Links & Articles

For all those who are interested in reading the papers, questions, and articles related to the consultation I took part in down in Nashville, here they are!

Article published by the UM Newservice
http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=2433457&ct=3612371

Papers & critical questions (scroll down to Consultation on Judicial Council 1032 Papers)
http://gbhem.org/asp/resourceLibrary.asp

What's on the News

I have to say it...I am so irritated about the news that has been carried for the past few weeks...Has the American public become so self-centered and self involved that it's more important to follow the soap opera that has become the Anna Nicole Smith or Britney Spears story? Why are these the stories that are making headlines in the midst of this world that we live in? Why are people not focusing on other things that are going on, like the war, global warming, or hunger issues? Instead, the so-called news is showing paparazzi photos and court room dramas...

I opened up an article on Saturday that most Americans underestimate the number of casualties from the Iraq war. How can people be so self involved so as not to know what is going on in the world around them?

Now, I must make a confession that I do check in on the celebrity blogs...Tabloids for the Internet if you will...I confess-- I won't buy the trash in the store, but yes I will look in on the blogs...I know the lingo-- I know some of the gossip...Yes, I admit to that...But, it's not the only thing that I read or check into on the Internet...I also look at newspapers, BBC news, and other blogs not about gossip...If I were to only read things like perezhilton.com or dlisted.com, I think that I would go crazy...

I don't understand the fascination...Is it because we can look at people like Anna Nicole or Britney and feel some sense of superiority because at least we're better than that...At least we know who our children's parents are...At least we don't attack people with umbrellas...At least we're not in rehab...To see someone who is in such a place of popularity fall to the ground is so intriguing to us...Is it because it makes us feel better?

And looking at stories about Iraq, Darfur, Cuba aren't as intriguing because we can see where we've failed as individuals, as people, as Americans? We see our faults glaring at us by the faces of those who have been senselessly killed and murdered...It's not as fun to look at those and make jokes about that or to laugh at another's expense there...

How does attention get drawn to the things that really matter? There are certainly celebrities who are doing some amazing humanitarian work and are trying to get the word out about some situations that are happening, but are people listening to what they're saying? When you look at people like Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, are people listening and paying attention to the causes that they're addressing or are they thinking about how they got together as a couple? What is important?

I don't understand it...Maybe it's having too high of expectations of people to think about the world that they live in and the situations that are going on...Becuase contrary to belief, they do affect us...No, it may not be right in our backyard, but the situations affect us. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Zaccheus

Zaccheus
The story of Zaccheus is probably pretty familiar to most people. You may remember some details from his story…How h climbed up a tree to see Jesus, how he was a tax collector…But have you ever thought about what Zaccheus would have to say about his experience? If he were here with us today, what would Zaccheus have to say? Well, this morning we are fortunate to have a possibility of what Zaccheus would have to say to us…
(Monologue)
How many ways is Zaccheus' story like ours? We may not be tax collectors like Zaccheus, but have there been any times that we may have made a mistake and people let us know about it? Now, Zaccheus knew what he was doing was wrong—he was cheating people and stealing their money, but he got used to his lifestyle and didn't want to stop!
Christian was a three year old spitfire…The first day I met him, his teacher introduced him as a problem child…It was meant somewhat in joke, and somewhat serious as Christian would find himself in timeout or separated from the other kids most of the day…One afternoon after a particularly difficult day between Christian and one of the three year old girls, Carly…Carly came running up to me and informed me matter of factly that Christian had just called her a name and it wasn't a nice name…In fact it's one that could your mouth washed out with soap! I called Christian over and as he walked over, he had this look on his face, I couldn't quite read what he was thinking…I asked Christian what he called Carly and he repeated it for me and I told him it wasn't very nice and I asked him why he did it…He sighed big for a minute and said, "I didn't want to…But she really was being that way…." I was taken aback by his honest response and I realized that he knew what he was doing was wrong, it was going to get him into some big trouble, but he was going to do it anyway!
Have you ever been in a situation that you knew what you were doing was wrong, but you were either so far in that you thought you couldn't stop or you were convinced that it wouldn't make a difference? I think that's where Zaccheus was…He just couldn't stop for whatever reason! It's hard when you get in that position…It can leave you with all kinds of negative feelings—guilt, shame, anger…
Zaccheus must have held onto something though…He went to go see Jesus—now if he went to see him out of curiosity for who this Jesus was or if he went to see him for some other reason, it was important enough for Zaccheus to see Jesus that even though he couldn't see over the crowds, he climbed up into a tree to see Jesus.
Can you imagine wanting to see someone so much that you would climb into a tree to see them? And then, they walked up right next you! My mom, sister and I went to see country singer Josh Gracin in concert this summer at the Boone County Fair…We didn't get the closer seats, but we were in the grandstand…You could see the stage and you knew who it was that was on stage, but it wasn't like being up close! We were enjoying the concert when right next to me stood a man with his face covered by a hat, enjoying the music that was playing…Suddenly and without warning, this man with a hat tore off his hat and put the microphone to his mouth and started to sing…There was Josh Gracin who had come out to the grandstand to be in the midst of all the people!
It's no wonder that Zaccheus was a little surprised for many reasons! Here was Jesus talking with him! He was someone who was despised and hated by most people, and yet here's Jesus talking to him!
How many stories can you think of where Jesus talks with someone does the person think that they are deserving of talking with Jesus? In most stories, those that Jesus approach come up with a whole list of reasons why Jesus shouldn't talk with them…And Zaccheus is no different!
Here's the thing…If Jesus waited until someone was perfect before he talked with them…He'd be waiting and awfully long time for something that may never come! But Jesus doesn't wait…Jesus meets us all where we are—imperfections and all…But he doesn't leave us there…He asks us to take the next step—to come down out of the tree and spend some time with him…He invites us into fellowship with him to talk about our lives, our stories and then shows us where we need to change…
We can find ourselves in Zaccheus' story…The question that remains is where are we in the story? Are we in the crowd, are we in the tree, or are we sitting with Jesus? Wherever we are…Jesus is making the invitation to spend time together and hoping what we accept…

