Slideshows

 John C. Fremont was a cultural superstar of the mid-19th century. Fremont, an army major, had been ordered by the President to map out a vast area of unexplored territory in the far west of a young America. He spent several years doing this, gathering notes which become a bestselling book and winning him huge acclaim. He became a lecturer of great repute and people flocked to hear him tell of all the wonders he'd seen in his adventures. He was called, "The Pathfinder" and he captivated his listeners. However, most who heard him talk left the lectures inspired, but unchanged. They loved to hear of where he'd been, but they had no desire to leave their present comforts in order to see for themselves all that he described. No costly journey into the unknown for them. Still, there were some, a few, whose hearts were aroused, who had to see this glorious land for themselves. They wanted to walk where Fremont had, live where he'd lived, go where he'd gone. They were the ones who left everything behind in order to follow in the steps of The Pathfinder.

I tell this because I think it is the story of much of the church today, We gather each week to listen to someone(s) sing and preach about a Person and His Land. A Person and Land that pulls upon our hearts and invites us to come and know and experience them. We feel inspired, but in the end, we don't wish to let go of our safe, secure, and familiar lives. We're happy for them to tell us of what they've seen and experienced. We're stirred, but unmoved. Inspired, but unchanged. We enjoy hearing about this Person and Their Land, but we don't really want to go there. Not if leaving all is the condition for it. As with Fremont, those who really want to follow Him, go with Him, live in Him, are few, and possibly becoming fewer.

Have you listened to the Sandy Patty and Larnelle Harris song, "I've Just Seen Jesus," lately? To me, it's more powerful than ever, particularly these lyrics: "I've just seen Jesus, and I know He really saw me too. As if till now I'd never lived. All that I've done before, won't matter anymore. I've just seen Jesus, and I'll never be the same again."

In John 20:18, Mary Magdalene announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord." She would never be the same again. Soon after, the disciples saw Him as well. They too would never be the same again. I think it was not just because they saw Him, but because they realized that He saw them, really saw them as well. As the lyrics say, till that moment, they'd not really been living. From now on, they would. 

I don't think you and I can truly live until we've had such a moment. We can agree to believe. We can listen to the "lecture" and the accompanying music, agreeing with it all. We can raise our hands and even come forward to show how much we agree with everything we've heard. Yet, we won't take the final step. We won't come to the foot of His cross that we might enter into all He came, died, and rose to give us. The "slideshow" may have moved us, but in our hearts, we're unchanged. We can't bring ourselves to leave this fallen land for His land. We'll just continue to listen to lectures about it. 

Jesus the true Pathfinder and Pathgiver calls us to come, take up His cross, and follow the path He has cut into His wondrous country He's prepared for us. A path He means to use to make us pathfinders to someone else. Our choice is, will we go on listening to our weekly lectures and slideshows, or, with hearts ablaze, leave all to follow Him? If you've really seen Him, nothing can keep you from His country and from Himself. If not, lectures and slideshows will always be enough. If you've really seen Him. Have you really seen Him?

Blessings,
Pastor O