Transfiguration Sunday "Faces without Veils"

Reading: Psalm 99, Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a), 2 Corinthians 3:12-18
 Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, February 27, 2022

Where do we see veiled faces? We may meet a Muslim lady, who has a burka, or we will see images from the Middle East where this a widespread practice. More likely, in my current locality, the place we see a veil is at a wedding, worn by the bride.

A veil is not a mask. We are well and truly acclimatized to seeing masks! A mask is designed to protect. A veil is designed to cover up beauty. Only the husband, the one who is in a love relationship with the bride, has the privilege of removing the veil.

On this Transfiguration Sunday, I want to look with you at a 3:16 verse, not John 3:16, but 2 Corinthians 3:16; “When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed.”

Using our analogy of the husband, who because of being in love relationship with the bride, has the right to remove the veil, so it is that as we nurture a love relationship with God, through Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we can witness the glory of God at work in our lives and our world.

This unveiling of our lives by God is a process, a process of transformation that is available to our lives because God loves us. It is not something that just happens, it takes commitment and openness to change. It requires that we be receptive to the moving of God’s Spirit. It means seeking to live a servant life that is modeled on that of Jesus Christ.

In the passage we heard from 2 Corinthians the contrast was made between those who read the Scriptures with a veil over their eyes, and those who came to God’s Word with unveiled faces. The veil in that comparison is not something positive, but something negative. It stopped them from seeing the beauty.

Can you imagine a groom lifting his bride’s veil, looking at her, and then saying, “Y’know honey, I think you should keep the veil on!” Right there would be a relationship that ended abruptly. 'Make that “I do” an “I don’t think so!'

2 Corinthians 3:16 “When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed."

What made up the veil that Corinthians tells us we need to remove? Might there be things that prevent our spiritual growth and discipleship? Probably!

This veil that prevented their vision was partly a veil of fear. The people were afraid to look at Moses, who was glowing with the intensity of God's glory when he came down from the mountaintop, for fear they would have their eyes scorched out. Their idea of God was that God was a fearsome God, one who may any moment descend upon them with great wrath.

To draw close to such a fearsome God was a scary thought. How could they? They were mere mortals. What did humanity have to do with such a God as this? They approached God through a veil of fear.

This fear showed itself in that they had to constantly think of ways of ingratiating themselves to bypass this terrifying God’s anger. So, religion became a matter of works rather than of faith. “What do we have to do in order to avoid God’s judgment?”  

When Jesus came, He revealed a New Way. A way not based upon trying to avoid getting in trouble with God but based on belief that the trouble with life on earth was that we did not recognize how much God wanted us to know we are God’s children, accepted, loved, and cherished, by the One who created us.

So, you find in this passage there is talk of liberty and growth and boldness, and all this through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit whose presence was the earmark of the new relationship of trust that God had demonstrated in Jesus Christ who lived for us, died for us, and was raised for us.

We read in verse 17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” Freedom from fear. Freedom from a religion that made being “good enough” the bottom line. Freedom to explore and question and make mistakes. Freedom to fall and get up again.

Sometimes Christianity is pictured as being a restricting, life denying religion. A faith that prevents progress and is helplessly bound to tradition. That was not how the Church in Corinth had experienced the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

They were known for their boldness in exploring the boundaries and for their charismatic experience of God's Holy Spirit. In fact, one of the problems that Paul writes to them about was that they sometimes took their liberty a little too far, and it had led to some unhealthy relationships and practices.

We will save that insight for another day because what I want to focus on in this passage about the veil being removed, is that fact that when they were embraced by the Christian message it made them feel as though they could really see, maybe for the first time in their lives. Their vision of what God could do and what they could achieve was radically altered.

They could totally identify with the insight John Newton offers us in the hymn “Amazing Grace”... “I was blind, but now I see.” And how does that seeing… that vision come to us?

As we turn to the Lord. Truly turning to God does not leave us the same. We are transformed. We are pushed into not staying as we are. We are reminded that this will be a lifelong journey … this unveiling, this recasting of the drama, this ability to catch the vision of the Kingdom.

This idea, this hope that our lives are daily being transformed by the glory of God, is wonderfully captured in Charles Wesley's hymn, “Love Divine, All loves excelling.”

