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THE FISHERMEN IN JANUARY
They always come around this time of year: the fishermen.
It's always in the month of January, usually on the third or fourth Sunday, when we hear the biblical account of Jesus meeting some fishermen and inviting them to follow him.
They are his first disciples - the first four of twelve disciples - who remain with Jesus for about three years, observing him, learning from him, and sometimes even arguing with him and with each other. It's not pretty. And that's okay because we learn from them as they mirror our own human struggles to follow Jesus.
The timing of the fishermen in January is part of how the Church calendar follows the life of Jesus, which I have been explaining to you in previous Flow newsletters.
The fourth Sunday before Christmas begins the New Year of the Church with the season of Advent to anticipate the arrival of God's Messiah. That leads us to Christmas Day on December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. That's followed by Epiphany on January 6 to commemorate the arrival of the wisemen. That's followed by the Baptism of Jesus on the Sunday after Epiphany. And after that is the calling of the fishermen, which is the formal beginning of the ministry of Jesus as he gathers followers to accompany him and to help him in his work.
It's all a fantastic way to end our calendar year and begin our calendar year, all focused on the life of Jesus and his impact on our lives and the world! For eight weeks now, since November 27, we have been looking at the life of Jesus in a very orderly, chronological way.
And that brings us to the fishermen, tomorrow. Their story is not some spiritual spell that comes over them when Jesus says, "Follow me." There is something much deeper and human going on in the story of the fishermen. And it applies to all of us.
I'll tell you more about it in my message tomorrow.
Hospitality will be served after worship.
Join us for worship tomorrow at 10 a.m.
-Pastor David
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