"Drop the Shells, Peter"

Grace to you and peace from God our creator and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Every year all the rostered ministers of our synod gather together on the Tuesday of Holy Week for something called a “Chrism” service. We worship together, sing together, share communion together, and receive special anointing oil that is blessed at this service. This is the same oil that is used to anoint at baptisms, healings, and confirmations that I do. I will be using this newly blessed oil only two weeks from now, for a special double baptism that will be pretty exciting. At this service too, Bishop Pat Davenport preached, her first Chrism service sermon. In the middle of her sermon, she shared this video from former pastor, writer, and theologian Rob Bell. This is from a video series called “Nooma,” which is the English-ized version of Pneuma, the Greek word for Holy Spirit, or Breath of God.

It’s the third Sunday after Easter, still in the season of Easter, and already the Alleluias are starting to get a little rote, the lilies are fading and almost dead, and life is definitely back to normal as we careen into spring and dive headlong into summer, whatever that may bring. Though we are still in the throes of the season of Easter, and Peter and the other disciples have experienced the Risen Jesus… Peter still decides to go fishing. But as we just heard, Peter and the other disciples are soon back on the beach, eating breakfast with Jesus in the sand. Peter forgot what the main thing was, and that is exactly what Rob Bell will talk about in this video. It’s called “Shells” and I think by the end you will see why by the end.

As you listen, hear how Rob Bell says about what distracts us from keeping the main thing the main thing. 

Was it shocking to you to hear that Jesus didn’t do everything? It certainly was jarring to me when I heard it during our Chrism service. Here we all were, pastors about to get into the nitty gritty of Holy Week… being reminded that not everything depended on US. And not everything depends on YOU either. We don’t have to do ALL the good things in the world. We just have to do one or a few of them… but do them WELL…. Even Jesus says no. But that’s because he already has said a “YES.”

The question then becomes obvious. What is our “Yes”? What is our Starfish that we go after, which we can only hope to reach once we have dropped our shells? We only have two hands. We only have so much time, energy, money, and resources. We are, after all, only human.

Rob Bells said that the enemy of the best is the good. Not that we need to strive for excellence in all things to be worthy of God’s love…. But meaning some ways to serve God are most effective, and more faithful ways than others. To drown in good does not do anyone any good.

We’re not sure why exactly why Peter got distracted from being a disciple to go back to fishing, but thankfully Jesus met them where he was at, and gently reminded him to keep the main thing the main thing. Drop the nets. Drop the shells. Feed and tend God’s beloved flock. Thanks be to God. Amen.