"Spreading Our Wings" - Mark 1:14-20 - January 22, 2006

When I was a boy I did a lot of fishing with my grandfather, father, uncle and brothers. We had some great experiences and I could tell you some great "fish" stories. But now that I am a grandfather myself, I don’t have the same passion for fishing I had when I was young. I find it kind of boring to sit in a boat, getting scorched by the sun, or getting smelly from baiting the hook. Some of the best fishing I’m told is in the early spring when the weather is still chilly. I personally don’t like to be cold and wet.

I am sure that everyone knows of someone who has a passion for fishing. They can’t wait to get the boat out of its winter storage and head for their favorite lake. When the fishing is good it brings them much joy. If they didn’t catch anything it dosen’t matter because it was just the opportunity to get away. Or it is the thrill of being on the water and anticipating the moment when the "big one" gets hooked on their line.

Personally, I would rather go to a good seafood restaurant where I only have to wait about twenty minutes for my walleye, salmon or lobster. Beats the heck out of looking at the end of a fishing pole, waiting hours for something to happen. I confess that I am an impatient person, but on the other hand, I just don’t have the passion for fishing that some folks have.

In our story Jesus is calling fishermen to follow him. Fishing was their way of life., But, why did they leave everything behind, their boats, their fishing nets, their families and homes and follow Jesus? What was the catch?

I have always been perplexed by the words, "They immediately left their father and followed him." They didn’t ask any questions. They didn’t inquire about where they were going. They didn’t bother to change clothes, say goodbye to their wives or pack a lunch. They left right then and there.

Perhaps their lives were in such a funk that they needed a change. Perhaps Jesus was so charismatic that they couldn’t say no. Or, perhaps there was some other reason. Just before Jesus challenged the fishermen to follow him he was preaching good news. The good news was this; "The kingdom of God is at hand."

Just about everyone I know believes in eternal life. I often hear the words, "All I’m doing is trying to get to heaven like everyone else." People talk about the kingdom of God as if it is something we can’t experience until after we die. Never do I hear people describing "heaven" or "the kingdom of God" as something we can experience in the present.

Jesus, however proclaimed to the fishermen that the kingdom was at that very moment. It doesn’t happen as a result of fishing all day, waiting for the big one to jump on you line. It happens as soon as you put your line in the water. "The kingdom is at hand," Jesus said, "repent and believe."

One time at Grand Lake St. Mary’s my wife and I had the opportunity to see a young bald eagle. He was perched in a tree overlooking the lake. Eagles are beautiful birds and to see their wings flap effortlessly in the sky is quite a sight. More amazing is to watch the eagle prepare to take off. He gently lifts his wings and then spreads them out. Once they have been spread he leaps into the air and the eagle sores into the heavens. Before the eagle flies away he must first spread his wings.

The fishermen were willing to make a sudden, total life change, in order to follow Jesus. What they received was an invitation to leave the world that they were familiar with and experience a new world, one that would give meaning to their lives and bring them much joy. This meant spreading their wings, taking that very important step before they made the journey to Capernaum.

Since the disciples left so quickly one wonders if they were of sound mind. Did they really think this through? Just how much did they know about Jesus? We don’t know, accept to say that his reputation and popularity were growing in the area of Galilee. Regardless of how much information the disciples knew about Jesus they decided to follow. They made a conscious decision. In other words, they acted.

There is an episode in Peanuts, by Charles Schultz, where Charlie Brown and his friends are playing baseball. Charlie Brown is at bat. The umpire calls "Strike Three" and Charlie Brown strikes out. "Rat’s!" he says. "I’ll never be a big league player. All my life I’ve dreamed of being in the big leagues, but I just don’t have it."

Lucy turns to console him and says, "Charlie Brown, you’re thinking too far ahead. You need to set yourself more on immediate goals." Charlie Brown, looking perplexed, looks to Lucy and asks, "Immediate goals?" "Yes," Lucy explains, "Start with the next inning when you go out to pitch. See if you can walk to the mound without falling down."

We laugh at that but there is a thread of truth in Lucy’s words. The first step toward fulfillment is taking an immediate step today. The disciples didn’t hesitate. They made a decision and took that first step. And from them on their lives, not to mention the world, would be different.

It’s one thing to sit around and talk about the problems of the world but it’s quite another to get involved and do something. We have to get our feet wet. We have to step up to the plate and get in the game. We have to spread our wings.

The fishermen were called, but how do we know if God is calling us? I believe this is a question that everyone asks. Will we get a phone call, an email or a letter in the mailbox? I remember my own personal call to ministry. There was a constant "urging" that wouldn’t leave me alone. I resisted at first, but when I finally gave into it, my life totally changed. I left the business world and entered into the ministry.

For me it was a matter of listening to my mind and my heart. I had to be just as sensitive to my feelings as I was to my mind. I must admit, it didn’t always appear logical. I listened to my feelings of compassion for those who didn’t have God in their lives. I was sympathetic for people who were complacent and unhappy. I also felt some frustration with my job. The feelings I had were both positive and negative. There was discord in my life and I was feeling unfulfilled.

Perhaps we know God is calling us when we are tuned in to our feelings. Its could be those times when we genuinely feel for people who have some need. Or, perhaps its those times when we feel discontent and our lives don’t seem to be in sync with the world around us. We need a change but we are fearful of leaving where we are because we are too comfortable and secure. Instead of spreading our wings we hold back, afraid to fly.

Centuries ago, when a mapmaker would run out of the known world before he ran out of parchment, he often would sketch a dragon at the edge of the scroll. This was intended to be a sign to the explorer that he was entering unknown territory at his own risk. May explorers, however, did not perceive the dragon as a mapmaker’s warning sign, but rather, as a prophecy. They foresaw disaster and doom beyond the know worlds they traveled. Their fears kept them from pushing on to discover new lands and peoples.

But, other adventuresome travelers saw the dragon as a sign of opportunity, the doorway to a new territory worth exploring. Each of us has a mental map that contains the information we need to guide us through each day. Like the maps of long ago, our mental maps have edges to them and sometimes those edges seem to be marked by dragons of fear. Unfortunately those fears may keep us from spreading our wings and discovering new worlds.

What if the disciples had said "no" to Jesus. "No thanks, we would rather be fishermen the rest of our lives. We are content to stay where we are. Let someone else take care of the needs of the world. However, the disciples followed. They left their nets and became disciples of Jesus.

The changes we make in our lives may not be as dramatic as that of the disciples. Nevertheless, following Jesus demands a decision to move in a new direction. It means spreading our wings, preparing ourselves for a new and meaningful adventure. Perhaps God is calling you but you are too busy and not listening. Perhaps you are only listening to your mind and not your heart.

I believe we all want lives that are meaningful and fulfilling and everyone has some passion about some problem, some group or some unmet need. Do you hear God calling? Are you ready to follow? "Follow me," Jesus said, "And I will make you fishers of men."

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio