A Fresh Start with Jesus
Deane Proctor Download: Audio
Scripture: Mark 1:16 – 20
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. Read more…
Looking to Sunday
by Elaine Poproski
There’s something about an empty piece of paper that’s both exciting and anxiety-inducing. On the one hand, an empty piece of paper speaks of possibilities: What might be written there? What great ideas might be birthed? On the other hand, an empty piece of paper begs to be filled with something that matters. But what if I have nothing of consequence to contribute? What if my words are banal or meaningless? Sometimes when I’m writing a sermon I struggle to figure out where to start; the blank page stares at me – accuses me – taunts me. When that happens, I just start writing. I don’t think about what I’m writing at first. Often it starts with something like this:
I don’t know what to write here. Where are the words? What am I trying to say?
This is dumb. What’s the point I need to make?…
As I babble on the page, slowly words that matter – words that mean something – begin to take shape and show themselves. As I type I discover the thoughts in my head that are looking for an escape – that need to be shared. What I love about writing on a computer is that once the babble has dissipated, I can erase it. I can delete it and resave the document, such that there’s no evidence left of my inane chatter.
Sometimes, when I’m working with a pen and paper, I do the same thing. I babble on the page until meaning is uncovered. The difference, of course, is that when I’m using a pen and paper, I can’t erase the babbling. I can cover it with white-out, but it’s not really gone. If I use a pencil instead of a pen I can erase it, but even a great eraser almost always leaves a hint of what was. If I want to see only the meaningful words, I need a fresh piece of paper; I need a fresh start.
The beginning of a new year always feels a bit like a fresh piece of paper to me. At least, it does in the days leading up to the new year. Once I’m there, I’m almost always disappointed to discover that the markings of the previous years have not actually been erased. The mess of my life up to this point cannot be deleted. And yet, as I contemplate the new year and my annual hope for a fresh start, I’m reminded that a fresh start is possible when it comes to Jesus. That’s what the earliest disciples discovered. But I’m also reminded that a fresh start is costly; it requires total commitment; it requires letting go completely of what was so I can experience what will be.
On Sunday we’ll be reading Mark 1:16 – 20. We’ll be looking to the first disciples of Jesus to help us understand what it means to have a fresh start with Jesus. We’ll be challenged to consider how committed we are to the life of discipleship. We’ll be encouraged to re-examine our definitions of success and contentment. We’ll be invited to turn the page and start fresh.
As you prepare for Sunday, I invite you to spend some time considering what you want out of your life as a follower of Jesus. What do you need out of your life as a follower of Jesus? Looking ahead to where the cross of Jesus leads, accompanied by the Holy Spirit, who is God shaping you to become as you step into a new year?