FISHERS OF MEN

FISHERS OF MEN

WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE YOUNG
WE SPENT EACH SUMMER
CAMPING IN THE WOODS OF PENNSYLVANIA
OVER TIME
MY CHILDREN BECAME EXPERT FISHERMEN
EVEN TODAY
MY CHILDREN FISH IN PLACES
LIKE ALASKA, MEXICO, MAINE, JAPAN, PENNSYLVANIA AND CALIFORNIA
THEY ARE KIND OF ADDICTED TO FISHING

DAD DID NOT FISH
HE WAS TOO BUSY BAITING HOOKS
COULD EVERYBODY SAY POOOR DAD

SO ONE FATHER’S DAY
MY CHILDREN GAVE ME A POCKET FISHERMAN
WHICH WAS A FOLD UP FISHING POLE
WITH A SET OF HOOKS

SO THE NEXT DAY
EARLY IN THE MORNING
I PICKED UP
MY POCKET FISHERMAN
AND WALKED TO THE LAKE
IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING
WITH FOG
LAYING ON THE GROUND
ABOUT FOUR FEET THICK
SO THAT ALL YOU COULD SEE
OF ME
OR ANYONE ELSE
WAS OUR HEADS

WHEN I GOT TO THE LAKE
I SAW A MAN FISHING
SO OUT OF COURTESY
I MOVE A HUNDRED FEET AWAY FROM HIM
I UNFOLDED MY FISHING POLE
BAITED MY HOOK
REACHED BACK WITH MY POLE
MADE A PERFECT CAST
AND CAUGHT THE TREE BEHIND ME

AFTER A TERRIFIC FIGHT WITH THE TREE
I FREED MY HOOK
BUT NOT BEFORE I HAD AWAKENED
EVERY BIRD IN THE FOREST
NOT TO MENTION
SEVERAL SCOLDING SQUIRRELS
AND SORRY TO SAY
MY FISHING COMPANION
WHO WAS A HUNDRED FEET AWAY
LEFT IN ABSOLUTE DISGUST
AT MY AMATEURISHNESS

IF AT THAT MOMENT
JESUS HAD WALKED THROUGH THE MIST
AND SAID TO ME
FRANK
I WILL MAKE YOU A FISHER OF MEN
I WOULD HAVE SAID
YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING

BUT IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
JESUS COMES UPON FOUR MEN
PETER, ANDREW, JAMES AND JOHN
WHO WHILE THEY WERE GOOD FISHERMEN
WERE NOT THE ONES
ANY OF US WOULD HAVE PICKED

IN FACT AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
ONCE REVIEWED
THE FOUR OF THEM
AND THE OTHER EIGHT
FOR THE JOB
OF APOSTLES
AND REJECTED THEM ALL EXCEPT JUDAS

OF THE FOUR
MENTIONED TO DAY
THE ONLY ONE I WOULD HAVE PICKED
WOULD HAVE BEEN
ANDREW
BECAUSE IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
ANDREW
ONCE HE WAS CONVINCED
THE JESUS WAS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE
THAT JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH
ANDREW TOOK JESUS TO MEET PETER

THIS IS THE BASIC WORK OF AN APOSTLE
HELPING PEOPLE TO MEET JESUS

BUT PETER
WHO WOULD PICK PETER
FOR SUCH A SENSITIVE JOB

PETER WAS RASH AND IMPULSIVE
SPOKE WITHOUT THINKING
WE KNOW WHEN FACED WITH DANGER
HE TURNED COWARDLY

BUT JESUS SAW SOMETHING IN PETER
SOMETHING THAT MOVED HIM
TO GIVE PETER
A NEW NAME
FROM SIMON
TO ROCK
IN ENGLISH
PETER MEANS ROCK

THE FIRST WORDS OF JESUS TO PETER
WERE COME
BE MY DISCIPLE
HIS LAST WORDS TO PETER WERE
FOLLOW ME
EVERY STEP OF HIS LIFE
BETWEEN THESE TWO CHALLENGES
PETER NEVER FAILED TO FOLLOW
EVEN THOUGH
AS WE KNOW FROM OUR BIBLE STUDY
HE OFTEN STUMBLED

THE OTHER TWO MENTIONED
JAMES AND JOHN
SEEM TO HAVE JOINED UP
FOR THE WRONG REASONS
THEY SEEMED BE AFFLICTED
WITH SIBLING RIVALRY

JESUS NICK NAMED THEM
SONS OF THUNDER
THEY HAD A BAD TEMPER WHEN CROSSED
BOTH WANTED TO BE IN IMPORTANT PLACES
IN JESUS’ POLITICAL KINGDOM

WHAT DID JESUS SEE IN THEM

WHAT DOES JESUS SEE IN US
FOR WE ARE CALLED TO BE DISCIPLES
AND WE RESPOND WE HAVEN’T THE TALENT
WE ARE NOT WISE
WE HAVEN’T THE TEMPERAMENT
AND JESUS REPLIES
I TOOK A ROCK
AND MOLDED IT
AND PETER WAS THAT GREAT VOICE
WHO PROCLAIMED THE GOSPEL AT PENTECOST
AND KEPT PROCLAIMING IT
UP TO HIS DEATH FOR ME

JESUS HAD CHANGED HIM
AS JESUS WILL CHANGE US
IF WE LET HIM
JESUS DOESN’T WANT ROCKET SCIENTISTS
HE WANTS US AS HE MADE US
HE DOESN’T NEED ELOQUENCE
AS PAUL SAYS
I DO NOT PREACH WITH ELOQUENCE
FOR ELOQUENCE
WOULD TAKE AWAY
THE POWER OF THE CROSS

IT IS THE POWER OF THE CROSS
THAT WILL CHANGE US

SO JESUS SAYS
TO EACH ONE OF US
INVITING US TO BE HIS DISCIPLES
INVITING US
KNOWING WE ARE NOT UP TO THE JOB
INVITING US
KNOWING
THAT AS FISHERMEN
WE OFTEN CATCH TREES

BUT HIS MIGHT
WILL MAKE UP
FOR OUR LACK

HE INVITES US
BECAUSE A LONELY GOD
NEEDS US
FOR A FRIEND
AND CO-WORKER

SO TO EACH ONE OF US
HE SAYS
COME
COME MY BELOVED
COME
MY LITTLE CATCHER OF TREES
COME
I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN

COME
BE WITH ME
BECAUSE I LOVE YOU
COME
COME
AND BE MY FRIEND