Day 6: May 10Scripture: Luke 5:1-11 The story of the miraculous catch of fish may remind the reader of the tale of two lovers walking along the seashore. The beach was covered with hundreds of washed-up starfish, strewn along the water’s edge as far as their eyes could see. The woman bent over, picked up a starfish and flung it into the sea. She did this a second time, then a third. “What are you doing?” her partner cried. “Why bother? There’s hundreds of these starfish here. You’re not making any difference.” But she answered as she flung back starfish, “I am to this one … and to this one … and to this one…” and so on down the beach. Our churches for years have had to cope with emptying pews, echoing sanctuaries, and rarely-used baptismal fonts. As our decline is debated on a large scale, we worry that the church has simply lost its relevance in the 21st Century. Despite endless advice and countless attempts to reach different target populations, we come up empty. It‘s depressing. “The key to a growing church,” one frustrated pastor said, “is whatever it is my church is not doing.” That must have been Peter’s thought. “We’ve fished for hours and caught nothing. This is futile. It makes no difference. Why bother?” But Jesus directed him to go deep, to cast his net here, in this one particular place, and so he did. From that place poured forth an abundant catch of fish. And they were all amazed. We often gaze across a vast expanse of sea or lake, community or nation, and despair over the lack of fish. We’ve fished it before, and nothing happens. But at other times, by the inexplicable grace of God, there are fish here, in this place, your place. The hidden hungry ones teeming below the surface are given into your hands. Maybe further down the shoreline other nets are still empty and other fishermen idle, but mysteriously God has given you more than enough to keep your hands full. And they will be folks who get wonderfully caught up, snagged by the gospel message, hungry for the web of fellowship and the safety net of love. There are thousands of fish in any lake; why aren’t all our nets straining with the load? We simply don’t know. But the word of Christ will sometime be spoken in your place, in your particular location, and at some time persons will jump into your hands. Then for this one, and that one, and that one too – the liberation of Jesus Christ will make all the difference in the world. Prayer: O Savior of the nations, speak your Word in our particular location. Though we pray for thousands of hearers and responders, do not let us miss the specific ones you send us on our watch. Strengthen us to listen carefully, watch faithfully, and wait expectantly in the places where we are. In your holy name we pray. Amen. Larry Buxton |