J.J.
27, January, 2008
Epiphany 3

Title:  “The Cost of Discipleship”  as preached at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Oakland, CA
Text:  St. Matthew 4: 12-23

In the name of the Eternal Majesty, the Incarnate  + Word, the Abiding Spirit, One God. Amen.

“The Cost of Discipleship” is a book that was written in the last century by the German Theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  When I was a seminary student, also in the last century, this book was required reading for everyone.  Now, “The Cost of Discipleship” has nothing to do with money or budgets or finances, as some might think from its title  . . .  rather, it has everything to do with what God is Calling us to be and to do, and how we might answer that Call.  I no longer remember all that Bonhoeffer had to say—that was years ago—but I do know that this book made a huge impact on my life and ministry.  And, one of Bonhoeffer’s points, however,  has stuck with me over the years:  "Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ.”  Wow!  What Bonhoeffer was trying to tell us is that to be a Christian has to do with discerning the Call of God and following Jesus—in fact, that’s what “Discipleship” is all about.  Discipleship has to do with letting go of the past (and the comfortable), and to move forward into God’s future, not knowing exactly where we are, or where we are going, or where God is leading, but simply to trust the Call and to follow Jesus.  And I can tell you from personal experience, that at times can be very scary . . . as well as costly.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer himself knew that all too well . . . God’s Call to him cost him his life, for Bonhoeffer was a participant in the German Resistance movement back in the 1940’s, and a founding member of the Confessing Church. For his vision, confession of faith and commitment to justice, he was imprisoned by the Nazis and put to death, (martyred, if you will) on April 9th, 1945, just days before the end of World War II in Europe.  The Cost of Discipleship.
In many ways, today’s Gospel reading is about The Cost of Discipleship . . . that is, discerning God’s Call and the cost of following that Call.  Now at first appearance, at least the way St. Matthew presents it, it all seems to be a rather simple process:  Enter Jesus . . .  He says: “Follow me!” . . . and Peter and Andrew, his brother—fishermen . . . and James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John—also fishermen . . . they just drop everything and follow Jesus.  Simple!  Right?  Well, perhaps not so simple.  Back in those days, being a fisherman was a recognized and respectable career.  And, like today, I suspect people back then, probably measured their self-worth and the meaning of life by what they did.  Many of us do.  And for many of us, our identities are caught up not only by what we do, but the way we dress, the cars we drive, the houses we buy, the areas in which we live.  Whether right or wrong, we are what we do.  And I suspect it was no different for Peter and Andrew, James and John.  Fishing was a well-regarded job, and although it was physically very demanding, it was also was a very lucrative business. It’s interesting when you visit the ruins of the traditional site of Peter house in Capernaum (and I emphasize that word “traditional”), that house was of no mean size, and it was well located.  So, Peter and Andrew, James and John had some huge decisions to make.  I doubt that on that day when they were out there mending their nets, that any of them were contemplating a career change.  I suspect liked being fishermen (and that’s probably why Jesus adds to his vocational Call, the incentive or the enticement: “I will make you fish for people”) and they liked the life-style to which they had become accustomed.  So why change?  Now?  People then, like people now, don’t like change.  So when Jesus comes by and invites them to follow him, they surely must have had some second thoughts?   Why jump ship, literally, when everything is going so good? And of course, James and John have even a bigger issue – a higher cost to pay, if you will. They were the sons of Zebedee.  heir father most likely had started this family business, and now they were partners with him . . .  and for them to leave everything and to follow this itinerant preacher from Nazareth, of all places (Remember? What good can come out of Nazareth?), for them to leave everything and follow Jesus would be a major break with social convention.  They not only would let their family down, but they would also be walking away from what society expected them to do.  They would no longer be able to share in both the burdens of the family business and the wealth and security of its success.  They would not enjoy their father’s reputation and protection should they get into trouble (as indeed, they surely will by following Jesus). Besides, who would be there to care for their father in his old age.  In short, they would be leaving everything behind . . .  And, I’m not sure I would do that being in a somewhat similar situation. I’m not sure I could have done what they did: They hear the Call, and Peter and Andrew immediately left their nets to follow Jesus . . . and James and John leave their boat, and their father, in order to follow Jesus.  Wow!  The Cost of Discipleship.
