When I was a young boy back in Iowa three words that were sure to bring an eager grin to my face
were, “Let’s go fishing!” On many a summer morning ripe with the promise of a rippling stream, the
murmuring of cattle, the songs of meadowlarks, and most of all, no school, my dad would make my
day with those magic words. Memories of those little expeditions are so deep and calming that they
still give me a sense of peace.
But for people who make their living by fishing, it can be a bit harder to find enjoyment in the work.
Paying bills, keeping above water (literally and figuratively!), and keeping your fish customers happy
add a sense of urgency and pressure to that kind of work. I used to see this in the long hours and
lined faces of the fishermen who would test themselves against the dwindling numbers of salmon
and tuna along the North Coast of California. Too many lost their livelihood, as evidenced by the
many fishing boats with “For Sale” signs on them.
I suspect that Peter and the other fishermen on the Lake of Gennesaret (which is actually another
name for the Sea of Galilee) felt that same pressure. This was very hard work, and this work
sometimes just didn’t pay off with a good catch. In today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus
interacts with a discouraged fisherman, Simon Peter. Peter and his crew had been plying their craft
in the best way they knew how. They’d been fishing all night in the deep waters, which, as all good
Galilean fishermen know, is the place to catch fish during the night. No luck.
So as Peter is washing his nets, Jesus climbs into his boat with him, and asks him to push a little way
off shore. Peter obeys, and listens as Jesus teaches the crowd from his boat. I wonder what was
going on in Peter’s mind as he listened. Perhaps he was listening with admiration and awe. Or,
maybe he was thinking something like, “Yeah, that’s all fine and good for you: Since you left the
carpentry shop you don’t have to bend your muscles all day, every day to put food on the table.
You don’t have to deal every day with pinched fingers, chapped hands and smelly fish.”
But whatever his private thoughts are, Peter obeys when Jesus directs him to do something that
seems unlikely, and even a little silly. I’d like us to look at this story this morning because it
illustrates simply and elegantly how our Lord works in the lives of his followers when they’re open to
hearing and obeying his will.
I need first to emphasize that Christian ministry, the ministry of this community we call the Church, is
not just for the ordained. The call of God to ministry applies to each and every believer. Each of us
is a small tile in the beautiful mosaic of Christ’s Church, and some of its beauty would be missing if
any one of us fails to find the personal blessing that comes from adding to its overall beauty.
The story of Peter the fisherman is one of quite a few Bible stories that show three simple stages in
becoming effective for God, contributing to this beautiful mosaic: First, we’re called to our part in the
Lord’s work, second, we dare to obey, and third, we simply get to work. It’s not brain surgery, but it
is an important thing. Now, I’m a little reluctant even to use the word “work,” because it’s likely to
remind us of the forty or fifty or sixty-hour week that’s necessary for us to eat and to have a roof
over our heads. Of bosses, and deadlines, and boredom, and interpersonal stressors.
But the refreshing surprise Jesus had for Peter, and has for us, is that our work for the kingdom of
God is much more fulfilling than that. That being said, let’s look for a moment at how we can discern
our part in God’s work. This is the $64,000 question for many of us. We may wonder where we fit
into this whole mosaic of God’s plan. And if you’re wondering that this morning, I’m delighted,
because the Lord probably put that desire in you to figure this out.
In the “Experiencing God” course we learned several ways to discern the will of God. One way is
through the Holy Spirit. He most often doesn’t give us precise words presented with an audible
voice, but an idea or impression. Something that catches our attention. And perhaps as you check
it out, you begin to feel a little excitement in your chest. A little enthusiasm that grows into
something bigger. This is the way my call to the ministry started. Not that I responded right away.
In fact we moved to Tarshish, I mean, Gallup, instead. (If the ‘Tarshish’ reference leaves you
puzzled, I refer you to the Old Testament book of Jonah.) But the Lord is creative and persistent,
and he’ll sometimes use more than one way to get your attention.
Another way to discern God’s will is through Scripture. At the moment of my conversion some 20
years ago I had a distinct and strong impression that I was to look at the Bible and read wherever it
was I opened to. What I got was a reading from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, in which he
warned him about false teachers (of whom I’d been following a few), and encouraged him to stick
with the true Gospel, rather than a gospel twisted by modern myths. This spoke to me then, and
continues to guide me.
Another way God guides us is through our circumstances. For instance, have you ever had
someone express to you a need that just happened to fit what you do well? Maybe you’re an
encourager, for instance, and the Lord placed in your path someone who was losing hope.
