The Tribune

By Rev Angela C Bosfield Palacious

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. (John 1: 43-46).

What have you been skeptical about and ended up being pleasantly surprised by?

For some people it is returning to church after years of absence only to find that there have been welcome changes. For others, it may be attending a class reunion and discovering that old friends are now new friends in a different season. What often helps is the encouragement of trusted persons who are themselves engaged in the activity. This is what intentional discipleship means: Being a committed disciple of Jesus Christ and inviting others to experience the blessing for themselves.

Most churches have vision and mission statements which create a church "brand". There is an expectation on the part of visitors that these statements offer a clear indication of the organising and guiding principles shared by the group. If we live up to this reputation, then the Lord will be able to work more visibly in the community. It will not be true for us that visions were rare in our time as it was in the time of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-10).

It takes a child (Samuel) to bring a word from the Lord to Eli, the priest, in the temple. In our case, let us not have to be warned of coming judgement because we will not discipline ourselves as Christian leaders. We want our children to hear from God at an early age but not because adults are not listening.

Let us all examine ourselves according to the guidelines offered in Psalm 139. The more we meditate on God's presence in our lives, the more we recognise the need for change. Ongoing, personal transformation is a vital link in the chain of evangelism in the church. We are illumined by Holy Scripture and the Sacraments and become sources of light to others (Collect for Second Sunday after Epiphany in the Book of Common Prayer).

As our new year unfolds, we may be ready for a radical change from the past. If we allow Jesus Christ to be our way, we will find ourselves in the green pastures and by the still water of Psalm 23. In order to know what we are missing, we have to come and see.