Sermon for Third Sunday after Epiphany
Our Story Matters
By The Rev. Christie Webb -
I love to tell the story. Our opening song today speaks truth. Indeed it is true, the two call stories we have in our texts today are two that I love to tell.
Especially the story of Jonah. This story is, well, quite frankly, hilarious. Jonah hears God’s call, to go and tell the Ninevites to repent. Now this is not a call that Jonah wants, that anyone wants really. Nineveh is the capital of Assyria. And the Assyrians were known to be just horrible. Mean. Ruthless. Yikes. You don’t want to go talk to them, because you don’t know what will happen to you there. And, well, maybe you don’t want to go talk to them because you don’t want God’s grace to find them there. Anyway, Jonah hears this call and he, well he goes in the absolute opposite direction. He ends up on a boat. The big storm comes. The people on board cast him overboard. He ends up in the belly of the whale, for three days and nights. He gets spit out onto the shore (in my family that part of the story gets accompanied by this sound: ptewy!) And then Jonah goes to Nineveh, preaches the most effective sermon in the history of the world, the whole city repents, and God’s mercy is extended to them. Jonah doesn’t love that ending, and says to God: See, this is why I didn’t want to come. I knew you would be merciful, and well throws a tempter tantrum. But this part of the story we get today is when Jonah, fresh out of the whale’s mouth, finally follows God’s call.
I wonder if part of your call story is like Jonah’s- reluctant to follow.
I wonder if part of your call story is like Jonah’s- God having to ask again to get your attention, maybe having to spend some time in whatever might be equivalent to the belly of the whale is in your life.
I wonder if part of your call story is like Jonah’s- amazing results, astonishing in fact.
I love to tell that story. And the one of the calling of the disciples is pretty great too. The plot is getting going, John is arrested, Jesus proclaims that the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is now, repent, trust in the good news. He walks along the beach. He sees Simon and Andrew casting their net. Follow me, he says. I will make you fish for people. Immediately they leave their nets to follow. Same with James and John. They too immediately leave their nets.
You know, its surprising how fast they put those nets down. Its almost like they couldn’t wait to get away. A bible commentator Ched Myers says that its because being a fisherman is like being an indentured servant. No one wanted the job, so to be offered another way to live means you take it. Its also fascinating that Jesus describes the work these followers will do is to fish for people. It’s as if Jesus is saying: bring all of who you are and what you’ve done before- we are going to put it into use in a different way.
I wonder if part of your call story is like these disciples- where you were ready to say yes immediately.
I wonder if part of your call story is like these disciples- and what you had to lay down and leave behind to follow.
I wonder if part of your call story is like these disciples- and God is calling you to use all of your life and what you’ve done before in service to the kingdom of God.
Friends, truth be told, I love to tell these stories, but I may not love to live them. Maybe you are in that same boat. We don’t want the work we which we are called to be hard. We sometimes want to go in the opposite direction. We don’t want to go immediately. We don’t want to lay down whatever it is that we must lay down in order to follow God’s call. We aren’t sure we want to bring all of ourselves to what is before us.
On this day of the annual meeting of this congregation, as we continue the work of following God’s call for this congregation, I feel like these things might be too close to home. Truthfully, I suspect I’m not alone in wanting to go in the opposite direction, away from dealing with the budget deficits. We don’t want to be in the belly of the whale learning to trust God. Immediately feels like too much urgency to manage. We don’t want to lay down the nets that are the way we’ve done things, the way church has been done for so long to follow God to whatever new life God is calling us to. What will God ask of each of us to contribute to a solution, to a future, to the amazing results God is ready to work with us to accomplish?
And yet, I can see the vision, catch the vision, feel a trust the size of a mustard seed that God is up to amazing things that helps me begin to live the story, this story, our story. I wonder how we will tell our call story a year from now. I wonder if we will love to tell that story. I hope we will love to tell that story.
You know, sometimes when you are in the midst of the story, it is hard to keep on going. And when that happens, I find it helpful to tell the old old stories. To remind us that God has been faithful in the past. To remind us that God can and has and will do amazing things. So I’m going to give us a chance to tell those stories. I want you to turn to a neighbor, and share a story of a time this congregation followed God's call. Or a time in your life when you followed God’s call. How did it feel when you were in the midst of it? Were you excited to follow like the disciples? Did you want to go in the opposite direction like Jonah? What did you have to leave behind, like the disciples left their nets, to follow that call? How did God use the gifts you had to offer to do amazing things?
Turn to each other and each share a story. [time for story sharing]
Friends, your story matters. Our story matters. Because we are part of God’s unfolding story. I love to tell that story. We will love to tell this story, the one we are living in each day, right now. But first, we must follow the call. God give us the courage.
Amen.
The Rev. Christie Webb
Pastor - Mt. Olive Lutheran Church
Santa Monica, California
Sermon for:
January 28, 2024