God’s will is also revealed through the counsel of godly people. When we were trying to discern
whether it was God’s will for us to leave Maryland and come out to Hope, this was one of the
deciding factors. The upshot is: God will eventually reveal his purpose for us if we keep paying
attention. As we remain open and aware; and watch for signs, in his time he’ll reveal to us what he’s
doing and how we can be a part of it.
So there are several different ways in which the Lord guides us. Peter had the advantage (and
challenge) of being with Jesus in the flesh. With Peter, Jesus is very straightforward. He tells him
what to do. He says, “Go out there, where it’s deeper, and lower your nets again.” At first Peter
objects. They’d tried that all night, when the fish really did congregate in the deeper waters. And
now that it’s daytime, this seems like silly advice, because now the fish are supposed to be in
the shallows. It’s like when someone suggests a new program at a church, the well-meaning people
who say, “We tried that. It didn’t work.” And they look at you a bit impatiently.
But notice what Peter does next. He says to Jesus, “Yet, if you say so, I will.” “OK, I’ll do it.” This
brings us to the second step in successful service: We dare to obey. Peter has a lot at risk here. It’
s likely that most of the crowd who’d been listening to Jesus is still there. Peter could really look like
a fool in front of lots of folks if he lowers the nets where there aren’t supposed to be fish and, lo and
behold, he comes up with no fish. Not to mention his potential loss of faith in this man he’d
begun to listen to and be impressed with, if Jesus’ advice turns out to be wrong.
But he says, “If you say so, I will.” He dares to obey. And the result of that obedience is
miraculous—Peter pulls up nets that are so full of fish that they’re on the verge of bursting. It doesn’
t seem sensible, but he obeys anyway, and the Lord’s mercy and grace turn out to be almost more
than Peter, and his nets, can bear.
And this is where another kind of courage comes to the fore. Because at this moment Simon Peter
recognizes that he’s in the presence of someone the likes of whom he’s never met. He becomes
acutely aware of his own inadequacy. His sinfulness. His doubt. ‘Lord, but I’m not worthy! But I’m
too young! But my thoughts are impure! But I’m shy! But this, but that.’ My former rector in
Maryland was preaching about this a few years ago and pronounced somberly, “We all have ‘buts’!”
(After a couple of moments of awkward silence it was our youth leader, Heidi, who first snorted
loudly, setting off a minute or so of general hilarity.)
But, we don’t have to have it all together to do God’s work. This is the “but” that trumps them all!
We don’t have to have it all together to do God’s work! He’ll do his work not only despite our
weakness, but through our weakness. And the more intimately we get to know our Lord’s loving and
merciful nature, the more we’ll trust him to be our Leader and to guide our work.
So we discern our work, we dare to obey, and then, finally, we do the work. We discharge our
ministry. And there’s some very good news about this: it’s not really our ministry. The Lord uses us
to do his ministry with his leading, his provision, and his power. Whether Jesus made those fish
appear in the deep water or whether he simply knew they were there, he exercised a miracle to
accomplish his purpose, and he accomplished it through his servant Peter. And when Peter hauled
in the nets they were full to the point of bursting.
Now, he was still using his muscles to pull them in, and his back may have still hurt. Service is not
always without discomfort. But the Lord provided, and together, they completed the task that
showed God’s glory, and has come down to us in the Scriptures. The Lord still lets us know how to
serve. He works supernaturally to set up our opportunities to serve. He provides the people and
circumstances to make our service effective. And he chooses to do his work through us—his
creation, his children.
This is great news! We don’t have to force things. I’m sure that some of you have observed that at
times I’m not the most patient person in the world. I tend to want to do everything yesterday, in my
own power, and then when things don’t go as planned I wonder why. We don’t have to do that
because we have a Lord whose leading, timing, purpose, and means of fulfilling that purpose are
always reliable, if we’re willing to listen to his direction. He’ll let us know how we can serve him, he’ll
walk before us and beside us the entire way, and he’ll accomplish his purposes through us if we let
him lead.
We observed last week that the Lord all along has had a mission for this congregation. It’s a
mission to which a dedicated core of people has remained unwavering. I for one couldn’t be happier
that so many at Hope-in-the-Desert have already identified their gifts and are applying them joyfully
to God’s work of drawing people to God’s loving and redeeming light. And I’m sure there are many
people here who can affirm that serving him is not drudgery, but a precious chance to delight our
hearts as we continue to follow him in the work He has for us. I have no doubt that together we’re
going to have a lot of fun doing it! Let’s go fishing! Amen.
were, “Let’s go fishing!” On many a summer morning ripe with the promise of a rippling stream, the
murmuring of cattle, the songs of meadowlarks, and most of all, no school, my dad would make my
day with those magic words. Memories of those little expeditions are so deep and calming that they
still give me a sense of peace.
