Live and In Person

Live and In Person

From the first day, we were there, taking

it all in--we heard it with our own ears, saw it

with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands.

The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes;

we saw it happen!  And now we're telling you in

most sober prose that what we witnessed was,

incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God

Himself took shape before us.

1 John 1:1-2

Renee Fleming is my favorite professional singer – a soprano with a glorious voice, and I love to listen to her sing – on the TV, over the radio, on YouTube, and through CD’s.  Several years ago, I was able to attend a Master Class by Ms. Fleming at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  Although I had listened to her for years on TV,CD's, YouTube, etc.,, there was no comparison to being there in the same small concert venue – watching, listening, and absorbing her voice, her technique, her stage presence, and the wisdom she shared with the many young students present.  It was a remarkable experience:  Renee Fleming - live and in person.

John opens up his first letter to the church, not by introducing himself or giving words of personal greeting to friends and church members, but by launching into a passionate affirmation of the most important period of his life: when he was an eyewitness to the life, ministry, death and resurrection of the Son of God.  He was there from the very beginning of Christ's ministry - knowing, seeing, hearing, touching the Messiah.  In his Gospel, John introduced Jesus as the Word.  In this first letter to the churches, he again proclaims Jesus as the Word of Life - the infinite Life of God.  One can feel the excitement in his words as he describes for his readers the incredible experience of living with God on earth - Emmanuel.

John knew that most if not all of his readers were not witnesses to Christ's life.  But he was!  So he pours out his heart in the opening sentences of this letter - willing the people to "see" through his eyes, to "hear" through his words, to experience the living God for themselves.

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Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

To reach out and touch Him and say that we love Him.

Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.

Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.

The Faith We Sing, No. 2086