God’s
grace changes everything. Follow me, fish for people, and the disciples did.
Casting nets -not with the intention of making more followers- casting nets of
grace that embraced people: with words of hope, vision for the future, actions
of mercy, rallying for justice, revolution upturning the world’s ways,
encouragement to kindom build, offers of forgiveness, and magnificent healings.
Casting grace was God’s work through them. 2000 years later we have been caught
in God’s grace – thanks to the work of fisherfolk who continued to cast nets in
the footsteps of Jesus. I believe that God’s grace has changed us and that this
grace can change the world. Today we are called to continue to fish for people
– cast God’s net- cast grace indiscriminately, not with the intent to make more
Christians, but with the purpose to heal and to change the world. In this is
Jesus’ revolutionary teaching brought to life. In this is the kindom of God.
Yes,
you heard those words preached last Sunday. They are repeated today not just by
me, but in the mouth of Micah the prophet. The practice of grace, ‘the what’ of
what it means to cast grace is directed to three practices:
Do justice, love kindness (mercy),
walk humbly with God.
In
the past seven days, God’s grace through us worked its purpose of healing and
changing the world. The healing isn’t complete, neither is the change required,
but God’s grace did amazing things. Jesus’ revolutionary teaching was brought
to life, as was the kindom of God.
The
past decade has seen the Eastern Synod and the National Church engage in being
a companion Synod and accompanying church to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Jordan and the Holy Land. Our benevolence dollars contribute to this ministry.
Christian Arabs in Palestinian Territory are a small group – Lutherans make up
a large part of the group. Lutheran delegates to Synod assemblies express their
appreciation for companionship because it is a source of hope when they feel
small, oft times forgotten by the world. Companionship too is an outside voice
for a people restricted in their movement and facing day-to-day persecution.
But
this past week – Lutheran Bishops from Canada, representatives from the
Lutheran World Federation were able to be in the Holy Land to celebrate God’s
grace and kindom.
Rev.
Sally Azar, a Palestinian Lutheran Christian became the Holy Land’s first female pastor.
Pastor Sally is described by the local Christian community as daughter, sister,
and also mentor, leader contributing to the life and mission of their churches.
This is a big deal. The Christian church in Jordan and the Holy Land is small but
has expansive nets that cast grace – grace worked through specific focuses of
gender justice and peace work. Christian presence is the mediating voice
between Jews and Muslims. Support through scholarships and the work of Canada
Lutheran World relief have also contributed to four primary schools where
children of Abrahamic faiths learn together, and a hospital that services
Palestinian people including access to dialysis. This is a big deal.
Earlier
in January, in the same part of the world, the protestant cemetery on Mount
Zion was vandalized and desecrated. National Bishop Susan Johnson, along with
Anglican Primate, wrote a letter, inviting other churches to sign it, addressed
to the Prime minister urging the government of Canada to express concerns for the safety and dignity of the Christian
community in the Holy Land and to support the right to security of its people,
buildings, and property. Bishops were present and went to the cemetery while
there for Pastor Sally’s ordination because God’s presence is to be visibly
seen in solidarity with one another. The point was to bring awareness and to
upturn the world’s understanding. This is a big deal!
Do
justice, love kindness (mercy), walk humbly with God.
Do
you know what is so hard about being a person of faith? It is not about me and
yet it is very much about me.
It
is God’s grace that changes everything; a grace that has changed me. I strive
to live faithfully. So often though I feel like I am not enough, I haven’t produced
the healing or affected the change desperately needed in the world. I perceive
that I am too small.
Maybe
you feel that way too?
The
messages coming from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy
Land say otherwise. Solidarity, justice, kindness, walking humbly with God are
manifest among them. Holy healing and change are happening, bringing the kindom
of God near. They are witnesses to these things.
If
you have given even $1 to benevolence – you have been part of an extraordinary casting
of grace. I am not small, rather, I forget that I am part of a community of
faith, who is part of a larger body of faith, who is part of a even bigger body
of faith--- each with its own focused ministry and abilities. This large
community is grassroots; its us -our faith, nets, and resources- that trickle
up. We do justice, love kindness, and
walk humbly with God, on the world stage. As part of the larger Lutheran body we
have a voice to speak directly to world leaders, the resources to run the
world’s largest refugee camps, the clout to be named Sponsorship Agreement
Holders for refugee resettlement, the platform to host world class conferences
on issues like climate justice and gender equality, the immediate ability to
respond on the ground to crisis like war in Ukraine.
Just
because we do not see the net. Just because we do not see the justice, the
love, the mercy. Just because it is not here in our face … do not forget that
we have cast God’s grace.
Think
of it for a moment, when you cast a net, do you throw it over yourself? Do you
throw it so it still touches the side of the boat? No, of course not. You cast
it as far as you can.
Hold
the hope of this … just because you can’t see the catch – where the grace ends
up- believe that grace goes out and brings healing and changes the world. Believe that
God’s kindom is here now.
Praise God that grace has worked through us! This is a big deal.
Continue
to cast nets -fishing for people – do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly
with God.
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