5 Epiphany Year C
February 10, 2019
Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 138, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11;
Luke 5:1-11
Opening Prayer: Loving God, you have called forth disciples and prophets to live and speak your word. Give us ears to hear, lives to respond, and voices to proclaim the good news of salvation, which we know in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Textweek.com)
This is surely one of those Sundays when I feel like a “fish out of the water”. I am looking out at all of you, sitting in the pews: Many of you have lived in Sitka your whole life, or other areas of Alaska. Many of you have spent long days, long nights, long weeks and months, fishing year after year, to provide for your family, and for those of us who are the recipients of the fruits of your labors - those of us, who are grateful to enjoy fresh fish that is locally caught. I think to myself – I am unworthy to even begin to unpack today’s Gospel reading from the perspective of the fisherman, most especially from Simon’s perspective in today’s story.
I’ve only been in Sitka for about 4 years. I moved here from the desert, having lived there for 30 years. We didn’t come across too many people fishing in the desert.
Before that, though…I did live by the ocean...I was born in Florida, and my family eventually moved to Massachusetts and Cape Cod, where I grew up, before moving to Nevada in 1985.
But even though I grew up near the ocean, and there were lots of people in my area who fished for a living, my personal interaction with most of them was pretty limited….I just knew that’s what some people did for a living there.
My own immediate family, were not involved in the fishing business…but my brother and grandfather did occasionally do some summer fishing. My grandfather used to buy old boats, to fix up, and keep for a few months before selling them again. I have fond memories of him sitting down by the harbor in Harwichport, enjoying his lunch every day.
I have special memories of walking to the pond with him and my brother and sisters, down the street by his house, with a stick and a string, to do a little fishing…nothing we ever kept.
And…I do have some relatives who live in Gloucester and Rockport, MA, where several of them have been involved in the fishing industry over the years, whose life’s work has been out in the dark, and deep waters of the ocean. Every summer, when I was growing up, we had a family reunion there, and got to listen to lots of stories about their work, and I had the chance to spend a week with extended family members, whose lives seemed to be so very different from my upbringing, and family life on the Cape.
But, I realize now, how those once a year stories, and experiences with my cousins and aunts and uncles, have been embedded and grafted into my heart…and still, to this day…bring me comfort, gratitude, blessing and a deep sense of peace….memories that enable me to believe in the love and faithfulness of God, for all people, in all times, and in all places…
Looking back on that one week in Gloucester and Rockport every summer with my relatives, has helped me understand that even though our day to day lives appeared to be so very different from each other, we shared so much in common: we all had fears, struggles, sorrows, heartaches…we all laughed a lot, shared joys, and desires and dreams and hopes for ourselves and our loved ones…
So…yes..I feel unworthy to share my thoughts on the gospel reading today from the perspective of Simon, or James or John…but I can share my perspective, and my wonderings, as a fellow sojourner in this world, as someone who is in the “boat”, with you...striving to make sense of this sometimes, difficult and confusing and wonderful world, we find ourselves in..
