Fishing (NL) | nkchurch

Finding the New Way

The orange light of morning
slipped its way through the water
colouring it with a brightness
it did not deserve
for it had been an empty night
as our bellies would now be all day

Where was the fish
with the coin in its mouth?
It was nowhere to be found.

Where was the net to gather us
and hold a thousand?
It was torn.

Where were the promises of the water-walker
to calm every storm?
Our hearts still felt wild.

The night
had been as empty
as the promises we thought we had heard.

But we were fishing on the wrong side of hope:
we were on the side of fulfillment,
and not expectation;
we were on the side of presumption,
and not faith;
we were on the side of expecting what we deserved,
and not daring to step out the boat.

So we did.
We threw the nets again
this time on the side of adventure,

and the water exploded with silver darlings
and shook light from their scales
that caught the disbelief in our face.
The hollow night
was filled
as only faith can fill it.

For the light from the other side
the side of wonder
is brighter,
and we left our boats
and our nets
and found ourselves
where the one who found the fish with the coin
and lifted the net full and unbroken
and walked on water
called us

and we followed

Fishing

Luke 5:1-11

Following on the way

VOICE 1:

If you follow Jesus
you’ll find him
among broken bottles
and a tangle of hair
with a crazy fragrance of perfume
spilled across his feet
by a nameless
and shameless woman
who alone recognises
and plays out the name
‘the anointed one’
‘the Christ’
among us

(PLACE PERFUME BOTTLE ON TABLE)

VOICE 2:
If you follow Jesus
you’ll find him
between broken bowls
and water
in a wild pattern
of footprints and mayhem
over who will wash who’s feet
and who has the call
and who has the challenge
to be servant of all

(PLACE TOWEL ON TABLE)

VOICE 1:
If you follow Jesus
you’ll find him
gone
from a table of scattered breadcrumbs
caught in a holy explosion
and a spray of wine
where incarnation became flesh
and the flesh became the word
that chose to give that flesh
in the name of love

(PLACE BREAD ON TABLE)

VOICE 2:
If you follow Jesus
you’ll find him
at the roadside
with those seeking a way
and you’ll see him
Samaritan style
kneeling by the lost
the unclean
the foreigner
the sinner
and binding wounds of hate
of hunger
of prejudice
and welcoming them home

(PLACE BANDAGES ON TABLE)

VOICE 1:
If you follow Jesus
you’ll find him
having crossed the line
the powers-that-be drew in the sand saying:
‘in the name of God
thus far and no further.’
But Jesus will not have recognised that line
nope heard their command
for there is no line
love will not cross
no line that says love is partial
conditional
limited
no line that stops at a cross

(PLACE CROSS ON TABLE)

VOICE 2:
If you follow Jesus
you won’t find him here
only his spirit
alive in us all
and calling us
into the world
and to be
the community of faith
the priesthood of believers
the body of Christ

(PLACE BIBLE ON TABLE)