Liturgy: “A More Pointy Existence”

We are not the bread that feeds the hungry. Rather, like John the Baptist, we are a fellow beggar, who has found the bread of life and can now point others to it.

Alexander Ivanov
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What is the King’s Liturgy? King’s Liturgy defines our experience together as a Christian community. It outlines the rhythms we celebrate with the Church at large: Scripture readings, Sabbath habits, and celebration of Holy Days and historical events.

This Week’s Lectionary Readings:
Isaiah 49:1-7;
1 Corinthians1:1-9;
John 1:29-42;
Psalm 103:1-8

This week’s liturgy is contributed by Rev. Dr. Dru Johnson, Associate Professor of Biblical & Theological
Studies:

In Alexander Ivanov’s painting (above), our eye goes right to the center, and then immediately to the right—to the distant man whom John the Baptist is pointing our eyes toward (just like this meme floating around on the internet).

In John’s mouth, we hear his cry: “Behold! The Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world!”

What a weird thing to say! It makes little sense to point to a man and call him a “lamb,” and then talk about the removal of sin throughout the cosmos. Who could understand such a thing? Apparently, only Jesus and John.

Pointing, is such an under-valued function in the Christian life. John was a feared prophet. All of Israel listened to him and the political powers respected his words and sway. He held God’s people in his hand, moldable and scoldable. Yet, as soon as Jesus arrives on scene, John the Baptist knows that his job is to point away from himself. He came to prepare the people in repentance of sin, and then point away from himself to the Lamb-Man who removes their sin.

I once heard an illustration of Christian service to a starving world. We should not think of ourselves as the good news. We are not the bread that feeds the hungry. Rather, like John the Baptist, we are a fellow beggar, who has found the bread of life and can now point others to it.

God help us to point early and often!


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