But for people who make their living by fishing, it can be a bit harder to find enjoyment in the work.
Paying bills, keeping above water (literally and figuratively!), and keeping your fish customers happy
add a sense of urgency and pressure to that kind of work. I used to see this in the long hours and
lined faces of the fishermen who would test themselves against the dwindling numbers of salmon
and tuna along the North Coast of California. Too many lost their livelihood, as evidenced by the
many fishing boats with “For Sale” signs on them.
I suspect that Peter and the other fishermen on the Lake of Gennesaret (which is actually another
name for the Sea of Galilee) felt that same pressure. This was very hard work, and this work
sometimes just didn’t pay off with a good catch. In today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus
interacts with a discouraged fisherman, Simon Peter. Peter and his crew had been plying their craft
in the best way they knew how. They’d been fishing all night in the deep waters, which, as all good
Galilean fishermen know, is the place to catch fish during the night. No luck.
So as Peter is washing his nets, Jesus climbs into his boat with him, and asks him to push a little way
off shore. Peter obeys, and listens as Jesus teaches the crowd from his boat. I wonder what was
going on in Peter’s mind as he listened. Perhaps he was listening with admiration and awe. Or,
maybe he was thinking something like, “Yeah, that’s all fine and good for you: Since you left the
carpentry shop you don’t have to bend your muscles all day, every day to put food on the table.
You don’t have to deal every day with pinched fingers, chapped hands and smelly fish.”
But whatever his private thoughts are, Peter obeys when Jesus directs him to do something that
seems unlikely, and even a little silly. I’d like us to look at this story this morning because it
illustrates simply and elegantly how our Lord works in the lives of his followers when they’re open to
hearing and obeying his will.
I need first to emphasize that Christian ministry, the ministry of this community we call the Church, is
not just for the ordained. The call of God to ministry applies to each and every believer. Each of us
is a small tile in the beautiful mosaic of Christ’s Church, and some of its beauty would be missing if
any one of us fails to find the personal blessing that comes from adding to its overall beauty.
The story of Peter the fisherman is one of quite a few Bible stories that show three simple stages in
becoming effective for God, contributing to this beautiful mosaic: First, we’re called to our part in the
Lord’s work, second, we dare to obey, and third, we simply get to work. It’s not brain surgery, but it
is an important thing. Now, I’m a little reluctant even to use the word “work,” because it’s likely to
remind us of the forty or fifty or sixty-hour week that’s necessary for us to eat and to have a roof
over our heads. Of bosses, and deadlines, and boredom, and interpersonal stressors.
But the refreshing surprise Jesus had for Peter, and has for us, is that our work for the kingdom of
God is much more fulfilling than that. That being said, let’s look for a moment at how we can discern
our part in God’s work. This is the $64,000 question for many of us. We may wonder where we fit
into this whole mosaic of God’s plan. And if you’re wondering that this morning, I’m delighted,
because the Lord probably put that desire in you to figure this out.
In the “Experiencing God” course we learned several ways to discern the will of God. One way is
through the Holy Spirit. He most often doesn’t give us precise words presented with an audible
voice, but an idea or impression. Something that catches our attention. And perhaps as you check
it out, you begin to feel a little excitement in your chest. A little enthusiasm that grows into
something bigger. This is the way my call to the ministry started. Not that I responded right away.
In fact we moved to Tarshish, I mean, Gallup, instead. (If the ‘Tarshish’ reference leaves you
puzzled, I refer you to the Old Testament book of Jonah.) But the Lord is creative and persistent,
and he’ll sometimes use more than one way to get your attention.
Another way to discern God’s will is through Scripture. At the moment of my conversion some 20
years ago I had a distinct and strong impression that I was to look at the Bible and read wherever it
was I opened to. What I got was a reading from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, in which he
warned him about false teachers (of whom I’d been following a few), and encouraged him to stick
with the true Gospel, rather than a gospel twisted by modern myths. This spoke to me then, and
continues to guide me.
Another way God guides us is through our circumstances. For instance, have you ever had
someone express to you a need that just happened to fit what you do well? Maybe you’re an
encourager, for instance, and the Lord placed in your path someone who was losing hope.
