Let us pray:

            Lord, we are still at the brink of a new year.  And we are in your house of prayer.  We’re together as your children.  And we are many individual believers.  Help us today to learn how to be better individuals, and better members of the community of the Faith.    Amen.

            In our Gospel story, Jesus met Philip and said, “Follow me.”  And he did.  Philip, as a true evangelical Christian, shared his “epiphany” with his friend Nathanael.  “Philip went off to look for Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about!  His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.’”  (John 1:45)

             “Nazareth?” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from there?”
           
            “Just come and see for yourself,” Philip said. (John 1:46)
           
            We here today have heard the call of Jesus; we have answered the call and are here because we are followers.  Someone somewhere some time told us to “come and see.” 

            We looked, and we saw Jesus, the Light of the world.  We looked, and we saw the goodness of God focused in the man Jesus.  We looked, and we saw, with John the Baptist, “the lamb of God.”  We looked, and we saw the Lamb of God who dazzles and comforts.  We looked, and we saw the Lamb of God who heals and works miracles.  We looked, and we saw the Lamb of God who bore the sins of the world. 
            So thank you, Philip, for inviting us to “come and see” the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God.  Messiah and Christ are essentially the same word, both are titles.  Messiah is Hebrew, and Christ is Greek.  Both mean “the anointed One.”

            That is only the beginning!  Hopefully, we have all “come to see.”  The next step is our response to the “Come, follow me” invitation of Jesus.

            That in no way means we will be “cookie-cutter” Christians.  The Bible makes very plain that each of us is an individual, with gifts the Holy Spirit gives us.  The Holy Spirit does not endow all of us with the same gifts.  That is obvious.

            So when you invite your friend to “come and see” Jesus, that friend may see Jesus somewhat differently from the Jesus you see.

            Today is the annual Ecumenical Sunday.  We are midway thru the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity — January 18-25 every year.  “Ecumenism” refers to Christian unity.  The “ecumenical movement” is dedicated to promoting interconfessional Christian unity, a united witness for Christ, cooperation on common interests.
Ecumenists take seriously the call of Jesus that “they may all be one,” while not at all compromising our separate traditions. That is vitally significant.

            My personal background is from a tradition of extreme conservatism, even isolationism.  In parochial school I learned that we were the “True Church” and that eternal salvation was available to those who believe as we do.
            For many years we spoke of “dark counties” as counties in which there was no congregation of our denomination.  I am glad to say we no longer use that phrase.

            The antithesis of ecumenism is triumphalism.  Triumphalism is the belief that one religious set of doctrines is the only true way.  Christian triumphalists quote Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

            The Jews had been admonished to walk in “the way” all along.  Moses quoted God, “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord has commanded.” (Deuteronomy 5:33)  “This is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:21)  “Teach me your way, Lord.” (Psalm 27:11)

            So how do we explain “I have other sheep, too, who are not in this sheepfold”?  (John 10:16)

            Or Paul saying, “Even when Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong.  They demonstrate that God’s law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right.  The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life.  This is my message.”  (Romans 2:14-16)

            I tell you emphatically: I could not be saved, I could not find fulfillment, I could not be who and what I believe God demands of me, except as a Christian!  I could not be a Christian except also a pacifist!  I could not be a Christian and not be involved in social action!  You can only be a Christian however the Holy Spirit directs you.
            And here I am, among people many of whom do not agree with me on some issues, and you are Christians!   So ecumenism includes the conviction that we need not all agree on what God demands of us.  Thank God that Paul made that very clear for us. 

            Now, what about those who disagree about Jesus, who are not convinced that he was God incarnate, those who “demonstrate that God’s law is written within them,” yet are still skeptics, agnostics, even atheists.   And what about Muslims, who believe Jesus was a prophet, but only one among several prophets?

            For me, and I’m sure for all of you, that is a more significant difference than whether we disagree about eating meat, observing Sabbath as a holy day, how to baptize, or whether violence is ever justified.

            We believe Jesus came from heaven, God in human flesh.  Others believe Jesus was a prophet, or just a good man.  Can we prove that we are right and they are wrong?

            Ah!  Yes, we can prove it.  Here is the absolute, ultimate, incontrovertible proof:  Jesus, on his way to the cross, stopped to pray.  It is the most passionate prayer — actually, the most passionate anything — Jesus ever said. 