“Finish then Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee.
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise”

There was a tradition in Welsh hymn singing, which came out of times of religious revival, that often the last stanza of a hymn would be repeated a number of times. I tell you, by the time you got to repeating “Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise” it made you feel like anything was possible.

This morning as we worship, I ask you to consider this one verse;  “When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed.” I invite you to lay your life, with all its prejudices, misconceptions, sins, and regrets, before God.

Offer your fears, offer your striving, offer your hurts and your troubles, in the knowledge that our God is not a God who seeks to destroy us, but One who desires to bless you.

Seek for the Holy Spirit to effect in your life the process of transformation that this letter speaks of. Allow God to move you “from glory to glory,” allow God to build a love relationship with your life.

We are familiar with the idea of a romantic date being one where a person may share a meal in an up-market restaurant with the person who is the focus of their affections. Every month we gather around a communion table, the special guests of a loving God. Every act of worship we have an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God.

“When one turns to the Lord the veil is removed.” Allow God, through the Holy Spirit, to lift the veil, to remove the fear, to set us free. The gospel reading for Transfiguration Sunday is all about that moment on the mountain when Jesus was glimpsed in all His glory and the disciples heard a voice declare “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him!”

This moment can be a mountaintop in our spiritual walk. Today we can sense His voice and His call. Today our vision can be enhanced, and we can have greater clarity about things in our life with which we are dealing.

Let us pray God that every time we worship we will be changed. That the veil will be removed and that we will go out into the world a little more confident, seeing a little clearer, a little more inspired, a little more able to get on with the business of declaring and modeling the Kingdom of God for a world that really needs to see!

And to God's name be all glory. Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.

Epiphany 7 "The Impossible Dream"

 

Readings: Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, Genesis 45:3-11, 15, 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50, Luke 6:27-38
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, February 20, 2022

Our reading from Luke has been described as the “Most quoted, least acted upon sermon, ever preached.”  The Sermon on the Mount. So much that is radical about the Christian message is here. Love your enemies. Turn the other cheek. Be forgiving. Be merciful. Do unto others as you'd like them to do unto you.

Our world teaches us; Avenge yourself upon your enemies, never forget who has wronged you and repay them in kind. Don't give an inch because they'll take a mile. Hit first, hit hardest. And whatever you do, show no sign of vulnerability or weakness because they will walk all over you. How do we approach this passage?

Think for a moment of the highest note you can sing. I'm not going to ask you to sing it. You know you have your limits. This scripture is like a score of music that has notes two octaves higher than you will ever reach, and suddenly you are expected to sing it. Some suggest that these words are an impossible dream. So, what can they teach us?

The way we are doing things isn't working.

Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get different results. Have we learnt anything in the 2000 or so years since they were first spoken? Responding to hate with hate just creates more hate.

Responding to violence with violent retaliation creates more violence. Refusing to forgive not only creates a circle that cannot be broken but harms us far more than the one who offended us. Judging others is a futile exercise in self-righteousness that isolates us from our communities and makes monsters out of neighbors. Jesus offers us an alternative solution. It's a solution that can have amazing results.

The only way to end hate is love. The only way to break a circle of violence is non-violence. The only way to mend broken fences is through forgiveness. The way to build community is to lay aside self-righteousness and practice acceptance.

There have been some who have tried to embrace such principles. Ghandi in the face of British Imperialism. Nelson Mandela in response to the apartheid of South Africa. Martin Luther King Jr. Mother Teresa. We know their names. They would be the first to say that their efforts were at the best imperfect. Yet impossible dreams continue to be inspired through their actions.

But what about us? We're not heroes. We're not saints. We can barely get though a morning commute without cussing out that idiot who just cut in front of us. Let's ask ourselves some questions. Here’s some things to consider.

Who are the enemies in our lives, and what would it mean to love them? Where are we putting up barriers that we could be building bridges? Who are we not forgiving so much that it's chewing us up? Who do we need to quit judging and recognize that, just like us, they are a broken human being? As Michael Jackson once sang it all starts with the man in the mirror.