On the Down Low

On the Down Low There's a phrase that's used, especially in younger groups when they're trying to keep something secret…It's called "keeping it on the down low." So, when one wants to tell someone something and they don't want it spread it around, they say, "keep this on the down low." Various people use it different ways and different ways of communicating it.
I wonder if Jesus would use the phrase if he were here today when he talks about spiritual disciplines…The spiritual disciplines that he's talking about are ones that are practiced a lot during Lent. Fasting, prayer, offerings…Spiritual disciplines are ways that people practice their faith. There are many different kinds of spiritual disciplines, but its ways that people find that they can live out their life. Some examples are fasting, praying, giving, reading scripture, singing, and there are many others as well. It takes some time to find the one that fits you best, but finding the way that you best communicate with God and are able to practice your faith.
But we do have some guidance from Jesus here in Matthew…It almost feels like Jesus is saying that we should keep this practice on the down low…To practice them in secret. He warns not to pray on street corners or to play a fanfare whenever you give to a charity or look sick when you fast…So it seems like Jesus is saying that we should just do these things on the down low…
But that's not completely true…When you are talking with someone and ask them to keep something on the down low, you have already confided in them…So really, it's not a secret anymore.
What Jesus is meaning here is not necessarily to draw attention to what you're doing as though it some kind of chore or something that you dread doing…That we don't do something just to be noticed, but that we do it for God.
It's also okay to talk with people and share what it is you're doing as an example of the grace that God has and what God is doing in your life. Find someone that you can share with this season to find ways that God is touching each of you and where you see God in your life. That way, it's not sharing to talk about what a hardship you're enduring, but where it is that you've seen God and work and the joy that you have in that grace!
So, if you've thought what it is that you are giving up for Lent, do it joyfully and remember that you're doing it for God.

Reflections of a postmodern trapped in a boomer system...

Well, the consultation on Judicial Council 1032 happened this past week. I must say that it was not completely what I expected. It was a lot bigger deal than I thought it would be...I mean, I knew that it was a big deal and that there were many who were there based on their merit and/or their placement in the political system of the UMC (not to indicate that it wasn't deserved...). I knew going in that I was going to be the only young adult in the group, and that's one of the biggest reasons why I was asked.

Here's what I wasn't expecting: To be the only one under the ag of 40 (Not quite the only one under 45, but very, very close!), to have the media there covering the event, to "just" talk about the decision...

