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“Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?”

Will You Come and Follow Me
ELW hymn number 798, words by John L. Bell

In our Sunday gospel readings in worship, we’ve been hearing Jesus call the disciples to follow. And now, as the Book of Matthew progresses, we’ll be hearing from Jesus examples of what that looks like. Time and again over the course of September and October, our Sunday scriptures will paint pictures of life as a follower of Jesus Christ. Snapshots of following the Way.

“If any wish to come after me,” Jesus said, “let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25) But what does that look like?

Starting now and going through October, I invite you to notice as you go throughout your day, your average afternoons, your ordinary evenings:

In what way am I following Christ? What specific action or choice to refrain from an action? What mindset? What words did you say, or when did you decide to hold your tongue and listen? In what moment today were you particularly mindful of being a follower of Christ? What was happening? How might God have been using your presence to bring Christ’s peace, light, healing, forgiveness, into that moment? 

When and where did I notice someone else following in Christ’s Way? What were they doing or not doing? What did they say or not say? How did their presence bring Christ’s peace, light, healing, forgiveness, into that moment?  

Be on the lookout. Notice. Be mindful.

Then, would you join me in doing one or both of these things:

One:  At the end of each day, take a moment to reflect on what you noticed and write it down. In a journal or on a piece of paper. Or voice record on your phone. Or draw a picture or color abstract shapes, if your reflections take that form. Take a moment to reflect and record the instances that come to mind.

Two:  When you come to church, bring a slip of paper or a picture with an example of yourself or someone else following Jesus. No need to include names. Jot down, or take a picture of, a real-world example of what you noticed. It can be the simplest, most humble ordinary example from daily living. Or it could be something extraordinary that you witnessed or were part of.

On the post in the church entryway, you’ll see a place to pin up your example.

Over the next two months, let’s run out of space! Let’s overflow with all our examples of how God is using us and those around us to bring Christ’s light and life and healing into the world.

Will you join me? Let’s follow Jesus together.