Rev. Roland J. Wells, Jr. - Pastor

Fourth Sunday of Easter - May 11, 2003

Lessons: Job 12: 7-10; Philip 4:4-7; John 21:1-7a

"The Fish Know"

Introduction:

OK, it's a silly sermon title, and it's not. When I chose it I was remembering the first time I organized a fishing retreat at Luther Dell. It was with a bunch of guys from southern Minnesota, who were all good fishermen. As we talked, someone mentioned to make sure to wash your hands after touching the outboard gas, because then when you handle minnows, there's a scent of gasoline on the bait. The fish won't touch it. Because the fish know.

That's all it took. Somebody later was mentioning the water depth and temperature and how it affected where the walleyes were. They like a certain temperature. Somebody else said, 'The fish know.' As the afternoon wore on, and as fishing technique was being taught, the chorus became, 'Because the fish know.' Soon, we were commenting on these all-wise, all-knowing piscatorial sages, who understood when it was safe to come out, because we were in the dining hall, eating. 'The fish know.' In the Bible study, somebody couldn't find the right page, and of course somebody else piped up, 'Well the fish know.'

It was funny at the time. I remembered it as funny. I emailed several of the guys who were on that trip, trying to remember exactly why that was funny, but none of them remembered any of it.

I) Even When the Disciples Don't Recognize Jesus, the Fish Know

But in our Gospel text today, and in our OT text today, the fish do know. Job says: (Job 12:7-10)

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

[8] or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you.

[9] Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?

See, the fish do know.

And in our Gospel lesson, the Disciples disobeyed, they didn't stay in the city like they were told- they went out for fishing opener, or something like that. They're back out there, business as usual, and Jesus shows up. They don't recognize him, but soon they repeat the miracle of their call. Jesus had done the same thing with them a couple years before. They don't recognize Jesus, but the fish know. They obey and show up when Jesus somehow guides them to the Disciples' net. The fish do know. But the Disciples don't.

It was time for the harvest to begin. It was time to become fishers of folks. They didn't get it. They didn't understand. But the fish know.

Today, for us, it's a time of harvest. Let's watch a little film about that:

[The film short, 'The Harvest']

II) Do We Know?

Today, for us, it's a time of harvest. That's what the Ethnic Summit was about. That's what having six colleges show up to a meeting I invited them to last Wednesday to see how we can organize a cooperative for urban ministry in the Twin Cities, and the School of Urban Ministry will become a require course for many of them. The time of harvest is upon us. We see it as God builds our partner congregation, ICCM in our midst. They're growing like crazy. It's the harvest. We can see the building beginning around us. A year ago some doubted strongly whether any of this construction would ever happen. Have you driven down the next 10 blocks of Portland to Lake Street? We've got a brand new neighborhood. And a new harvest is beginning for St. Paul's. The opportunities for the School of Urban Ministry are exploding. Since the article came out in Leadership Journal a couple weeks ago, over a 1,000 people have searched out our website to see what we're doing. Things are changing quickly. The season of the harvest is upon us.

Last week we passed our 15^th Anniversary together. I think we're heading into our third phase, the harvest. The first phase was reuniting the congregation through house churches and visiting. The second phase was strengthening our program, creating relationships with our partner churches, tying into Luther seminary and building the School of Urban Ministry. The third phase is the harvest; rebuilding the congregation and becoming effective in reaching our new neighbors. Now is the hour for the harvest.

But it's not the Pastor's harvest. It's not the Staff's harvest. It's not the Council's harvest. It's the harvest of each and every committee, organization, Sunday School class, musical group, family and individual. Each one of these is a combine. Those big machines that drove into the farm yard is a $150,000 combine. You don't need one; you have one. It's that hole up front where noise comes out. It's that brain that thinks and cares about people. That's the combine. Are you ready for the harvest? Do you care? 2004 marks the 40^th anniversary of the hike to this building that sealed our decision to be here, where God is Healing the Heart of the City. 2004 marks the 40^th anniversary of the action that said 'We as suburban people will remain faithful to the city and pour our lives out there.'

But it also will mark the beginning of the next phase of our ministry. The Harvest is about to begin. Are you ready? Are you ready to make the mental hike, to move from hiding inside our walls to aggressively inviting and rebuilding our congregation? Do you that God is beginning the harvest? After all, even the fish know.

That movie chokes me up every time I see it. It's about folks who hear the call, the hour has come, and the harvest is here. Are you ready? Are you willing? Are you praying? Invitation, amen.

Easter 4 - May 11, 2003

Job 12:7-10

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you,

or the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

[8] or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,

or let the fish of the sea inform you.

[9] Which of all these does not know

that the hand of the LORD has done this?

[10] In his hand is the life of every creature

and the breath of all mankind.

Philip. 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! [5] Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. [6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

John 21:1-7

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: [2] Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. [3] "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

[4] Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

[5] He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

[6] He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

[7] Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.