The Ripple Effect
01/20/08
Epiphany 2
Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42
Dear friends in Christ,
It’s a very cold morning here in Minnesota. In fact, this could be the coldest weekend of the winter season, we’ll have to wait and see. So, to get your mind off the cold, I want you to picture in your mind’s eye a warm, calm, summer day in July. The sun is shining and you’re anchored in a boat out on the lake. You’re dressed in short sleeves and a pair of shorts. You have in your hand a fishing rod. You draw it back and cast the lure out a short distance, watching it splash in the water. As the lure descends downward, you notice how small waves ripple outward from where the lure hit, out in circles until they disappear in the distance.
Further off in the lake you notice a speed boat go racing by, pulling a couple of laughing children on tubes. Before long, your boat begins to rock gently, as the waves created by the wake of the speed boat cause it to rock back and forth. The waves pass beneath, eventually making their way to the distant shore. That picture looks awful good about now, when the lakes are frozen and it’s just too cold to be outside for any length of time. It will be several months before we’ll be able to see this ripple effect on the lakes again.
The ripple effect. We’ve all seen it. Drop a stone in a calm lake, and watch the waves move out from there. A similar idea is something called the butterfly effect. It’s another image that reminds us of summer. An illustration of chaos theory, the phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause a tornado to appear or maybe prevent a tornado from appearing. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale phenomena. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the theory goes, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.
As I was reading today’s lesson, this ripple or butterfly effect came to mind as a picture of Christian witness and the work of the Holy Spirit. From one, small, seemingly insignificant act of witness, ripples are sent out that literally change the world.
In the gospel, we once again meet John the Baptist. Last week we saw him as the one that Baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. This week he becomes the witness to Jesus that begins the ripple effect. As Jesus comes toward John, John says, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He testifies, the gospel says, he bears witness. He declares the truth he has seen. At this time he is alone, but who Jesus is has become very clear to him.
The next day, the lesson says, John is no longer alone. He is with two of his disciples. John points out Jesus to them, “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” John becomes the stone that drops in the water, or the butterfly that flaps its wings. The ripple effect begins. These two went and began to follow Jesus. Jesus spoke with them, and they wanted to know where Jesus was staying. Jesus continues the ripple. He extends this invitation, “Come and See.” It was non-threatening, warm, and personal. “Come and see!” The invitation went out to just two people, "Come and see."
The two went, one of whom was Andrew, and being in the presence of Jesus changed his life. I don’t know what all took place that day when he was with Jesus, but it changed him. Andrew was so moved that he went and told his brother, Simon. The ripple continued. At his brother’s invitation, Simon, too, became a follower of Jesus. Little did Simon know then what an impact he would one day have for the Lord. You know him better as Peter, who after the resurrection was the first to proclaim in Jerusalem the mighty, saving acts of God. John points out Jesus to his disciples, one of whom was Andrew. Jesus invited Andrew and the other to where they were staying, Andrew invited Peter, and that eventually changed the world. The ripple effect.
Most of us probably already know that we are called to be good witnesses for Christ in our words and our actions. Many of us try to do that, as best we are able. But it can be discouraging. As a pastor and leader of the church I think often about how we can more effectively reach out and draw people to the church. I know many of you have this concern as well. We have a surrounding population of 10 – 12,000 people within a 10 minute drive of our location. I’m sure many of those people do not have a church home. Sometimes I think, with all the people around, why do we only gather a few hundred people on any given Sunday morning? Surely we should be able to fill two worship services. And then we have mornings like this one where it is -20, and it really makes it tough for people to come. There are days when I can relate well to Isaiah the prophet’s words in the first lesson, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.”
But then I am reminded of the ripple effect of today’s gospel, powered by the Holy Spirit, and despair is replaced with hope. One man’s witness, John the Baptist, sets in motion a chain of events that ultimately leads to Peter’s witness in Jerusalem to the resurrected Christ. And that witness led to the growth of the church leading up to this very day.
