We all know
those times in this life when even the smallest amount of good news feels like
a tiny ray of light in the darkness bringing a glimmer of hope that things will
get better. Isaiah and the Psalmist, and a reminder in Matthew of the words of
Isaiah that the Light is always there even when we feel lost and are sinking in
the shadows. The Psalmist asks if the Lord is our light
and our salvation whom shall we fear? In
our everyday reality, of course, we do have fears and worry and anxiety about
many things in our lives and it is in such times that we are to try to summon
even a vague intention to seek God’s face. Looking for that wee beam of light
with a fragment of faith and a bit of faint hope we are able to begin to take a
shaky step forward into the always unknown.
Paul speaks to
us in our own time through his letter to the Church in Corinth: be in
agreement...no divisions among us...be united in the same mind and
the same purpose and even more appropriate to now, he warns us not to
divide Christ. How many Christian denominations try to out shout one another as
the only source for the "true" message of Jesus? How incredibly
difficult is it to heal divisions in political opinion let alone in religious?
Yet it is in these often dark and scary times, in a world seemingly gone mad
with violence in action and in words, that we are called to put aside our
ideological differences and follow the simple message of Christ's Gospel: love
God, love our neighbors as ourselves, proclaim the Gospel ~ his good
news of the kingdom ~ in all we think, do, and say. The frills, bells,
and whistles, or lack of, for worship are earth-bound and human-made. We must be
aware and wary of creeping idolatry around individuals, the places, and the worship
itself if any excludes or diminishes the very elements of our calling.
Jesus called the
soon-to-be disciples away from their fishing boats and nets to follow him and
become fishers of people. Yet there is an important piece of the story that is
often overlooked ~ Zebedee, father of James and John, stays behind mending the
nets. It doesn’t mean that he and the others on the fishing crew didn’t believe
or want to follow but rather that each of us is called to use the gifts we have
been given in different ways. Some are called to teach and preach, some are
called to stay behind mending the nets to catch the fish to feed and support
those who are in the fields or the kitchens or elsewhere.
Some days and weeks and months are better than
others. The nets can be full or nearly empty. The fields can be brimming for
harvest or drowned or dry. The car runs well or breaks down on a busy day. The death
of a loved one, suddenly or expected, brings grief and turmoil. In the darkest
moments of life when our inner nets are torn and faith feels weak, we can search
to catch the Light within ourselves however faint and distant it seems. When we
allow ourselves to be reeled into the net that Jesus has cast for us, the Word can
inhabit us and begin to attract others to the splendid shore of Christ’s love.
We'll catch more, or lose more, by our ways and attitudes; we don’t have to be perfect
or devout, just hopeful in our search for faith. Whether in the grocery line,
on Facebook, or driving in traffic, it is always better to bring the light and
respond in love than to bait the hook for a snark attack. Sometimes, what
annoys us about others reflects what we feel about ourselves. We trip, we fall,
we get up, and then we start over. We pull in our nets, repair them, and cast
them out again. Let’s begin again to repair the nets of our own thoughts and
words, our judgments and frustrations by working to seek and feel the Good
News of the Kingdom within ourselves. Even with only a glimmer of hope and
the faintest of faith, we can begin casting wide nets to catch the true meaning
of loving our neighbors AS we love ourselves and Follow again, in
earnest.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Oh
Lord of Light and Joy, with You as our strength whom shall we fear? As You
have caught us up in the safety of Your nets, energize us to beckon the world
to Your shore, proclaiming the Good News of Salvation in our every thought,
word, and action.
Lord Jesus Christ
RESPONSE: Unite us to You in mind
and purpose
~ Oh Lord of Light and
Joy, inspire and transform all who govern the peoples of this World, this
Country, and this Community, to legislate with integrity not the rod of
oppression, ensuring peace, equality, and sustenance for the well-being of all
humanity and the protection of our planet. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
Lord Jesus Christ
Unite
us to You in mind and purpose
~ Oh Lord of Light and
Joy, heal the hearts, minds, and bodies of all who are ill, weary, or in
anguish, and give comfort to all who offer care. We now join our hearts to pray
for those in need… add your own petitions
Lord Jesus Christ
Unite
us to You in mind and purpose
~ Oh Lord of Light and
Joy, the gloom of grief is lifted when our hearts know that You joyfully
embrace all who live again in Your glorious and eternal Paradise. We pray
especially for…add your own petitions
Lord Jesus Christ
Unite
us to You in mind and purpose
~ Oh Lord of Light and
Joy, we pause in this moment to offer You our other
heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or
silently…
Lord Jesus Christ
Unite
us to You in mind and purpose
~ O Lord our God,
hold fast in Your embrace all who lead us in Your Church as they guide and walk
with us in Word, Sacrament, and Faith, away from false gods and always to You.
We pray especially for: Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Kevin our Bishop;
James, our Interim Rector; Clay, our Deacon; and Lloyd, our Rector Emeritus.
Lord Jesus Christ
Unite
us to You in mind and purpose
The Celebrant adds: Oh
Lord, our Strength and our Salvation, endow us with the faith and
fortitude to find Your constant Light within us in the darkest of times.
Empower us to remember and return to follow You, whenever we go off course, in
the highest and lowest tides of this mortal experience. We ask through Jesus,
the Captain of our ship, and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Navigator, who with
You are our One God, now and forever. Amen.
