Heeeere Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!

I was surprised and saddened this last weekend, when I used an illustration from Sesame Street and none of the kids who'd come forward for the children's message were familiar with it.

Oh they knew who Bert and Ernie were, but they'd never seen this...

(Please pardon my abuse of YouTube videos over these last two posts now...

I'm trying to keep things interesting - but my life is too busy to be interesting.)

I used this "fish calling" to illustrate the strange and uncomfortable way that calls often happen in our lives. Jonah was our reading from the Old Testament for the day... not a comfortable calling (for Jonah or the Ninevites). The calling of the first disciples from their boats was our Gospel lesson... though followed more willingly, probably no more comfortable.

Times aren't always comfortable for us either, and God's call often seems to come at the most awkward of times and in the least comfortable situations.

Its not always a LARGE call... more often than not He speaks in a still, small voice that just tugs at our heartstrings until we listen. Then again, sometimes He lands a whale in our laps!

Personally, I've got a whale knocking on my office door. (Not to go anywhere else, move, or change MY "Call" in any way... in case you were worried.) But at least for now this whale is knocking politely and waiting for his appointment.

I shared a little of this large and somewhat uncomfortable calling with the congregation this Sunday - because it takes a village to deal with a whale properly!

[I wonder how many people are going to stumble on this posting when they're looking into all those terrible things happening in the world regarding the whaling industry...?]

Anyhow, I'm taking comfort in the fact that even Bert can call a fish... and even Jonah can be effectively used by God...

...bring on the work, Lord!