Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
DFMS Noonday Prayer via Zoom
Augustine of Canterbury, May 26, 2020
May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’” Do not be afraid, from now on . . . Well, my friends, those might be words to live by in these days. I imagine this is a familiar passage to many of us - the story of where Simon is called away from his boat to follow Jesus, to become a “fisher of men.” And even though it is familiar, I believe it has something new to say to us in this time and this place. Think about Simon. He knew all about fishing. It was his profession, his life, his livelihood. He probably never ventured far. His life centered around his home and his boat. Then comes Jesus. This new teacher. This charismatic leader. There is something powerful, something so inspiring in who Jesus is and the message he shares, that without hesitation Simon leaves behind everything that is familiar and goes to follow him into an unknown and uncertain future.
Ah, an invitation to follow Jesus into an unknown and uncertain future. Yes, we have that too don’t we? It is becoming clearer and clearer as the weeks go by that we will not be “going back” to life as it was before. We cannot return to what is known and familiar. The way things have been. No, we are being invited into an uncertain future. The change and the “not knowing” can feel overwhelming. When and how will we travel again? What will our work lives look like in the coming months? What will our home lives look like? When will we get to have sustained opportunities to visit with family and friends? How long will it be before we can gather in large groups again?
Ah, an invitation to follow Jesus into an unknown and uncertain future. Yes, we have that too don’t we? It is becoming clearer and clearer as the weeks go by that we will not be “going back” to life as it was before. We cannot return to what is known and familiar. The way things have been. No, we are being invited into an uncertain future. The change and the “not knowing” can feel overwhelming. When and how will we travel again? What will our work lives look like in the coming months? What will our home lives look like? When will we get to have sustained opportunities to visit with family and friends? How long will it be before we can gather in large groups again?
It is easy to get our brains going on all the fear and uncertainty. There are so many rabbit holes of wondering that we can go down. But all that worrying does not serve us. There are indeed too many unknowns. We cannot figure it all out yet. For now, we have to be like Simon. We have to trust.
There is so much that is new and different in this time, I think it can make us forget that actually we know how to do this “stepping out into an uncertain future” thing. We have done it time and time again in our lives. From that first day at a new school to that first day at a new job. From moving to a new town or embarking on a new relationship. We have done change over and over again. We have moved into a future where we did not know what was going to happen. When it comes right down to it, of course, we actually do this everyday. There are, actually, no guarantees ever that tomorrow will look like yesterday. No guarantees of how long we have or how our lives will go.
Blessedly, we can often settle into predictable routines that allow us to put our trust in the regularity of our schedule, our tasks, the people we see, and the places we go. So, establishing a routine can be one of things that can help us find comfort and confidence in the midst of uncertainty. We may not have control over the big questions, but we can set our schedule and choose what we have for lunch. The little things really do help.
Creating a routine and finding the areas in which we do have freedom and control is one way to help us move forward in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty. I would guess we have many other things that have also helped us over the years. Don’t sell yourself short. We do actually know how to do this change thing. Those tried and true habits that have served us well can come to our aid again. Grounding ourselves in prayer and worship. Keeping up the spiritual practices that keep us connected to God and keep our perspective wide. Having a friend to call with whom we can process all that we are learning in our new adventure and who also can help us remember who we are when it seems like the uncertainty might expand to include our very self. Whatever has helped us before can be useful in this time too.
And it will help us also to remember Jesus’ words to Simon, “Do not be afraid.” Just like Simon we are not heading off on some solo adventure, we are following Jesus. We are not in charge of it all. Thank God! And so we can trust in God, trust in Jesus, trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We do in fact have what we need to move forward. What a blessing indeed! Amen.
There is so much that is new and different in this time, I think it can make us forget that actually we know how to do this “stepping out into an uncertain future” thing. We have done it time and time again in our lives. From that first day at a new school to that first day at a new job. From moving to a new town or embarking on a new relationship. We have done change over and over again. We have moved into a future where we did not know what was going to happen. When it comes right down to it, of course, we actually do this everyday. There are, actually, no guarantees ever that tomorrow will look like yesterday. No guarantees of how long we have or how our lives will go.
Blessedly, we can often settle into predictable routines that allow us to put our trust in the regularity of our schedule, our tasks, the people we see, and the places we go. So, establishing a routine can be one of things that can help us find comfort and confidence in the midst of uncertainty. We may not have control over the big questions, but we can set our schedule and choose what we have for lunch. The little things really do help.
Creating a routine and finding the areas in which we do have freedom and control is one way to help us move forward in the midst of anxiety and uncertainty. I would guess we have many other things that have also helped us over the years. Don’t sell yourself short. We do actually know how to do this change thing. Those tried and true habits that have served us well can come to our aid again. Grounding ourselves in prayer and worship. Keeping up the spiritual practices that keep us connected to God and keep our perspective wide. Having a friend to call with whom we can process all that we are learning in our new adventure and who also can help us remember who we are when it seems like the uncertainty might expand to include our very self. Whatever has helped us before can be useful in this time too.
And it will help us also to remember Jesus’ words to Simon, “Do not be afraid.” Just like Simon we are not heading off on some solo adventure, we are following Jesus. We are not in charge of it all. Thank God! And so we can trust in God, trust in Jesus, trust in the leading of the Holy Spirit.
We do in fact have what we need to move forward. What a blessing indeed! Amen.
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