Faith Daily | 4 January 2021
PRAYER of the WEEK APBA p.479
O God,
by the leading of a star
you manifested your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles:
mercifully grant, that we, who know you now by faith,
may after this life be led to the vision
of your glorious Godhead;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
GOSPEL for the Day: John 1: 35-42
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ 39He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed*). 42He brought Simon* to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).
GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by Cathy Grant
When I was in my early 40’s, I decided I needed a new career. I was looking for something more fulfilling, more meaningful than the small business marketing consulting I’d been doing for the past 10 years. It needed to involve people – supporting them, partnering with them to help them in some way – and strategy, the bigger picture. There seemed to be a bewildering range of options. Then one day, out of the blue, a colleague said: “Have you thought about ……?” And I found a new path I would grow into over the next 15 years. The power of insight spoken at the right time.
In this passage, we can feel that Andrew and Simon Peter have been looking for “the one,” the Messiah, for some time. We can feel their eagerness, their readiness and openness, their yearning to find something more, “the anointed one,” who will transform everything. Andrew is pursuing his search by being a disciple of John the Baptist. Prophetically and well-timed, the messenger John observes as Jesus walks by, “Look, there goes the lamb of God” and suddenly they realise they have found what they are looking for – the Messiah. Everything clicks into place and they will remember that day for the rest of their lives. Seeking and finding.
But they are not the only ones on a quest. Jesus is also looking for them, for followers. When he finds them, he gives them a new vocation, a new identity. Their lives will never be the same again. Calling and being called. Seeking and finding.
Perhaps, like the early disciples, we are reading this passage because we too are looking for more –seeking more in and from our lives, seeking The One to follow, the lamb of God. I pray that we will know that he is seeking us too, perhaps to give us a new name, a new vocation. Calling and being called. Seeking and finding.
FINAL PRAYER: David Adam "Traces of Glory"
Great and wonderful God, we seek you.
We look for you. We long for you.
We come and offer our lives, our love,
our hopes to you.
God, richer than all we have to offer,
we offer you our worship.
We pray for the congregations and church
to which we belong.
We pray for all who offer you their very self
to follow Christ and live their lives out for him.
By the light of his presence fill us with your glory.
Amen