A Message from Our Pastor: February
Dear Church Family:
In the fourth chapter of Matthew, as he begins his ministry, Jesus calls for repentance, expects Simon Peter and Andrew to drop their nets and follow him, and calls James and John to leave their Father Zebedee in the boat without so much as a “So long, see you later.”
The invitation to discipleship begins with a call to repentance. Jesus says, “Repent” — and he means it! He goes on to say “for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The rest of the gospel can be read as the unfolding of that promise of the nearness of God’s rule. In Jesus Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled: We who walked in spiritual darkness now see the great light of the Lord’s Christ.
For in preaching, teaching, healing and exorcising; in being baptized, tempted, tried and crucified, Jesus brings God’s kingdom near to people. The good news of God’s presence, of the nearness, the at-handness, of God’s rule gives birth to faith and trust. Such faith and trust empowers us to turn from anxiety to peace, from sorrow to joy, from despair to hope, from hatred to love. In a word, we repent. We change. We move away from darkness, and embrace, more and more, the Light.
Jesus said to Peter and Andrew “follow me” and immediately they left their nets and followed. Similarly, he called James and John and immediately they left their father in the boat and they followed him. How does God make disciples — followers — of the likes of us? The only power I know that enables people to loosen their white-knuckled grip on the control lever of their lives is the liberating power of love. For it is only in a relationship of love — and the trust that is love’s constant companion — that we find the freedom to surrender ourselves to God’s ability to work in and through us. Discipleship is about learning to be the gifts God created us to be.
Just think of the rich variety of spiritual gifts God has given us in this congregation: those who know how to work with their hands, caring for the building, good at repair work and construction; those who prepare food, know how to organize and how to be hospitable; those who lead worship or teach in the Sunday school; those who have the gift of visitation, one-on-one encounters, bring-ing cheer to neglected persons; those who have the gift of stewardship, who have sound business minds and know how to invest in the name of the Lord; those who have the gift of being light-hearted, who smile easily, who remind us we need to play more.
To paraphrase a portion of liturgy from “Seasons of the Spirit”: Jesus wants YOU to fish for people like those first fishers called to be people-fishers. If Jesus had come upon some folks practicing another profession, and sensed in these people their capability of helping him to accomplish what he felt had to be done, he likely would have applied the call to whatever profession he saw them practicing. To an investment broker, Jesus might have said, Follow me, and I’ll show you how to invest in people. To a great cook he might have said, I want you to follow me so that I can teach you how to feed not only the bodies, but also the souls of so many who are starving. Jesus himself was a carpenter, so he might have said to some of his fellow carpenters: if you’ll follow me I’ll show you how to build up my church. To somebody who does what you do for a living, Jesus might have said . . . well, you fill in the blank!
Let us all heed the invitation of God who calls us to use our best skills to point people to God in the ways that come most naturally to us!
Wishing you God’s grace, power and love,
Pastor Chuck