God’s will is also revealed through the counsel of godly people. When we were trying to discern
whether it was God’s will for us to leave Maryland and come out to Hope, this was one of the
deciding factors. The upshot is: God will eventually reveal his purpose for us if we keep paying
attention. As we remain open and aware; and watch for signs, in his time he’ll reveal to us what he’s
doing and how we can be a part of it.
So there are several different ways in which the Lord guides us. Peter had the advantage (and
challenge) of being with Jesus in the flesh. With Peter, Jesus is very straightforward. He tells him
what to do. He says, “Go out there, where it’s deeper, and lower your nets again.” At first Peter
objects. They’d tried that all night, when the fish really did congregate in the deeper waters. And
now that it’s daytime, this seems like silly advice, because now the fish are supposed to be in
the shallows. It’s like when someone suggests a new program at a church, the well-meaning people
who say, “We tried that. It didn’t work.” And they look at you a bit impatiently.
But notice what Peter does next. He says to Jesus, “Yet, if you say so, I will.” “OK, I’ll do it.” This
brings us to the second step in successful service: We dare to obey. Peter has a lot at risk here. It’
s likely that most of the crowd who’d been listening to Jesus is still there. Peter could really look like
a fool in front of lots of folks if he lowers the nets where there aren’t supposed to be fish and, lo and
behold, he comes up with no fish. Not to mention his potential loss of faith in this man he’d
begun to listen to and be impressed with, if Jesus’ advice turns out to be wrong.
But he says, “If you say so, I will.” He dares to obey. And the result of that obedience is
miraculous—Peter pulls up nets that are so full of fish that they’re on the verge of bursting. It doesn’
t seem sensible, but he obeys anyway, and the Lord’s mercy and grace turn out to be almost more
than Peter, and his nets, can bear.
And this is where another kind of courage comes to the fore. Because at this moment Simon Peter
recognizes that he’s in the presence of someone the likes of whom he’s never met. He becomes
acutely aware of his own inadequacy. His sinfulness. His doubt. ‘Lord, but I’m not worthy! But I’m
too young! But my thoughts are impure! But I’m shy! But this, but that.’ My former rector in
Maryland was preaching about this a few years ago and pronounced somberly, “We all have ‘buts’!”
(After a couple of moments of awkward silence it was our youth leader, Heidi, who first snorted
loudly, setting off a minute or so of general hilarity.)
But, we don’t have to have it all together to do God’s work. This is the “but” that trumps them all!
We don’t have to have it all together to do God’s work! He’ll do his work not only despite our
weakness, but through our weakness. And the more intimately we get to know our Lord’s loving and
merciful nature, the more we’ll trust him to be our Leader and to guide our work.
So we discern our work, we dare to obey, and then, finally, we do the work. We discharge our
ministry. And there’s some very good news about this: it’s not really our ministry. The Lord uses us
to do his ministry with his leading, his provision, and his power. Whether Jesus made those fish
appear in the deep water or whether he simply knew they were there, he exercised a miracle to
accomplish his purpose, and he accomplished it through his servant Peter. And when Peter hauled
in the nets they were full to the point of bursting.
Now, he was still using his muscles to pull them in, and his back may have still hurt. Service is not
always without discomfort. But the Lord provided, and together, they completed the task that
showed God’s glory, and has come down to us in the Scriptures. The Lord still lets us know how to
serve. He works supernaturally to set up our opportunities to serve. He provides the people and
circumstances to make our service effective. And he chooses to do his work through us—his
creation, his children.
This is great news! We don’t have to force things. I’m sure that some of you have observed that at
times I’m not the most patient person in the world. I tend to want to do everything yesterday, in my
own power, and then when things don’t go as planned I wonder why. We don’t have to do that
because we have a Lord whose leading, timing, purpose, and means of fulfilling that purpose are
always reliable, if we’re willing to listen to his direction. He’ll let us know how we can serve him, he’ll
walk before us and beside us the entire way, and he’ll accomplish his purposes through us if we let
him lead.
We observed last week that the Lord all along has had a mission for this congregation. It’s a
mission to which a dedicated core of people has remained unwavering. I for one couldn’t be happier
that so many at Hope-in-the-Desert have already identified their gifts and are applying them joyfully
to God’s work of drawing people to God’s loving and redeeming light. And I’m sure there are many
people here who can affirm that serving him is not drudgery, but a precious chance to delight our
hearts as we continue to follow him in the work He has for us. I have no doubt that together we’re
going to have a lot of fun doing it! Let’s go fishing! Amen.
Let's Go Fishing
Luke 5:1-11
Luke 5:1-11
February 7, 2010
Fr. Dan Tuton
Fr. Dan Tuton
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |