I was thinking this morning about "fishing and feasting". It was a rhythm we had in church for 6 months last year, which we have not continued into this year. But these two things are still really at the heart of being God's people. So we haven't stopped fishing or feasting. Or to be more honest, as soon as we stop fishing and feasting, we stop being a community who is about the kingdom of God, we stop being God's people following after Him. I know, pretty full on hey! It doesn't mean, by the way, that God gives up on us or stops loving us. His love is totally free and doesn't need anything aside from genuine acceptance of his gift. But 2 Corinthians ch 5 makes it wonderfully clear that God's love doesn't just release you from the power of sin so you can go to heaven. "Christ's love compels us" is what Paul says in this chapter. His love opens the cage which sin has kept us in. His love is like the healing of the lame man, who starts walking and leaping and praising God (Acts ch 3). This love is what compels us to keep fishing and feasting.
Check out a talk on this page by Kirk Delaney called "Both And". He reminded me of the phrase of Jesus "I will make you fishers of men." It is not "I will teach you some skills and then you can do the stuff whenever you feel inspired". It was so much more engaged by Jesus. He will do it. He will come to us and shape us and make us into the people he wants us to be, the fishermen and women needed for the kingdom if we will follow him. It is so good to be reminded that Jesus wants to shape my life.
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