The central theme of this homily, delivered by Pastor Will Rose on February 9th, is the transformative power of divine calling, particularly as it relates to the lives of ordinary individuals. Drawing upon the Gospel narrative of Jesus calling Simon Peter and his companions, the message conveys that amidst feelings of inadequacy and despair, one can find purpose and fulfillment through faith. Pastor Will emphasizes that God invites us to engage with the uncertainties of life, urging us to venture into deeper waters where both challenges and opportunities for growth reside. He reflects on the significance of community in this journey, highlighting that faith is not a solitary pursuit but a collective experience. Ultimately, this homily serves as an encouragement to embrace one's call, recognizing that God’s presence remains steadfast, even in tumultuous times.

The fifth Sunday after Epiphany, as illuminated through Pastor Will Rose's homily delivered on February 9th, introduces listeners to the profound narrative found in the Gospel according to Luke, wherein Jesus performs the miraculous catch of fish. This homiletic exploration delves into the essence of divine calling, particularly as it pertains to Simon Peter's moment of revelation following a night devoid of success. Pastor Will poignantly illustrates how Peter’s initial reluctance transforms into an embrace of the unknown, signifying a moment of epiphany that resonates with the congregants’ own experiences of divine invitation. The narrative underscores the significance of moving into deeper waters, a metaphor for the challenges and uncertainties that accompany faith, and serves as an invitation to trust in God's unwavering presence amidst life's tumultuous seas.

Furthermore, Pastor Will enriches this biblical account with personal reflections, recounting his own journey to the pulpit that began with his first sermon as a youth. This intimate sharing not only humanizes the pastoral experience but also reinforces the theme that even the most daunting beginnings can lead to a divine calling. The pastor emphasizes that the act of fishing for people, as articulated by Jesus, is not one of entrapment but rather an invitation to a fuller, more meaningful existence aligned with Christ’s teachings. This perspective encourages the community to see their collective mission as one of love, service, and connection, moving beyond individual concerns to embrace a larger purpose.

In conclusion, Pastor Will's homily resonates with timeless truths about the nature of God’s call and the transformative power of faith. He invites listeners to confront their fears and uncertainties, reminding them that they are not alone in their journeys. The message encapsulates the idea that God’s grace persists through our doubts, encouraging us to venture into deeper waters where we may find not only our own fulfillment but also a vibrant community of believers eager to share in the adventure of faith.

Takeaways:

• Pastor Will Rose encourages listeners to deepen their faith and enhance their love for God and their neighbors.
• The homily emphasizes the timeless truths of God's unconditional love and grace, regardless of the historical context.
• Jesus calls unlikely disciples, illustrating that divine purpose can emerge from humble beginnings and chaotic circumstances.
• The narrative of the great catch of fish serves as a metaphor for transformation from despair to hope in our lives.
• Pastor Will reflects on his personal journey of faith, highlighting the importance of responding to God's call with humility.
• The homily invites the congregation to participate in the collective mission of sharing good news with the broader community.

Foreign thank you for engaging with the homily by Pastor Chill Will from Chapel Hill.

I hope this message encourages you, challenges you and moves you to go deeper in your faith and enrich how you love God and love your neighbor in your day to day life. Just a reminder.

Like the Scriptures and Gospels themselves, this homily was written for a particular community in a particular context, time in history and yet, like our sacred texts, I hope that these words hold timeless truths about God's unconditional love and grace. We hope these words speak to you in a meaningful way. The Holy Gospel according to Luke Glory to you O Lord.

Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gesinnerat and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the Word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

He got into one of the boats, one belonging to Simon, and he asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch. Simon answered, master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing yet. If you say so, I will let down the nets.

When they had done this they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. They signaled their partners in other boat to come and to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they even began to sink.

But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees saying, go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man. For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of the fish that they had taken.

And so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee and who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people. They had brought their boats to shore.

They left everything and followed Jesus. The Gospel of the Lord may be seated in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit.

So with my brother we are helping organize and clean out some stuff from my childhood home. And as we did this I had a core childhood memory unlocked.

When I was a lot younger my mom did cross stitch and there were two framed cross stitched creations that hung over the stove in our kitchen.

When I came down in the morning to get ready for school and to eat cereal, I would look up from the bar and I would see one picture of a frog chef's hat on, standing up holding a Frying pan with smoke coming out of the frying pan. And. And the caption said, another day, another disaster. Well, good morning to you too, everybody. But there was another picture right beside it.

This one also had a frog and it was pouring a glass pitcher of lemonade into a glass with a caption that said, when life gives you lemon, take lemonade. Okay, now that's a proverb I can work with today. I think I can do that in our gospel reading this morning.

I have a feeling that after a long night of getting skunked fishing, Peter was like, ah, another day, another disaster. But maybe, perhaps Jesus can make some lemonade out of these lemons.

He was like, yes way, like no way, like yes way, like no way. Went on for like a week. He won the argument.

