4th Sunday before Lent 2022 St Andrew’s Milngavie
Dear All
Today as we gathered for the Sunday Eucharist, we remembered and gave thanks to Her majesty The Queen for her service to this country as she celebrates her 70th anniversary of succession to the throne. Our final hymn was the very moving and beautiful hymn “I vow to thee my country” followed by the National Anthem.
Notices for this week:
Tuesday 10am Prayer Group in the Garden Room.
Thursday 10am Said Holy Communion followed by coffee in Friendship House
Saturday 12th February 10am Snow Drop Walk – meet in East Car Park Mugdock – followed by soup lunch
Readings for next Sunday – 3rd Sunday before Lent
Jeremiah 17:5-10 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26
Further news from the diocese and church can be found on the St Andrews website. Click on the link below.
https://standrewsmilngavie.church.scot/
Isaiah 6:1-8. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11
I have always enjoyed the series the Apprentice – the contest to become Lord Sugar’s business partner. A dozen or so young hopefuls, who all believe without a shadow of a doubt, that they have outstanding business skills compete for this prize. Last week the task was a fishing trip to Cornwall to produce a catch for the day to sell to the public. Unfortunately for them the catch of the day turned out to be not as they had hoped and back in the board room it was show time! Emotions ran high, culminating with the inevitable words “You’re fired!”
None of us like to be found wanting at things we think we are experts at. But this is how the gospel starts today. Simon Peter was an expert. He had been a fisherman all his life. He knew there were plenty of good fishing trips – as well as the occasional fruitless one. He and his fisherman colleagues had just experienced one of these less fruitful nights. The nets had remained empty.
And now here was this man, a man people called Jesus suggesting they go out and start fishing again. We don’t know what went through Simon Peter’s mind. He might have been tempted to think “Isn’t he the carpenter? What does he know about fish and fishing?” He had seen Jesus heal his mother-in-law – an impressive talent, by any standards. But fishing wasn’t about chance – it was about know how.
However, something, something about Jesus made him respond. After pointing out the paucity of the previous night’s efforts he responded readily and willingly. Maybe that something had been the impression Jesus had created earlier when he imaginatively sought the use of Simon Peter’s boat as a floating pulpit to teach those on the shore. It was certainly a new approach. This man was clearly prepared to tackle things in a different way. And undoubtably what Jesus had to say, and the way he had said it made a very strong and incisive impression on Simon Peter. So, when Jesus told him to cast his nets again Simon Peter was ready to do so with amazing results! Results that made him realise how stupid he had been to think, even for a mere second, that he might have known better than this very special man. Jesus gave him the chance to be a fisher of people and he readily grabbed it. As did James and John – and followed Jesus.
Our readings today all focus on calling and vocation. First, we have familiar reading from Isaiah always read at ordination services. “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here I am, send me!” Isaiah 6:8
Then in the epistle Paul is encouraging the Corinthians as he describes his own calling and conversion and finally, as we have just heard, the account of Jesus calling his first disciples. When we think of Jesus’ first followers – his apostles they were an eclectic mix. But essentially Jesus’ call was to all people, doing everyday things. He wasn’t necessarily looking for highly educated scholars or the sharpest of intellectuals. He wanted people in touch with the everyday world with enquiring minds. This was the case two thousand years ago. It remains the case today.
Jesus calls people – you and me – to help him in his mission and his ministry, to proclaim his word – to proclaim the Good News. We are to be fishers of men, women and children, called to drew people into Jesus’ presence. We don’t need theological degrees or to be especially knowledgeable. We simply need to dispense with any doubts we may have – as did Simon Peter, James and John. And show our trust and faith in Jesus, in the way we speak, in what we do, in what we are, in the way we live our everyday lives.
But what we do need to do is act. To seize the moment when it presents itself. To push ourselves perhaps further in our thoughts prayers and actions than we might normally. To dig deeper – the power of prayer has no limits. And prayer, as we all know, is sometimes all we can offer.
The miracle of this story is not just a net full of fish. But that Simon decided that God was God. Simon said to Jesus “But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets. “ When he obeyed Jesus to go into deeper waters… that is when Simon began to understand that God was God. He found revelation in the depths. When God instructs us into deep water… Do we hesitate to answer? Do we linger longer in the shallows?
There is a famous cartoon. The caption goes, “This morning opportunity knocked at my door, but by the time I pushed back the bolt, turned the two locks, unlatched the chain, and shut off the alarm system it was gone.”
“The Lord said whom shall I send?And I said here I am – send me! ” Amen.