My reflections on the conversation: I found it difficult to engage and enter in the conversation and I've come to really understand that it's because we were not speaking the same language. I suppose that it really hit me the second day with 3 comments that were made...Someone asked how we get pieces of theological information in the hands of people for conversation when there's not a publication that goes to everyone..to which I responded, "The Internet! Blogs are already discussing this and conversations such as the one that we are having could and should be podcasted...Use the digital culture!" And there were several people who hadn't thought of those things (I'm going to venture that some didn't even know what they were)...Meg brought up that there was only one young adult around the table and that in the UMC there are only 4% of ordained elders who are under 30 (I thought it was slightly higher than that, but knew that it was around that mark) and that was brand new information to people as well...The third comment was a critical question that I raised: "How do we train postmodern leaders to function within a system that does not think in a postmodern strain?" To which someone asks, "What doesn't?" and I had to say, "The Church!" So...It was a wake-up call to realize that I was engaged in a conversation filled with "boomer" language and hard to convert to "postmodern" language...And I wondered if this would even be a conversation that would have to happen with postmodern leaders...

The conversation itself, although 1032 was about a homosexual man that was denied membership, we were attempting to think larger--what is membership, ecclesiology, and leadership...But, it was obvious that the issue of homosexuality would and had to come up. One question that someone raised is one that I'm not sure has an answer yet...The question was: "Why is this issue (homosexuality) the one that both sides ruffle up?" I'm not sure what the answer is...Because people on both sides of the issue agreed that they would much rather talk about something else or do something else...Over and over again it was brought up that we don't argue over care of the poor or working for justice, but homosexuality is the issue that gets argued over....

Why? I'm not sure what the answer is yet...I'm not sure that I see any power struggles...Other than the "who's in and who's out" struggle and who makes that decision...There does seem to be some harkening back to OT laws of purity and cleanliness...So, is there something in being homosexual that makes one less pure and thereby less holy? The other conversation that floated in and out was the issue of practice vs. orientation...Which is one that I have a hard time understanding-- especially when the conservative evangelical side tends to make a practice a part of a person (Do you lie? Then you're a liar...Do you steal? Then you're a thief?)...But when the question of homosexuality is raised it suddenly becomes a conversation of practice vs. orientation...So, what is it about this issue that makes both sides ruffle up? Anyone else have any thoughts??

The conversation was good and very important. There will be a document released soon that will share our critical questions for the church...Along with the papers that we read for the consultation. They were interesting reads and while there were papers that I agreed with more than others, each did have some good and important information and things that I could agree with. Which goes to say that this is a very complicated issue.

For me personally: I cannot justify denying membership to someone simply on the basis that they are gay, in the same way that I cannot justify denying membership to someone because they are a different race or because they are racist. However, I do think that there should be an opportunity for the pastor to have discretion and not just accept everyone into membership, especially if they may not be ready spiritually or really understand what it means to be a member. However, that same discretion should be carried out to those who are already members because that would be unjust to have one set of expectations for one group and not for another...

I'm still reflecting and thinking about this conversation and what it means for the church as a whole...

