Bearing With One Another In Love

I don’t get to do it very often anymore, but I love fishing. I grew up near a muddy little lake where you could catch bullheads and bluegills almost any time you tried. But catching fish is only part of the joy.

Two years ago we vacationed up in Minnesota. The first evening we went out to a bay across the lake. There was a bald eagle waiting for us in a tree high above the shoreline. A kingfisher came flying low along the shoreline, squawking. He landed in an overhanging tree, and then dove in after a fish. We saw and heard a loon maybe 80 yards away. He disappeared and then surfaced quite near us. It was great. I think we only caught one little bass. But it was great. We’ve had several family fishing vacations and the kids, especially the boys, love fishing.

But then time comes to clean the fish, if we caught any. And suddenly I’m on my own. When those fish come out of the water they are slimy. They flop around a lot. They can smell. More than once I’ve been stabbed by dorsal fins. It’s a messy job getting them cleaned up. But I can do it pretty quick. And I think it’s more than worth it.

Jesus treated the mission of the church as a lot like fishing. He told some of his disciples, who were already professional fishermen, that he was going to have them fish for people now. So the life of the church is a lot like fishing.

We’ve been talking for several weeks about the joys of the church, being together, this wonderful mission of building a community that reflects the very nature of God’s love in the way we love each other. Last week we talked about humility and gentleness as key elements of making that community work. A community that is permeated with humility and gentleness is a joy and a blessing.

The older I get the more I recognize the importance of the doctrine of the church, what theologians call ecclesiology. When we organize the church God’s way and treat one another God’s way, the church has a powerful impact on the world. So it’s worth it to do everything we can to fine tune this incredible living organism, God’s church.

But did you ever notice that when the fish first come into the church, they don’t always arrive all cleaned up, calm and ready to go? Have you ever noticed that? Sometimes they flop around an awful lot. Sometimes they’re smelly. Sometimes they stab you. And then you remember Pastor Steve’s sermon on being humble and gentle with each other and you really try it, but they didn’t even notice. And you want to be a good, loving church member, but the reality is that they bug you most of the time. And you know that’s not right. But what can you do?

If you’re fishing for fish and could throw back every fish that doesn’t arrive already cleaned up, sanitary wrapped and ready to go. But how many fish come into your boat already cleaned up? None. If you want to play the sport you’ve got to work with smelly fish.

There’s a temptation in the church to throw every one back that doesn’t arrive all cleaned up for us. “That one’s obnoxious, throw it back!” “Throw it back.” But fishing will never pay off like that. And the church will never pay off like that.

And cleaning a fish really doesn’t take very long. You just cut off the head, the tail and the fins. You cut open its gut and take the organs out. You scrape off the scales. You dunk it in your rinse bucket and you’re done.

But that doesn’t work with church members. It may take a lot longer for them to clean up. It can take a lot of patience. And churches who want to be effective in making disciples and in building a fellowship of love that really demonstrates the very heart of God need to learn godly patience.

Look at Jacob in the Old Testament. He was a conniver, a cheat. But the day came when he really came to himself and he wrestled with God and God brought him around. But it was a long time coming. God had tremendous patience. The story moves on to Jacob’s son, Joseph. God’s patience paid off and Joseph had just incredible character. Even in horrible circumstances he refused to cut corners. God’s patience worked!

For our text this morning, we return to the words of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians 4:1-6.

1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.