+Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
We’ve heard these words before, we know these call stories well, they’re iconic not only to Christianity but to our culture as a whole. They left their nets, their boats, their families, to follow a complete and utter stranger. Somehow we hear these stories without batting an eye, as if this was the most normal thing, ever.
But think about it. You’re sitting at your desk at work, or you’re doing housework, or you’re out to dinner with friends and a complete and utter stranger says to you, come and follow me. And. You. Go.
Seriously…who does this?
The answer is fairly obvious—no one! No one in their right mind does this, right? Right. But here’s the deal, those who follow Jesus—-the disciples then and us, now, are not in our right minds for we are willing to live a life of love and light in a world of hate and darkness. A life of justice and compassion, in a world of injustice and intolerance. A life of welcome in a world of “stay out.” A life of speaking up for the voiceless in a world of “I can’t hear you,” a life of laughter in a world of sobbing. It’s the most counter-cultural, outrageous and outlandish thing we can do in 21st century America. Because today, not unlike 1st century Galilee, people are lost in the dark, they’re adrift in anger, they’re lonely and frightened and confused. People are looking for a way out.
Folks, today is a big day in the life of St Patrick’s. It’s a day of change—of beginnings and endings—a day that marks a movement away from some things, toward other things. It isn’t easy to change. It isn’t easy to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. And yet, it is at the very base of our faith that we are called to do just that.
For the past couple of years I have been pushing the leadership of St Patrick’s to move beyond working to ensure your existence and into a following where the Spirit longs for you to go. You are a hearty group of folks who get things done….where you sometimes stumble is remembering why you are doing the things that you do. The whole purpose for the existence of St Patrick’s Church in Cheektowaga is to be a place where people can bring their weary hearts, their lonely souls and be inspired to drop the nets of whatever weighs them down and follow Him.
To be that for this hurting world you—-the people of St Patrick’s—need to be willing to drop your own nets—-the nets of “we’ve always done it this way,” the nets of “if we don’t do this, there won’t be enough,” the nets of “I don’t like how this is going so I’m going to leave and not come back until things are done the way I like them, the way that won’t cause me any discomfort or pain or sadness.”
In a few minutes you will undertake the councils of the church. You will elect vestry members and a warden. You will hear about changes in service schedules and news about a new priest.
Consider this a “Dropping your nets and Follow Me” moment.
As we move through the rest of the morning I ask you to be willing to drop the nets of whatever worries you, scares you, angers you or disappoints you and to open your hearts and your minds to the wonder that is Jesus Christ.
When it came time for Jesus to begin his adult ministry, the first thing that he did was form a community. God as given to us through Jesus Christ is most beautifully expressed when we, as a community, praise his name and go out to the world doing his work. When we do that people notice, leading them to drop their own nets and follow him.
So, let us drop our nets, let us lead others to do likewise and together let us, in all things and at all times, Follow Him.
Amen.
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