Epiphany 5C - 2025
Sermon for Epiphany 5C
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Andrew McLarty
Following the Call into Abundance
Good morning. Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 5:1–11 invites us to witness a moment of transformation—a moment when ordinary fishermen, after a long, discouraging night, hear Jesus’ call and step into a new way of living. In that story, Jesus tells these seasoned workers to cast their nets again, even though their own experience urged them to rest. And in that act of obedience, the nets overflow with fish—a stunning picture of divine abundance.
Earlier this week, I spent a morning at the MUW campus. I began my day with a late breakfast at Hogarth, reminding myself the odd joy of eating at a university dining hall (i had cheese grits, sausage, and tots with mustard). What started as a casual visit soon became a journey of exploration. I wandered from one building to another, gradually immersing myself in the life of the campus.
Before I knew it, I found myself among the quiet stacks of Fant Library—plucking books, reading, and even reaching out to faculty members with a friendly introductory emails, hopefully planing seends for future opportunities. That “pop over” to campus, initiated in the spirit of ministry, unfolded into a wonderfully unexpected morning. In a way, I experienced a small miracle of my own: by stepping into a new setting and engaging with the people there, I discovered a deep and growing love for all that Columbus has to offer.
Answering the Call to Help
Just as Jesus knew that the work ahead required helpers, so too did my visit remind me that ministry is not about doing everything on our own—it’s about joining with others in a common purpose. Jesus’ request for the fishermen was radical. They had spent a long night at their trade and were finishing their shift by cleaning their nets, and here was a carpenter’s son asking them to do something that defied their well-worn routines. Yet, by choosing to accept his ask, they experienced a harvest they never could have imagined.
In our own lives, we too face moments when we must step out of our comfort zones. Whether it is by reaching out to students at MUW, engaging with new communities, or simply accepting that God’s plan may lead us down unfamiliar paths, our willingness to help transforms the mundane into the miraculous. Just as those fishermen’s nets were filled to bursting, our acts of witness and service—no matter how small or tentative they might seem—open the way for an abundance of God’s blessings.
The Abundance of the Kingdom
The overflowing nets in Luke’s Gospel are a powerful image of the Kingdom of God—a Kingdom characterized not by scarcity or limitation, but by a generosity that defies human expectations. When we follow Jesus, even in ways that seem counterintuitive or inconvenient, we tap into a source of grace that overflows. The simple act of saying “hello” to a stranger, a new neighbor, an old aquatience who has fallen off our radar, or of sharing our time with others, becomes a part of God’s larger work of spreading love and hope.
Just as the early disciples were called to be “fishers of men,” each of us is invited to participate in this work. The abundance that Jesus offers is not reserved for a select few but is a promise to all who respond with open hearts. Our outreach—whether here at St. Paul’s or in the broader community like the MUW campus—reflects the very nature of the Gospel: an invitation to step into the deep waters of faith and experience God’s lavish provision.
Walking Together into the Deep Waters
Today, as we reflect on Luke 5 and the unexpected abundance that comes from following Jesus’ call, let us also remember that ministry is often about taking small steps of faith. Like my morning at MUW—a day that began with simple curiosity and ended with a deep sense of connection and possibility—we are invited to trust that God is at work in every corner of our lives. When we allow ourselves to be led into new and perhaps unexpected places, we become part of the living story of God’s Kingdom, a story written not in isolation but in the joyful mess that is community. And if we are lucky, there will be tater tots.
Amen.
