2022 02 06 Sermon

Sermon for February 6, 2022 Epiphany 5 C House of Prayer Lutheran Church

Luke 5:1-11; Isaiah 6:1-8 Rev. Karl-John N. Stone

I still remember the first time I went fishing, and I bet many of you do, too. I was about 10 years old, and we were visiting my Uncle Ken and Aunt Thelma in Minnesota. We hopped in the back of Uncle Ken’s pickup truck, and rode the short way down the dirt road from their house to Red Rock Lake. He showed me how to put the lure on the fishing line, and how to cast. After I got the hang of it from shore, I walked to the end of the pier with my rod, and before long had a large mouth bass at the end of my line! I can still feel the thrill of how the fish tugged and tried to swim away as I reeled it in. I never liked to eat fish before that, but we fried up what we caught for lunch, and it was the best thing I’d ever tasted.

These days people will ask me if I’m a fisherman and I answer, “Well…I’ve fished.” Mostly what I reel in is bad luck, as in nothing. So I feel like I can relate to Simon (whom we now know as Peter), James, and John in today’s gospel. They’ve worked all night and caught nothing. I would have given up long before them, but this was their job. Their livelihood. People were counting on them—the crew on their boats, the family members of the crew, the people waiting to go to the market to buy fresh fish to feed their own families. These fishermen were fishing not just for themselves, or because they liked it and were good at it, but because they had a whole network of people who relied on them. That sense of responsibility is why I imagine they listened to Jesus (not a fisherman, but a carpenter’s son) when he said, “put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” “If you say so,” Peter answered. “We’ve worked all night and caught nothing. But if you say so, fine. One more try.”

So began the call to discipleship of Peter, James, and John. It began not in a moment of great clarity, conviction, or commitment, with the heavens opening above them—but in a moment of doubt; mixed with a desire to maybe have faith, more than being full-fledged faith itself. But that was enough. He offered his doubt and desire to Jesus, and that was his first step on a long journey that would lead him to being the great Apostle we now remember. But Peter didn’t start there. He started with doubt and desire—then Jesus led the way from there, calling him to follow and learn as he went along, and grew into the purpose God had for him, in the midst of regular life. Nothing mystical about it. Like Peter, we can grow in to God’s purposes for us, too. We don’t have to have it all figured out ahead of time.

Contrast Peter with today’s first reading: Isaiah’s call to discipleship as a prophet in Old Testament times. This was a completely mystical experience, as Isaiah describes the vision he had, of the heavens opening, the Lord sitting on a throne, high above all else; the heavenly creatures continually echoing “Holy, holy, holy” at the awesome wonder before them; the hem of the Lord’s robe filled the temple; the temple filled with smoke—representing how all-encompassing God’s presence is.

The biggest similarity between Peter’s and Isaiah’s call is that they both became aware of their sin; they did not feel they were worthy enough to serve such a holy God, and they were in need of forgiveness (which they received). Peter’s response is more typical of the prophets: “Go away from me, Lord.” Isaiah’s response is rather unusual for the Bible: “Here am I, send me!” he volunteered, even though he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

Yet while they each had a different first reaction when God called, each felt compelled, curious to follow—even with such vastly different experiences of God’s presence. This is a good thing for us to remember—there is more than one way that people experience God in their lives and in the world. We can honor that some people have mystical, even mysterious experiences of God that can be hard to put into words. And we can honor that some people have more “down-to-earth” experiences of God. Both are valid. Neither one makes you a better or worse Christian. Since the Lord’s presence is so far-reaching, from the mystical to the mundane, you can never predict how God will choose to show up. It will be in whatever way God chooses.

And that brings me to another point—so often, a special experience of God comes as a surprise. It’s not something you can put on your calendar and say, “OK, God. At such and such a date and time, I’ve got it scheduled for you to give me an amazing experience of faith. Have at it!” We can’t control God like that, as much as we’d like to. Now, this is not to say that we can’t schedule time to cultivate our relationship with God—or that those times aren’t special. Things like going to worship, receiving Holy Communion, studying the bible, journaling, going to Sunday School or Confirmation Class, volunteering on a service project or mission trip, saying grace before meals, or spending time in prayer and reflection when you wake up or before you go to sleep. All these and more are all valuable ways of opening our souls to God, so that we are ready when he does appear. The point is that God acts according to God’s purposes, and according to God’s timetable—not ours.

Even so, God does call each of us, through baptism, to discipleship. The word “disciple” means “student”. Jesus calls us to learn from him, so that we know how to rely on God in times of trouble, and how to go and represent his love and grace to the people we meet.

A few things Peter learned, which we can apply to ourselves: One is that he needed partners. Jesus told Peter to let down the nets into the deep water, and he caught so many fish that the nets began to break. The only way he could catch them all was to signal his partners James and John in the other boat to help. We all need partners. We can each be a partner. Even in the midst of disagreements, we can regard each other not as adversaries but as partners, and find ways to help each other grow towards solutions. Our faith—and even our doubt or desire—has more room to search for God’s holiness and direction when we connect in friendship and partnership.

Peter also learned that he needed to signal his partners in the other boat. They couldn’t read his mind to know what he needed. Likewise, as disciples of Jesus, we need to signal when we need help. We can help others better understand what we’re going through, or signal to others that we’re trying to understand them. A phrase I find helpful is “Turn to wonder.” When something happens that you don’t understand, or don’t agree with, or you feel defensive about—instead of turning to judgement, turn to wonder. Ask yourself: I wonder what brought them to this belief? I wonder what they are feeling right now? I wonder what my reaction teaches me about myself?

Finally, Peter learned that Jesus wanted him to use the talents and knowledge about fishing that he already had. Peter applied it in a new way, but it was a skill he already possessed. Likewise, Jesus has given each of us talents and knowledge which we can apply in many different ways, as we love and serve our neighbor in everyday life. After Peter caught all those fish, Jesus said, “Do not be afraid. From how on you will be catching people.” It’s an interesting turn of phrase. Notice, Jesus didn’t say “you will be saving people.” Only God saves—and he’s done that for all, through Jesus going to the cross and rising again. Our calling as disciples is not to save or fix anyone. Our job is to cast a wide net into the deep waters, and to welcome all whom we find with the love of a holy, mysterious, yet very down-to-earth God whom we know in Jesus Christ. Amen.