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WHERE IS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOAT?
(A sermon preached April 22, 2007 at University United Methodist Church, East
Lansing, by John Ross Thompson.)
Scripture Texts - John 21:1-19 and Psalm 30
This has been an incredible week, due in large part to the Virginia Tech
shootings on Monday.
My wife Ellen Brubaker and her first husband Bob lived in Blacksburg years ago
for a year that he spent in campus ministry. A number of us have discovered
connections to that place.
The news media are calling this the worst school killings in history. It was
only a few miles from here in Bath MI where a school was dynamited in 1927. 45
persons, including 38 children, were killed.
Today, we are both near a college campus and near Bath. As people who care, we
obviously have been deeply affected.
This past week we also marked the anniversaries of Columbine (4/20/99) and the
Oklahoma City bombing (4/19/95), not to mention the staggering number of
civilians dead in Baghdad this week alone. 180 died in Baghdad just on Thursday.
All of us are vulnerable in this chaotic world. As Christ-like people, we need
to be even more observant of others with needs that are not being met. At the
same time, we must take precautions without stigmatizing the mentally ill or
people of Korean or Asian heritage.
Late this week, I received this message from the Rev. Bo Rin Cho, pastor of
Lansing Korean United Methodist Church, which meets in our building:
“John Ross, I came back from the national conference of Korean-American
United Methodist Churches yesterday, so that I wasn't able to respond to your
email right away. We were shocked by the tragedy, and prayed for the victims and
their families in the worship services. Fear, anxiety, pain, agony are the
strong emotions stirring up in the hearts of many Koreans, Korean-Americans in a
Lansing Korean community and the Korean communities in USA as well. I feel acute
pain and agony for the victims' families who have to endure the most difficult
days in grief and pain, and I have a same feeling for the parents and families
of Seung Hee Cho. I also feel the pain of God, the Creator of all human life and
love in the midst of agony. I with all my heart pray for God's love, comfort,
and strength for the families of the victims, and have a prayer of my love, my
comfort, and my compassion to God who is, I believe, in the midst of pain and
grief. Thank you for your concern and support for this matter.”
Let us have a moment of silent prayer for all those affected by the tragedy in
Blacksburg.
Every tragedy compels us to look differently at the world. Jesus provides us a
way to look at things in a new way.
How would you like to double, triple, quadruple the amount of money you make?
Did I get your attention?
Our scripture text is about Jesus and the disciples fishing after Easter. It’s a
well-known breakfast on the beach story.
Luke’s account was when the disciples were being called.
I like the fact that John put it after the resurrection.
The new life in Christ means a new beginning – something different, something
eternal. Because of new life in Christ, life is not the same as it was.
They were experienced fishermen. They knew what they were doing, and where to
fish. They also had certain procedures to fish. It may be that they always threw
the nets overboard on the left side.
It is quite clear that they didn’t know what to do after the resurrection, so
they went back to work. We know it was the same lake and the same water on the
right side of the boat. Yet, when they did what the resurrected Jesus told them,
it was a miracle.
They listened to him, and obeyed, and the rest is history. Jesus transformed
their day to day work into mission and ministry.
It seems to me that these stories are about two things. First: God's economy of
abundance vs. human economies of scarcity. Think of empty nets and overflowing
nets. Jesus already has fish on the fire and doesn't need the ones they caught
and "feed my sheep". Second: It is my opinion that Peter & co. "NEVER had a
backup plan" and did exactly what Jesus told them they would do when he first
called them.
Remember that bread and fish was the original family meal of the Jesus Movement
- wine comes later to the tradition... Feed my sheep (repeated for emphasis)
means BOTH economic feed (clothe, shelter, etc.) and also spiritually feed - as
in bring to Communion!!
Not only are the nets overflowing, but they don't break-again the issue of God's
abundance versus our economy of scarcity.
What occurred to me as I studied this is “Where is the other side of the boat
for us?”
What is it that the resurrected Jesus would say to us? What would he have us do
differently? What would he say to us about the things that don’t work well?
What “other side of the boat” is there in our lives that he calls us to?
Word study in Bible: There are 55 references in the Bible to the “other side.”
Christians throughout history have been primarily an alternative society. We
don’t do what the majority does. We do it differently because Christ calls us to
do it differently. That’s our distinction.
That is for each of us to decide. However, let me make some suggestions:
Death no longer has its sting, its finality. We have been affected recently by
deaths in the UUMC family. See the words of Psalm 30. There is hope; there is
more. There is eternity. That’s a radical “other side” that no one else has.
Death is deeply painful but it is not the end.
Leaders need to know that if something isn’t working, we need to try something
different. For our government leaders, struggling with Iraq or terrorism, or
struggling with budgets, it’s time to try something different. The same steps
usually result in the same result. What are you doing the same that leads to the
same disappointing results?
On this Earth Sunday, remembering our concern for the environment and climate
change, we know some of the different things to do, such as recycling,
simplified lives, less energy use.
Spirituality – new ways of growing closer to God
Relationships – building bridges instead of concentrating on what we want
“Feed my lamps” “Tend my sheep” “Feed my sheep”
Yesterday, I helped to interview a candidate for a position at Lake Louise, one
of our UM camps. He referred to his job search as a “calling,” not just getting
a job. That’s an “other side” view that many do not have. We have a God-given
purpose in life, and for many of that we find it in our vocation.
The “other side of the boat” is always close by. It sometimes takes stepping
back and getting the bigger picture. Sometimes it means responding to where we
know God has been nudging us all the time. Often Christ speaks through others;
sometimes from within us. Even those of us who are children or youth or who are
retired can hear Christ leading them to the “other side.”
For our graduates this year, it means following their heart as well as their
head as they venture beyond here. For all of us, it means looking at Monday
through Friday as just as much a spiritual experience as Sunday.
As I listen to stories of the fifty years of UUMC, I’m struck by the impact that
a few people made by simply doing what God was leading them to do.
Christ doesn’t whack us over the head, and say “Try this!” His voice is usually
a gentle reminder that we are able to hear when we intentionally listen. He
says, “Have you thought about trying the other side?” And those who listen and
do something about it are the ones who find a different way.
Lord, show us the other side, the better way, and help us to be bold to follow
your call.
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