Jesus: Meeting us where we are, and loving us to a better place…
Dear Friends,
The Greek word for good news or gospel literally means “news that brings joy”. And it didn’t just mean daily news, it meant history-making, life-shaping news. In Jesus’ day, the gospel was news of some event that changed things. I read that one difference between Christianity and all other religions, including no religion, is that different religions offer advice. Christianity is essentially news.
Other religions tend to say, “This is what you have to do to connect to God…this is how you have to live to earn God’s favor.” But the gospel says, “This is what has been done for you in history. This is how Jesus lived and died to make a way to God for us.” It’s joyful news. When Jesus calls Andrew, Simon, James, and John, all they know is he says, “Follow me”. I’m pretty sure they had no idea what fishing for people would look like, but they instantly threw down their nets, symbolic of leaving their family business and all they knew behind.
I was amazed when I learned that traditionally Rabbis did not choose their pupils. Instead, pupils pursued the best Rabbi, hoping he would think they were worthy of study with him. Only the smartest, best, most dedicated could convince a famous Rabbi to let them follow him. Jesus chooses his pupils one by one, and if he discovered them as they were fishing with the family business, that most likely means they’d already failed to find a Rabbi. They were the least qualified, least capable, most ordinary leftovers. I’ve always loved that. Jesus first announces the good news, and then calls and recruits the ones no one else would choose to follow him. He thinks we can do it, even when we think we can’t. That’s always been a sign to me of how much God loves us.
I believe God calls each of us to our true purpose, or “telos”. Namely to be his children and live our lives repenting…namely turning away from the things that God hates and turning toward the things that God loves. But most of us don’t just throw down our nets and leave everything. We get up every day and try to follow Jesus from right where we live and work. Someone told me long ago “If you can, do what you want to do everyday, but remember whose you are.” Scripture tells us that while they leave their nets in this story, James, John, Andrew and Peter will fish again. But their identity will never be the same.
Scripture is filled with stories where Jesus meets us right where we are and loves us to a better place. That is the good news.
I hope you’ve seen the 2025 Diocesan Profile, just released by our search committee. Based on lots of listening sessions and comments from you, the committee has given us a view of the Diocese that will help provide a foundation for our next Bishop (lucky #13). As you read it, hopefully you’ll see that in this season of transition, God is meeting us right where we are and God will love us into the next leadership phase. As the next season unfolds, I am blessed to serve you. I will do everything I can to help us prepare for the very best of times. Our Diocese is strong, faithful and filled with love.
Every Sunday, no matter where I visit, I am reminded that each of us is a unique and unrepeatable miracle, loved and claimed by a loving Father in heaven. We’re blessed with gifts and talents meant to be used serving each other. When we’re serving each other, following Jesus, we become not only fishers of people, but more of the people God intends us to be. That’s why I’m happy to say, I hope I see you at church, somewhere soon.
Blessings,
+G