Think about that exercise in singing a higher note. There are ways we can increase our vocal range. There are breathing exercises we can do, there are practices we can take on board, there are lessons to learn. Two octaves? Probably not. But we are capable of being more in tune and squeezing out a few higher notes. That's not an impossible dream.

In thinking about this passage ... Recognize the Dynamics

Any given piece of music, be it a pop song or a concerto, has dynamics. It has a setting. It has a score and a framework. If you take the notes out of their context, they do not work. They need the other notes, and the silences, and the phrases around them.

“Turn the other cheek” doesn't mean “Be a doormat.” “Giving to everyone who begs from you.” does not mean “Neglect your personal needs and those of your family.” “Bless those who curse you” does not mean “Never speak out when you are falsely accused or mocked.” The context of this sermon is that Jesus is talking to people who are oppressed, who are powerless, who have no recourse to the kind of justice that we enjoy. They were fearful and anxious about their lives and what may be coming down the road.

New Testament scholar Walter Wink sees Jesus' words as a form of non-violent resistance to situations of oppression. He is well versed in the culture of the time and offers fascinating insight. For example; “Turn the other cheek.”

In the culture of first century Palestine, if you were going to strike somebody you used your right hand. Why? Because ... unpleasant as this is... the left hand was the one you used for what, we might politely call, “your bathroom functions.” It just was not done to strike somebody with your left hand!

Their society also had a pecking order. A superior would always strike an inferior with the back of their hand, never the palm. As He often does, Jesus paints a picture with His words. It's almost comical. He pictures a person, an inferior being bullied by a superior, being struck on the cheek... obviously by the back of a right-hand stroke.

Jesus says, “If anyone strikes you on the cheek... offer the other also.” (v29). What happens when they offered the other cheek? They were inviting the superior to hit them with an open palm. As a superior that was not an action you wanted to make, because it acknowledged the victim as an equal. It was an action that disarmed the oppressor.

Likewise, the instruction that if somebody takes your coat, give them your shirt. In Jewish law there was an injunction that, while you could indeed accept somebodies coat as a repayment of a debt, you would not leave a debtor naked at sunset. You would be revealed to be nothing more than a heartless bully.

So, by saying “Give them your shirt as well,” again, Jesus paints a word picture. In this scenario, a bully demands the coat off somebodies back. The person smiles ... and in full view of everybody... says “You know, if you are that needy, maybe you should take my shirt as well.” As the sun sets, the bully is revealed to have transcended that law about not leaving anybody to go through the night naked. The whole situation is reversed.

Jesus is not telling people to remain victims, but to find new ways of resisting wrong. One of the ordination promises that we ask Presbyterian elders and ministers to make is that they serve God, with “Energy, imagination and love.” Jesus encourages us to allow God's Holy Spirit to create imaginative ways to love our enemies. To allow God to create opportunities, in the face of wrong that are truly “Out of the box” and disarm those who have evil intent.

Does that make sense? Not entirely. Is that the way the world works? No. Does it answer the question, “Well what about wars? And crime? As I said, recognize the dynamics. Because elsewhere Jesus says things like, “There will be wars and rumors of wars.”

Elsewhere He speaks about resisting evil and throws tables around in the temple. Elsewhere He says that if someone leads a child astray it would be better for them to have a millstone put around their neck and be drowned in the sea. Not so much “Gentle Jesus meek and mild” in those passages! Context and dynamics are important. But not the most important thing. With Jesus, you know what the most important thing is.

LOVE

Rumbling along behind this sermon is the love of God. “AGAPE” love. Sacrificial, self-giving love. The love that we see on the Cross. The love that blazes out of the empty tomb. It isn't natural. It's supernatural. It's miraculous. Luke's gospel is full of miracles. People are delivered. People are healed. Storms are calmed. Yet maybe the greatest miracle in Luke is this sermon. Love, Bless, Pray, Give, Be Kind, Forgive.

A wonderful way to illustrate a principle of imagination and love that destroys hate is this poem, I’d like to share with you; “White Flour” by David LaMotte. It is based on an actual event. On May 26, 2007, the Ku Klux clan held a rally in Knoxville, Tennessee. They were greeted by an unusual act of resistance. Clowns. What? Clowns.