The outreach question is not so much, “How many people are we bringing in.” The outreach question is really, “Are we faithfully inviting,” or, to say it another way, “Do we testify, in our words and actions, to Christ?” We can’t control the bringing in. That’s the Spirit’s work. But we can control the inviting. And the most effective invitations are not mass mailings or paid church advertising in the yellow pages or newspaper or website. The most effective invitations are personal, like Jesus to Andrew, “Come and See.” If we speak those words to another family member or friend, “Come and see,” you just never know what ripple that may end up having in the world.
I know God used the ripple effect in my life to bring me to faith and to where I’m at today. I guess I’d say it was my parents who were the stone dropped in the water to set it all in motion. They brought me as a child to a young church near their new suburban home in Edina, Normandale Lutheran. This was the baby boom, and there were so many children, one of the members, Mrs. Williams, taught her Sunday school class in the basement of her home, a block or so away from the church. I remember attending. Then there was Mr. Gernbacher, teaching Sunday school to a bunch of rowdy 6 grade boys. For confirmation we had a new young pastor, Pastor Al, who confirmed me and then invited me and others to the parsonage basement for senior high youth group. It was largely because of that experience that I decided to become a pastor myself. Hopefully, both personally and professionally, I’ve had at least some impact in my witness to others over the years.
Saturday, 4 of the 8 members of the congregation that recently traveled to Tanzania returned. That whole involvement in that mission is another great example of the ripple effect. It began for us back in the year 2000, when I asked Gwen Hanson from Faith Lutheran if she’d be our guest stewardship speaker. She agreed. But in addition, I learned in meeting with her that she and her husband, who were recently retired teachers from Forest Lake, had been part of a teacher exchange program in Tanzania, sponsered by the ELCA, called Mwangaza. This exchange takes place every three years, and they were wondering if I might know of a teacher who could be involved in the program.
The Lord only knows why, but instead of just throwing the written information they had given me in the recycling bin, I thought of Gerry Lidstrom from our church, who also just happened to be part of our stewardship committee planning this event with Gwen. I sent the information to Gerry at SW jr. high, through my daughter Allison, who at the time was one of his 7th grade students. Gerry was surprised to receive it, but, for whatever reason, he too did not just throw it out, spoke with Mark and Gwen, and eventually decided to become involved. Gerry was partnered with Haran Ngede, from Mtera school, who came here in the late winter of 2001 and worked with Gerry in the Forest Lake schools. Gerry then went to Tanzania in the summer of 2001 and worked with Haran and visited Mtera school.
It was such a powerful experience for Gerry that, upon his return, he encouraged us to sponsor students at the school and eventually to partner with Mtera church.
It took a few years, but God is patient, and four more of us from the congregation visited Tanzania in 2005. In 2007, six of us made another trip, including 4 who went for the first time. Now, in 2008, 8 people made the journey, 6 for the first time, including my daughter Allison, who originally brought the written materials to Gerry back in the fall of 2000. The ripple effect. 1 person from our church, influenced 4 who influenced 4 more, who influenced 6, meaning we have now had 15 people from this congregation visit our partner church in Africa one or more times. I would never have believed it back in 2000.
Can one person make a difference? Let’s not forget Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose work is commemorated tomorrow. Dr. King walked out of relative obscurity onto a national and international stage in his quest for civil rights. Forty years after his death, Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to have an effect on new and emerging generations.
