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Glencairn Methodist Church |
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Glencairn Methodist Church |
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I have heard it said that Christianity is caught rather than taught. Jesus Christ invited a small band of fishermen to leave their nets by the Sea of Galilee and to follow him with the intriguing promise that he would make them fishers of men. They did what he asked of them and then he did through them exactly what he said he would. Our church is named after one of these men. Andrew spent his life introducing people to Jesus Christ and by so doing was making known to them the creator of the universe. By rubbing shoulders with Jesus, by watching him, listening to him and by speaking to him the fishermen of Galilee became like him. The Christian story tells us that when things got tough for Jesus as he was arrested, sentenced to death and executed these men who had left their nets behind did contemplate returning to Galilee to take them up again. Remarkably, however, about one month after the death of Jesus they embarked upon a process that is still continuing to this day and will ultimately extend to every part of this world inhabited by people. How is this possible? The answer is Jesus didn't stay dead! He returned to Andrew and the others and recommissioned them. They lived out their love for Jesus in such compelling authenticity that faith in him became contagious. This year in our church we will be making an extra effort to introduce people to the same Jesus Christ. He is the one who makes God real and who therefore makes sense of life itself. We want people to discover that they are not an accident of evolution or a prisoner to dead religion BUT a LOVED individual and part of God's creation. This happens when we are caught by Jesus. Oh yes and it is then that we Scott |