The day was bright and sunny as most May days tend to be
In the hills of Appalachia down in Knoxville, Tennessee
A dozen men put on their suits and quickly took their places
In white robes and those tall and pointed hoods that hid their faces.

Their feet fell down in rhythm as they started their parade
They raised their fists into the air, they bellowed and they brayed
They loved to stir the people up, they loved when they were taunted
They didn’t mind the anger, it’s exactly what they wanted

As they came around the corner, sure enough the people roared
But they couldn’t quite believe their ears, it seemed to be support!
Had Knoxville finally seen the light? Were people coming ‘round?
The men thought for a moment that they’d found their kind of town

But then they turned their eyes to where the cheering had its source
As one their shoulders crumpled when they saw the mighty force
The crowd had painted faces and some had tacky clothes
Their hair and hats outrageous, each had a bright red nose

The clowns had come in numbers to enjoy the grand parade
They laughed and danced that other clowns had come to town that day
And then the marchers shouted, and the clowns all strained to hear
Each one tuned in intently with a hand cupped to an ear

“White power!” screamed the marchers, and they raised their fisted hands
The clowns leaned in and listened like they couldn’t understand
Then one held up his finger and helped all the others see
The point of all this yelling, and they joined right in with glee

“White flour!” the clowns shouted, and they reached inside their clothes
They pulled out bags and tore them and huge clouds of powder rose
They poured it on each other and they threw it in the air
It got all over baggy clothes and multi-colored hair

Now all but just a few of them were joining in the jokes
You could almost see the marchers turning red beneath white cloaks
They wanted to look scary! They wanted to look tough!
One rushed right at the clowns in rage and was hauled away in cuffs

But the others chanted louder, marching on around the bend
The clowns all marched on too, of course, supporting their new friends
“White power!” came the marchers’ cry, they were not amused
The clowns grew still and thoughtful—well, perhaps they’d been confused…?

They huddled and consulted, this bright and silly crowd
They listened quite intently, then one said, “I’ve got it now!”
“White flowers!” screamed the happy clown, and all the rest joined in
The air was filled with flowers, and they laughed and danced again

“Everyone loves flowers, and white’s a pretty sort
I can’t think of a better cause for people to support!”
Green flower stems went flying like small arrows from bad archers
White petals covered everything, including the mad marchers

And then a very tall clown called the others to attention
He choked down all his chuckles and said, “Friends I have to mention
That what with all this mirth and fun it’s sort of hard to hear
But now I know the cause that these paraders hold so dear!”

“Tight showers!” the clown blurted, as he hit his head in wonder
He held up a camp shower and the others all got under
Or at least they tried to get beneath, they strained but couldn’t quite
There wasn’t room for all of them, they pushed, but it was tight!

“White Power!” came the mad refrain, quite carefully pronounced
The clowns consulted once again, then a woman clown announced
“I’ve got it! I’m embarrassed that it took so long to see,
But what these marchers march for is a cause quite dear to me!”

“Wife power!” she exclaimed, and all the other clowns joined in
They shook their heads and laughed at how erroneous they’d been
The women clowns were hoisted up on shoulders of the others
Some pulled on wedding dresses, chanting “Here’s to wives and mothers!”

The men in robes were sullen, they knew they’d been defeated
They yelled a few more times and then they finally retreated
And when they’d gone a kind policeman turned to all the clowns
And offered them an escort through the center of the town

The day was bright and sunny as most May days tend to be
In the hills of Appalachia down in Knoxville, Tennessee
People joined the new parade, the crowd stretched out for miles
The clowns passed out more flowers and made everybody smile

And what would be the lesson of that shiny southern day?
Can we understand the message that the clowns sought to convey?
Seems that when you’re fighting hatred, hatred’s not the thing to use!
So here’s to those who march on in their big red floppy shoes

(based on true events of May 26, 2007 – ©2007 David LaMotte)

Wish to purchase a copy of “White Flour?”
https://www.amazon.com/White-Flour-David-LaMotte/dp/097728932X

Back  to our text.

