Vampire Ministry

John 1:43-51... Jesus Calls Phillip and Nathanael to "Come and See"

Sermon from Sunday Jan. 15, 2012

There is something missing from Christianity these days as people flock to mega-experiences of church with power-personality-oriented ministries. In contrast, this call story from John is wonderful for one reason, and Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly) says it better than I can: “Recognizing power in another does not diminish your own.”

And because of this, most church communities are now in survival mode, they are practicing what I have titled this message and what I think of as a “vampire ministry.”

Vampire ministry happens when a church that doesn’t know how to connect with the world around it meets a new-comer to its community. Someone with new blood walks through the door for their first Sunday, we catch our breath, we casually walk over to them, welcoming them, and sensing this new blood in our weary bones, our fangs come down and we ask ever-so-innocently, “Would you like to join the choir?” or make some cookies for next Sunday.

Maybe that’s not what your church does, but it is my observation and experience with many churches. However, you may think of it… Vampire Ministry or its other variations are taking place, and I don't believe that’s what Jesus had in mind when he calls us to faith.

We see in our gospel reading today the 2^nd call to follow Jesus story. The First was Andrew Vs 40… Andrew was one of John the Baptist followers and Jesus invites him to “Come & See." Andy is convinced Jesus is the one & goes to find his brother… Peter and tells him to “Come & See”… then they both follow Jesus. Now, in today's story Andy & Peter find and tell their friend Phillip, they go to meet Jesus. and Jesus says, “Come with Me." Then, Phillip finds his friend Nathanael and tells him about Jesus of Nazareth, but Nathanael isn’t all that enthused… In fact, he is a bit skeptical & cynical… He says, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Phillip says “Come & See” anyway.

Nathanael reminds me of my own call story when a friend & mentor asked me to come & see… I was a bit skeptical as well. In fact, it took me 2 years to discern whether or not I would go into the pastoral ministry.

The story continues...Jesus & Nathanael have a conversation. In fact, Nathanael’s honesty is quite well known to Jesus. Jesus can’t find any deceit in him. You see, Peter was “The Rock” that Jesus could depend on. James and John are the “Sons of Thunder,” known for their short tempers. Philip had a warm heart and a pessimistic head. Thomas, whose heart was broken by the cross, would not believe until he saw. In John’s gospel there is the un-named disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. But Nathanael? He was honest. He had no deceit in him. And Jesus, who was used to all kinds of people, well... that honesty must have been refreshing.

Then Jesus does it…. This happens elsewhere in the gospels most notably with doubting Thomas. Jesus asks, “Did you believe because you saw?”

This call story and others like it speak to the heart of the matter for us today in our churches. The truth brought out in this story is our reluctance and failure to share our stories of faith and invite others to “Come and See and Experience” Jesus as the grace of God.

Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend in their book “12 Christian Beliefs” say, “We are all broken in some way, both sinful and sinned against. Because none of us has escaped the results of sin, we suffer spiritual and emotional damage. We won't let others love us. We can't say no. We don't know how to connect with people. We're unable to be firm in our convictions. We need help to be disciplined, to accept our weaknesses, to stand against those who would abuse us. The broken, damaged, immature parts of our character need to be fixed.”

The point of what Andrew, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael experienced in Jesus is the heart of Grace. Not only were they fixed, but they were healed by God’s love. Being fixed and healed are two different things. We fix a lot of things, but often they continue to break. Healing on the other hand is permanent and long lasting. I would rather be healed than fixed.

In addition, we Lutheran’s need to awaken the grace DNA in us, and invite people to come and see, and experience the difference Jesus can make in our lives… to be healed by God’s grace.  This is our gift to the church!!! Not because we need to make improvements to our buildings, or programs, or our bottom lines. But, to be healed and freed by the grace of God.

The other part of the story we often miss is that of becoming a follower of Jesus.  We often are willing to come & see, however many stop there. Perhaps, that is what happened to Nathanael… we don’t hear from him again. However, if we choose to follow Jesus, as Jesus says, Vs 50…”if you believe you will see something great.” Jesus also says this again in John 14… where he says, “If you believe in me you will do even greater things than me.” Interestingly, Jesus says this to Phillip who is doubting the greater things of God. You see, following Jesus opens us up to experience the greater things of God. 

This speaks to our discipleship or as I like to call it... "Followership." What is "Followership"? You may think this is about just going to church, or giving a little, or participating in a bible study… it is this, but it is also more than that. Followership is the act of following & practicing in the Way of Jesus.

I believe it’s about the practicing & following of the following 7 practices the best you can.

1.     Being a person in daily Prayer...... communal prayer, not just some written   

        prayers on Sunday morning.

2.     Worship God Heart, Mind, Soul... to pour out yourself at the foot of the cross.

3.     Being a Learner… Study, conversation... learning how to better understand  

        what God is about.

4.     Serving Others unconditionally...

5.     Being in Relationship with others… small groups

6.     Being Generous with all we own.

7.     Being open to the Holy Spirit’s calling for your life.

We need be open to God doing something greater our your lives. To be open to what it might take to welcome someone into the experience of God’s Grace. Maybe even being the face of Jesus to someone else.

I’d like to close with 2 stories.

The First is from Luther... and one that you may have heard before... Luther observed, for one to be a follower of Jesus they had to experience 3 conversions.
         1. A conversion of the Heart.
         2. A conversion of the Mind.
         3. And most difficult for us is the conversion of our Wallets.

 

The Second....Is from Pr. Jim Harnish, where he says… "Like many of you, I was fascinated by the Ken Burns series on the Lewis and Clark expedition. I was so impressed with it that my wife gave me a copy of Stephen Ambrose's account of the expedition entitled Undaunted Courage (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996).   

This week I came to the place where Meriwether Lewis invited William Clark to go along. This was a courageous thing. When they left St. Louis, they were going into uncharted territory without any contact with anyone back home. So that was the kind of invitation Lewis offered. And here is Clark's response:

"I will cheerfully join you and partake of the dangers, difficulties and fatigues ... and I anticipate the honors and rewards of such an enterprise ... with many difficulties. But, my friend, I do assure you that no man lives with whom I would prefer to undertake such a trip ... as yourself" (104).

Harnish continues, I can assure you that to follow Jesus means entering into a journey with many dangers, difficulties and fatigues, but there is no other person with whom I would rather make that journey than with Jesus. They left everything and followed him."

Jesus invites us to “Come & See” what’s even greater….

Of course, we could revert back to the “Vampire Ministry” we’ve always done, but there’s nothing Great about this… because we, if were honest, know it doesn’t really work.

See You Out on the Road