Saturday                                                           December 4, 2021
 
COME AND SEE
 
SCRIPTURE: 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.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.J ohn 1:45­–46 (NIV)
 
Why am I here? Have you ever felt drawn to a place? Maybe it’s meant to fuel you in some much-needed way, or it’s a place where you are intended to minister to others. There is no doubt that God calls us to places for His purposes—ordinary yet somehow sacred places. The calls to “go” and the importance of place seem so recognizable in the Bible. Yet we can brush it off in our own lives.
 
I can’t quite explain it but whenever I’m having a rough day I feel called to Northampton Township Park. In the days after we had just moved (during a pandemic!), it was a place where I could escape isolation to feel life and goodness. Simple hellos exchanged between strangers along the walking trail felt somehow sacred, especially at a strange time. It’s a place that God calls me to when he wants to open my eyes and show me hope—through the beauty of nature or children of many languages playing together.
 
But every place of ministry where we are called isn’t clear at first. Sometimes, we need to have a lot of trust and do a lot of listening. We wanted to give our kids a sense of normalcy and something familiar when we moved. So we decided to see if we could put a basketball hoop outside the parsonage. Only problem? Every simple basketball setup was sold out. There was just the Goalrilla. It felt a bit extravagant—especially when eager Pastor Brad added in court lines. But then something unexpected happened. One night, we heard dribbling outside even though the kids were inside. One of the recovery groups that meets at St. John’s during the week was engaged in a lively game of basketball. Each week after, they would gather at the Goalrilla and laugh and connect through the love of a game. God used our basketball net to provide blessing way beyond what we could have imagined! He took simple blacktop and  multiplied it into a place of ministry.
 
Advent is a season of waiting—perfect for seeking and listening. Where are you being called by God to go, whether to work on your heart or to minister to others? What good can come from the places you go? Come and see! 
 
PRAYER: Dear God, We put our full faith in You to direct our steps to where we need to be, to be filled with your hope and to share your love with others. May we all look for blessings in simple places and listen for your calling in this Advent time. Amen.

Jennifer Leight
 
 


St. John's Ivyland
820 Almshouse Road
Ivyland, PA 18974
215-357-6998
stjohnsivyland.com
Rev. Brad Leight, Pastor