The Sermon on the mount.
An impossible dream?
The “Most quoted, least acted upon sermon, ever preached.”
There are actions we can take.
We can’t sing two octaves higher,  but we can all improve our range.
Inspired by passages like this, if we recognize the dynamics,
we can engage with energy, imagination, and most of all love

Not always.
But sometimes, we get it right.
To God be all glory. Amen!

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.

Epiphany 6 "Inside Out and Upside down"

  Readings: Psalm 1, Jeremiah 17:5-10, 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, Luke 6: 17-26
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church on February 13th, 2022

Inside out and upside down. What on earth was Jesus talking about in today’s lesson. Blessed are the poor? Happy are the hungry? Fortunate are the tearful? I have yet to meet those happy, contented poor people. I never heard anybody say, “Isn’t this great, I’m starving!” I have never seen a person sobbing their heart out because of their pain, with a smile of joy on their face. Have you?

It makes me uneasy the way Jesus speaks about rich folk who enjoy a good time and are well respected in the eyes of everybody. “Woe to you!” says Jesus and implies that whatever you have now, you better enjoy it while you can, because when tomorrow comes you’re going to have to pay for it. Big Time. Woe to you rich.

This passage makes me uneasy because I live in an extraordinarily rich country. On a worldwide scale the U.S. is a very rich place. And Jesus says, “Woe to you rich.” This nation is way, way, way up there in terms of Gross National product, income, life expectancy, health care, educational opportunity, and military might. In terms of what this world calls rich, if you live in the United States, you are rich. And Jesus says, “Woe to you rich!” Sometimes the word of scripture comes not to comfort us but to confront and challenge us.

This is not the Central Africa Republic, where the average life expectancy is just 58 years. At For over 40 years, the country has been caught in a cycle of recurrent violence. Its institutions are weak, citizens have limited access to basic services, and their infrastructure is woefully inadequate, with little investment or resources to bring about change.

We don’t live on a Continent like Southern Asia, which includes nearly 25% of the world’s population including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and islands like the Maldives, which are threatened with obliteration because of rising sea levels. The whole region has a GDP, (Gross Domestic Product) one of the primary indicators used to gauge the health of a country's economy, of $1,824 a year, compared to $42,000 in of my homelands of the United Kingdom.

We don’t live in Burundi, where the average income is only $239 a year, compared to $63,413 in the USA. Civil war among competing militias, devastation during the Aids epidemic and now they also have Covid to deal with.

Blessed are the Poor? Happy are the hungry? Fortunate are the tearful?

Everything is messed up!

Jesus had described His intentions, His desire to turn everything “inside out and upside down” at the beginning of His ministry. He proclaimed in His first sermon in Nazareth; “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because He anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor: He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind.”

Do you remember what happened shortly afterwards? Some people tried to throw Him off a cliff! Understandable when you think He’s been predicting the downfall of the rich and powerful. He wasn’t “Mr. Popular” with them!

Reading the gospels, you could suggest that Jesus only got what was coming to Him when they crucified Him. I mean what did He expect? Insulting the religious authorities, trampling on their traditions, speaking words they would interpret as blasphemous and suggesting even that most sacred of all institutions, the temple, would come tumbling down? Proclaiming himself a King in the process of building a Kingdom?

To the eyes of the rich and powerful, how could He not appear as a threat? “Woe to you rich!” is not a comforting statement. As they saw the devotion and power He had among the outcasts and the dispossessed and the poor, how could they not be fearful for their positions in society? To them Jesus was not Good News, but Bad News.

If they didn’t act, their entire world could be turned upside down and inside out.

But to the poor? He was a hero. Think of the situation of the poor in the crowd to whom Jesus was talking. They did not live in a democracy. They did not choose for the Romans to come and conquer their land. They had no vote. They were in this little troublesome corner of a vast empire, governed by incompetent puppet rulers desperate to impress the powerful people back in Rome.

They were poor, not only materially but also in terms of rights and expectations and almost every other area of life. They were the downtrodden. They were the imprisoned ones. Life was not smiling down good fortune upon them. Those who had once been described as God’s special chosen children, felt like God’s orphans.

Also consider the corrupt state of religion. Jesus calls the Pharisees “Whitewashed tombstones.” He describes the temple as “A den of thieves.”  He accuses the teachers of the Law and the intellectual Sadduccees of not knowing the Scriptures.