There is a VHS tape out there somewhere of this infamous sermon with my blonde surfer hair in my eyes that I had to flip out of my face every few seconds. The 10 minute sermon was preached in about six minutes. That's how nervous I was and how fast I read it.

Let's just say that God made some lemonade out of that lemon of a sermon. The epiphany of that day was that as nervous as I was, I didn't die, the world didn't end. In fact, that was a new beginning for me.

And the seeds that were planted or the net that was cast helped pave the way for me to hear the call to go to seminary, be a pastor. We are still in the season of epiphany.

God is continuing to reveal and disclose who Jesus is and what God is up to in the world through Jesus, who we claim to be the Christ. Over the last month we've heard stories of miracles and core teachings of Jesus revealing God's priorities in the world.

We are now moving into a new era, the Jesus calling the Disciples era of his ministry. And who does he call? The top of the class at Rabbi training school. The most influential power brokers in their community?

Nope, rather some fishermen who look like they're not that good at it either. Hebrew Bible scholar Walter Brueggeman describes the Bible as a series of call stories.

The Bible is not necessarily a dictated historical record that dropped out of the clouds. Nor is it a science textbook explaining the answers or mysteries of the cosmos, or even a book that contains some secret code to unlock happiness.

It's a library of books with many different genres of people spanning thousands of years, many generations who are sharing their experiences with God. Dr. Bruegerman shares that. The common theme and red thread through this whole book is a series of call stories.

God calling creation and humanity into a divine drama of love, harmony, peace, shalom. In the beginning, in Genesis, God calls our evolving, expanding universe into being with life and purpose.

And as the divine drama unfolds and expands, God calls humanity to be good stewards of creation and the creatures we share habitations with. And with those creatures we are entangled with in the web of life.

God calls Noah, Abraham, Moses, God calls David, God calls the prophets to remind God's people who they are and who God is. And here in our gospel reading, the divine drama and continuity continues with Jesus calling the first disciples.

And within this pattern is also this common response of resistance to that call, not feeling worthy of it, of turning our back on God, quite honest, or being overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all. And yet God says, do not fear. We are in this boat together. In the story of the miracle of the great catch.

There are lessons here of Jesus taking what is empty and making it full. And yes, there's this movement from despair or hopelessness, emptiness transformed to hope.

But this isn't necessarily a prosperity gospel story that if you do the right things, Jesus will make you full and rich. Rather, this is Peter having an epiphany.

The call story Notice after the great catch of fish, Peter didn't ask Jesus to come work for him so they could have this prosperous fishing business in their town. No, rather, Peter went to Jesus in humility, honesty. And then it's Jesus that said, I'm inviting you to come and follow me. We will fish for people.

And of course, it's not lost on me as a self identified ocean lover and beach bum. Jesus preaching from the water on the coastline on a boat.

And the first disciples he calls to come follow him are those who are in tune with salt life, water life, coastal life, if you remember my hot take, that God is a surfer as seen in the second verse of the Bible. And God's spirit hovered over the waters. I think this gospel story is a great callback.

As God hovered over the chaotic and uncertain primordial waters at the beginning of creation, creating order and purpose and life out of chaos. Here is Jesus with a chaotic crowd, hungry for good news and promise and purpose that Jesus gets in a boat and moves out into the water.

In a lot of cultures, water and the sea and ocean are seen as chaotic, uncertain, unpredictable, flat out dangerous. These fishermen knew that that was their vocation and livelihood. Peter, James and John may not know the Hebrew Scriptures backwards and forwards.

Who knows if they were great teachers or charismatic influencers. But they did know how to handle and navigate a chaotic and uncertain and messy world.

In a world of disasters and uncertainty and messiness, why not call some guys who understood the shifting nature of an uncertain sea, knew how to untangle nets, not afraid to get their hands dirty cleaning messy fish. In a world of disasters, perhaps Peter, James and John knew how to make lemonade and notice how they were called to go into even deeper water.

I love that phrase. Jesus says, let's move into deeper water, a place of even more uncertainty and chaos.

Or maybe a place that they'll find deeper and fuller life teeming with a diversity of fish. And then notice how they invited other boats come over and help. It's not just us, friends. It's not just us Holy Trinity.

It's not just our boat out here floating in the sea by ourselves. There are a lot of boats and communities of faith all around us. There are people hungry for good news. And so let's be really clear here.

This catching people is by no means entrapment or manipulation for selfish means. This isn't a prosperity gospel because going into deep water can be risky.

But rather this is an invitation into a fuller, deeper life aligned with what Jesus taught and preached at his hometown sermon. Word and good news about liberation. A word and a promise of God's unconditional favor, the promise and hope of salvation.

All I know that the waters are rough right now. In the world where we swim and navigate, Jesus isn't going anywhere. Peter said, get away from me, Jesus.

But yet he remained in the boat right there with him. With him. He looks at us and says, do not fear. I'm calling you as well. Let's go fishing or go make some lemonade. Amen. Thank you for listening.

If there is anything that stood out for you, or if you have a question or you just want to have a conversation, you are always free to reach out and contact us. And remember you are not alone and that you are loved with a love stronger than death.