it.

Wrap UP

Went to Church today. The bell choir played and sang.Wow! The Pastor had a fine sermon and a children's sermon that really got the kids involved. The fellowship after was great as well. I came home and updated the Saint Mark's website. I took a video of the sermon so people clicking on sermon will be able to both see and hear him. Then I watched some football. That didn't leave much time for visiting other blogs but I did a little. Now I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA

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