Something that has become a popular thing for the church to do around epiphany is a thing called Star Words. This activity is based on the premise of the magi followed the star to find Jesus. And so each person is given a star with a single word printed on it. Somehow, we follow where that word leads us. Spiritually. For a whole year. You can use it in your daily prayer, journaling, art, or however you like.
I have never done it before, but this year I went to a presbytery Epiphany luncheon where I was offered a star. I selected a bright pink one. The color made me smile. But when I turned it over and looked at the word I stopped smiling. The word was “Try.”
Try? Who would think that this word would be a good word to meditate on? Try? Just looking at the word made me feel defeated.
Maybe I should explain why. Try is a word I believe we use to mentally beat ourselves up. Try harder – no, harder! If you can’t do something, it’s because you haven’t tried hard enough. In fact, it seems as though you can always try harder. So, have you ever actually tried hard enough?
So I have some problems with the word.
When I hear the word “try” I think of what Yoda said – you know that wise Jedi-master-puppet from Star Wars: Do. Or do not. There is no try.
Do, or do not. There is no try. A wise puppet he is.
I think I can see Yoda’s point. Try is not a result. Try is not an excuse. Try is not a reproach. There is no try. There is only do or do not.
And this is what we see in these disciples of Jesus.
When he called them, it was not a convenient time. These men were in the middle of their workday. Simon Peter and Andrew were just casting their nets into the sea, hoping to make a good catch to take ashore. James and John were in the act of repairing their nets, a constant part of the work of a fisherman, mending and tending the tools of their trade. They were all hard at work. Their lives, the lives of their families, depended on it.
And Jesus calls out to them: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” And they all drop their nets and follow him.
Do. or do not. There is no try.
It frightens us to see this kind of response, though. We wonder if this is what Jesus expects from us, too. Are we supposed to drop everything that feels important to us in order to follow him? Are we supposed to walk away from things that feel essential to us in order to follow him?
We might feel more kinship with these guys if they responded differently, more like how we might have responded. For example: Jesus calls out to them, they pause a moment in their work. A person would know they were seriously thinking about what he was asking them, offering them, in fact. And then they say: That is an interesting proposition, Jesus. Something I would definitely like to think about. But, as you can see, I’m in the middle of something right now. I have lots of obligations, of course. So here is what I’ll do. Let me think this over…talk it over with my family…pray on it. And I will try to get back to you very soon.
But you know if that’s what they said, Jesus would have walked away. Just moved on.
Because there were other times, other would-be disciples who responded kind of like that. They said, “Hey, Jesus, sounds great. Just let me first go home and take care of family business,” but Jesus said it’s not like that. Follow me or don’t follow me.
Do or do not. There is no try.
The great Yoda had it right. No matter what excuses these fishermen made, no matter what deal they tried to negotiate with Jesus, it is still a simple matter of doing or not doing.
Of saying yes, or saying no. It really was in their hands.
So it is when I say I try to practice some spiritual discipline at least five days a week, but sometimes I don’t do that. Because the reality is that on some days I choose not to. The decision really is in my hands.
It might seem a bit harsh thing, it might sound like a scold, but it is not my intention to berate or pressure anyone. I’m not saying, “Try harder.” Rather, what I say is this: Many things are in our hands when they are placed there.
When they are placed there, and we are invited to take them.
In the Reformed church we like to say there are three parts to every call: there is the work of the Holy Spirit within a person, stirring in them an inner sense of call; there is the work of the Spirit within a person’s community that guides and supports them through the process of discerning the call; and finally, there is the particular call to serve in a specific time and place.
And when all three are working together for you it is like something is placed in your hand, and you close your fingers around it gently, and you say yes.
At that moment, Jesus is standing before you saying, “Follow me.” You drop your nets, climb out of your boat, and you follow him.
A couple of weeks ago we installed four elders to active service. Each of them was invited by a member of the nominating committee to serve in this way. The four who stood up here are the ones who said yes.
Today we will install four deacons to active service, and the same is true of them. They are the ones who said yes.
There might have been other times when they said no, but this time they said yes.
The truth is, we might say no to something many times before we finally say yes. And that might simply be because we faithfully discerned that it was not the right thing at the right time for us. But remember this: as those who have been baptized, it is our most basic calling to be available, to do the work of faithful discernment, to trust in the Holy Spirit to lead us well. And then to say yes or say no.
Listen…trust…know that Jesus calls us toward a better life, should we be ready to say yes.
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Photo by Drahomír Posteby-Mach on Unsplash
