Hymns by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
O Lord, you called disciples, proclaiming, "Come and see!"
And so an invitation began your ministry.
Then Andrew called his brother, and Peter came to you;
More men and women followed, and little children, too.
You met a busy woman out in the noon-day sun.
You shared God's love, you listened; you told all she had done.
She called her friends and neighbors and brought them face to face
With you, the living water, the bearer of God's grace.
O Christ, your invitation has reached from year to year!
Through some who heard you calling, a church was founded here.
As faithful people served you so many years ago,*
They soon invited others; your church began to grow.
God, by your Holy Spirit, now send us in your name
To serve the lost and outcast, the poor for whom you came.
Through gifts of hope and healing, through loving ministry,
May we reach out, inviting the world to "Come and see!"
Hymn Use Permission: Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books, 2009) includes a permission note for those who own this book to use this hymn (along with the 76 other new hymns in the book) in their local church's worship services. People who do not own Songs of Grace are asked to contact Carolyn (bcgillette@comcast.net) for permission to use the hymn and to get a copy of the hymn formatted for worship bulletin use.
This hymn was originally written for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the First Presbyterian Church in Bay Minette, Alabama with the original verse* being "As faithful people served you a century ago".
This hymn was originally written for the 100th Anniversary Celebration (August 11, 2002) of the First Presbyterian Church in Bay Minette, Alabama. Scripture references include John 1:35-51, 4:1-45; Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-11, 8:1-3; and Matthew 25:31-46.
Jesus had many more than twelve disciples, and this hymn — like the previous one [Jesus, You Once Called Disciples] — recognizes the faith of many people who sought to follow him. One of these other people was the woman at the well, and amazingly, John's gospel tells us the story of her conversation with Jesus in great detail. When she realized that Jesus had spoken God's truth to her, she went back and told her friends and neighbors. She invited them to come and meet Jesus, too.
Churches grow when people are inviting. Today, I was putting up Vacation Bible School fliers around town when a mother and her two children got out of their car at a shopping center. The girl said hello, and the mother began talking with me as well. I mentioned that our church was getting ready for VBS and said that we would love to have them join us. The conversation was a quick and informal one — nothing profound. But who knows? Maybe God will use it today — or tomorrow — or in a year. Maybe they will remember that someone from a church said to them, "We'd love for you to join us. Come and see what's happening at our church."
"Come and see" is an even more effective invitation when it is spoken to people we know. Studies have shown that the majority of people who are invited to church by family or friends will actually come and visit. How can you invite someone to "come and see" the good news of Jesus Christ that your church has to offer?
Devotional reflection copied from Songs of Grace: New Hymns for God and Neighbor by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (Upper Room Books, 2009); this book includes 77 hymns to well-known hymn tunes with devotional reflections for each hymn. The book has a permission note for those who own this book to use this hymn (along with the 76 other new hymns in the book) in their local church's worship services.