Changing Face

Changing Face
Transfiguration—the time when Jesus went up on the mountain with Peter, James, and John and they saw him transform into Moses and Elijah…It’s one of those times throughout Jesus’ life and ministry that we see the supernatural power of Jesus. In this event, we also hear the voice of God, claiming Jesus as God’s Son once again. It’s a pretty amazing experience and one that will no doubt have a huge influence on Peter, James, and John and undoubtly how they see Jesus.
The reason for them going up to the mountain was to pray…To be in conversation with God. It wasn’t something that was new—Jesus and the disciples often went away to pray. Luke especially writes of Jesus going away to pray before and after major events. Jesus had just finished giving some important teachings and preachings, so it wasn’t unusual that prayer would soon follow. It was what happened on the mountain that the disciples probably weren’t expecting.
As Jesus was praying, his face and clothes changed into a dazzling white…Now, the disciples would have recognized this from their understanding of Moses. It wasn’t the first time that someone’s appearance had changed from being in the presence of God. They would have known the story of Moses going up to the mountain and his face glowing when he came down. The Israelites were so concerned and afraid of what they were seeing, so Moses veiled his face when he was with the Israelites, but when he was in God’s presence, he lifted the veil. The glowing came from being in the physical presence of God…Something that was so holy, that usually when one was in the presence or saw the face of God, they would die.
Now, in the midst of Jesus’ face and clothes shining, he is also transformed into Moses & Elijah. Two important people within the Jewish tradition…Moses, of course being the one who saw God’s face and didn’t die…And Elijah being the prophet who didn’t die, but instead was taken up in a whirlwind. It was believed that both of these men would return as forerunners to the Messiah, but also at the end of time. So, it would be understood why Peter would be a little afraid and want to build a house for the three…Although that’s a little misunderstood too…Peter wanting to build houses for Jesus, Moses, & Elijah was like the Israelites needing Moses to put a veil over his face…It was out of fear…TO see something so holy was frightening! Can you imagine if you were there in the disciples’ shoes? What would you suggest to Jesus?
The other implication of Peter wanting to build a house for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah was based out of the Jewish understanding of the holy. One of the reasons that the temple was built was to give a home for God, so that God wouldn’t have to reside on the top of a mountain, but rather be closer to the people in a safer setting. This is also what Peter was probably thinking…That he wanted to make sure that these three who were obviously so holy would have a place to live closer to the people. Which would be good logic, and it’s important to give Peter credit for his idea…But, it’s also just as important to point out that Peter hasn’t been listening to what Jesus had been saying so far…Because Jesus, already being God’s son had already been in and among the people…The holiness that was God no longer needed a home or a place to be safe, it was safe among the people…Yet, Peter still wanted to put God in a box…
Have you ever heard that saying before? Putting God in a box? It’s putting limitations on God who has no limits…It’s letting our limited understanding of who God is and what God does dictate that is the only thing that God is or can do…It’s hard not to do sometimes, but it’s also not good to do…By putting limitations on God, we’re not allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by God and God’s holiness…What it is that God can do!
Peter was quickly reminded of God’s power when God came and spoke with those on the mountain…Another frightening experience, no doubt! Just one right after the other! You’d think that the disciples would have learned to expect the unexpected with Jesus! Yet, here they were in the presence of God…And they heard the voice of God telling them that Jesus was God’s son…Something that was said at Jesus’ baptism. When Jesus was baptized, God said that Jesus was God’s son, and with him God was well pleased…Something similar is happening here, except there is a slight difference in what God says…At the end of his statement, God says, “Listen to him.”
Listen to him…As if the disciples or some of the others hadn’t been listening to him…Well, they had been hearing him and had heard Jesus’ teachings and preachings and had seen what he had been doing, but they hadn’t really been listening…They hadn’t understood or comprehended what Jesus was actually saying and doing…They hadn’t really been listening to him.
I was talking with a friend of mine who works with two year olds and we were talking about listening…She told me that she knows what listening is by working with these children…When she tells one of them not to go out the door and they do, it’s not listening…When she tells one of them not to play with the toys and they do, it’s not listening…When she tells them not to scream and they do, it’s not listening…It’s easy to see what not listening is! Can you see it in your own life? Those times when you don’t listen? When you hear someone telling you to do something and you don’t…When you hear God telling you to do something and you don’t…When you hear that you shouldn’t be doing something, and you do? Those times when we don’t listen…
There’s a practice called holy listening which involves listening with your whole self…It’s difficult to do because it requires you to tune out many of your own thoughts and to focus just on what the person in front of you is saying…To be truly listening and aware of what is being said. There was a child who was trying to get her mom’s attention…Her mom was hearing her, but also busy doing other things at the same time as most moms do…But her daughter could tell that she was not listening to her…So finally she stood in front of her mom and tugged on her shirt to get her to kneel down in front of her, cupped her mother’s face in her hands and said, “Mommy, listen to me!” Can you imagine if God did that do get our attention? That God cupped our face in God’s hands and said, “Listen to me!”
Well, that’s precisely what God did with Peter and the disciples…God was insistent that they listen to Jesus! Not just hear in the midst of the business and the distractions, but to really listen…There’s a story that’s shared from The Blessing Center, a place that teaches what holy listening is and how to do it…The story that they share goes like this… Katy, was in the kitchen with her mom making cookies one afternoon. The sunlight slanted through the open window; birds sang in the distance. Katy said, "Shhh, Mom, listen." "What, Katy?" "Shhh, listen," the child insisted. "What am I listening to?" asked Mom. "If you are quiet and listen, you can hear God talking to us."
It is after our conversations with God, when we listen to God that our faces also become glowing and things change about us…It may not be literal glowing, but people do notice a difference…God can speak at some of the strangest times…God certainly does speak in the silence and it’s important to take the time to listen to what God has to say…And yet, God speaks in the midst of the busyness and the whirlwind and invites us into a time of silence and listening…
We are going to be beginning Lent soon…It’s a time that is a sacrificial time as we prepare for the celebration of Easter! Many times during Lent, people will talk about the things that they’re giving up…Chocolate, pop, meat, TV…Fasting from something for 40 days—giving something up that is probably difficult as a sacrifice to God…But there’s another part that’s important to that as well…In the midst of giving something up and making that sacrifice, it’s also an opportunity to spend more time with God…That time that would be spent watching TV could be spent in meditation with God…To take time to listen to what God is saying to you…To be invited in that meditation and reflection with God and to come out with glowing faces…To take time to be holy…