Put yourself in the position of the poor. You go to hear Jesus speaking. He heals your cousin from something he’d been suffering from for years but could never afford to go to the doctors about. You see in the crowd that crazy guy everyone had written off as bad news, now looking calm and in his right mind. You hear all these stories about God looking for the lost, rejoicing over those who would come to Him in childlike faith.

A God who was not far off and remote but One whom you could call “Abba, Father.” You hear of a God who had an intense interest in the misfortunes and struggles of people who felt they were at the bottom of the pile. You would feel blessed. Such a message would surely lift your heart. God can do wonders for you! God has a bias towards the poor!

But woe to you rich! By contrast Jesus suggests God can do little for the self-satisfied, the self-seeking and the self-centered. Eugene Peterson’s translation “The Message” captures extremely well the flavor of the pronouncements of woe made by Jesus, speaking of them in terms of “trouble ahead.”

“It’s trouble ahead for those who think they have it made,
What you have is all you’ll ever get.

It’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself,
Your ‘self’ will not satisfy you for long.

It’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games,
There’s suffering to be met and you’re going to meet it.”

What do we, who inhabit this wealthy part of God’s wonderful creation, do with this passage?

Just as there is nothing intrinsically wonderful about poverty or tears, we need to remind ourselves there is nothing intrinsically evil in riches or laughter. The blessing the poor receive comes because they are in a situation of complete dependence upon God. In seeking God, they find God.

The woe of riches is that they blind us to our need of God and create such a comfort zone around us that we forget that the hurting people out there are the ones God calls us to serve. We forget that privilege carries with it a corresponding responsibility. That to those to whom much is given, much is expected.

Jesus sets His face strongly against those who do not take the time to care. Jesus is not with those who see other people’s misfortunes as none of their business, those whom, like the priest and the teacher of the law in the parable of Good Samaritan, are so busy pursuing their personal agendas that they just walk on by when faced with the desperate needs of others. God is not on their side, for they are not on God’s side in raising up the fallen or healing the broken hearted.

Woe to you rich! To those who have everything they need, the gospel seeks to stir complacency and calls us to stop building our own little empires and get with God in the program of building the Kingdom. That is never going to be easy!

You know and I know that if we rock the boat, then things are never so easy anymore. Ask the poor! We suspect that if we speak out, we will make a nuisance of ourselves. We suspect that if we side ourselves with those that Jesus appears to, then some of their poverty, and their hunger and their tears might rub off on us.

That is not what we want. Those are the things we are trying to shield ourselves from. We would like to have it all in this life and the next. So, this passage reminds us that Jesus tells us, it’s not going to be that way. That if we think we have it all in this life, and are not prepared to pass that blessing along, or pay it forward,  then we are not living like a child of God's Kingdom.

When Jesus elsewhere says that it was easier for camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God, He was not pulling His punches. When He told the rich young man to go and sell everything he had and give it to the poor, He meant for that man to go and do it. Jesus knew, in a way we fail to understand, the destructive power of having all we need.

He knew it because He faced that temptation in the desert after His baptism. The Devil offered Him it all. All the world. “All yours Jesus, if you’ll just get with my plan and kick this ‘inside out, upside down, justice for the poor’ nonsense out the door.” Jesus responded, “Man cannot live by bread alone.”

“Man cannot live by bread alone.” That would be a whole sermon for another day! For now, let us pause to reflect on the radical nature of the words Jesus spoke and the ministry He performed. He came to turn it all inside out and upside down. That’s not quite right. He came to put everything the right way around and the right way up. It is just that we’re so used to doing it our way that we don’t see things God’s way.

This passage of scripture we have been looking at, is not meant to be easy listening. Unless we are the poor, or the hungry, or those in mourning, it is meant to make us feel uneasy. It is Jesus’ call to get our priorities in line with the priorities of God’s Kingdom. It is meant to make us search our hearts and challenges us to consider what we really believe the gospel message is trying to achieve!
That is a question we may never find a complete answer to this side of eternity.

But we do have a simple rule to follow. I can sum it up for you in one word... love. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul” (a personal responsibility) and “Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself” (s social responsibility.)

