Index - Posting 27 July 05 Vol: 2- 4
"...keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ…may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation…"
Ephesians 1:17(NIV)
Revelations arrive in many different disguises. For years now, I have managed my bulk food shopping at the local hyper grocery store, a couple of miles away. I tend to park in the same location as there is nothing more embarrassing than forgetting where one has parked the car. That apart though, there is the ultimate nightmare of urban supermarket life, when on selecting an item from the shelf and transferring it, to one’s trolley, there is the split second realisation that you have been inadvertently pushing someone else’s! Then, unless one is super cool and brazen enough to leave the store abruptly and empty handed, there follows the ultimate shame of hunting for one’s own trolley. Now that is unnerving!
Well, the other day, I observed a driver exiting the store incorrectly, by driving down the wrong side of the car park. Watching with incredulity and a slight air of superiority, I pulled out ready to begin my familiar exit. Only in the space of a microsecond to realise that the motorist was in reality, leaving correctly and that I, for more than six years, had been exiting the supermarket, the wrong way. What a revelation! How could I be so unobservant, I asked myself? I mused at how confidently wrong I had been all this time…a long senior moment perhaps? But God is good and these kinds of revelations add to our maturity as sociable human beings and hopefully make us more pleasant to live with. Whilst some would say that "we live on the surface of our lives" I am grateful that the Holy Spirit of God enables us to grow in spiritual maturity by providing other deep down revelations of a divine nature that often make us spin 360 degrees.
Nearly two years ago, during clergy training hosted by the Episcopal Divinity School, in Boston, Massachusetts, I was given the opportunity to experience an African American congregation through attendance at Sunday worship at the Union United Methodist Church, in the same city. This was my first insight into what "a reconciling and inclusive church" could be like, in our community. With a predominantly black membership of all ages, the Church statement attested to an active commitment to pursue advocacy and justice in the context of "Christian hospitality" towards "all persons irrespective of their race, color, national origin, status, economic conditions, physical challenge, gender, sexual or affectional orientation" and "with God’s grace to be instruments of reconciliation to all persons who, because of prejudice, racism, homophobia and ignorance, find themselves in exile from the family of God and the household of Christian faith and service".
Having had prior associations with the Methodist Church, I was familiar with their hymns (many of which are in Redemption Songs) and was very happy to sing the gloriously inclusive and non patriarchal - "I am Thine, O Lord". later I was mesmerised when the minister, stopped the communal singing, half way through a more traditional hymn, asking that we substitute ‘Mother’ for ‘Father’ and ‘sister for ‘brother’ in a repeat of the same verse. I was so impressed and whilst there are contemporary song and hymn books, some of the old ones resonate with such meaning, it’s important that we retain them, as part of our cultural heritage and theological history. The highlight of the service, was of course the sermon – captioned "Gone fishing"– complete with props. As an ardent sea angler/fisher person (Heaven is a boat in Caymanian waters, with a couple of rods out for snapper, to fry and a few reels with triple hooks for lobsters!) I was well and truly hooked into rapt attentiveness. I even took notes.
The minister took his text from Luke Chapter 5 verses 1-11
One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
And his message was this simple;
God gives us a reminder of a revelation for many reasons; either we did not entirely get it the first time or we haven’t acted on it completely or simply, because we have not gone deep enough. May the Holy Spirit of God, empower you to act on the revelations of God, for your life.And if necessary, be embolden to go fishing - Enjoy!!!
Rev Caroline Redfearn ©blackpeoplesministries.com 2005