Friday, March 28, 1997
Obeying Jesus' voice can change frustration
to triumph
By JERRY DANIEL REED
Senior Staff Writer
Peter and friends obeyed the voice from the shore, and saw
a night of futile fishing turn into a catch greater than they
could handle.
Obeying that same voice, said Dr. Charles Stewart, can still
turn life's futilities and failures into triumphs.
The pastor of First Central Presbyterian Church gave the last
of four Holy Week messages on the topic "Reactions to the
Resurrection," on Thursday at First Baptist Church. Each
year, four downtown churches of different denominations sponsor
the series leading up to the celebration of Good Friday and Easter
Sunday.
Stewart's account from John's gospel concerned Peter and some
friends, who in the aftermath of the crucifixion of Christ, returned
to their old vocation of fishing. They spent a night catching
not a single fish, then as dawn approached they heard some unrecognizable
man standing on the beach direct them to move their nets to the
right side of the boat.
No authority on fishing himself, Stewart said, he's still aware
that "there's not much difference fishing on one side of
the boat or on the other side of the boat."
Yet Jesus, appearing before Peter and the others in his resurrected
body, directed the fishermen to a catch that strained their nets.
"Resurrection fishing" can profit anyone whose job,
relationships, or spiritual life, has gone empty, Stewart suggested.
"Maybe the voice form the shore directs you to find new
meaning in the job you already have. You know, just turn a little
bit at an angle and face it a little different way ... maybe finding
a new purpose in the same old thing, maybe learning to appreciate
the job you already have," he said.
"Maybe for some of us, the voice from the shore is telling
us to learn to appreciate the relationships we already have ....
Try fishing on the other side of the boat in your worn-out relationships
and see if that old friendship suddenly comes alive."
Rather than finding a new church, or reading a new book, in
response to a spiritual crisis, "maybe the voice from the
shore is calling you to dig deeper in your spiritual life ...
learn to pray in a new way."
"O Jesus," Stewart prayed in closing, "when
it's so dark, thank you for seeing me."
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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