FRIDAY, January 29

John 6:1-15. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?"

Dear, sweet Andrew. Always bringing people to Jesus, never quite knowing what to do with them or with the gifts they have to offer. But at least Andrew knew this: Take ‘em to Jesus and get out of the way!

That is what I want to do: I want to be like Andrew. I want to show people Jesus and Jesus' great love for them. I want to let Jesus work with them. I want to let Jesus receive their gifts, and let Jesus put their gifts to use, not for their own glory but for the glory of God, working in and through God's beloved children.

This is what mission and ministry are: To let Jesus' love shine through us, drawing people not to us but to God, and to help them see as Andrew saw.

We don't have to do all the work. We don't need to know all the answers. We just have to take people to Jesus and get out of the way.

Evangelism fails miserably when its purpose becomes to draw men to its programs of preaching or social concern. Men are to be drawn by the power of the self-sacrificing love of God in Christ into new life in him.

--Festo Kivengere

PRAY for the Diocese of Arizona (Province VIII, USA)

Ps 40, 54 * 51; Genesis 17:15-27; Hebrews 10:11-25

View the daily Lectionary Readings at Satucket.com.
Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com.

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Jan 29, 2010 at 8:08 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

Amen, Sister, Amen.

...

Jan 29, 2010 at 8:31 am

Written by Joan Leland,

I just noticed that the writer of this month's meditations had moved on from Sudan to Haiti. Have we heard from him/her?

Andrew

Jan 29, 2010 at 12:03 pm

Written by Dan,

When I first read the Gospel this morning it occured to me, "why did Andrew even bother to tell Jesus that this boy had this small amount of food there?" Then I read the commentary and thought further that part of the lesson here is don't ever think something or someone is too small or insignificant for God to work miracles with. Including me!

Code Blue 99 - A Miraculous True Story! by Sandy Acharjee

Jan 30, 2010 at 3:07 pm

Written by Marilyn Neale,

I am the editor of the above-referenced book, and we are in the midst of marketing it for sale to as many people as we can reach. All proceeds are going to charity around the world. It is the author's marvelous "true story" of his "death," meeting with The Lord, and subsequent return to this earth to fulfill his promise to God - tell of his experience and what God expects of us so that we can enter into His beautiful Kingdom. I loved the words in today's reading (they are very appropriate to our quest), "We don't have to do all the work. We don't need to know all the answers. We just have to take people to Jesus and get out of the way." And that is exactly what the author and I will do when we share God's word and message - take the people to The Lord and get out of the way. Thank you for this wonderful reading.

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