Come and see - Jesus' invitation to belong in community
Ven Mike McGurk, Archdeacon of Liverpool 2017-2022.
ON SUNDAY 15th January, the Archdeacon of Liverpool, Ven Mike McGurk, came to Open Table Liverpool as his final act in the role before he moves on become Head of Mission and Growth for the Diocese of Manchester.
Mike reflected on the account in the Gospel [John 1:29-42] of Jesus being baptised by John, and his response to John’s followers to came to follow him.
“Come and see the network we belong to. Come and see people who are safe to be around. People who will encourage me, people who will love me, people who will go that extra mile with me’.”
I'm not that clever. I went to vicar factory many years ago, and survived, and I mean survived. I realised that 40% was good enough for a pass. 41% was a waste of time and energy. 40% got me through. II wasn't really that well educated. So whenever I open my Bible or listen to the Lectionary reading, I'm always trying to figure out, what's that one word, what's that phrase that means something to me? Because I'm not clever enough to understand all the passage. As I'm reading this, and I hear that Gospel narrative about how John came and baptised Jesus, the thing I love is that in the Gospel of John, Jesus is baptised, then hangs out with his mates! In other gospels, Jesus flees to the wilderness and spends forty days praying and fasting, but actually this is about Jesus building a community. And all I could see all week long as I thought about this portion of scripture was Jesus saying 'Come and see.'
'Come and see - hang out with me. Be around me.'
Now I was struck as I was doing that, and remember I am an Archdeacon, at least for another two weeks. And as an Archdeacon I should be there saying: 'Come and see the Church of England, come and see our structures, come and see our temples that we make.' And Jesus didn't do that in any way whatsoever. He said 'Come and see the community I'm forming. Come and hang out with like-minded people. Come and be in a safe space for where you are'. Because it wasn't safe for some of these disciples even to come and hang out. Do you realise that there were 52 other messiahs at the same time that Jesus was around? You had to pick your messiah quite carefully!
Jesus invitation was 'Come and see'. And as I thought about my final act in the Diocese of Liverpool, coming, serving and being here with you, I wanted to say, my prayer is not just that you come and see. My prayer - and I really am biased in this, as person who strongly supports the Open Table Network - I hope and pray that the Church of England comes and sees, the church itself in all of its denominations, all of our ecumenical sisters and brothers that you work with within this network, come and see what it means to make a community. And I pray that you will continue to be everything that you are, and that many other people will come and see, just as Jesus invited Andrew and the other disciple, and Andrew then went and found other people who weren't sure, to say 'Come and see'.
'Come and see. Come and see the network we belong to. Come and see people who are safe to be around. People who will encourage me, people who will love me, people who will go that extra mile with me'.
That was a big thing for me as I was reading this, of Jesus being baptised, but actually forming a community with a group of other people, that leaders at the time would not have chosen. But Jesus knew best.
That's the reason why it's a real privilege to think about, as you come and see, and as you explore what your relationship is with God, in whatever way that is, that you continue that invitation to others, to come and see what it means to be part of a community that is safe, that is secure, that is full of love.
L-R: Archdeacon Mike commissions Warren as a Local Missional Leader with support from Sam Stanford, Vocations Coordinator and Revd Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, Rector of the parish where Open Table Liverpool meets, and incoming Acting Archdeacon of Liverpool.
I've been five and a half years here in Liverpool, and every single time I come here, I genuinely feel that sense of love, and acceptance for who I am, and that doesn't always happen in the Church. I want to congratulate you on who you are, and my hope and my prayer is that many others will come and see, not only the God of love, who loves each one of us, and every single one of us made in God's image, but actually people will see the love you have for one another, and the love that you continue to share with one another.
You're the only person who knows what you are needing to come and see, but know that God is a God who is there for each and every single one of you, whatever your life story is, whatever the future holds, God is inviting each and every one of us and saying 'Come and hang out with me.'
Hang out with God, however you understand God, be the person that God has created you to be, and live that faithfully, to the best of your ability.
