|
|
|
Michael D. Powell
Luke 5:1-11"Heavy Deep and Real" August 19, 2001
Disciples Sunday
At leadership training camp we have a very popular discussion group called Heavy Deep and Real. High school kids are drawn to it like moths to a flame. They discuss the Bible, and they're encouraged to bring their questions and their doubts. They're wrestling with their Christian faith, and they take the struggle seriously. These young disciples are looking for the truth, a truth that is relevant to their lives. They are searching for an encounter with the living Christ, and they like to get heavy. They want to be real. They're ready to go deep.
Are you ready to get heavy deep and real? All of us have questions about life. Most of us have doubts about some of the answers we've been given. A disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who, in spite of their questions and their doubts, is drawn like a moth to the holy flame of the One who is called The Way, The Truth, The Light and the Life. A disciple of Jesus Christ is not necessarily a finished product, someone who has it all figured out and whose faith never falters. A disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who looks to the scriptures of the Holy Bible for guidance and direction, for comfort and correction. A disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who has entered into a covenant and made a commitment to follow Jesus, to get heavy deep and real, even when they don't always understand in advance all the implications of what that means.
This morning's Gospel story illustrates these points perfectly. The first thing you'll notice is that when Jesus called his disciples they were involved in the normal, everyday tasks of their working lives as professional fishermen. That's how it happens. They weren't ascetics living in a monastery. They weren't huddled over ancient texts, lost in some esoteric study of an abstract deity. They had joined with others who had gathered to listen to Jesus preach there by the lakeside where they made their living, fishing and mending their nets. When Jesus invites you to become a disciple, the call will most likely come in the midst of an otherwise perfectly ordinary life.
The second thing to notice is that they weren't having much luck. It's interesting how that works. Call it holy failure or sacred dissatisfaction. You're working hard, but something in your life is not working. Maybe you've been casting your nets and coming up empty. That feeling of emptiness often has a way of opening our eyes and our ears to an encounter with the living Christ. Thank God for that restless, empty feeling, it may be preparing you for a call to discipleship.
When Jesus had finished preaching he said something to Simon Peter. Do you remember what it was? "You have to go deeper," he said. And, true to his human nature, Peter resists. Don't we all find ourselves resisting? Peter questions and objects, just like we all do, because there's something in us that always seems to think we know ourselves better than God knows us. But, because the holy spirit of failure, fear and hope are so often commingled in acts of faith, Peter finally does what Jesus told him to do. There comes a time when you have to fish or cut bait, when you make a commitment to simply trust and obey, even when you don't understand. Peter goes deeper and casts his nets again, and a miracle occurs.
I call it a miracle because that's the way the disciples experienced it. It wasn't just a normal, ordinary catch. It was a super-natural, extra-ordinary experience. You know how sometimes you'll get goose bumps and the hair on the back of your neck will stand up? It's a human response to the super-human, to the inexplicable power of the divine presence. It's scary! It's what the ancients referred to as the fear of God, which was the beginning of wisdom. It's a humbling feeling, a mixture of reverence, awe and dread. That's how Peter felt. He fell to his knees, saying, "Lord, I am not worthy. Depart from me, for I am a sinful man."
Of course he's not worthy. None of us are. There's nothing we can ever do to earn or truly deserve God's grace. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but we are called nonetheless, called to discipleship, called to become heavy deep and real, called to follow the Way, the Truth, the Light and the Life. And when we make a commitment to follow Christ, changes begin to happen. The first thing we notice is that we're less fearful.
"Don't be afraid," Jesus tells us. "Come, follow me, and I will teach you to fish for souls." Something happens to you when you become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Your life begins a process of transformation, and you become a witness to the power that is transforming you. You don't necessarily become a teacher, a preacher or an evangelist, but you become less fearful and more trusting, more forgiving and more loving. Your attitude and your actions bear witness as you grow in faith, and the hearts, the minds and the lives of others are continually being influenced by the witness of your life.
This morning is Disciples Sunday, and I want to acknowledge all those who have made a very special commitment over the years to this yearlong course of Bible study. Returning to the image I used earlier, these people are like moths drawn to the holy flame of Christ. They're wrestling with their Christian faith, and they take the struggle seriously. These disciples are looking for the truth that is relevant to their lives. They're searching for an encounter with the living Christ, and they like to get heavy. They want to be real. They're ready to go deep.At the end of the year they met in the Titus' home to share the sacrament of Holy Communion. That night I asked them to write their own Disciple's Creed, expressing their faith in God, in Christ and the Holy Spirit. The process took nearly an hour and they ended up with pages and pages of notes. Then Alberta, the poet laureate of the group, was given the task of composing it all into a formal creed. You have it in your bulletin, and in closing I invite you to join in reciting the Disciple's Creed.
Disciples Creed
Class of 2001Through 34 weeks of study, prayer, questions, laughter, tears, and sharing of our faith journeys, the Disciples Class proclaim the following beliefs:
We believe in a powerful, creative God who is unchanging yet always relevant, who formed an orderly universe out of the darkness of chaos, establishing the sun, moon, and stars in their individual, unending orbits.
We believe in a gentle compassionate God who fills meadows with lilies and watches over the sparrow on her next.
We believe in a loving, parent God who, in His wisdom, knows who we are, allows us freedom to choose our own paths, but is always ready to catch us when we stumble, lifting us up in love and forgiveness.
We believe in Jesus Christ who, though one with God the Father, left His heavenly glory to dwell on earth as a humble village carpenter. When called by God, He willingly began His earthly ministry, traveling the dusty roads from villages to cities, teaching, healing, sharing the good news of God'' love for those who keep His commandments.
Because He loved us beyond measure, He willingly suffered and died on the cross, and by His resurrection purchased eternal life for us.
We believe in Jesus as a teacher, a friend, one who mediates for us with God, who is our inspiration and our challenger. He comforts us in our despair, forgives us when we go astray, rejoices for our victories, and gently encourages us to try again --- and again.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, sent by God to be a constant companion and guide on our faith journey. It is the proverbial thorn in our spiritual side, pricking us when we stray from the path. It is the rush of mighty winds when our full and immediate attention is needed, and the stiff, small voice that encourages, comforts, and reassures us of god's presence in our lives. It is that Holy Presence in our heart and soul that provides the spiritual energy and perseverance to resist the temptations of the world. The Holy Spirit carries our spoken and unspoken prayers to the heart of God and fills our souls with heavenly Father's love and guidance for our daily living.
We believe that each of us is a part of the body of Christ, called to live in harmony with one another, so that the whole body will be filled with spiritual health, vitality, and strength, prepared to go forth to the ends of the earth, if that be His pleasure, to spread His gospel of love. By our daily living, those whom we encounter will know we are His disciples by our actions and by our love for one another.
Dick Titus, Instructor Lois DeBruno, Debbie Barth, Ross Barker,
Mary Van Wesep, Sue Halverson, Alberta Apenes
"Sunday's Sermon"