Snow Day!

Oh, I woke up this morning and as per my usual morning ritual, I turned on the morning news...Now, I'm in Nashville, so it's the Nashville news...But I was shocked to see some of the same reporting that I left in Chicago!

Scrolling along the bottom of the screen were the school & daycare closings. The newscasters were talking about these flurries that hit last night and how it was so awful..."We got as much as 1-2 inches in places!" I thought that I must have misheard...No, I did not...Concerned, I walked over to my window to see how much snow there was on the ground...Not even one flake!! There was nothing...They showed the traffic and there's nothing! Now, they said that in some of the side streets it must be worse, but I was blown away!

I just came from Chicago where there was 8.8 inches at O'Hare as of Tuesday! Good Lord-- they're closing schools for 1-2 inches!!

Maybe I need to move to the south...That would certainly aleviate my aversion to snow and cold...hmm...Something to think about.

I hope my meeting isn't cancelled!!

You Call That A Blessing?

You call that a Blessing??
This part of Luke’s Gospel is what is referred to as part of the Sermon on the Plain. Jesus is preaching to this crowd that has assembled and giving them some kind of spiritual advice. There are so many little nuggets of spiritual wisdom and advice for life that Jesus gives to the people in this small section of Jesus’ teachings. It’s different than the parables because it’s pretty straightforward and there are no really hidden meanings or things that need to be interpreted.
A friend and I were at a conference last summer where the speaker began to give his interpretation on pieces of Scripture. You didn’t need to have a Seminary education to know that there where things in his speech that were inaccurate and he was calling himself and expert. As we were leaving, my friend turned to me and laughing said, “You didn’t like him very much did you?” Surprised, I said that I didn’t and asked how she knew, because I had not said one word throughout the presentation. “You made a face every time that he said something you didn’t like.” I thought I was more discreet, but apparently it was very obvious. When I read this part of the Sermon on the Plain, I have those same faces and fidgets… There are some things that Jesus says, that I just have to go what??
“Blessed are the poor …” How does this make sense? I mean I know that Jesus talks a lot about selling everything, but he doesn’t usually refer to that as a blessing…What on earth could Jesus be saying here? “Blessed are those who mourn…” It’s blessed to mourn? We’ve all been in situations where we have experienced some fashion of grief—have you felt very blessed in that time? “Blessed are the meek…” We don’t often equate meek-ness with something good, but rather something weak… Ask a child who has been picked on at school, if they feel blessed to be considered meek… “Blessed are the persecuted…” Who really wants to be persecuted? You call those blessings? Sounds to me like this is the cursing portion!
Maybe the problem is that we need to think about a definition for “blessing”… What does it mean to be blessed? There are the times when we use blessings when someone coughs or sneezes—“Bless you!” This saying was once said because people thought that when you sneezed, you were expelling evil spirits, therefore you needed to “bless” someone so the spirits would not re-enter. I can think of many opportunities when you use blessing— People ask someone to say the blessing before a meal; If something good happens, it was a blessing; If someone comes into good fortune, they often called “blessed”… But, the resounding theme in each of these times is that blessing = something good… So, what was Jesus saying with his so-called blessings?
One of the things that we’ve done here and at the end of our Live BIG program is a blessing. It’s a blessing accompanied by blessing balm that sparkles and leaves a reminder. A couple of years ago, when I was in Nashville with a group of seminary students, we also did the blessing at our first worship service together. As we were walking back to the hotel, Justin, another seminary student and student pastor in North Carolina, walked beside me and told me of his troubles as he was preparing for a youth weekend and for worship in the next week. He was worried because he had to write and give 7 sermons in the next week. He stopped walking and said, “I could really use another blessing.” So, we stopped and I blessed him in the streets of Nashville. In another setting with children, one child approached me after a blessing time and said “I’ve had a really hard week… can I have two blessings?” There’s something about a blessing that is comforting. In that time of desperation and sadness when someone simply says, “God bless you”, there is something so powerful in that.
But then there are those times when you want to scream… “THIS IS NOT A BLESSING!! DON’T TRY AND PASS IT OFF AS SOMETHING GOOD!” When you are feeling the desperation and sadness and mourning, hunger, persecution, and sorrow… the last thing that you want to hear is that this is a blessing. Every fiber in our being cries out and can’t understand how something so bad could be good…
There’s a praise and worship song made popular by the Christian group Delirious?, which was inspired by Psalm 30... The chorus of that song “Trading my Sorrows” goes like this “I’m trading my sorrows... I’m trading my pain….I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord… I’m trading my sickness…I’m trading my shame…I’m laying them down for the joy of the Lord…” The verse goes like this: “We are pressed, but not crushed…Persecuted, but not abandoned…Struck down, but not destroyed…We are blessed beyond the curse, for God’s promise will endure, that God’s joy will be our strength…Though the sorrow may last for the night…the joy comes with the morning!”
Though the sorrow may last for the night… The joy comes with the morning… I think that’s the point that Jesus was trying to make… Because there is more that are in those blessings that I left out… “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted… Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth…” Though the sorrow may last for the night…The joy comes with the morning. Those really are the best blessings that I can think of…. Comfort, inheritance, joy, sight, mercy, the kingdom of God… Hear again the blessings from Jesus…Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are those who weep, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you…” Now that’s what I call a Blessing…

