February 18, 2024, Lent 1
The Wandering Heart 

Lighting the Christ Candle

Welcome and Announcements 

Call to Worship
Come in. Feel your feet on the floor. Settle your worries.
We take a deep breath.
Dust the cobwebs from your ears. Relax the tension in your jaw.
We take a deep breath for Christ is here.
God never stops seeking us. We have been found. Let us find God in return. Let us worship the God of deep waters. Amen. 

Hymn:  Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

 

Prayer of Adoration 

Heavenly Father,  When you seek for us, may we hear your call.  When you knock, may we answer the door.  We want to be more than sojourners looking for your Kingdom, we desire to be those whose hearts are held in your hand, and who walk with Jesus along the way.
turn our hearts, our ears, our eyes, our souls toward Christ, who emptied himself, and was tempted, and suffered for us, even giving his own life.

As we walk through Lent and encounter his suffering, plant seeds of hope.  Keep Christ crawling into our boats anyhow. May his abundance continue to astound us.  So that we may be found, we join in the prayer of confession, with a  desire to finally see who’s right in front of us. We pray together, saying: 

 

Prayer of Confession: 
Loving God, You call us by name. You join us in the deep waters of life. You invite us to drop our nets and follow you, and yet, more often than we’d like to admit, we are like Peter. Over and over again, we stand slack jawed and surprised to find you in our midst. Forgive us for drowning out your voice with our own. Forgive us for assuming that we can tackle deep waters by ourselves. Forgive us for forgetting that you will never stop climbing into our boat. Turn our hearts, our minds, and our spirits toward you, for you are the Lord our God, and it is in your name that we pray. Amen 

Assurance of Pardon 

Peter didn’t exactly understand what Jesus was bringing to him, when Jesus got into his boat. He was oblivious to who Christ was for quite some time.  And even still, Jesus called Peter a disciple and a friend.
This is good news for all of us:  No matter what, Christ will forgive you, claim you, and continue to seek your heart. That is the good news of the gospel. Rest, celebrate, and trust—in Jesus we are forgiven. 

Passing the Peace 

May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you 

Hymn:  672 Jesus calls us o’er the tumult

Scripture:

Psalm 25: 1-10 p 863
Luke 5:  1-11  p 1597 

Sermon:  Peter:  Jesus sought me 

Through Lent we will be following Peter as he learns about his calling in Jesus.  The inspiration for this series is a resource called, “Wandering Hearts”.   We can see that wandering heart in Peter so well.   

Doubt,  

Faith,  

Obedience,  

Arguments,  

Inspiration,  

Denial and Rejection.   

 

Sometimes we shake our heads and wonder how he could walk with Jesus every day and have so many changes of heart on the journey.   

 

Some of the commentators I read this week talked about how we often wonder what it would be like for us to go back in time and walk with Jesus for a day.   

What inspiration!   

What insight!   

What an opportunity to bask in the glory of God! 

 

Even as they acknowledge our desire to do so, they question whether we would have the glorious revelation that we expect we would have.   

They suggested that we, like Peter, would miss the mark.  We would object to what Jesus wants.  We would fail to hear what Jesus teaches. We would go our own way. 

 

That reminded me of the play, “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder.  Every theatre student has likely performed in this play at least once.  I know I did. 

It is a difficult play.  Emily wants to leave heaven, to experience a day in her life.  She wants to go back for her wedding day, but is discouraged from choosing such an emotional day, so she goes back for a fairly ordinary birthday. 

What she discovers is not the joy she was expecting, but shock at her own behaviour, which included impatience and arguing and the kind of thoughtlessness that is very typical of normal teenage behaviour. 

 

The truth is that everyday of our lives are pretty much a mixed bag as we respond or react to the things that go on around us.  Some days we exemplify love and faith better than others, but no day can be called a perfect example of the life we are called to live. 

Like Emily, if we could go back in our own lives, we would see that our hearts wandered along the way.  Some days our faith was strong.  Other days we refused to go where God was leading us.  Sometimes we stumbled over the simplest request. And many days we simply did not have a clue. 

So perhaps it is a good thing we can’t go back or in our own lives, or to spend a day with Jesus.  It is enough to follow Peter through this journey. 

As we follow Peter through all of these kinds of experiences, we are also following our own hearts.  We will have compassion for him as we realize, that even though he walked with Jesus, he still stumbled and struggled in the journey, because we stumble and struggle in our journeys as well.   

This series is meant to remind us that our hearts are not constant; not even in response to the constancy of God’s heart that pours out his love day after day. 

