This sermon, being delivered in “panto” season is interactive.
Alan:`I say “Dare” you say “share”
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
[Alan passes the mike around various people who each speak as if sharing their faith in a natural way with a friend]
Simon Harris “What did I do over the weekend? Well on Saturday I played Rugby with a few friends, then on Sunday I went to church, like I usually do. What did you do over the weekend?”
David Edgehill: “When I was younger I made a real mess of things in my life. This may sound odd, but I found coming to know God helped me find forgiveness and make a fresh start in life that I have never regretted”
Paul Gordon: “Thanks so much for coming to our quiz night in November. Have you thought of coming one Sunday morning to church, because I think you might be surprised that you would actually really enjoy it”
Naomi Ventour: “When my kids were born I hadn’t really been to church before but I decided to have them Christened and I found it a really special thing. Have you thought about getting your baby Christened?”
Maragret Cobley: “I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle’s death. If there’s a Sunday you could come to church, I could get him mentioned in the prayers if that would help?”
Mimi Musa: “Oh I am so sorry to hear that about what your boss did to you. Do you mind if I say a prayer for you?” ?”
Anna Dyas: “I’ve got a few friends I met at church coming over for supper next Thursday. Would you like to come too, because I think you would really get on with them?”
Alan:`I say “Dare” you say “share”
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
[The Vicar, Fr Mund, walks out into the congregation with a big bible in his hand and starts “reading”]
Fr Mund: As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “ "Come and make more money selling iPads than you could ever make selling fish” 20Immediately they left their nets and sold ipads
[pointing to it and looking up]That’s what the bible says!
All Oh no it doesn’t!
FrMund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
FrMund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
FrMund Oh maybe you’re right. Perhaps what it says is….
Alan Excuse me
FrMund What?
Alan What about what about what that former Archbishop William Temple said about how “the church is the only society that exists for the benefit of it’s non members”. Or that head of the World Council of Churches who said “The church exists by mission as fire exists by burning”.
FrMund That’s very interesting - but I am talking about what the bible says –
[begins “reading”]
“As he walked by the sea of Gallilee he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and his brother Andrew casting a net into the Sea for they were fishermen. And he said to them “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. And immediately they left their nets and said “But Jesus, that’s your job. You’re the Rabbi - we will just sit here and watch.”
[pointing to it and looking up] That’s what the bible says!
All Oh no it doesn’t!
FrMund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
FrMund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
FrMund Oh maybe you’re right. Perhaps what it says is….
Alan Excuse me
FrMund What?
Alan What about what St John Capistano says that Those who are called to the table of the Lord must glow with the brightness. And St John Chrysostom and he says “I cannot believe in the salvation of anyone who doesn’t long for the salvation of his neighbour”
FrMund Yes yes yes - but can we get back to what the bible says –
[begins “reading”]
“As he walked by the sea of Gallilee he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and his brother Andrew casting a net into the Sea for they were fishermen. And he said to them “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. And immediately they began to google training courses and over the fifteen years they spent as much time as possible going on Lent Courses and Diocesan training courses and lots of other courses, because there’s no point trying to tell people about your faith if you haven’t been properly trained.
[pointing to it and looking up] That’s what the bible says!
All Oh no it doesn’t!
Fr Mund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
Fr Mund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
Fr Mund Oh maybe you’re right. Perhaps what it says is….
Alan Excuse me
Fr Mund What?
Alan Did you hear what Pope Francis says - he said “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.
Fr Mund All very interesting … but I’m the one preaching, and we are talking about the Bible which says..
[begins “reading”]
“As he walked by the sea of Gallilee he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and his brother Andrew casting a net into the Sea for they were fishermen. And he said to them “Follow me and I will make you not fishers of men but keepers of the Aquarium,”. And immediately they left their nets and joined a committee to make sure nothing in church ever changed.
[pointing to it and looking up] That’s what the bible says!
All Oh no it doesn’t!
Fr Mund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
Fr Mund Oh yes it does
All Oh no it doesn’t!
Fr Mund Oh maybe you’re right. Perhaps what it says is….
Alan Excuse me
Fr Mund What?
Alan Well, it sounds like what that methodist Bob Marcaurelle says. He writes - “A church will never drift toward evangelism. It will always drift away from it. The internal demands of the church will cry out, will demand attention and will fill our schedules to the breaking point. Committees must meet, choir numbers must be rehearsed, the Sunday School must teach, worship services must be planned, sermons must be prepared, the sick must be prayed for and visited, world missions must be funded, children and youth and adults and seniors must be furnished Christian activities and fellowship. The unsaved man or woman or boy or girl will not reach out and demand our time and thus, all of us, including the ministerial staff, gives them almost none of our time. We must make the time and take the time. And we will never do this until we make reaching the lost the priority that God makes it.” “what was the first thing Jesus calls his disciples to? If that is the first thing Jesus says, what does that say about his priorities?” (1)
[Fr Mund looks down at bible then looks up sheepishly]
Fr Mund Well actually you know…. You might be right...
[reads slowly as if he had never read it before…]
Fr Mund As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him
So it doesn’t say they should leave it all to me? - even though I am the professional? And it doesn’t say they can’t share their faith until they’ve been on hundreds of training courses?- in fact Jesus’s way of training the disciples later seems to be to send them out two by two to get on to it. They were really untrained.
In fact one preacher says - Now even those of us who are not fishermen know that when you go fishing you attach bait to the hook. Usually people don't use truffles from the French forests or finest fillet stake. Usually they use ... worms. Its a good analogy for fishers of people. When we haven't evangelised, it's often been because we feel we need to offer fillet steak, and we haven't got that. We think we can't really say anything because we don't really know enough theology , or we're not senior enough in church, or our lives aren't exemplary enough. But we don't need to offer fillet steak. All we have to offer is the worm. However small and insignificant we feel, we can offer ourselves, and offer our invitation (2)
Alan:`I say “Dare” you say “share”
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
[Alan passes the mike around various people who each speak as if sharing their faith in a natural way with a friend]
Simon Harris “What did I do over the weekend? Well on Saturday I played Rugby with a few friends, then on Sunday I went to church, like I usually do. What did you do over the weekend?”
David Edgehill: “When I was younger I made a real mess of things in my life. This may sound odd, but I found coming to know God helped me find forgiveness and make a fresh start in life that I have never regretted”
Paul Gordon: “Thanks so much for coming to our quiz night in November. Have you thought of coming one Sunday morning to church, because I think you might be surprised that you would actually really enjoy it”
Naomi Ventour: “When my kids were born I hadn’t really been to church before but I decided to have them Christened and I found it a really special thing. Have you thought about getting your baby Christened?”
Maragret Cobley: “I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle’s death. If there’s a Sunday you could come to church, I could get him mentioned in the prayers if that would help?”
Mimi Musa: “Oh I am so sorry to hear that about what your boss did to you. Do you mind if I say a prayer for you?” ?”
Anna Dyas: “I’ve got a few friends I met at church coming over for supper next Thursday. Would you like to come too, because I think you would really get on with them?”
Alan:`I say “Dare” you say “share”
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
Alan:` Dare
All: Share
1) Sermon by Bob Marcaurelle on www.sermoncentral.com
2) concept from a sermon by Jerry Shirley on www.sermoncentral.com