May God help us not to compromise our commitment to serving others, because our comforts shield us from their cries. May we heed this message regarding the seductive power of materialism to sap our spiritual energy. May we allow God’s Holy Spirit to turn our lives inside out and upside down so that we can be part of the process of making things the right way around and the right way up, the way of God’s Kingdom.

This passage is a reminder of our call to reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves and to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem. May God help us so to do. And do so in Jesus’ name, in the power of His Holy Spirit and to the glory of God our Father. Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.

Epiphany 5 "Fishy Business"

 

 Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, February 6th, 2022

Reading: Luke 5:1-11

“Good Morning. My name is Simon, (also known as Peter) and I am here to tell you about how I became a disciple on the shores beside the lake of Gennesaret. I used to have a fishing business there, me and my brother Andrew, along with two of Zebedee’s sons, James, and John.

We’d just had the most unfruitful night, ever, and we were resting up on the shore washing the nets. We’d dragged the boats up onto the beach. In every job there’s bad days, and then there’s really bad days. We’d just reached the end of the worst of the very, very, bad days. There were fish out there. Swimming around. Swimming around our nets. Ignoring our bait. I’m pretty sure they were laughing at us!

“Nyer, nyer, Call yourselves fishermen, you couldn’t catch a cold!”

I was not in the best of moods. That mood became increasingly dark when a preacher man arrived with a crowd of people on the shore, just down from where we were working. Religion. Preachers. A fishy business. Wouldn’t trust most of them further than I could throw an anchor. Why can’t they get a proper job like the rest of us?

This one seems pretty popular. The crowd just keeps on growing. “Hey, Hey” says me little brother Andrew, “That preacher there, that’s y’know, the carpenter guy, the one who made ‘em all mad in the synagogue and then cast out a demon or something, y’know, what’s is name?”

“Oh” I said, doing little to hide my intense disinterest, “The Prophet Whatisname – there’s a novelty.”  I was thinking ‘what’s so impressive about casting out demons. I cast out nets every day.’

I was kind of listening with one ear to what he was saying. Talking about the ‘Kingdom of God,’ and ‘Justice for the Poor’ and ‘The year of Jubilee being proclaimed.’ Radical stuff. And he was telling some stories, that, well, made you smile. Y’know, “Hear the one about the shepherd who lost his sheep. Goes and leaves ninety-nine and sets off looking for it!”

Actually, this guy wasn’t a total stranger to us. He’d been a carpenter in town, and we were all more than a little surprised when he got the religion bug. Seemed like quite a genuine sort of guy, but that’s the thing with religion… let it get to you and you don’t know where it could lead you. The crowd was continuing to grow, pushing him down to the waters edge.

“Hey, Hey,” says me little brother Andrew, “Look, he’s getting into your boat!”
“What” I says. “He’s getting into your boat” little Andrew says.

“Gaw!” I say, throwing down my net. “They don’t half take some liberties these preachers. Think that because they know a little about God, they can do whatever they please. That’s rich. Probably put a hole in the bottom of the thing stamping his feet at some moral outrage.”

So, I pick up my nets and start pushing my way through the crowd. “Excuse me, there’s a Rabbi in my boat.” Coming through. Rabbi in the boat, mind your back. Look out lady I'm carrying a net and I know how to use it!”

To this day, I don’t know what I intended to do. Andrew had already cautioned me, “Hey, Hey, now you just watch your temper. Punching Rabbi’s in front of crowds who think the sun shines out of them would not be a clever idea.” I had no intention of punching his lights out. To be honest I had no intention - whatsoever.

So, I climb into the boat, throw down my nets, He turns and looks at me, as though He’d been waiting for me to arrive, and says, “Put out a little way from the shore.” I’ve been on my feet for hours!” and sits himself down. I smiled at him, in a rather sarcastic way, but thought, “I just got to humor this guy. Maybe then he’ll go away." I went to the front and rowed Him out on the lake.

It was a good move for someone in his business. The way his voice carried over the water made him easy to hear for all on the shore. Sitting with him there in the boat it was more like he was telling stories around the campfire than it was listening to some preacher in the synagogue. Despite myself, I was warming to this guy. The morning rolled on and as he told a few last tales the people began to disperse, leaving just the two of us in the boat.