Today we find Peter (still known as Simon) as he is out fishing with John and James.  They have fished all night and caught nothing. 

Into that exhaustion and disappointment Jesus comes to teach and to call Peter. 

Notice how Peter is not at his best.  Even though tired, he allows Jesus to borrow the boat.  But the real heart problem comes when asked to do more and leave behind the ways he has always done things.  Jesus has a lesson for Peter, and through him for James and John, and he uses their very ordinary occupation to teach them. 

 

 

He asks them to let out their nets in the deep water in order to catch some fish.   Frankly, the response seems a little polite to me.   

 

Behind it, I hear the barely suppressed sigh.   

Behind it, I hear the thought, “we are professionals, we know what we are doing, and after fishing all night we know there will not be any fish to catch.”   

I hear that Peter is expecting to say an “I told you so”, when the attempt fails. 

 

But this is Jesus, who has already healed Peter’s mother-in-law from an illness, and the memory of that goodness lasts.  So, Peter says, ““Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” 

 

There are some things we need to notice here.  Jesus seeks out Peter, where Peter is.  

 At his work.   

On a bad day.   

When he is tired and discouraged maybe even a little frustrated.  

 Jesus does not come on a good day when Peter is puffed up with pride over a good catch and complimenting himself on what a good fisherman he is.  This is an ordinary, even a bad day. 

Jesus does the same for us.  He comes into our ordinary work day, our ordinary every day.  He comes to where we work.  Just doing our jobs, dealing with the boss and the clients.   

 

 

He comes to us in our everyday tasks.  Cleaning, gardening, laundry, dishes and cooking. 

 

He comes when we are complaining about the computer or printer.  He comes when we have burned supper.  He comes when we are exhausted and don’t want to load the dishwasher.  He comes when our children refused to go to bed. He comes when our workday has been a complete disaster. 

We have all had those kinds of days.  I remember when I worked at a self-serve gas station.  It was a fast-paced job and on pay day Friday nights it was impossible to keep up.  If I didn’t turn on the pump fast enough people were honking and screaming, and I would be frustrated or angry with the person who didn’t come in to pay, but rather checked their oil or washed their windows.   

It was frustrating because I couldn’t release a pump until the transaction had already been paid for, and meanwhile the next person was holding the handle and clicking the pump over and over again.   

There was nothing I could do.  I would be irritated at the person holding up the process and with the person who couldn’t be patient for two minutes.  

 

Just ordinary bad days.  Days that reminded us that life all too often was futile and that all too often we were inadequate to respond to it.   

In this calling of Peter on his bad day, we see a glimpse of the kind of days in which Jesus comes to search for us.   

 

And those are the kind of days in which we may well be prone to be unable to see how he comes to us with love and grace and kindness and compassion.  But those are also the days when that very combination of love, grace, kindness and compassion reach beyond our walls and remind us of what God gives us. 

 

Those are the days when we are overwhelmed by grace.   

 

This was so true of Peter and the others as they pulled in the full to overflowing nets.  Nets so full they couldn’t pull them out of the water without help.  They were astonished, amazed and overwhelmed. 

These are expressed in the original Greek in two words.  The first word means:  a state of astonishment from an unusual event and the second word means:  encircled.   

That sense of being completely surrounded by grace and abundance reminded Peter that he was just a sinful man.   Compelled by awe, he is prompted to call Jesus Lord or Master.  He indicates that he is not worthy of the abundance of goodness that Jesus is giving him.   

We see the profound effect this had on Peter, and although Jesus never speaks to them, James and John as well.   

It seems that in that moment something “clicked” inside Peter, and that from that point on things would continue to “click” inside Peter; even though sometimes they would also “click off”.   

Even as his heart wandered, the memories of the goodness and love that Jesus gave in every moment, would sustain Peter and call him back.  Mother-in-law healed.  Extremely large catch of fish.  And oh, so much more to come that he did not yet know of. 

 

Here on the beach, the fishermen have enough fish to feed their own families for days, AND they have enough to sell for great money to keep their families for months.  They have enough and they have more than enough.  Pressed down, shaken together, running over. 

That is the thing with God’s love, it is always running over and constantly flowing in our lives, and always working for good. 

 

Some of the commentators ponder if in that moment Peter already knew what he was called to do.  The boat was sinking and the nets were ripping and the abundance was overflowing and deep inside, Peter already knew that he would walk with Jesus and serve him.   

