Truly, truly I say unto you, a picture is worth a thousand words!
I do have a couple of observations perhaps because we may be assuming too much from the picture and painting every come and see church with the same brush..
Come and see isn’t so bad if what they come and see is the real McCoy (God is loved and the people love one another).
Sending an invitation (come and see) to experience the love of God is no bad thing. We find that God is doing this all the time in Scripture as Isaiah 55:1-2 says for ex. Yes it is a coming to God not to a building. Yet, do we assume too much behind the meaning of come and see.
Yes, Jesus came to us. And we are to go to others in imitation of him. But the two “go and love and come and be loved” are legitimate endeavors. They are not in diametrical opposition one to the other.
It’s all in what they “see”. If you have the “real thing” of the kingdom of God happening come and see maybe the best thing. If you have a fake replica of the real thing come and see is a cruel punishment of Christ and those who come. Unfortunately, the fake is not hard to find and the genuine difficult to tease out.
When revivals broke out in the previous centuries, “come and see” happened naturally. If revival were to break out again, come and see would also be a natural outcome.
Georges, I most certainly agree if as you have said it “is the real McCoy.” However, I am more than a bit skeptical that the sign’s intent is anything more than “come see our Sunday morning worship show” . . . oh I mean worship service.
Okay, maybe I am more jaded than you are . . . on second thought you are simply more gracious than I.
Thanks for the comments!
Jamie RoachJune 11, 2008, 7:46 am
This sign belongs on a church like a screen door on a submarine…
1) Tends to confine “the church” to a location and time. What if I drive by at 2:00 am on my way home from the bar? Can I still “come and see”?
2) It is too “church” focused as opposed to being Kingdom focused. I think we would do better to think about being the church in light of God’s in-breaking Kingdom, rather than defining the Kingdom through current modes of “doing” church.
3) Too arrogant, to self-centered. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would holler at me from the other room to “Come here” because he was too tired to come find me.
4) I also find it ironic, because the very people who need to “come and see” may not be able to because they are “lame and blind”. Perhaps that is why Jesus went to the people and asks us to do the same. Can you imagine an ambulance with a “Come and See” sign painted on its side?
5) I’m not interested in going to your church, period! The sooner you figure that out and come find me, hang out with me, love me, the better, cause I’m dying here.
Man BRING IT ON! Great reflections Jamie, I just wish I could hear a little passion in your words. Nice job! You need to comment more.
GeorgesJune 11, 2008, 3:23 pm
No problem with what you are saying Jamie.
But a simple invitation to come and see cannot carry the whole weight of what you describe. Too much is read into an invitation. At least this church is inviting. Perhaps this is a learning curve for them that God is leading them through to get to being goers!
John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip.
Of course, they are talking about the Christ, and St Barnabus…?
Truly, truly I say unto you, a picture is worth a thousand words!
I do have a couple of observations perhaps because we may be assuming too much from the picture and painting every come and see church with the same brush..
Come and see isn’t so bad if what they come and see is the real McCoy (God is loved and the people love one another).
Sending an invitation (come and see) to experience the love of God is no bad thing. We find that God is doing this all the time in Scripture as Isaiah 55:1-2 says for ex. Yes it is a coming to God not to a building. Yet, do we assume too much behind the meaning of come and see.
Yes, Jesus came to us. And we are to go to others in imitation of him. But the two “go and love and come and be loved” are legitimate endeavors. They are not in diametrical opposition one to the other.
It’s all in what they “see”. If you have the “real thing” of the kingdom of God happening come and see maybe the best thing. If you have a fake replica of the real thing come and see is a cruel punishment of Christ and those who come. Unfortunately, the fake is not hard to find and the genuine difficult to tease out.
When revivals broke out in the previous centuries, “come and see” happened naturally. If revival were to break out again, come and see would also be a natural outcome.
Georges, I most certainly agree if as you have said it “is the real McCoy.” However, I am more than a bit skeptical that the sign’s intent is anything more than “come see our Sunday morning worship show” . . . oh I mean worship service.
Okay, maybe I am more jaded than you are . . . on second thought you are simply more gracious than I.
Thanks for the comments!
This sign belongs on a church like a screen door on a submarine…
1) Tends to confine “the church” to a location and time. What if I drive by at 2:00 am on my way home from the bar? Can I still “come and see”?
2) It is too “church” focused as opposed to being Kingdom focused. I think we would do better to think about being the church in light of God’s in-breaking Kingdom, rather than defining the Kingdom through current modes of “doing” church.
3) Too arrogant, to self-centered. Reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would holler at me from the other room to “Come here” because he was too tired to come find me.
4) I also find it ironic, because the very people who need to “come and see” may not be able to because they are “lame and blind”. Perhaps that is why Jesus went to the people and asks us to do the same. Can you imagine an ambulance with a “Come and See” sign painted on its side?
5) I’m not interested in going to your church, period! The sooner you figure that out and come find me, hang out with me, love me, the better, cause I’m dying here.
Man BRING IT ON! Great reflections Jamie, I just wish I could hear a little passion in your words.
Nice job! You need to comment more.
No problem with what you are saying Jamie.
But a simple invitation to come and see cannot carry the whole weight of what you describe. Too much is read into an invitation. At least this church is inviting. Perhaps this is a learning curve for them that God is leading them through to get to being goers!
So funny.
John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip.
Of course, they are talking about the Christ, and St Barnabus…?
So Philip was not missional when he said that to Nathaniel?