He looked at me and smiled. ‘Fishy Business’ he said. 

“Well, let’s see. Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

Now all the crowds had gone I almost said a few words that Rabbi’s shouldn’t be subjected to. Right. Sure. A rabbi who knows about fishing. Knows my job better than I do? What next? A servant becoming a King?

But I was a picture of restraint. “Master,” I said, “We have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” I called Andrew over to help me. We threw the nets over the side.

"Hey, Hey" says me little brother Andrew, "This is a waste of time, isn't it? I mean we've just cleaned the nets, now we're going to have start all over again". "Just hold on a minute" I said, "Pull... pull... pull harder... woah... have we got some fish here or what?"

The net was absolutely teeming with the things. "James, John, Get over here. Now!" They came out in their boat and stared to haul in them fish. We were hauling them in and hauling them in. Fish. More fish than we had ever fished. Pulling them in. Drawing them in. Trawling them in. Fish after fish after fish after fish.

The boats were swimming in fish! Nope, the boats weren't swimming. They were sinking. Fish. Too many fish! The boats were going down! But the fish kept coming. There we were. Sinking to the bottom of the shallows. Fish jumping and wiggling everywhere. We're falling about, slipping, and sliding and shouting. And the nets are tearing under the weight.

And I turned to look at Jesus - sitting there - half submerged - in water with fish flubbing about everywhere- quite calm. And there was something about him that just made me stop in my tracks. Spooked me really. Do you know how they say that just before you die your whole life flashes before you? Well, it was kind of like that.

All at the same time, the four of us, me little brother Andrew, (standing there saying “Hey, Hey’) and James and John, all sensed it together. What was happening had gone beyond the normal. Our minds were acting strange. It was as though somebody had prised open my life and was staring right into my heart, reading every thought, and judging every action I'd ever done. I was terrified. We all were.

And we knew it all had something to do with that preacher sitting in the boat with us. I dived over and threw myself at his feet. At his knees actually. His feet were under water. We were in a half-submerged boat, fish everywhere to be seen, and I'm shaking in fear. I look up at Jesus and I blurt out, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man". The others were equally confused and fearful.

Jesus just smiled. "Don't be afraid" He said, "From now on, you will be catching people". Right at that moment it all made sense. Looking back, it was kind of impetuous, but at the time it all seemed to make sense. We hauled up the boats onto the shore and left them. We left everything because we knew that what we had to do was follow that preacher man. Everybody believes in something. I believe in fishing. Fishing for people that is.

"Hey, Hey!" my little brother Andrew was pulling at my sleeve as we walked up the beach. "Jesus told me to tell you something" "What's that then?" I said. "Fishy Business,” said Andrew. And I laughed all the way home!" 

End of story.

O.K. Simon has left the building. Reflecting on that fabricated tale, I do want to ask you something. In that story about following Jesus, where are you?

Are you like Simon, sitting on the shore, cleaning the nets at a distance, and feeling rather skeptical about the value of spiritual things? Are you listening, but not listening? Do you feel God may be calling you, but you really do not want to hear it?

Or are you like Simon, pushing through the crowd, annoyed that Jesus is in your boat? God's been on your case about some of the things you have been doing, you're concerned about how really following Him might cause you to have to make some changes in your life.

Maybe you're like Simon when he was frightened at the number of fish. Life's all too much for you to cope with right now. Things just have not worked out. Your boats sinking and you are running scared. You do not know what you are going to do.

Or maybe where your life is right now with God is that you feel God's calling you to follow a particular way or to take on a particular task and you are ready to say, 'Yes, Lord, I'm with you!"

Wherever you are in your walk with God today, hear the word of Jesus. "Do not be afraid". You are tasked with the work of being somebody that catches others up in the challenges of His Kingdom. Today He invites you to feast with Him at a table laid with bread and wine. Use this time to reignite Your passion for being one of His disciples.

Everybody believes in something. God is calling us to take the next step. To go on a bit further. To deepen our trust and love for God. 

Do that and maybe we will witness things happening in our life we had never dreamed were possible!
To God’s name be all glory, honor, and power.
Amen

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.