Follow Me Tuning In (Matt 4:19)

I have owned a bow and arrows now for many years, which has sat in the cupboard for most of last year gathering dust. I took it out for some practice last spring but found I couldn’t hit the target. This week I turned to the Internet to learn how to tune the bow. Before long I had measured and adjusted the bow string tiller, arrow rest, centre shot and nocking point before relearning to relax my grip and hey presto my arrows hit the target. Following this great feeling of success with the bow I found myself in the office struggling with this year’s planning. I often turn to my guitar when I need divine help but the instrument was so out of tune and I couldn’t correct it with the usual fifth fret string comparison. I turned to my computer again to tune it with an Internet program and my guitar was soon playing sweet vibrations once again. This all led me to think about this year’s planning and us as instruments in God’s hands.

Scripture talks about children as arrows, how happy the man with a quiver full of them, sent to do his bidding. It is often said that faith as an arrow that hits its target. I want to have the faith to be aiming at something. Scripture also mentions the importance of stringed instruments in worship. Not only do I want to be a good example of faith and son-ship as God’s arrow but also that of a harmonious piano, organ or guitar in worship. I don’t want to be wavering or wining in His ear. I am ever hopeful that we will tune ourselves against the teachings of Christ who instructed, “Go into all the world and make disciples of men.” The strings of our hearts are compared against the chords of Christ’s heart, his faith, His hope and His love. Jesus is calling, “Follow Me,” to be made “fishers of men?” What that means is more than walking along with the provider of our bread and butter, but rather following in a way, as Jesus did, which makes a difference to people around us. Tuning in is a two-way thing that when we draw closer to Jesus the helper, the Holy Spirit, draws closer to us.

I can see the outer target before us, a vibrant well-rounded church, then inner rings of a healthy Sunday School and a bull’s eye of individuals spiritually growing. When God sends us out it is with His arm and His eye to hit the bull’s eye and with sweet vibrations acceptable to Him and men. Tuning in is so very important to the future wellbeing of this parish. Tuning ourselves to God in prayer, in praise and in worship is the purpose of church and leads us to seeing His will achieved here, “on earth as it is in heaven.” Let us not be slack or off key strings but strings that are in harmony with heaven’s heart. Our Father in Heaven so wants to bless us, so let us make it easier for Him in this year of 2011 by doing our bit. Let us pray with spiritual engagement. Let us read our scripture with understanding. Let us turn to our Lord, tune in and hit the bull’s eye set before us.

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