Comments on: The Alphabet of Grace: N is for Nets

By: Jeffrey Pessina

Jeffrey Pessina — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 07:30:36 +0000

This is Wonderful . Churches seem often to pursue a fishing plan of cages (buildings?); bait (attract), catch (convince), and keep (close the back door?). I doubt the power of an attractional loving community of people who have and are experiencing Christ can be improved upon.

By: Jen

Jen — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 07:05:10 +0000

Hi there,
Thanks for sharing. This is inspiring.

By: Jen Hemmings

Jen Hemmings — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 06:52:05 +0000

Thanks for sharing! This is inspiring.
We are just in the process of stepping out into something completely new. The pandemic has shown us that we don’t want to ‘do’ church anymore – we want to ‘be’ the church in our immediate community in our little corner of South East London.
Pray for us as we prepare to mend our nets, and cast our nets and reach out and love people being Jesus’ hands and feet and eyes and ears to a lost and lonely world looking for answers.

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 02:14:17 +0000

Good teams, like John the Baptist, make fishermen “drop their nets” when Jesus says follow me.

By: Michael Frost

Michael Frost — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 01:00:14 +0000

In reply to Jane. That info about the Arabic translation is really interesting, and your comment about the essential nature of protein and the communal aspect of hunting/fishing is super insightful. Thanks for sharing it.

By: Jane

Jane — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 23:57:23 +0000

HI there Mike,
I’m enjoying your Alphabet of Grace. Enjoying the wonder… and wander through different thoughts about Grace. Just a comment, echo, sound of distant rejoicing, a bit of “YES! and…” from my (small) life experience. I have this lovely part of my life where I work with indigenous people to help them write in their own language. It’s hilarious (I can only speak English), humbling (I work with people who have enormous potential – I love seeing them thrive), and becoming fruitful.
Over the years of working with the Arabic teams, I have discovered some of the differences in language quite stunning.
In Arabic, there is no fishing-specific term, so the literal translation of the verse is “I will make you hunters of people/men”. While this produces a short term mental shock of some kind of nightmarish Hunger Games evangelism. It truly echoes your thoughts.
Hunting/Fishing is sourcing protein for communities. It’s LIFE. Recreational fishing and hunting might be done piecemeal, one-at-a-time. But for those dependent on fishing, you have to have a sustainable plan, and team-work, and roles (even if they are swapped around), fishing is a whole family, whole community business. I LOVE the nuance that you’ve given to what’s happening in Morningside, the metaphorical cross pollination/fishination… and look how it Brings Life!
…to those who reach out and to those who are reached! Praise God!