Gospel and Sermon.
Mark 1.14-20
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
Last Sunday it was the call to “Come and See.” And this Sunday we continue the path of calling with “Follow me.”Come and see. Follow me!
We are at the beginning of the year 2024, and we are at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel. As we begin our new Calendar year with Happy New Year greetings, Annual General Meeting and organizational agendas, elections and budgets, - so did Jesus begin his ministry by calling his disciples to follow him, to be his fellow fishermen in faith.
It would seem to be a more lose organizational set up – just call and leave everything behind and we will start something new.
We are as a Danish Lutheran Church is part of an old organizational and institutional body of pastors and church council members, of bishops and deans, of church wide assemblies and ecumenical relations. At the entry of our church, we are reminded everytime that we come that even the mighty Harald Bluetooth wanted to follow Christ and become a part of the Catholic Christian Church. His motifs were double – to save his own soul and to secure his political power. But nevertheless: that Rune Stone is a mark in our shared history as it still marks our Danish Passport.
But ever since that first call to follow and to become fishermen of faith, there sure has been a lot of fishing, change and organizational building going on. From the first church of believers in Gallilee to the mighty Roman Catholic Church with Popes, Cathedrals, Celibacy and Vatican through the time of a needed call to Reform to the Danish Constitution with Grundtvig until today….
The Church is a grand organization with many denominations, many differences, many constitutions and agendas. A history filled with hope and blessings, but also with dark chapters of misuse and misconduct. We are part of that long history for better and for worse, but we choose today how to come and see, how to follow and how to cast our nets out. We come with light, and we carry the cross, we travel oceans of hearts to come and see, as Grundtvig so beautifully and poetically wrote in the hymn about the thoughtful fisherman who sat ashore.
We choose today how to listen, how to follow and how to be the church of Christ.
But we all start from that very subtle call: Come and See. Follow me……
You may sometimes wonder what Jesus would think if he walked into one of our churches or cathedrals today…. Would he gently call us to follow him…. Out of the church to something new… or would he sit in the pews with an expression of accomplishment or bow his head in disappointment?
How different Jesus was when he came into the story. A softspoken gentle man with a commanding presence but a presence of compassion, love and hope, a presence that was more like a divine whisper compared to Joh the Baptist’s manic brawls. A call to service, a call to faith. A call to love.
The first disciples did not ask questions. That is what always astonishes and terrifies me about this story of Mark, as an educated and special modern human being.
Jesus shows up by the Sea of Galilee, calls out to Simon Peter and Andrew, tells them he is going to upend their lives and give them a new vocation, then commands them to follow him without a backward glance or a thought for the family fishing business.
Mark records no questions asked by either of the fishermen. In the space of one more sentence, Jesus issues the same call to James and John with the same results. In a flash they are out of the boat and following Jesus.
I am sure many of us would have blurted out, “Who are you and where are you going?” “What’s your plan and how do I fit into it?” “What happens to my family business and all the people it supports?” “Why are you calling me?” And: “Once we catch these people, you’re teaching us to fish for, what are we supposed to do with them?”
There is no business plan, no evangelism outreach strategy, no job description, no interview and no time to consider the pros and cons of the offer—just a persistent preacher who appears on shore, shouts an invitation and walks on.
Just wonder: would you have followed? Would we have left our fishing boats, our families and friends behind to follow? Would we, could we, and should we?
We all know that this story is particular to a time and a people.
But when we meet Sunday mornings we listen to these stories again about the encounter with God back then, … to ask and confront us with the reality that God has a habit of showing up unexpectedly in the oddest places and inviting us to see, listen and turnaround from where we are and follow him—no questions asked. It might not be at the Sea of Galliee, but in a Danish church in Yorba Linda.
We are called to see, listen and follow every time we come to church – and even if we like this beautiful church, even if we come regularly, even if we feel part of this church ship, - we are still called to come, see, listen and follow.
It is not nessarily a call to leave everything behind and never look back, - but it is a call to be open to the voice of God, the presence of the Spirit and the grace of Jesus.
It is a call to let the voice and wisdom of God be present in our every choice, challenge and consideration in life. To let the teachings of Christ remind us about another way to live and be with each other and in the world.
We might not truly see and listen and follow because.
· We are stuck in our sense of responsibilities.
· We might be stuck in our organizational traditions and how we have always done things.
· We might be stuck because we have laid our plans and made our precautions.
· We might be stuck because we dread losing control. Control of our lives, families, work, finances, - yes even our church.
Much of this control is an illusion we conjure to keep from seeing and admitting the truth about our humanity, our frailty and our need for each other, compassion and Divine Interventions —that even with all of our diligence, financial markets may crash, disease may enter our lives, people may behave badly and relationships may be damaged.
It is hard to live with these uncertainties, so we hide or pretend we have it all under control.
This can make it difficult to respond to Jesus’ call, because to follow we need to be honest and accept who we are. Jesu brings us face-to-face with our humanness and challenges us to form and conduct our lives on his promises and his teachings, instead of our own plans.
Sometimes we might forget and not really listen.
Sometimes we might not even hear Jesu’s call and see God’s presence in our lives.
So, for a moment be a thoughtful fisherman sitting in this mighty church ship – and ponder how Jesus called you this past week, how God was present – in a heartfelt conversation, in a comforting hug, in a liberating laughter, in a majestic sunset, in a deep sense of compassion or in a much-needed silence.
I heard Jesu’s call as I was meeting at Lamb of God, a small Lutheran Church in Anaheim, and we were planning how we are a Danish Church and Compassionate Community, may assist their Homeless ministry and outreach. Come and see. Listen and follow.
I heard Jesu’s call as I shared the beautiful poem by Amanda Gorman with the confirmands and later at Thursday Thoughts… with a persistent hope for this day, this year and this moment:
May this be the day?
We come together.
WE must always have a way forward.
This hope is our door, our portal.
We remember, not just for the sake of yesterday, but to take on tomorrow.
Come over, join this day just begun.
For wherever we come together,
We will forever overcome.
Come and see, listen and follow.
There is a divine movement in this call to take on tomorrow with hope…. Together at the shore, in the boat, in the church, in society and in the world.
Jesus called us to be church together. For the better of the other. For the fulfillment of our purpose.