Lectionary: Isaiah 6:1-8, [9-13], Psalm 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
En el nombre del Dios que es trinidad en unidad. Amen.
We talk a lot in the church about being called, and most of the time we share a similar understanding of what that means. Through our prayer, through one another, through contemplative insight, through dreams, through repeated patterns in our experience – we feel God tapping us on our shoulder or nudging us from within to act as the ambassadors of Christ we are through our Baptism.
That’s the key – learning to pay attention to the voice of God in the many ways God speaks to us. Our discernment, as I’ve mentioned before, is individual and corporate because, as theologian Terry Holmes said, Episcopal spirituality lives in the “tension between collective truth and individual insight.” and we continually discern the voice of God in both ways.
If we listen to today’s Scriptures only as stories about being called, or being obedient, or as a miracle story about fish, then we’ll miss the revelation they offer us about the nature of God who chooses to act in the world by calling imperfect, sinful people into intimate relationship for a purpose. We’ll miss the revelation about the character of God who provides for that called purpose with such abundance it’s almost ludicrous.
In Luke’s gospel today, we see both – the importance of trusting the voice of God when God speaks, especially when we’re tired and the request doesn’t make any sense to us. It also demonstrates God’s response to our faithfulness – a lavish, loving response.
Did the fish miracle actually happen? We could ask the same about most of the stories in our Scriptures. As Episcopalians, we rely on tradition as the context in which we interpret Scripture. Terry Holmes defines tradition as the passing “down from generation to generation within the community the church’s… understanding of God’s ways with humanity… [it] is the product of the ongoing reflection by the church of her experience of God, and consequently it is a living, changing body of thought.”
So, while Episcopalians reject Biblical literalism, we do take the Scriptures very seriously, including the miracles. People often try to explain the miracles in order to understand them, or they dismiss them completely. When we do that, however, we are attempting to shrink the ineffable into something comprehensible, forgetting what God said through the prophet Isaiah: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (55:8-9)
The catch of fish miracle, whether you interpret it as actual or symbolic, is about the nature and character of God, who is present in the person of Jesus, the Christ. It is also about our call to be in intimate relationship with God, to be made human bearers of the power of divine love on earth, partners in the continuing work of the reconciliation of the whole world to God.
The setting is the north part of the Sea of Galilee, which is actually a huge lake, near the region of Genessaret. Jesus is teaching on the lake’s shore and the crowd starts pressing in on him.
Noticing that there are two boats nearby, Jesus approaches the fishermen, who were cleaning their nets, and asks Simon Peter to take him out into the water. I’m told that preaching from the water in that part of the lake amplified the sound, making it easier for the gathered crowd to hear.
It would be understandable if Peter had resisted Jesus’ request. They were all tired, frustrated by their lack of catch, and ready to go home, but Peter responds in faith and does as Jesus asks.
Once they are a little bit away from the shore, the rabbi sits to continue his teaching. Now Peter is up close, watching Jesus preach and engage the crowds. He’s listening to Jesus as the word of God issues forth from this man who is already having such a strange effect on him. Something is happening in Peter, but what it is isn’t clear yet, so he watches, and listens, and waits.
When Jesus finishes his teaching, he asks Peter to head out to deep water and let down his nets again… the nets they’d just finished cleaning and stowing. Peter, who is an experienced fisherman, reminds Jesus, who is a carpenter, that they been out all night; and there were no fish to catch out there.
Yet, Peter obeys again. I want to point out that the word translated as “obey” literally means to hear and respond. Peter hears the call from Jesus and chooses to respond. The outcome was amazing: their nets captured so many fish that the other boat had to be called out to help them haul it all in.
Peter’s response to all of this was to fall to his knees aware of and confessing his sinfulness. When we are in the presence of the power, significance, and wholeness of God, we become keenly aware of how weak, insignificant, and broken we are by comparison.
Peter recognized this about himself and it drove him to his knees in humble surrender, crying out "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"
Jesus comforts Peter saying those words that always come from heaven right before a call is issued: “Do not be afraid.” Then Jesus issues Peter his divine purpose: “from now on,” he says, “you will be catching people.”
Notice that a call from God is a proclamation of a divine truth. Jesus didn’t say, “Hey, Peter, want to catch people with me?” He said this is who you are now – a catcher of people. Then through the course of his relationship with Jesus, Peter was formed, empowered, and equipped to answer this call, to live into his divine purpose, which he did, and it was amazing.
Scripture teaches us that there is a process that happens when God calls us, and it goes like this: God taps us on the shoulder or nudges us from within and we discern the call. We respectfully decline, believing we are not worthy or able to answer it. God comforts us, empowers us, and sends us. We obey and are amazed.
Discerning a call from God takes practice, like any other spiritual discipline. For a few of us, like Moses or Isaiah or Mary, God speaks the call plainly. For most of us, however, it will be a still, small voice, a nudging, a tap on the shoulder.
The noise of the world tends to drown out that still small voice, so it’s important to acknowledge the earthly judgment about hearing God’s voice. For some, it is a diagnosable event requiring psychiatric intervention, but for most of us, it’s a traditional means of conversation between the Creator and the created. We aren’t crazy when we hear the voice of God. We’re faithful.
That’s why our Episcopal approach to discernment in the tension between collective truth and individual insight matters. It is our continual calling as individuals and as a church community to listen for God’s proclamation of truth for us - who we are and what our divine purpose is in this place and time.
If we choose to pay attention to God’s call to us and obey it, God will form us, empower us, equip us through the church, and send us out - and it will be amazing.
Amen.
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