Acts 9:1-6; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19
Easter
was 2 weeks ago. Already we have resumed life as usual, maybe with some
different stuff thrown in, but mostly, we are back to normal.
I
wonder if that’s how it was for the disciples, too. Jesus had captivated them
for three years, then got himself killed by the Jewish and the Roman
authorities. After three days, he came back to life again, surprising them all
with a couple sudden appearances.
Then,
it seems, Jesus wasn’t around. The disciples aren’t sure what to do. Peter
solves that dilemma by saying, “Hey guys! I don’t know about you, but I’m going
fishing.” He was met with a chorus of “Me, toos” and off they went, back home
to Galilee.
How easy
it is to go back to what is familiar! But, fishing is always a tricky business.
Sometimes you catch a lot of fish, and sometimes, your nets are empty. Peter
knows this well. After a night with empty nets, Peter and the others are
resigned to clean the nets and head out the next night.
As
they approach the shore, someone tells them to try again on the other side of
the boat. For some reason, they believe the person, and haul in an amazing
amount of large fish.
It turns out the person on the beach is Jesus. They have a meal and conversation, in which Jesus and Peter reestablish a trusting relationship. Jesus says, “Peter, do you love me more than these?” I confess I always thought Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than the disciples. But this week it occurred to me he was probably saying, “Peter, do you love me more than these fish?” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Sometimes
we have to hear something several times before the intent, the impact hits
home. Jesus knew that was true for Peter. He needed time to process, to accept
that even though he had denied knowing Jesus, it was not the end of the world. Jesus
still needed him and there was still ministry for him to do.
It
also occurs to me that three years before this day, Jesus had invited the newly
recruited disciples to fish for people. If Peter is back in Galilee, he knows a
lot of people, and he can continue to fish for people right here at home. What
a story he has to tell the other fisher-folks and their families!
…In the story from Acts, Saul has an encounter with the risen Jesus, and his life is changed forever. His passion for God has been redirected from persecuting the followers of Jesus, to sharing Jesus. Among the Jews, he is Saul, and among the Gentiles, he is Paul. Either way, Saul/Paul takes a couple years to learn about Jesus, and then begins to fish for people, first among the Jews at local synagogues, then among his customers in his tent-making shop.
… Late in the first century, say the year 95 or so. John of Patmos realizes many of those who believe in Jesus are afraid to confess their belief. They are being persecuted, arrested, and it’s easier to not continue to follow Jesus. John has a vision, a revelation, in which Jesus gives him the words and images to share with believers.
Some
of his images are strange, puzzling to us today. This is because there are
2,000 years since John wrote out his vision. The Lectionary this year gives us readings
from Revelation each week, giving us good news through the images of God’s glory.
John presents Jesus as the Lamb who was slain who now reigns as God.
Through
his writing, John is fishing, perhaps casting a net to keep believers in the
flock, and to remind them to also keep fishing for people.
... Today,
we are still called to be fishers for people. Like Peter and the rest of the
first disciples, we can use our local connections to fish for people. In the
same way we tell our friends about the latest movie or new restaurant, we can share
our excitement about the happenings at Our Saviour with people we know.
We might talk about Our Saviour while we are having a refreshing beverage with friends, working on a community project, fishing with our buddies, or crafting with church members.
I know
how hard it is to talk about church and Jesus in a culture where polite people
don’t talk about money, politics, or religion because they are all hot-button topics.
We are called and sent to fish for people, and sometimes an indirect method works
well.
I just read a book called The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady. It’s about a struggling congregation, a hopeful pastor, and the prayer shawl ministry ladies. They didn’t realize they were about to start fishing for people, but that’s just what happened.
Four
women, Margaret, Rose, Fran, and Jane have been knitting prayer shawls together
once a week for several years. They have been gathering in the Prayer Chapel
and praying quietly as they knit beautiful shawls to give away to people in
stressful situations.
Father
Pete has an idea, and insists they meet somewhere public, so other people can
see what they are doing. The four women are sure this is not a good
idea. How will they pray with all the distractions?
They discover
an informal meeting area in the mall near Macys. Here, there is lots of foot traffic,
and they begin to get noticed. God-things begin to happen. People leave paper napkins
with requests for prayer, and some folks stop by to ask for prayers in person. Some
people even stop to report their prayers have been answered.
Amy
and Kineasha ask if the knitters can teach them to knit. Eileen is given a prayer
shawl just as it was finished because it was clear she needed a hug from God. As
the weeks go by, Amy, Kineasha, and Eileen and others begin to attend worship. The
knitters agree the move to the mall has been God-driven and they are excited
to continue knitting at the mall.
This
story is a novel, yes, it’s fiction, but based on the real experiences of prayer
shawl ministries around the country. It illustrates the way our simplest
activities can be used by God to fish for people.
We
have an amazing story to tell. Jesus came, lived among us, was executed, raised
from death, and appeared to the disciples to tell them to keep on fishing.
We are the current disciples charged with
the mission of fishing for people. Whether we do this directly, as Peter and
Paul and John of Patmos did, or indirectly as the Prayer Shawl women did, it’s
up to us to tell the next generations about Jesus. Amen
