We have some wonderful readings today. The theme is calling…and following.

Usually, I begin sermons with a metaphor—a story that has a bit of humor and speaks to us about the Gospel reading.  But today that’s not necessary….because the story of Jonah (and the really big fish that swallowed up Jonah) is a metaphor for calling and following. 

The book of Jonah opens abruptly. Yahweh says one word to Jonah, “Up!” And then he tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, a huge city that has fallen into despicable ways. Jonah is supposed to proclaim to the whole city of Nineveh that their wickedness has provoked Yahweh—and now Nineveh will be destroyed. For the people of Nineveh, this was definitely not good news. 

Upon hearing God’s plan, Jonah did the logical thing. He ran away.

Jonah’s decision to run imperiled his life—and the lives of sailors with him on a boat. In the midst of a terrible storm, the sailors did the logical thing. They threw Jonah overboard. As soon as Jonah was off the boat, the storm stopped. 

Jonah, it turned out, was not a fantastic swimmer. He probably should have considered this before boarding a boat and going to sea.

But, God intervened. A great fish swallowed Jonah…and Jonah remained inside that great fish until he called out to Yahweh. 

Once Jonah was on dry land, God spoke again: “Up! Go to Nineveh and preach to it as I tell you.”

This time, Jonah does the illogical thing. He follows the calling and goes.

We will hear the Gospel of Mark throughout this year. It stands out among the four gospels: it’s the first one written, the shortest gospel, and the only one written before the Temple was destroyed. Mark’s worldview is distinct. We will hear a sense of urgency in his words—an implied inquiry, “Are you with Jesus? Or not?” 

The historical period between Jesus’ resurrection and the destruction of the Temple was turbulent. There was frustration with Roman oppression. And the Romans were frustrated with the zealots, religious laws unique to Judaism, and this new group of people following the Way. Jerusalem was a ticking time bomb…and time was running out.

So, whereas Jonah’s calling is an elaborate story with colorful characters and even a vomiting fish, Mark presents the calling of the first four disciples in one, brief paragraph.

In the few words Mark chose, he told us much about Jesus, about calling, and about following.

Mark sets the scene: Jesus is walking along the sea of Galilee…he sees Peter and Andrew fishing. He calls to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately, they abandon their nets and follow him. 

I’ve often wondered about this scene. ‘Fishing for people’ is unusual imagery. I wonder what it meant to Peter and Andrew? Did they know they were the first two fish in Jesus’ net? 

Next, Jesus sees James and John who were working in a boat with their dad. He called them, and they left their dad in the boat…and followed Jesus.

There is something compelling about Jesus that is not obvious from his spoken words.  But, it becomes obvious because of the response to his words.

He calls, “Follow me.”

Peter, Andrew, James, and John follow.

None of the disciples speak. They don’t ask questions. We would want to know things….”How long will we be gone? Will we be back in time for dinner? Do I need to pack a suitcase? Should I grab a charger for my cell phone? ....”

Unlike Jonah, the disciples do not run away. They do the illogical thing. They follow.

The subtext of this calling story is important. From the moment Jesus takes up his ministry, some people—not all—hear his voice through a lens of faith. They follow --- even though they are filled with unspoken and unanswered questions. 

They follow and the pilgrimage to resurrection begins. We are part of that pilgrimage, too.

Throughout the life of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, many people have walked this pilgrimage. None of us are here for all of it; all of us are here for some it. Our lives are changed by those we encounter as we go.

Along the way, Marshall Amis joined the pilgrimage of St. Chris. His impact in this congregation—and in the lives of those who knew him well—was meaningful and significant.

Early in our relationship, Marshall told me—emphatically--that he did not want to have a burial service when his time came. We disagreed on his reasoning and, therefore, we revisited the topic several times. Marshall died on the eve of his 96^th birthday, December 30, 2023.

Today, we are celebrating his life in the midst of our Sunday worship—this is a compromise that meets his desire to not be overly recognized, and it is an opportunity for us to give thanks to God for the time we shared with Marshall.

Without Marshall, we would not be here in this physical place. 

At the beginning of his career as a civil engineer, Marshall was recruited by the City of Fort Worth to be its head of engineering.  A gentleman named Irwin Kraus imagined a new neighborhood in the southwest portion of Fort Worth. Mr. Kraus formed an entity called, “Wedgwood Enterprises.” He went to the city to obtain permission to proceed with his development. The City’s Engineer, Marshall Amis, turned him down.

Eventually, Mr. Kraus earned the necessary permits to move forward with his project. He was so impressed by Marshall during the negotiation with the city, that—after the deal was done--he hired Marshall away from the city.  Eventually, he made him a 50-50 partner in Wedgwood enterprises.

Together, they platted Wedgwood neighborhoods…including the property on which St. Matthew’s is built.  They named all those streets that begin with the letter W.  In fact, they named so many W streets, the fire department told them they had to stop. It was creating confusion in the emergency response system.

I visited Marshall many times over the past 18 months. We shared stories about our roots and he shared snippets from the Wall Street Journal. Marshall wasn’t one to speak emotionally. But it was clear to me that he cared deeply about this congregation…and this congregation cared about him. Twice, as I was leaving his facility, I encountered Ken Monroe coming to have lunch with Marshall. 

To follow Jesus is to see the world differently—through a lens of faith.  It is to know that our path leads to a new way of life, to resurrection, to life abundant in the eternal expanse of God’s love.

I am grateful for your witness of faithful pilgrimage.

May Marshall’s soul, and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.