Mark 1:14 After Yochanan had been arrested, Yeshua came into the Galil proclaiming the Good News from God:
15 “The time has come,
God’s Kingdom is near!
Turn to God from your sins
and believe the Good News!”
16 As he walked beside Lake Kinneret, he saw Shim‘on and Andrew, Shim‘on’s brother, casting a net into the lake; for they were fishermen. 17 Yeshua said to them, “Come, follow me, and I will make you into fishers for men!” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 Going on a little farther, he saw Ya‘akov Ben-Zavdai and Yochanan, his brother, in their boat, repairing their nets. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zavdai in the boat with the hired men and went after Yeshua.(Complete Jewish Bible)
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Several years ago, at an Ignatian retreat, we were encouraged to use our imaginations to enter into the biblical narrative. The reading included the scene of Jesus walking along a road talking with his disciples and others. Soon my imagining seemed to take on a life of its own and I was literally following Jesus along a hot, dusty and crowded road in Galilee. Suddenly Jesus turned and looked back at me, beckoned me to come up and walk alongside him and at one point even put his arm around my shoulders.
But then unexpectedly he prodded me to walk in front of him and sort of pushed me out to walk ahead. The sense of the gesture was to say, "OK, now you go. I'll be right here, but you take the risk and responsibility for doing what needs to be done." I can still remember the uncertainty and exhilaration of moving into that new way of following. The "imagining" ended there, but left me with the awareness that following also includes being sent and encouraged to trust and risk that Jesus knows what he is doing by setting me free to lead.
Lord, I am amazed how much you trust us to be your followers and to use our creativity, energy, wisdom, knowledge and experience to be the ones to carry out your work of bringing the gospel that the Reign of God is at hand. Amen.
Tim Kellgren, '71
Retired Pastor of Elim Lutheran Church, Petaluma, Calif.
But then unexpectedly he prodded me to walk in front of him and sort of pushed me out to walk ahead. The sense of the gesture was to say, "OK, now you go. I'll be right here, but you take the risk and responsibility for doing what needs to be done." I can still remember the uncertainty and exhilaration of moving into that new way of following. The "imagining" ended there, but left me with the awareness that following also includes being sent and encouraged to trust and risk that Jesus knows what he is doing by setting me free to lead.
Lord, I am amazed how much you trust us to be your followers and to use our creativity, energy, wisdom, knowledge and experience to be the ones to carry out your work of bringing the gospel that the Reign of God is at hand. Amen.
Tim Kellgren, '71
Retired Pastor of Elim Lutheran Church, Petaluma, Calif.
Mark 1:14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen.
17 And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."
18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.
20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.(New Revised Standard Version)
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