November 10, 2019 - Download a Worship Bulletin Above Matthew 4:18-22
As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zeb'edee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebe'edee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. I have several friends in the restaurant industry who have a long string of employers from fast-casual places like Applebees and Panera Bread to artisinal, pop-up restaurants and highly rated bed and breakfast cafes. Most of my friends started out as line cooks, either at the fry station or on the grill. In the industry, such work is often called “turn and burn,” which is in reference to getting the food out to the table as quickly as possible and turning the table over to new customers with equal efficiency. My friends would cook set recipes with absolutely no variation - each plate of fettuccine alfredo had to be exactly the same; consistency was key. But as my friends grew in experience and talent, they received opportunities to work in fine dining restaurants known for their seasonal menus that would change in accordance to what was locally available and fresh, and the executive chef would be able to work one-on-one with my friends, teaching them new techniques and allowing for more experimentation and creativity, even getting some of their own dishes on the menu. My friends often found so much more life and passion in these situations, circumstances where there was no wrong answer and failure was simply part of the process - the amount of learning that comes from failing is unparalleled. And to be a cook in this sort of environment, not only do you have to be unafraid to fail, but you also have to be all in, fully engaged and willing to give it all you’ve got. You truly need to be entirely present, and you make sacrifices for the work, but the rewards are great. In a lot of ways, the faith journey shares a lot of characteristics of the restaurant industry: sometimes we find ourselves in “turn and burn” mode, simply going through the motions in order to make it through the day. It’s not our fault: it’s just where we find ourselves in certain seasons of our lives. And at other times, we are more fully engaged because we’re passionate about the people we’re serving, and ministry takes on a new and exciting reality where we can encounter the living Christ in our midst. And we are all in. This morning’s scripture reading tells us about how the disciples encountered the living Christ in their midst and the ways in which they responded. To give you a bit of background on this scripture story, it should be noted that during the first century, most Jewish boys participated in Jewish education. It was common for boys and teenagers to be educated by a local Rabbi and to continue on the path of faith formation with the eventual goal of becoming Rabbis themselves. If the young men didn’t prove to have the skillset to become a Rabbi, they were set on a different path and would often take jobs as lower class citizens. This is where we find ourselves in today’s scripture. Simon Peter and Andrew, as well as James and John, were working on their boats, which means that none of them were found worthy to be Rabbis; they simply didn’t have what it took. Instead, they were relegated to being fishermen, mending nets and hauling heavy loads of fish from the waters to the market to make a meager living. It was tough manual labor, something that very few young Jewish boys would dream to do when they grew up. But it was all they had, and they had to make a living. Perhaps Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, found themselves in a “turn and burn” situation, simply going through the motions of knowing what they needed to do in order to survive. But Jesus doesn’t intend for us to simply survive. Jesus wants us to thrive. And as he encounters these men, he calls out to them, which is unusual inofitself; a Jewish Rabbi, calling out to the fishermen, to the people who were supposed to be a far lower social class than himself? But we should know by now that Jesus ends up breaking all the rules anyway - we should expect something like this from him. Jesus calls out to them to drop their nets and follow him. Drop their nets? You mean leave their jobs? Forfeit their way of making a living? Leave behind their boats, all of their investments in the fishing industry? This is all that they have, because they didn’t have what it took to be a Rabbi. And Jesus was asking them to leave it all behind? The scripture tells us that they dropped their nets and immediately followed Jesus. They left everything where it was; they didn’t pause to figure out what to do with their equipment or boats. They didn’t make a plan to sign off ownership of the fishing business to anyone else. They didn’t protect their investments or withdraw their 401Ks. They left everything, and started following this strange Rabbi who accepted them into the faith when no one else would. They followed Jesus, the man who communicated they were worthy, when no one else thought they were. The scripture also tells us that the second set of brothers, James and John, also left their father, Zebedee. They left their families, their homes, their income - they were all in. You see, the disciples had lived the “turn and burn” life, of getting to work at 4 in the morning, of hauling nets until the sun set, of working markets to try to sell enough fish to keep their finances afloat. They were flat out, simply going through the motions of what it means to be a working man in a difficult economy. And then Jesus comes to them and shows them a new way, a different way, a creative and passionate way of life that leads to life eternal. We know how the story goes: when the disciples dropped their nets, they picked up a new life on the road, of encountering Jesus’ power to heal, of hearing Jesus’ blessing on the poor, of learning scripture in fields and on lakes. This journey is unpredictable and wild, profound and life-changing. It’s as if Jesus says, “hold onto your seats!” and bids us to come, all in. I know the feeling of going through the motions, not really learning anything new. In those seasons, it all felt so stale, and I just wasn’t engaged. It’s not something that we can avoid - we all sometimes go through times like these. But here’s the good news: Jesus is always waiting with his hand outstretched, calling us to passionate worship and intentional faith development, and we have a community of other disciples who will walk with us through the journey. See, what happens is that a congregation, a community of faith, surrounds us when we doubt, and they sing for us when we don’t have the strength. They pray for us when we don’t feel like we believe anymore. They are all in for us when we aren’t, when we can’t seem to muster up the motivation. And in the presence of other passionate disciples of Jesus Christ, we begin to feel the transfer of that joy into our own lives, the spread of love and the fruits of the Spirit. When we’re all in, we eagerly desire to spend time with one another and in the Scripture, reading and studying more, soaking it all up like a sponge. We are engaged to the point of nurturing creative ministries, bringing our whole selves to the table in authentic and genuine relationships, relationships that transform our lives and the lives of those we encounter. Last week I announced that I’m starting a second job teaching children in an after school program, and I recognize that there was some concern about my time and commitment to you as a church. Even though both of my positions with the church and the school are part-time, I can assure you that, when it comes to George Whitefield United Methodist Church, I am all in. I was appointed here by our bishop as a half-time pastor, but I am fully present in walking with you, praying with you, singing with you, and leading you. As we read in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was in a similar role, pastoring congregations and traveling for the sake of the Gospel. But he also had to make a living - the Apostle Paul was a tentmaker, and though he split his time between ministry and other work, he was all in for the sake of the Gospel. And so am I. One of the things that I love about you as a congregation is the amount of love you have for one another and this community. Last week, many of you identified the church family as being the thing you love most about George Whitefield United Methodist Church, and this week, we’re asking you to reflect upon those authentic and genuine relationships that have transformed your lives. Who at George Whitefield has influenced your faith? Who would you consider a mentor and friend, someone who was present for you in your questions and doubts? Who in our church family has made a difference in your spiritual life? During our last hymn, I invite you to come forward as you feel led to clip your response card to the clothesline along the altar rail. If you didn’t receive a response card and would like to participate, there are some at the altar for you to fill out. As we close this morning, it is my prayer that we recognize the ways that Jesus calls us to drop our nets and follow him. May we see that our “turn and burn” life can be transformed into a passionate expression of faith. And may we and all those we encounter be blessed by the Christ who asks us to be all in. - Pastor Christy Wright
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