GONE FISHING!

February 10, 2019

On this fifth Sunday after Epiphany, we see Jesus’ teaching of God’s word has begun to draw great crowds.  For Simon, James, and John, Jesus’ teaching inspires hospitality, then obedience, and then risk.  After Jesus’ creative power is revealed, fear and amazement lead these three fishermen to leave everything behind in order to become apostles.

If our picture of discipleship is casting out nets and hauling in folks the way Peter and his partners gathered fish, no wonder it’s a responsibility we’ve not gotten really good at.  Disciples act in the name of the Master.  What Peter, his business partners, the others, and we are called to do is done in God’s name.  Therefore, what we do is not done solely on our own.  Rather, acts of discipleship are things Christ does in us, through us, and with us.  See why “random acts of kindness” doesn’t quite get it?  You know anybody eager to follow a random God?

At our 9:30 A.M., Sunday worship, in prayer, Word, song, sermon and Meal, we’ll be reminded, again, that discipleship is an invitation, an announcement coming to ordinary people; people devoted to sin; people not free from sin.  It comes in our ordinary circumstances.  It’s not particularly religious, at least not as we usually understand that word.  Discipleship is full-time, because discipleship isn’t a job; it’s an identity.  The meter never goes off.  Discipleship doesn’t take a back seat to anything – not marriage, not parenting, neither studying, nor career planning, not social climbing, nor church-going.

Pastor Jeff