John 1:37-42

“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.”

According to John’s gospel, after John the Baptizer pointed out Jesus to a couple of his disciples, they decided to check him out by spending some time with him in the place where he was staying. One of those disciples was Andrew, and he was blown away by what he heard and observed. As soon as he left, he went to find his brother, Simon, also one of John’s disciples, and insisted that he too “come and see.” And that’s how evangelism works! One person discovers good news, and is so moved by the discovery, that an invitation goes out to family and friends. Many times this happens in our congregations. People are so moved by their experience that they can’t keep silent. Others are invited to come and worship or share in an activity, and before long still others are coming and seeing. Sadly in many instances, the excitement doesn’t last for long. It isn’t that the gospel is no longer good news, but we run out of enthusiasm for sharing. And when that happens the whole spirit of a congregation begins to wane. Everything seems routine. That obviously didn’t ever happen with Andrew and Simon. Their excitement lasted for a lifetime and they never tired of urging folks to “come and see.” Epiphany is a good time to refresh evangelism efforts–it always begins with those we know the best.

Thought for the Day: What’s the excitement level in my congregation?