That’s all any of us are called to do…to share our own authentic faith story, with one another…from the place in our hearts, from where we believe we have heard God’s voice and his call to us – that voice that speaks to each of us – wherever we are – calling our attention for a moment – even in a fearful moment – most often in a fearful moment – to stop – listen – listen to the words of Jesus – Do not be afraid…
Each of our readings today, included a “call” message. Isaiah’s call, Paul’s comments on his call, and then Simon (and James and John’s) call…each one of them, were called in the midst of where they were, each one of them, perhaps taken by surprise…each one of them, perhaps, experienced a moment of fear, unbelief, or unworthiness…and yes, even those things we thought were most important..but when they said, yes with their hearts, when they opened up their eyes, ears and hearts, to the miracle and mystery of the saving grace of God’s love they were witness to, in that moment…something changed in them, something transformed them…to boldly take a step forward, leaving everything behind: the worries, the fears, the weariness, the feelings of unworthiness…all left behind…to answer God’s call to them… believing that God had chosen them for something greater than what they had yet to imagine…
In today’s gospel reading, this is the good news I’m hearing today:
There were people eager to hear some good news…not just any good news…but the good news that Jesus had been teaching everywhere he went… the Word of God’s love and faithfulness for his people…a love that has the power to free people from the bondage of sin and suffering, calling them instead…to an abundant life, revealed to us in Jesus’ teachings and miracles…
Jesus got into the boat, belonging to Simon…and asked him to put out a little way from the shore…and from there Jesus spoke to the crowds who were gathered to hear the life-giving Word of God…
I believe Jesus chose Simon’s boat that day…knowing that He and his partners James and John had worked all night long fishing, and had caught nothing. I believe he knew just how tired they were, that they had toiled and worked themselves to the bone, all night….but still had to clean up everything afterwards, they still had to get everything set for the next day, they still had to summon up the strength to work tomorrow, the next day, and the next…wondering and worrying whether there will be any fish tomorrow…they were exhausted, perhaps discouraged…perhaps feeling depleted and empty…
I believe Jesus chose Simon’s boat that day….because sometimes we don’t know that we need to hear the good news of God’s love for us…But Jesus does…and it is precisely in those moments of exhaustion, weariness, discouragement, and unworthiness, that through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, God’s voice does call out to us…and reveals a new way forward…a way forward that invites us to follow Jesus, in walking the Way of love…paying attention to the miracles that are unfolding right before our eyes…right in the midst of the most difficult times in our lives…
So, yes…Jesus was speaking to the crowds, but he was most certainly speaking to Simon, too…..intentionally choosing him that day, to assure him…that God’s love and faithfulness is with him, for all of his days…
Simon and the others were amazed, perhaps stunned, perhaps unbelieving, perhaps fearful, scared to death, of the abundance of fish that were caught in their nets, when they responded to Jesus’ words, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch."
But, it was precisely in the midst of those mixed emotions, and trusting enough to go where Jesus was asking them to go, that Jesus’ words and actions became the healing balm that soothed their souls, softened their hearts, and allowed for the Holy Spirit to revive their souls once again…
Jesus assured Simon (and the others who heard him say), “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people.”
It was their turn now… to deliberately choose to reach out in love to others as Jesus had chosen to show his love for them…they left everything, and decided to follow Jesus.
They decided to follow Jesus, because they now believed and knew from their own personal experience, that indeed Jesus is the One…
He is the one in whom we have received the life-giving Word of God’s love, and that others need to hear, too…It is this love, that has the power to reconcile us to God, one another, and all of creation.
In a world that is currently experiencing great division, and fear…we ourselves, are all being called now, we are being chosen by God, in this time and in this place…wherever we are, whomever we are… to share the healing balm of Jesus Christ…so that others know, and we ourselves know…that deep down, we are not so different after-all… we all have fears, struggles, sorrows, heartaches…we all yearn to laugh and experience joys…we all share many of the same desires and dreams and hopes for ourselves and our loved ones…
It is our turn now…to share our own authentic faith story, with one another…from the place in our hearts, from where we have heard God’s voice and his call to us – that voice that speaks to each of us – wherever we are – calling our attention for a moment – even in a fearful moment – most often in a fearful moment – to stop – listen – listen to the words of Jesus – Do not be afraid…stop – listen to the heart-cries and hopes of our neighbors…and share the good news of God’s healing balm…
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead
to heal the sin-sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged, and think my work’s in vain,
But then the holy spirit revives my soul again.
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead
to heal the sin-sick soul.
This is what I take away from the gospel story today….
What about you? You, the tired fisherman, you, the weary parent, you the worried soul, you, who can’t see the end of our troubled times, you who is tired from the long journey of grief…
What good news, from your perspective, did you hear today? And with whom will you share it this week?
HYMN: Lift Every Voice and Sing II - #203 There is a Balm in Gilead
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, Alaska