Is that what it is like to be overwhelmed by God.  You already know how you will respond, even if you are not fully aware of it in that moment? 

 

When back on the beach and Jesus said, “don’t be afraid, from now on you will fish for people” there was no hesitation at all.   

Then and there on the beach, Peter left everything and followed Jesus.  More than that, James and John who had witnessed this moment given to Peter, also realized that this amount of grace and love was for them, and so they too left everything and followed Jesus. 

 

The commentator Harmon, writes that this was not about recognizing the power of Jesus, who could perform such amazing miracles; but was rather a response to the goodness in the power.  She writes that Peter’s reaction is because, “Jesus consistently used his power to help other people.”  Harmon 

 

Now imagine that Peter must have been extremely humbled to be told that he would do the same and even greater things as he took up his calling to do to follow Jesus.  Peter, through teaching, healing and providing for others would grow into the follower in which others saw Christ.  We will see all that play out in the weeks to come, but first we look at this lesson for ourselves. 

We are encouraged to know that what God did in Peter, and what compelled James and John to follow Jesus, God also does in us.  God allows our experience of ordinary life, filled with overflowing grace to open not only our wandering heart, but also the wandering hearts of those around us.  The grace given to us, will flow out from us and others will also seek the goodness of God. 

What does that look like? 

I wonder if it looks like this “surprise” I had in a hospital one day.  I was visiting in the hospital and prayed with the person I had come to see.  When I finished, a voice came from behind the curtain around the second bed saying, “will you come and pray for me too.”   

God’s goodness flowed to Peter, and was witnessed by James and John and they all wanted to be so much a part of sharing that same goodness, that they immediately left their boats and their families and followed Jesus.   

Jesus sought and found the hearts he was looking for.  

In the days to come their hearts would both rejoice and rebel against that decision; but always, ALWAYS their hearts would be compelled to wander back to Jesus, who introduced them to grace, mercy, abundance and goodness without measure. 

When Jesus sought us and found us we also knew that this is a story worth leaving everything to tell.   And as Jesus seeks and finds us again and again, we remember that this is a calling worth leaving everything to tell.   

Sought and found.  

Amen 

Hymn:   645 Follow me the Master said

Offering and Doxology 830
Offertory Prayer
God you have sought us, and we have come to you.  We ask you to receive as we come bringing our gifts.  We bring gifts for sharing.  We bring deeds of mercy.  We desire to share with the hungry, the lost, the lonely, and so we bring gifts from our abundance.  But we also bring the gifts of our hearts so that your lost people might know comfort, and shelter, and healing. 

WE also know that none of what we bring, comes from our own power, and so we thank you, for receiving our grateful gifts, blessing them and making them your own that your abundance will overflow in the lives of all people, enough so that their cups will be overflowing.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen. 

  

Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession 

You O God are a God of abundance— a God who sees possibilities where we cannot, and who gives abundant hope when we are at the end of our hope.  You are God who comforts— a God who says, “Do not be afraid;” a God who joins us in life’s deep waters. We give you thanks for all that you give us.   

Most of all we are glad that you are a God who seeks after us relentlessly and persistently— a God of second chances and boundless mercy; a God who calls us by name. 

Pierce our souls with your love so that we may always long for you and always be eager to share your gifts with those around.  Be with all those for whom we pray today, and become the fulfillment of the deepest desires of their souls. Be for all, the source of life, wisdom, knowledge, light and all the riches of your Kingdom. 
CONTINUED RESPONSE OF JOY 

 

 

  

THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE WE KNOW 

Bonnie
Safe journey for Shirley 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE WE DO NOT KNOW 

All those traumatized, shot and killed at the Superbowl celebration 

Lebanon, after bombings there
Ukraine
Israel and Palestine 

 

 

 

 

You remain forever our hope, peace, refuge and help in whom our hearts are rooted so that we may never separate from you.  For that reason, we pray in the name of Jesus, and as he taught us, saying:  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, for ever.  Amen 

 

Hymn:  634 Will you come and follow me

Benediction unison  

Beloved wanderer, as you leave this place, may you carry your curious heart on your sleeve. May you look for God in every face. May you find the courage to get out of the boat, to run to the tomb, and to speak of your faith. And when the world falls apart, may you hear God’s voice deep within, saying, “Take heart, it is I, be not afraid.” You are called. You are blessed. In both your ups and your downs, you always belong to God. Go now in peace. Go trusting that good news. Amen. 

Blessing Song:  209 O love that wilt not let me go

 

O love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee
I give thee back the life I owe
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.
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