John 1:41-42a – The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. (NIV)
There's an old tradition that the bones of St. Andrew were brought to the east coast of Scotland to a town called Kilrymont in the ninth century. The place became a focal point of faith and learning, eventually becoming known as St. Andrews. Nowadays, we tend to link the town with the game of golf, but its main importance to the people of Scotland has been its connection to one of Christ's disciples.
All over Scotland, one can see statues and symbols of St. Andrew. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, along with Greece and Russia. We even set aside a day to commemorate him, on November 30th each year. This fisherman disciple became so influential that the name Andrew is very common in Scotland. My dad was an Andrew, and so is one of my brothers. In fact, Andrews and Johns go back in our family to at least the 11th century.
The one thing I like about St. Andrew (apart from being a fisherman) is that he was the first evangelist. He is the first person in the New Testament to bring someone to Christ — and the person that he brings is Peter, his very own brother. It's something that we could all do — bring our families to Christ, by inviting them to church and personally bringing them along. In fact, in Scotland there's a special Order of St. Andrew, which was set up in the Church of Scotland, for people who acted both as greeters at the church door, but who also continually brought other people to church.
Perhaps next Sunday, we could all be a St. Andrew by inviting and bringing along someone else to church. After all, wouldn't it be great if on Sunday mornings we were surrounded by our families, friends, and loved ones — all of whom we had brought to church?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the example of St. Andrew. Help us to think constantly about people whom we could invite to church, amongst our families, our friends, and the people we encounter each week. Give us the courage to ask, and grant us the ability to follow through. In Your holy name, we pray. Amen.
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