On a cold winter morning, with all the lakes frozen, we are reminded of the ripple effect of our witness. It’s a word of hope and encouragement. One person’s testimony can make all the difference in the world. It is the responsibility of the whole body of Christ to testify in word and deed. “Come and see” is the invitation we extend. And then we pray, that through our invitation, the ripple effect might take place, the Spirit of God impacting lives in ways we never could imagine or do on our own. Thank you for being faithful, hearty witnesses who don’t let below zero temperatures keep you from hearing the Gospel. May your witness start a ripple that impacts the world. Amen
Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42
Dear friends in Christ,
It’s a very cold morning here in Minnesota. In fact, this could be the coldest weekend of the winter season, we’ll have to wait and see. So, to get your mind off the cold, I want you to picture in your mind’s eye a warm, calm, summer day in July. The sun is shining and you’re anchored in a boat out on the lake. You’re dressed in short sleeves and a pair of shorts. You have in your hand a fishing rod. You draw it back and cast the lure out a short distance, watching it splash in the water. As the lure descends downward, you notice how small waves ripple outward from where the lure hit, out in circles until they disappear in the distance.
Further off in the lake you notice a speed boat go racing by, pulling a couple of laughing children on tubes. Before long, your boat begins to rock gently, as the waves created by the wake of the speed boat cause it to rock back and forth. The waves pass beneath, eventually making their way to the distant shore. That picture looks awful good about now, when the lakes are frozen and it’s just too cold to be outside for any length of time. It will be several months before we’ll be able to see this ripple effect on the lakes again.
The ripple effect. We’ve all seen it. Drop a stone in a calm lake, and watch the waves move out from there. A similar idea is something called the butterfly effect. It’s another image that reminds us of summer. An illustration of chaos theory, the phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause a tornado to appear or maybe prevent a tornado from appearing. The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale phenomena. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the theory goes, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different.
As I was reading today’s lesson, this ripple or butterfly effect came to mind as a picture of Christian witness and the work of the Holy Spirit. From one, small, seemingly insignificant act of witness, ripples are sent out that literally change the world.
In the gospel, we once again meet John the Baptist. Last week we saw him as the one that Baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. This week he becomes the witness to Jesus that begins the ripple effect. As Jesus comes toward John, John says, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He testifies, the gospel says, he bears witness. He declares the truth he has seen. At this time he is alone, but who Jesus is has become very clear to him.
The next day, the lesson says, John is no longer alone. He is with two of his disciples. John points out Jesus to them, “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” John becomes the stone that drops in the water, or the butterfly that flaps its wings. The ripple effect begins. These two went and began to follow Jesus. Jesus spoke with them, and they wanted to know where Jesus was staying. Jesus continues the ripple. He extends this invitation, “Come and See.” It was non-threatening, warm, and personal. “Come and see!” The invitation went out to just two people, "Come and see."
The two went, one of whom was Andrew, and being in the presence of Jesus changed his life. I don’t know what all took place that day when he was with Jesus, but it changed him. Andrew was so moved that he went and told his brother, Simon. The ripple continued. At his brother’s invitation, Simon, too, became a follower of Jesus. Little did Simon know then what an impact he would one day have for the Lord. You know him better as Peter, who after the resurrection was the first to proclaim in Jerusalem the mighty, saving acts of God. John points out Jesus to his disciples, one of whom was Andrew. Jesus invited Andrew and the other to where they were staying, Andrew invited Peter, and that eventually changed the world. The ripple effect.
Most of us probably already know that we are called to be good witnesses for Christ in our words and our actions. Many of us try to do that, as best we are able. But it can be discouraging. As a pastor and leader of the church I think often about how we can more effectively reach out and draw people to the church. I know many of you have this concern as well. We have a surrounding population of 10 – 12,000 people within a 10 minute drive of our location. I’m sure many of those people do not have a church home. Sometimes I think, with all the people around, why do we only gather a few hundred people on any given Sunday morning? Surely we should be able to fill two worship services. And then we have mornings like this one where it is -20, and it really makes it tough for people to come. There are days when I can relate well to Isaiah the prophet’s words in the first lesson, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.”
But then I am reminded of the ripple effect of today’s gospel, powered by the Holy Spirit, and despair is replaced with hope. One man’s witness, John the Baptist, sets in motion a chain of events that ultimately leads to Peter’s witness in Jerusalem to the resurrected Christ. And that witness led to the growth of the church leading up to this very day.