Go Fish!

Go Fish!

Now, I have to admit that I have not been fishing in my life…Every time that I've thought that I'd like to start, it just didn't work out…I've heard that it's very relaxing and those who fish often, really enjoy it!

Peter fished, but not necessarily because he enjoyed it…It was his livelihood. Now, Peter just happened to be fishing in the spot where Jesus just happened to be preaching…As Jesus was getting ready to preach, he was getting closed in on by the crowd…There's no real mention of how big this crowd was, but it was big enough that it was making Jesus feel uncomfortable and unsafe. So, Jesus saw two boats and the fishermen of these boats had finished for the day when Jesus got into one of the boats and asked to be taken out to the lake…

It's pretty presumptuous of Jesus to just climb into the boat and assume that the owners will just bring him out! But, that's just what happens…Peter takes Jesus out and has a front row seat as Jesus preaches…That's pretty awesome to be able to say that you were able to hear Jesus up close and personal…Now, since there was such a loud crowd following Jesus, he was starting to get some of a following and people were starting to talk about who he was…It's possible that Peter had heard some of this talk and that's why he was so quick to take Jesus out…Or maybe Peter thought he could take the opportunity to do some more fishing…

Either way, Peter took Jesus out so that he could preach…After Jesus was finished, he gave Peter some instructions on where would be the best place to fish…Can you imagine Peter's reaction? This man, who was obviously not a fisherman, was giving Peter instructions on where to fish—Peter who had been fishing all of his life, Peter whose father was probably a fisherman…Peter's whole family was probably fishermen! And here's Jesus giving Peter instructions on how to fish…Peter argues a little bit with Jesus, and told Jesus that they had already tried all day and night…But maybe to prove a point tells Jesus that they'll go ahead and put the nets down in the deep water…I mean, what's the harm? Peter's probably thinking that he'll prove that he was right and this preacher really doesn't know anything about fishing…But, on the off chance that he's right—well, that just means that they'll have caught some fish for the day are able to eat and sell what they've caught…In other words, it will have been a successful day!

As soon as Peter puts the nets in the water they start to fill up…The nets get so heavy and full of fish that it almost starts to sink the boat! Peter calls to the other boat to come and help to take all these fish! That's pretty incredible! That this lake that was seemingly barren earlier now was giving Peter and his friends enough fish so that the boat was almost sunk!

