Let's go fishing together!
 |
| Order the icon from the Ancient Faith Store... |
In all honesty, I didn’t really love fishing even as a kid. I loved being with my dad mostly. But then a few years ago, we moved to a new home next to a lake. When my dad heard I was moving near a lake he gave me a pole he had for years. It had a small lure on the end. So, I figured, why not? I threw a line in the lake behind our home just a few days after arriving. On my second cast, bam! A largemouth bass was dancing on the end of my line. Second cast! I was hooked. <wink> It was exhilarating. I had an epiphany. Fishing is ok, but catching is everything. Now I love fishing because I’ve learned to couple it with catching.
The gospel reading from this week is all about fishing.
Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4.18-19)
What an invitation! Peter and Andrew are being invited by God Himself on an incredible adventure. Jesus knew how to speak to their heart and how to elevate their vision. Basically, he’s saying “You guys know a thing or two about how to catch fish, but I’m inviting you on a mission to actually catch people.” And Jesus is saying he will train and prepare them on how to do this. In just a few short years, this was fulfilled in dramatic fashion when on the Day of Pentecost Peter preached and thousands came to Christ and joined the Church. Tradition also tells us that Andrew went on to plant the Church in distant lands and also led thousands to Christ.
Just a couple of things to note here. One, Peter and Andrew likely had no idea what they were being called to. They were invited and they said yes. But really, they had no idea of the historic, world-changing scope of this call. Like many called before them the call came, they followed and then their faith was tested over and over. Abraham for example. He was told his descendants would be innumerable. Then he waited for decades for just one son. Moses was told he would free his people, thousands of them. Then he spent years hiding in the desert as a shepherd because he killed someone while trying to save just one of his own people. David was called to be King of Israel. Yet spending years as a shepherd and running from Saul the current King. The only analogy that even comes close to this is marriage. I used to do pre-marital counseling and I can tell you there were many, many times when I had to bite my lip so I wouldn’t laugh out loud at some of the hilarious expectations grooms and brides had of what marriage was going to be like. It still makes me chuckle.
I believe our Lord knew what he was calling them to. But He also didn’t feel the need to state it all upfront. It wasn’t like they signed a contract that had been vetted by attorneys and listed every possible eventuality and all the things that could go wrong or even all the challenges that were ahead. But few of us would get married, start a business or a family, or say “yes” to almost anything of consequence if we knew up front all the costs.
So Jesus simply says, “Follow me.”
And that invitation continues to go out even to this day. And the opportunity to become “fishers of men and women” still stands as well.
But how do we actually do that? What might it look like?
First, we learn from our Master Teacher and we simply invite people. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago we simply invite people who are new to the Church to participate in the services. It might even start with an invitation to come to a service. Then it might be inviting them to coffee hour after Liturgy. Eventually, it might be an invitation to venerate the cross or come to a class. All are welcome to join any part of our services except the Chalice. That is literally the only thing in our services that is reserved for full members of the Orthodox Church. People who are still exploring Orthodoxy can venerate icons, light a candle and pray with us.
Second, fishing - at least the way Jesus was talking about it - takes a team. I entered and won a fishing tournament yesterday. I won for the largest bass in the adult division. Now there are a few details that I should probably disclose upfront. I may have been (I was) the only adult. But it’s ok. Several kids got trophies too. But my point is I fished alone for three hours as did the other participants. In Jesus' day, fishing took at least 2 and often many more people to pull off. It involved hauling in heavy nets full of fish not a single fishing line for each person. There are several other examples in Scripture where there were multiple people in the boat at once.
At services and especially on Sunday mornings we can be fishing together. We all have a part to play. Yes, we are there to worship God primarily. That is our focus and priority. Yet together through our fervent worship others will be drawn in. And we can meet people after the service and introduce to them to others on the “team.”
So I invite you to invite others. Simple gestures like introducing yourself to someone new after the service and inviting them to coffee hour or even simply inviting people to a service - are a couple all doable ways to practice and hone your fishing skills.