Thought for the day - Friday 9 October

Thought for the Day – Friday 9th October ‘As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.’ (Mark 1: 16-20) Okay Friday again! Here is another amusing tale – albeit a little out of its true time! The story goes like this: Jesus and Satan have an argument as to who is the better computer programmer. This goes on for ages until finally they come to an agreement to hold a contest with God as the judge. They sit down before their computer screens and begin. They type furiously with lines of code streaming up the screen and this goes on for hours. Seconds before the contest is due to end a bolt of lightning strikes and takes out the electricity. Seconds later the power is once more restored and God announces the contest over. He asks Satan to show what he has come up with. Satan is visibly upset and cries out, ‘I have nothing. I lost it all when the power went.’ ‘Very well then,’ says God, ‘let us see if Jesus has fared any better.’ Jesus enters a command, and the screen comes to life in a vivid display with the voices of an angelic choir pouring forth from the speakers. As you can imagine, Satan is astonished and exclaims, ‘But how? I lost everything, yet Jesus’ programme is intact! How did he do it?’ God gives a chuckle and says, ‘Well, of course, everybody knows………Jesus saves.’ A little irreverent I know – but that conclusion is definitely true! I wonder if the disciples realised this when they so willingly gave up everything and followed Jesus. Did they perhaps ‘see’ or sense something about Jesus which led them to believe that their lives would be changed so radically by following him. I wonder if they truly understood that when they were going to be fishing for people that they would be bringing people to know Jesus and love Jesus and that their lives too would be ‘saved’ as a result. When we choose to follow Jesus our lives are certainly changed. We too become those ‘fishers of people’ for having experienced Jesus in our lives then we just want to show that difference it has made to us to others. The disciples sensed it, we who have chosen to follow know it, that following Jesus brings hope, peace and contentment to our lives, it saves our lives, for he is ours and we are his and if we are to be ‘fishers of people’ then we should be sharing that good news with others too that they might know that same hope and peace and contentment that we experience in our lives through knowing Jesus and sharing in his love. Prayer Loving Lord, You call us, we wanderers of seashores and pavements, inviting us to sail out of our present lives into the uncharted waters of faith, to wander off from our predictable paths to follow you into the unpredictable footsteps of the kingdom; to leave the comfort of our homes and accompany you into the uncomfortable neighbourhoods we usually avoid. Gracious Lord, as we seek to answer your call and follow you, speak to us of that hope which is our anchor, of that peace which is our rock, of that grace which is our refuge. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Friday Fives: Okay, you have twenty seconds to answer each list! Name: 1. Five disciples 2. Five places Jesus visited 3. Five people Jesus knew other than the disciples. 4. Five jobs the disciples used to have. 5. The disciples answered their call immediately – list five alternate words for ‘immediately’.