Lection: Luke 5

February 9, 2025

Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
Luke 5:1-11

“God’s Purpose for Us”

I am very often amazed by the ways that the Scriptures – the stories of God’s people thousands of years ago – still speak to us today. Whether we’re listening to one of Jesus’ timeless stories, like the Parable of the Prodigal Son, that was our focus at Messy Church yesterday… Or if we’re hearing a story about Jesus and his disciples or one of the old prophets like Isaiah… Regardless of the fact that they lived in a very different time and place, and had very different lives than we do today, still God speaks to us, guides us, and encourages us with these texts in the context where we live today.

For example, when we read the prayers of the psalmists, as we did today with Psalm 138, I am well aware that the troubles and worries that they were dealing with so long ago were not the same as mine. But when I hear about them feeling lowly, walking in the midst of trouble, and asking for protection against their enemies, I can relate.

Because we are living in troubling times as well. Like them, we may feel helpless against the powers of … Read more »

February 6, 2022

Luke 5:1-11
1 Corinthians 15:1-11

“Unworthy Apostles”

Have you ever had the feeling of being unworthy or ill-equipped to do something that you were being asked to do? Perhaps you felt like that when you found out you were going to be a parent for the first time, or when it fell to you to deliver the eulogy for someone you loved. Maybe you remember being interviewed for a position of new responsibility or leadership at work, or letting your name stand for a role in the church or another community organization that stretched you beyond your comfort zone.

I think that’s what was happening with Simon in today’s Gospel story when Jesus began to prepare him to take on the role of Apostle on Jesus’ missionary team.

The way Luke tells the story, Simon wasn’t meeting Jesus for the first time on that day of fishing out on the water. Jesus had already stayed at Simon’s house and healed Simon’s mother-in-law from some kind of illness. Likely, Simon had also witnessed Jesus healing other people in his community, and undoubtedly heard some of his preaching and teaching as well.

But on this day, Jesus singles out Simon and his fishing partners to receive a great … Read more »

February 10, 2019

Isaiah 6:1-8
Luke 5:1-11

“Caught in Jesus’ Net”

Do you know that feeling of wanting to avoid getting caught? Most likely there aren’t any bank robbers among us, but I expect that every one of us can relate to that fear of getting found out, or caught doing something that we shouldn’t be doing. Whether it’s cheating on a test or on our taxes, sleeping on the job or cutting a few corners to get it done quicker, stretching the truth to make ourselves look better or to avoid conflict, or speeding on the highway to get home, we want to avoid getting caught.

Getting caught will mean facing up to consequences – maybe punishment, fines, or losing our job… maybe the more subtle but devastating consequences of losing our reputation, losing trust, or losing a relationship because of what we have done or failed to do.

Before this week, I had never thought about that sense of “being caught” when I read the story about the miraculous catch of fish. And when Jesus invited the fishermen to join in his work of “catching people” it never occurred to me that they would be finding sinners and “catching them” in their sinfulness.

Although I thought of … Read more »

February 7, 2010

Sermon by the Rev. Amanda Currie

Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5:1-11

I said in my sermon last Sunday that when we come face to face with God in Jesus Christ, the amazing nature of God’s goodness can make us suddenly aware of our own imperfection. We believe in a God who loves us with an unending love, but who also calls us to let the Spirit transform us more and more into the image and likeness of God. And so, the message of the prophets is never just that God exists, or that God simply loves us, but it is that God both loves us and requires us to live in certain ways – ways of love and justice – within our families, our communities, and in relation to our neighbours.

But sometimes, the fact of our human sinfulness becomes the main message that we get in church. In prayers of confession each week, we are reminded of our failures – the things we have done wrong, and the good and loving things that we have failed to do. As much as I would like to ignore sin … Read more »