The outreach question is not so much, “How many people are we bringing in.” The outreach question is really, “Are we faithfully inviting,” or, to say it another way, “Do we testify, in our words and actions, to Christ?” We can’t control the bringing in. That’s the Spirit’s work. But we can control the inviting. And the most effective invitations are not mass mailings or paid church advertising in the yellow pages or newspaper or website. The most effective invitations are personal, like Jesus to Andrew, “Come and See.” If we speak those words to another family member or friend, “Come and see,” you just never know what ripple that may end up having in the world.
I know God used the ripple effect in my life to bring me to faith and to where I’m at today. I guess I’d say it was my parents who were the stone dropped in the water to set it all in motion. They brought me as a child to a young church near their new suburban home in Edina, Normandale Lutheran. This was the baby boom, and there were so many children, one of the members, Mrs. Williams, taught her Sunday school class in the basement of her home, a block or so away from the church. I remember attending. Then there was Mr. Gernbacher, teaching Sunday school to a bunch of rowdy 6 grade boys. For confirmation we had a new young pastor, Pastor Al, who confirmed me and then invited me and others to the parsonage basement for senior high youth group. It was largely because of that experience that I decided to become a pastor myself. Hopefully, both personally and professionally, I’ve had at least some impact in my witness to others over the years.
Saturday, 4 of the 8 members of the congregation that recently traveled to Tanzania returned. That whole involvement in that mission is another great example of the ripple effect. It began for us back in the year 2000, when I asked Gwen Hanson from Faith Lutheran if she’d be our guest stewardship speaker. She agreed. But in addition, I learned in meeting with her that she and her husband, who were recently retired teachers from Forest Lake, had been part of a teacher exchange program in Tanzania, sponsered by the ELCA, called Mwangaza. This exchange takes place every three years, and they were wondering if I might know of a teacher who could be involved in the program.
The Lord only knows why, but instead of just throwing the written information they had given me in the recycling bin, I thought of Gerry Lidstrom from our church, who also just happened to be part of our stewardship committee planning this event with Gwen. I sent the information to Gerry at SW jr. high, through my daughter Allison, who at the time was one of his 7th grade students. Gerry was surprised to receive it, but, for whatever reason, he too did not just throw it out, spoke with Mark and Gwen, and eventually decided to become involved. Gerry was partnered with Haran Ngede, from Mtera school, who came here in the late winter of 2001 and worked with Gerry in the Forest Lake schools. Gerry then went to Tanzania in the summer of 2001 and worked with Haran and visited Mtera school.
It was such a powerful experience for Gerry that, upon his return, he encouraged us to sponsor students at the school and eventually to partner with Mtera church.
It took a few years, but God is patient, and four more of us from the congregation visited Tanzania in 2005. In 2007, six of us made another trip, including 4 who went for the first time. Now, in 2008, 8 people made the journey, 6 for the first time, including my daughter Allison, who originally brought the written materials to Gerry back in the fall of 2000. The ripple effect. 1 person from our church, influenced 4 who influenced 4 more, who influenced 6, meaning we have now had 15 people from this congregation visit our partner church in Africa one or more times. I would never have believed it back in 2000.
Can one person make a difference? Let’s not forget Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose work is commemorated tomorrow. Dr. King walked out of relative obscurity onto a national and international stage in his quest for civil rights. Forty years after his death, Martin Luther King, Jr. continues to have an effect on new and emerging generations.
On a cold winter morning, with all the lakes frozen, we are reminded of the ripple effect of our witness. It’s a word of hope and encouragement. One person’s testimony can make all the difference in the world. It is the responsibility of the whole body of Christ to testify in word and deed. “Come and see” is the invitation we extend. And then we pray, that through our invitation, the ripple effect might take place, the Spirit of God impacting lives in ways we never could imagine or do on our own. Thank you for being faithful, hearty witnesses who don’t let below zero temperatures keep you from hearing the Gospel. May your witness start a ripple that impacts the world. Amen