Fishing with Pringles

January 26, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Reading the gospel lesson for this Sunday evokes strong, fond memories of my grandfather, Genaro Rojas. He lived with us for periods of several months during numerous visits from the Philippines, and every stay was memorable. He spoke no English, except for broken versions of the bare essentials (“Be nice day,” he would tell me as I went off to school. Translation: “Be nice to everyone you meet today.”) That made his communicating with this Florida-born, English-raised kid quite challenging. But we loved being together, especially in those moments that transcended the need for common language. Like watching The Three Stooges (which is funny to young boys and old men alike, in any language.) Or enjoying a good meal. Or riding bikes.

Or, fishing.

My family would go on frequent outings to the Bay Pines Boulevard bridge, just a mile from our house and overlooking a tranquil bay connecting the Pinellas County bayous with the Gulf of Mexico. On many Saturday mornings, we would set up our folding chairs, haul up our bait and tackle, and sit for hours at a time. I was only eight years old then, and the fishing pole was taller than I was. But I was prepared with all the expensive gear: hooks, bobbers, lures, weights, bait. All the bells and whistles. And then I’d look over at my grandpa.

He had no fancy fishing pole. Just an old, empty Pringles can, wrapped with a stray length of line, with a rusty hook and a tiny bit of bait on the end. Whereas the rest of us cast our lines and sat on comfy chairs, he simply lowered his hook into the water, and squatted on the bridge deck, line held gingerly between his fingertips, staring into the water.

After several hours, I had zero bites. Nothing. Not even a nibble. But my grandfather? His seasoned fingers could feel the vibrations of curious fish. And he knew the precise moment to jerk his line and snap the hook into the fish’s mouth. Every few minutes, he’d pull up new prey, filling a bucket in no time.

I was stunned. I had been bested by a man many times my age, armed only with a castaway potato chip can and some leftover line. To smooth my pride, I reminded myself that he grew up on an island, surrounded by water, where fishing was not just a hobby; it was a matter of survival. Nonetheless, there was something simply awesome about watching a master at work.

Something tells me that my reaction was similar to that of Simon Peter, who had spent years out on the water as a professional fisherman. Then, along came some carpenter-turned-public-speaker, who dared to give him some advice about how to catch more fish. Luke says that when Peter followed Jesus’ instructions, casting the net on the other side, they caught so much fish that the nets began to burst and the boat began to sink.

I think there’s a lesson here about swallowing and allowing. About swallowing one’s pride, and allowing the Guide. About letting go of past patterns of behavior that have been ineffective (at the very least) or harmful and destructive (at worst). And then changing course, following the Master, and living a completely different kind of life, no matter how weird it seems.

Undoubtedly, Jesus’ fishing lessons sound as crazy as fishing with a Pringles can. But that was simply a precursor to the unbelievable things he would later say in Luke’s gospel. After teaching his disciples how to fish more deeply, he told them how to live more deeply:

· Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

· If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.

· Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

· Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.

· Do to others as you would have them do to you.

I don’t know about you, but it’s hard enough to live like Jesus, let alone catch fish like my grandfather. Which is why I find Peter’s reaction to Jesus so spot on, and so human: “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken.

I invite you to join me this Sunday as we explore this passage a little more, well, deeply. And we’ll discover ways to live out our commitment to Jesus that disrupts old patterns of behavior and harvests new expressions of joy, love, and courage. It’s all part of our current sermon series “Believe It or Not: Surpising Moments with the Savior,” and the sermon is titled, “What a Fish Tale!”

Come join us! The water is deep and the fishing is great!

Grace and Peace,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
http://www.cherokeespumc.org





Luke 5:1-11
1 Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God,
2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’
5 Simon answered, ‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’
6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.
7 So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’
9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken;
10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’
11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Believe It or Not: What a Fish Tale!
January 31, 2009
Luke 5:1-11

Believe It or Not: The Man Who Surprised Jesus
February 7, 2009
Luke 7:1-10

So Do You Believe Him or Not?
February 14, 2009
Luke 9:28-43
(Transfiguration Sunday)

NEW HAITI RELIEF TAX DEDUCTION
The federal government recently authorized that all donations you give to Haiti relief between January 11 and March 1 can be included as tax deductions for your 2009 return. That includes any money you donated to UMCOR during our special offerings the last two Sundays. If you would like to receive a statement verifying your contributions to UMCOR, please contact our Financial Secretary, Sarah Cook (sarahcook@hughes.net). Please note that this deduction only applies to financial contributions, not goods and services.


BUILDING COMMITTEE AND TRUSTEES UPDATES
These have been exciting days for the St. Paul’s campus, and we thought you’d want to know about the progress being made throughout the church property. Efforts continue to bring to completion a preliminary design plan that carries out the suggestions and desires of our members as expressed in our congregational survey.

Parking Lot: The two residential properties have been demolished and cleared by Lundell Construction, and the Trustees have contracted with Grundman-Hicks to pave the new parking lot. The city has approved plans for ten new perpendicular parking spots to be built along the western edge of the property, accessible directly off 6th St. The remainder of the property will be left “green” to allow for future expansion of the site.

The cost of the construction will be $25,000, which the Trustees and Finance Committee have approved and will be paid for by a loan through Cherokee State Bank. Grundman-Hicks was able to install the sidewalk and prepare the parking spots for concrete before the onset of winter, and they will complete the project as soon as weather allows.

Campus Renovation: The Building Committee has met extensively with members of Rick Dean's architect firm, the same company that was involved with the sanctuary renovation. They have completed the initial design phase of their work, which includes preliminary drawings for the kitchen, fellowship hall, lounge, library, offices, classrooms, lower level basement, new sanctuary-level bathrooms, and a new façade for the education wing. The architects have been paid out of the Next Generation Fund.

The Trustees have just approved a contract with Engineering Design Associates (EDA) of Sioux Center to study and present detailed mechanical plans for the renovation, including electricity, heating and cooling, plumbing, audio-visual support, and energy efficiency. They will be paid $3,500, also out of the Next Generation Fund.

Feedback Groups: The Building Committee is eager to show you all of the preliminary drawings and get your feedback. On Sunday, February 21, after the worship service, you are welcome to attend a feedback session downstairs in the lounge to see all the plans. At that time, the Committee can answer any questions you might have, including timelines for the renovation and the next capital campaign. In the meantime, should you have questions or comments, please see a member of the Building Committee:

Gene Anderson and Keith Willis (Co-chairs), John Cook, Roni Timmerman, Dave Appleby, Jeanie Anderson, Donna Lucas, Bruce Dagel, Joyce Pyle, Bob Shroeder, Mike Taylor and Magrey deVega


THE PANCAKE RACE IS COMING!
Attention, women of Cherokee! Dust off that apron and practice your pancake flipping! The wildly successful Great Cherokee Pancake Day Race returns this Shrove Tuesday, February 16, and it promises to be even bigger and better than last year! It is time to start assembling your teams and preparing your costumes, and we are ready to receive your registrations. To download a registration form, and for more information about the race, visit our new website at www.pancakerace.com.


MAGREY IN FLORIDA
Magrey is in Florida serving on the Florida Conference Board of Ordained Ministry in Leesburg, FL. He will return Saturday afternoon, in time to preach this Sunday. He has regular access to e-mail throughout his time there. Should you have a pastoral emergency, such as a hospitalization or death in the family, please contact the church office. Area United Methodist ministers are serving “on-call” to respond to any immediate needs.