            Jesus and his disciples had just celebrated Passover.  He washed their feet, and bade them do the same.  He told them — again — of his divine mission.  He warned them that they would face many hardships.  He promised the Holy Spirit, to comfort, teach and guide them.  Then Jesus prayed this beautiful prayer:
            “Holy Father, keep them and care for them — all those you have given me — so that they will be one just as we are . . . I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one . . . Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth.  As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world . . . I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me because of their testimony.  My prayer for all of them is that they will be one, just as you and I are one, Father; that just as you and I are one, so they will be one in us, and the world will believe you sent me.”  (John 17)

            There it is, the ultimate proof that Jesus was who he claimed to be — “and the world will believe you sent me.”

            The world will believe when they “come and see” unity among us disciples, followers of Jesus.  Unity, not uniformity.  Love, fellowship, compassion.  My prayer is that you can invite your friends and loved ones to visit us, to fill the empty seats.  When they ask, “Why should we come?” you should be able to say, “Come and see.”  Just come and you will see the most loving, caring group of people you ever saw.

            Dear saints, if and when that happens we will fulfill the UCC logo, “that they may all be one,” and much more importantly, we will fulfill the prayer of Jesus, “My prayer is that they will be one . . . and the world will believe you sent me.”

            So that is our mandate from Jesus, our method of evangelism: to live in such unity that we will be a spectacle! 
            But we still live in a world where Jesus is not accepted by everyone is willing to “come and see,”  So how can we best relate to those who are not convinced they should come and see? 

            How did Jesus relate to those of different faiths?  He loved them.  He healed them.  He served them.  Yes, he invited some to follow him, but more often he just related to them with love compassion, and service. (a la Cass Corridor yesterday!) Today, I invite you to do as Jesus did, to dedicate yourself to live among people who are like you, AND to people who are not like you.  That is what we call pluralism.
           
            Here is a dictionary definition:  “Pluralism is a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and social groups maintain autonomous participation in and development of their traditions, culture and special interests within the confines of common civilization.”

            In simple terms, pluralism means that the many religions can coexist in peace and mutual respect.

            We who affirm ecumenism and pluralism as a gift of God are following Jesus.  And remember, we are more alike than different.  We are not “self-made.”  We are creatures of a loving God.  Each of us is distinctively complex, yet also distinctive!  You are one of a kind!  But remember that each of those “others” is also one of a kind!  Praise the Lord!
 
            One of the most blessed liturgical celebrations of the Christian church is communion.  Here at St. Paul’s we celebrate communion once a month during worship.             Some of us celebrate communion every week, immediately after worship.  Some prefer traditional wafers; some prefer the smaller bits of “bread.” Some prefer wine; some prefer grape juice.  Thank God we are able to dwell together in peace and love, each of us celebrating as we wish.  We are fulfilling the prayer of Jesus, and the motto of the United Church of Christ “that they may all be one” in him.

            Wilma, will you please have the choir sing “Come and See” again?

            Our Old Testament reading is the story of Samuel’s “call.”  Our Gospel is the story of Jesus calling men to follow him and become disciples. 

            Samuel’s call; Andrew’s call; Peter’s call; Philip’s call; Nathanael’s call.  In the midst of all this calling, how do we recognize the voice of God?  If God is still speaking, calling, how do we know whether we are really “called” by God, or whether we just think some ministry looks glamorous or exciting, so we feel a pseudo-call?

            I felt called to a very specific kind of ministry, as a singing evangelist.  Later I felt called to chaplaincy, and to preaching ministry.  I now feel very much called to ecumenism and pluralism.  For many years I have felt called to minister in the paradigm of Paul, self-supporting ministry.

            At this time and place in my life journey, I feel very much called to serve as an ambassador for the Kingdom of God among Jews, Muslims, Ba’hai, Hindus, Buddhists, Native Americans, and yes, even atheists!
            I don’t need to tell you that I have strong convictions.  And I don’t need to tell you that my convictions and your convictions are not always the same.  As a true ecumenist, I feel called to be a prophetic preacher, challenging you to consider different “ways” to represent Jesus, different values to espouse; yet I also feel called to honor your convictions.  That is to say, I feel that the most urgent and compelling call, to you and to me, is to live out the answer to Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one.”

            If we will do that, we can confidently ask people to “come and see” what Christ can do — has done — in each individual, and in this congregation.  Come and see!

            Let us pray  .  .  .

            Thank you, Father, for Jesus who came to initiate a new Kingdom!