Bob was planting his garden when he ran out of labels to mark the rows. Then he thought “The seeds know what they are. Who needs labels! ” He covered the seeds, patted the beds, and said, “Go ahead and sprout. You know who you are.” God knows who we are and what we were made to be. God knows what we will become.
The two stories might be seen as mixed metaphors, but they provide a healthy challenge for our church. Shepherding and fishing - that's what the church is all about. Let's covenant together to "fish for sheep" and "shepherd the fish."
Putting on my pastor hat I sat down as she recalled her first semester of high school, when she had been caught cheating on a test. She was in big trouble. It felt like her whole world was falling apart. She said she was seriously thinking about committing suicide. “Then,” she said, “you saved my life.”
The sun, S-U-N rises every day, but we come to watch it only on Easter morning. We are here this Easter morning because the Son, S-O-N has risen—the Son of God, who was dead, but who burst the bonds of death—the Son of God, who rose only once, but was "the first fruits of those who are asleep."
Tom, this is a special day for you. Today, we install you as the shepherd of this flock—the pastor of this congregation. You aren't the only shepherd here. Each of us is a shepherd. But your role as shepherd is special. God called you to be a clergyman. He called you to go to seminary and to devote your life to ministry.
They caught fish, not because they got lucky, but because they listened to the Lord. The question each of us must ask ourselves is this: Am I willing to listen for the voice of God and act on faith alone? Well, by now, you can see that this story is not about fishing at all, but trusting in the sovereignty of God.
“What shall I read from the Bible this afternoon?” she asked. The commotion lessened enough for one old woman’s broken voice to be heard. “Tell us a resurrection story,” she said. Her words settled over the room and the sleepers opened their eyes. “Yes,” someone else said, “Yes. Tell us a resurrection story.”
When will Easter come this year? Easter will come when God calls your name, and you hear his voice and respond in faith. Which leads me to ask, has God called your name? Have you heard God's voice? Have you responded in faith? Has Easter come for you?
When Dr. Donald Hagen paid the toll for the Bay Bridge, he heard loud music from inside the booth--and saw the toll-taker, a young man, dancing wildly inside his little booth. "What's going on in there?" he asked. "A party," came the answer.
For over 2000 years we have celebrated Christ's resurrection. We paint Easter eggs; Christ comes from the tomb as a chick from the egg. We don new clothes, signs of a new Easter life. We decorate with flowers; they tell of spring's rebirth. But the ideal celebration takes place at the altar.