Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

As a pastor, I know that fishing stories are supposed to be flattering to the fishermen in the congregation.  I once tried to impress the fishermen in my church in Marine on St. Croix by buying a new fishing pole.  The Men’s Group was going to spend an evening together on the St. Croix River. The pole I bought was just right- for deep sea fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.  The men all sniggered wondering whether I would catch a blue marlin or a barracuda.

Of course in Minnesota, a pastor has to know something about ice fishing as well, otherwise you’ll catch nothing more than a cold.  One day a rather inebriated fisherman drilled a hole in the ice and peered into the hole and a loud voice said, “There are no fish down there.” He walked several yards away and drilled another hole and peered into the hole and again the voice said, “There’s no fish down there.” He then walked about 50 yards away and drilled another hole in the voice and again the voice said, “There’s no fish down there.” He looked up into the sky and asked, “God, is that you?” “No, you fool,” the voice said, “It’s the rink manager, and the Zamboni is going to run you down.”

Every fisherman seems to have a story of the great fish they caught, and the even greater fish that got away. The Bible, however, tells us of a different sort of fishing story.  St. Luke writes about four fishermen who came back empty.  After fishing all night, they were met by a carpenter who commandeered their boat, preached a sermon, and then dared to tell the fishermen to push out into deep water where they should let down their nets. Moments later, hundreds of fish were netted, so much so, that the boat began to sink. The bewildered and reluctant fisherman pleaded with the carpenter to leave them, for he was an unworthy, sinful man. Surprisingly, that day the professional fishermen decided to leave it all behind.  They resigned on the spot to become shepherds.  You see, it is a different sort of fishing story.

There are many parallels that could be drawn from this story. But I’m not sure that the lesson is about fishing at all.  I think it’s about human reluctance that prevents us from experiencing God’s wonders. Like Simon the reluctant fisherman we just don’t feel qualified or worthy to do God’s work- or perhaps it doesn’t fit our vision for ourselves.  So this morning, I would like to share with you three lessons drawn from this different sort of fishing story. First, when life feels empty and aimless, be open to the unexpected. Second, be prepared to head out into the deep water. And third, trust that God knows you better than you know yourself.

Most of us know the story of Jesus calling his first disciples as portrayed in in St. Matthew’s gospel. Jesus was seen along the shoreline and invited the fishermen to abandon everything saying, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” St. Luke offer us the backstory on that decision.  In St. Luke’ gospel, Jesus doesn’t wait for the fishermen to invite him in, he breaks into their lives.  As Jesus was walking along the seashore, he saw an opening in a boat because the fishermen were out washing their nets.  Jesus climbed in, uninvited. Jesus isn’t some sort of distant figure who sits back and waits for us to find him. He’s always seeking a way in to the secret corners of our life where we hide. He calls us out to use our gifts where they are most needed. in his service. So be open to the unexpected.

Second, if your life seems shallow or empty and you want to experience God’s wonder,  you need to head out into deep water.  Simply note the movement of Jesus in the story.  He commandeered Simon’s boat and moved him away from shore.  Some people don’t catch fish because they refuse to go into deep water. Every fisherman knows the schools of big fish are in the deeper water.  And the first rule of fishing is you’ve got to go where the fish are.

Deep water is where God’s abundance is, but it also takes faith. Deep water is risky. It’s  easier and safer to stay along the shore.  Shallow water is pleasant, but it doesn’t take a whole lot of courage. In the deep water, you have to trust the words and directions of those who have passed there before you. Deep water is where you have to go to catch what God desires for you. When Jesus told Simon, “Let’s go to the deep water,” he didn’t stop there.  Jesus added, “And prepare for a catch. Let down the nets.”

That is a word of encouragement and a challenge for each one of us.  There are many experiences in life that move us out into deep water. More often than not, our voices reluctantly echo the thoughts of Simon, “Lord, I’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”  Thanks for the boat ride, but I’ll keep my nets in the boat this time.”

Regretfully, many today do not expect anything good from the deep waters. They want to experience something new, but every experience has taught them more about failure than success.   They have learned most of life’s lessons in the school of hard knocks… a failed marriage, a frustrating work environment, a misunderstanding with friends and family which has left you empty, health concerns that have left you on edge, a loss of excitement in your life. Thanks for the ride Jesus, but this time, I’m keeping my nets to myself.

My friends, God has something more for you- no matter your age.  Out there in the deep water is a promised gift of a productive, fruitful and peaceful life- now and forever.   Some people don’t experience that because they don’t go out to the deep water, and some people don’t experience it because they don’t expect God’s wonder.  And so they never let down their nets. All because they believe they know more about life, and the possibilities of life than anyone else – even God.

We turn to my final conviction.  If you want to experience God’s abundance, you must trust that God knows more about you, and what you can be and do, than you can ever imagine. Simon almost made that mistake in the boat with Jesus.  Sitting in the deep water, with the net at his feet, he said to Jesus in an exasperated tone, “Jesus, we’ve been fishing all night.  We know fish and fish don’t run in the day. Aren’t you just a carpenter from Nazareth moonlighting as a preacher anyway?  You should stick to your day job.”  Some people think they know more about life than God.  Sometimes, it’s not that we actually think we know more than God; it’s just that we act that way.  We hear God’s instructions for our lives: Forgive and forget.  Bless those who hurt you. Give generously.  Welcome the stranger.  And so we ignore God’s invitation to abundance and putting out our nets.  For a split second Simon hesitated, he looked at Jesus again and said, “But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”  And what happened then?  Simon’s life would never be the same.

Most people believe that the net full of fish is the miracle of this story, but I think the real miracle of this different sort of fish story is that Simon, a professional fisherman, decided that God was God. He changed the direction of his life, and he followed Jesus immediately.  Everything else, his career, his good fortune and the abundant catch, he would leave it all behind. That’s when all miracles begin.  When you leave all of life’s burdens and prejudices behind and let God who knows, and loves you, more than you know and love yourself, have his way. You may not feel worthy or qualified for the task, but let me assure you, God knows you- even your imperfections and fears.

Years ago, as I was cleaning out my desk in Marine on St. Croix, I found a manila folder marked Call Committee.  I’m sure it was mistakenly left in my desk.  The folder contained nothing more than a few notes from the Call Committee regarding the new pastor for Christ Lutheran Church in Marine.  But there was one sheet marked “The Perfect Pastor.”  It read:

“The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes. He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings. He works from 8 AM until midnight and is also the church janitor. The perfect pastor makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 40 years experience. Above all, he is handsome. The perfect pastor has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens. He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He makes 15 home visits a day and is always in his office to be handy when needed. The perfect pastor always has time for church council and all of its committees. He never misses the meeting of any church organization and is always busy evangelizing the unchurched.” In spite of those expectations for a perfect pastor, I’m glad the Call Committee in Marine presented my name to the congregation anyway.

My friends, what possibilities are waiting for you and your life?  Don’t worry about your imperfection and don’t be reluctant. You will never know what will be until you allow God to be God in your life.  And when you do, you will be surprised at the wonders that are waiting for you in the deep waters.  God’s abundance is never far away.  Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.