Have you ever gotten instructions from someone on how to do your job…The thing that you know how to do the best and someone comes in and give you instructions…Even more—someone who has no idea what they're talking about! Do you do what they suggest or blow them off? Let's say that you do what they suggest and it turns out fantastic! Do you have anything to say to the person? Do you mumble thanks or pout or really thank them?

Peter was so overcome with emotion and excitement that he just couldn't hide it! But he was also very aware of what was happening…He knew that there was something different about this man who he had just heard preach and who just helped him to make one of the biggest catches of his life…Peter drops to his knees and begs Jesus for forgiveness…We don't know what Peter needs forgiveness for…Just that he's a sinful man…There's a lot that we don't know about Peter, but Jesus doesn't ask why Peter's such a sinful man…Instead he tells Peter that instead of fishing for fish, now he'll be fishing for people…

Fishing for people…How many of you have tried it? You know although I've not been fishing for fish myself…I think fishing for people is similar…It takes patience—the first fish that comes by may not be interested in what you have on your hook…Or the second or the third…You could be out there all day and not get anything! Now, I've been told that it takes a lot of quiet to catch a fish…probably another reason that I haven't been fishing! You have to be careful so as not to scare the fish…That's kind of true in fishing for people as well…You have to be careful not scare a person too much so that they run away…Then there's the bait…Another reason why I don't go fishing…You have your worms and minnows and lures things that attract the fish…I'm sure that there are all kinds of debates in the fishing world whether a lure or a plastic something catches more fish or if something that's living and edible will catch a fish…Personally, you know coming from my expert opinion…I think that it would be much better to have something with substance—something that was meaty…When you fish for people, you need to have something meaty and with substance too…People see right through fake things…But, the real thing…That's obvious! The Gospel is that thing with meat and with substance…There's no denying that—there is so much contained in the story of Jesus and who Jesus is and was…

Then, there's another piece that seems to be necessary…When Peter started pulling in all the fish, it became overwhelming and he need help, so he called to the others to come and help…Peter didn't work alone—he worked with a community that supported and uplifted him…They didn't see that Peter was pulling in all these fish and think of ways that they could do it better or talk about how their net would have worked better…They didn't talk amongst themselves about how the oars should have been placed differently or that Peter was standing wrong…They went out and helped Peter because they're a community…We need to have that community as well—for when we go out and be fishers of people…to have that community that will support and uplift us when things start to get overwhelming…The community that will come in and help out…And in addition to needing that community, we need to be that community…To be that group who is willing to jump in and help out and support and uplift…Without hesitation or argument…Not arguing or discussing which way is the best way or who had the better idea…Not arguing or discussing which lesson was the best or who could have taught better or where a table or a box should be placed…Instead celebrating that there are those who have been introduced and excited about the Gospel and the story of Jesus…Because obviously something was working! And our role as the community of believers is to support and uplift, especially when the fishers cry for help.

Fishers of people…That seems like such a big task! It's intimidating to think about…To think that we are called to such a task! But, we are…As followers of Jesus, we are called to be fishers of people…To take this story that has been so meaningful to us and tell others—to share the Gospel. Immediately after Peter heard this from Jesus, he and his friends left everything and followed Jesus…They left everything that was familiar and comfortable and set out on a new journey that was filled with unknowns and questions…And they went willingly!

The same happened with Isaiah…As Isaiah was lost in the majesty of God, Isaiah heard God's request of who to send…and he answered willingly…Now, Isaiah was probably scared out of his mind, having come this close to God and all! But, he went willingly, just like the disciples…

Although the disciples & Isaiah went out willingly…They didn't go out alone…Yes, they had a community, but even more than that…God was with them…God told Isaiah that he wouldn't be alone…That God would be with him even when people didn't understand the message…Jesus didn't tell the disciples that now they've agreed to be a fishers of people, that mean that he would no longer be with them…Quite the opposite—Jesus worked with the disciples closely!

God is with us always…Even in those times when we are pushed out past our comfort zone…Those times when we wonder if God is crazy and if God is really calling us to do and be something…Well, God is really calling us to be fishers of people and by doing so, God's work…But God is with us in the midst of that…God is there right beside us, providing strength and courage and the wisdom to know when to cry out for help from the community…And God is present in the community as well, providing strength and courage, and the wisdom to know when to help and how to do that…God is present in the midst of everything, calling to us always…How will we answer the call? Will we run away or will we stand up and say, "Here I am, Lord."