Matthew 4:18-22, Deuteronomy 30:11-14, Romans 10:8b-18
Service of Celebration for St Andrew’s Day, with prayers for Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh on their 70th Wedding anniversary
Sunday, 19th November 2017, Corton Denham
I wonder if you’ve ever considered that if Andrew, Simon and their colleagues had not been fishermen, but doctors, then Jesus would have called them to be healers of men; that if Andrew and his colleagues had been bakers, then Jesus would have told them their calling now was to bring people the bread of life; or if Andrew and his cohorts had been plumbers, Jesus would have said that from now on they would serve people by supplying them with living waters.
For the metaphor which Jesus used to describe the disciples’ new vocation related directly and deeply to their existing vocation.
And this must have surely come about through Jesus observing the fishermen at work, contemplating the ways they went about their days, training his eyes to see the nuances in the skilled tasks they performed, appreciating their teamwork - and then, as their teacher, affirming their everyday skills and encouraging them of their value, in the work he was now inviting them to share: the gentle, generous task of furthering the kingdom of God.
What does it take to be a fisherman? Intelligence in understanding the ways of fish and their whereabouts. A strong stomach and the ability to keep going in all weathers. Patience above all, I imagine. The willingness to be alone, adrift, a long long time, living in hope of a catch.
“All goes back to the earth”, writes Wendell Berry,
“and so I do not desire
pride of excess or power,
but the contentments made
by men who have had little:
the fisherman's silence
receiving the river's grace” [1]
And so in contemplating the qualities of the fisherman, Jesus discerned there also the latent qualities of the disciple, the apostle.
And so the phrase “fishing for men” is how Jesus encourages his friends the fishermen to the exercise of a soft power in their world, utilising the gifts they had been given in the service of the kingdom.
For Jesus’ phrase “fishing for men” - or women - is not a way of forcing the idea that the chief goal of a Christian life is to “catch” human beings by proselytising. That would be to rather oversimplify how human interaction and exchange really works; somewhat diminishing the humanity of both the one caught and the catcher whilst reducing Christian activity to something like a Ponzi scheme; a sales pitch which can only build a pyramid of hope and disappointment. [2]
Rather Jesus’ fishermen metaphor invites us to consider vocation as something which evolves over time, in which the gifts and character we develop continue to be reshaped and reused by God in the ongoing work of service.
Do you see yourself as having a vocation - as a parent, grandparent, godparent, neighbour, practicing Christian, person of goodwill, maybe? If so then I wonder if part of that calling, or role, involves each of us identifying, affirming and developing the vocations of others, that is, encouraging others to find and then follow the path which appears to be opening for them.
This scripture story invites us to discern signs of the kingdom of God in the lives of those around us, to honour them, and to nurture them to maturity. This is about empathy and the celebration of God at work in the everyday. This is an encouragement to walk alongside others out in their world, and together “to find out what God is doing and join in”. [3]
Archbishop Rowan Williams said in 2012,
A clear and explicit commitment to Christian doctrine does not mean an anxious or arrogant spirit that seeks to exclude the commitments of others. Instead it is a reason to be generous, to seek to exercise responsibility for the good of an entire national community, made up of very diverse parts. Our Christian faith tells us that no-one flourishes unless all flourish; and this ought to turn us away from any attitude of superiority or partisanship as Christians. Strong Christian faith should be a guarantee for the well-being of all. [4]
He said this at a reception for Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Lambeth Palace, 15th February 2012, the year of the Diamond Jubilee. His words were a reflection on the character of Her Majesty the Queen herself in the way that she goes about working at her vocation. He said that the Queen ‘has always been explicit that her personal commitment to her office as a call from God is at the heart of her understanding of her role, and she has not hesitated to be explicit about the Christian grounds of that commitment.’
A key part of her vocation is to encourage others in theirs. How many people have been blessed by a handshake, a smile, a word in season, on a visit to their workplace by the Queen? How many young people have flourished as a direct consequence of participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards scheme? The monarch and her husband in all their long years of service have been encouragers - and their example of fortitude and commitment to the building up of society must surely be an encouragement to us all to try - in our own way and our own place - to do the same.
Notes
Based on the talk What does it take to be a fisherman? A homily on Vocation given at Queen Camel, Cary and Bruton Deanery Clergy Chapter, 7 September 2017.
[1] Wendell Berry, The Want of Peace, New Collected Poems.
[2] Robert Hamerton-Kelly, Fishers of Men, February 4, 2007.
[3] A phrase widely attributed to Archbishop Rowan Williams.
[4] Rowan Williams, from an address given at a multi-faith reception for Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Lambeth Palace, 15th February 2012.
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