February 7, 2010

You Need a Bigger Boat!

Psalm 138 sung as a Psalter

“I Will Give thanks with My Whole Heart” #247

And Luke 5: 1-11

Preached by Linda Jo Peters ~ February 7, 2010

Celebration of Our Lord’s Supper

and Souper Bowl of Caring

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE
Luke 5: 1-11
Gennesaret (genna-ser-et) is more often called The Sea of Galilee or Lake Tiberias. We know several of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen. The Sea of Galilee has been renowned for its fish from ancient times. There are 18 different species that are indigenous to the lake. They are classified locally into three main groups: sardines, biny and musht. Musht are tropical fish, which congregate when the lake is cold in shoals in warm water from springs in the northern part of the lake.

Net fishing is very ancient and the type that Peter was using is called a trammel net, which was actually composed of three nets, two large mesh walls about five feet high with a finer net in between. The boat went out into deep waters where there are no rocks so that the nets would not be torn. It was usually done by night. One end of the net was let down into the sea, then the boat made a circle creating a sort of tub in the water. The net gathered in every kind of fish, as they were unable to escape through the three layers of netting. When the fish were brought to shore, they had to be extricated from the nets and this took time and skill. The nets were spread out on the rocks to dry and be mended. After an unsuccessful night the disciples return to shore and encounter a crowd following Jesus.

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

SERMON
It has always been my favorite line in the original movie Jaws. “You need a bigger boat.” The sheriff of the town says this because he has just gotten a glimpse of the shark they are trying to catch. It is way bigger than anything they had expected. What would happen if we, as a church, took seriously our goal to increase participation in the life of the church by 25 people? We might get them! Then we would need a bigger boat/church/staff/mission. You name it. More people would change the way we work together. Every change brings anxiety and fear, but God calls us into a mission of transformation and reconciliation. God calls into change: changed perspectives on people; changed goals; and most of all changed hearts.

Why was there a crowd at the lake? Was there a big fish sale? Luke tells us they were there “… to hear the word of God.” There is always a deep hunger in people to hear God’s word for them. Our job is to make sure they don’t go away still hungry. Jesus’ word is all about abundance.

Katey Huey writes: Jesus urges the seasoned but tired fishermen to strike back out into the deep rather than head safely home after a long day. The yield that day is more than enough to convince them that something really big is happening here, and in their encounter with Jesus they become keenly aware that life holds much more possibility than simply fishing for fish. What does it look like to "strike out into the deep," when we're tired and convinced that there are no more people interested in the good news we offer, especially when our popular culture offers such enticing invitations in other directions? "The deep" might represent those places we would rather not go, the places of discomfort and danger and unfamiliarity, where we might get in over our heads.

The good news is that we are promised not only abundance but Christ’s eternal presence and support. How that is lived out is new and changing in each community of faith.

The churches of the Presbytery of Shenango (shāy nan’ go)in Western Pennsylvania with other denominations have created “the Table Project.” It is a community effort that gathers woodworkers and school students of varying skill levels to create handcrafted dining tables for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The goal is to help ease the pain of displaced families as they start over — by welcoming them home with a table of their own. Director Jim Moose says, “A table offers a center to a home, a place for meals, playing cards, doing homework. In short, it’s a place for a family to be a family.” Jesus puts a table in the center of our worship. The church also has a need to gather around the family table in which we encounter the risen Christ. Diretor Moose explains. “It was humbling to realize that a group from Western Pennsylvania could reach across 1,100 miles and make a difference in the lives of complete strangers.” Jim adds, “I’m in my fifties, and this is the first time in my life that I’ve been involved in something where I felt I was making a difference. This project encourages people to become part of something bigger than themselves.” To date, over 500 tables have been built and sent to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and several hundred more are projected to be sent over the coming months.

The Katrina disaster happened nearly five years ago and still many are in recovery. There are still homes sitting empty on Harlan/Trueblood Rd from the flood of ’08 right here in Terre Haute. Recovery from any disaster is never an overnight success or failure. So now begins the long journey toward recovery for Haiti. Servants of Jesus Christ will need a bigger boat than ever before for the work of healing a nation.

Where is God asking Unity to go back out into the deep. Will we need a bigger boat for that mission?

Where is God asking YOU to go back out into the deep. Will you need a bigger heart for that mission?

We might say, “We have too few people or financial resources to do more than we already have done.” Sometimes we could even say, I have no more to give! It is called “compassion fatigue.” It is especially evident among servants of Christ when we think we have to do it alone. But God is about abundance. God will supply our needs, but we must be willing to go out into the deep water and glory of glories our nets will be filled to over flowing. Amen.