For this Weeks Scattered thoughts: Fishing
My wife and I recently went to Hawaii to visit family for about 5 days. It was a great 5 days. But for one of those days my uncle, his brother and I went out deep sea fishing on their boat. I had gone out the last time with them and had an amazing time. This time I couldn’t wait to get out there.
We cruised out about 2 or 3 miles. As we got out to the buoy we just did some standard fishing (nothing deep). It was calming to be out on the sea and I could tell that my uncle was in his favorite place. And then I started thinking.
What does it mean to be a fisherman? As a way of life I can only imagine it to be frustrating (says the guy from California). Sometimes you don’t catch anything, sometimes you get a few fish, but every so often you get the big catch.
So for the first couple of hours we just cruised around the buoy talking about family and traveling. And then it dawned on me. I wonder what these guys would think if they had heard Jesus say to them “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. I sat with that for a while as I stared off into the vastness of the ocean. Then I thought, wait a second what does that mean to me?…
Here’s some thoughts…
1. I feel we need to look constructively at the way we evangelize/witness to people.
- So much of what I have been disgusted with everyone is there ability to memorize but not real thoughts and no heart. People who haven’t really allowed anything to simmer for a long period of time. I guess Lack of Discipleship?
- Too much of it is forced. I understand the urgency! but I don’t understand the constant bombarding of moral subjugation/oppression. Thats not what Jesus was about.
2. Its not just about telling people about Jesus! Its not just about telling people about Jesus!
- Its about living a life that exemplifies the characteristics of Christ. With all the mess, with all the pain, with all the joy. In its perfect incomplete form. Allowing people to see its not about a set lists of do’s and don’ts but a lifetime (process) of knowning and being known. Whatever that looks like.
3. Its not about pulling people into the church (the physical site location)
- its about teaching people to go out into the world as doctors, lawyers, gas station workers, truck drivers, policemen, CEO’s, stay at home mothers, people who just lost their house and represent Christ. And not even have to tell people the One’s name in which you go. Crazy huh!
Still more to come on this post….
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