 That “Call,” however, is also knocking at our door here at St. Paul’s as we prepare to search for our new Rector.  Currently, we are engaged in exploring the life cycle of the church and God’s transforming power.  Last Wednesday evening we had about 30 people come together to share where we thought St. Paul’s was in that so-called “life cycle” . . .  and I must say, it was not only very informative and helpful, but delightfully surprising. I went away excited.  This “Transformation Series” is very important for our discernment process.  And so, next Wednesday, at 7pm, when we will conclude this first part of the discernment process,  we are going to explore what kind of changes we need to make as a congregation.  To look at some goals and to share where we want this Parish to go.  I hope you will be there. Now, if for any reason you think you are too old to participate, or you are too new to this Parish to have your voice count, or you have too many other commitments, or you are afraid to go out at night  . . .  hey, call the church office and we will find a way and provide the support you need. We need everyone to be part of this process.  And, in February, it gets even better! On the Sundays during Lent, from Noon until 1pm,  we will explore aspects of our church community—how we are moving towards God’s Call or how we may be moving away from God’s Call,  identifying those things that interfere with our response to God’s Call and those gifts that contribute to our response . . . in other words, we are going to look at the Cost of Discipleship (and again, I don’t mean budgets or salaries). This will be a time together when we discern God’s Call to us, and what it will cost each one of us to follow that Call.  And it will cost something.  Discipleship always does.  There will be some things that we dearly love that we are going to have to leave behind . . . and there will be new and unchartered waters ahead that we will be frightening to us.  That is all part of The Cost of Discipleship. 
Now, right at this point, as I was typing that last sentence, I received a Call . . . No, I was not standing along the Galilean shore mending my nets or getting ready to go on a fishing trip.  The call was my cell phone and it was from the Rev. Steven Strane, Rector at St. Timothy’s, in Danville.  He told me of a member of his who had just telephoned to tell him that her mother-in-law, a life-long Episcopalian, had suddenly been hospitalized in Oakland, and was near death. The mother would like to receive the Sacrament.  Would I have time to make the call and bring her communion.  Well, at first I thought: I can’t do that . . . I have a sermon to finish . . . and Saturday I’m teaching my class at the School for Deacons and have a lecture to prepare . . . and I have this terrible cough and a cold . . . and besides all that, it’s cold and  raining outside.  And I said to Fr. Steven: “Yes, of course I can go . . . what’s her name and where is she located”  and within minutes I was on my way to bring her the Sacrament.  As I drove into Oakland, I chuckled to myself: “How ironic . . . just at that moment and just where I was in the writing of this sermon, I get this Call.  And I suddenly realized that is exactly what today’s Gospel is talking about . . . that’s exactly how Peter and Andrew, and James and John responded to their Call—they immediately (I like that word in today’s Gospel), they immediately dropped everything and went. . . . And that is what God is Calling each of us to do . . . to drop what we are doing and to take the time to discern what God would have us be and do as the people of God in this place and at this time.  And it makes no difference whether you’re young or old, a man or a woman, a person of color or not, gay or straight; whether a regular member of this Church or just visiting here for the first time today, whether cradle Episcopalian or one who just now is seeking some kind of spiritual formation . . . God is calling to you, today.  And so, I invite you . . . no, let me up the anti a bit . . .  I call on you to discern God’s Call and to see just what God might be up to in your life . . . to discern what God would have you be and do.  That is what the Cost of Discipleship is all about:  discerning God’s Call and following Jesus.  And that is exactly what we prayed for earlier in our service: “Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the Call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.”  See you Wednesday night.  Amen.

S.D.G.
         The Rev. Dr. David E. Abernethy-Deppe