Sermon - 1/22/23

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Religion

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I am sure some of you remember former United States Senator John Ashcroft, who also served as Attorney General during the George W. Bush Administration. A story has been told about his father, J. Robert Ashcroft. I don’t know if this tale is true, however, it provides a great illustration. According to the story, in January of 1995, J. Robert Ashcroft had fewer than forty-eight hours to live and he was holding on to life, hoping to see his son, John, sworn in as a US Senator the following day. As his family and friends gathered around, J. Robert Ashcroft asked his son to play the piano while everyone sang, “We Are Standing On Holy Ground.” After the song, the frail old man spoke some powerful words, saying, “John, I want you to know that even Washington can be holy ground. Wherever you hear the voice of God, that ground is sanctified. It’s a place where God can call you to serve him. Wherever we are in our vocation…..that place is a holy place of service for God.” Called! It is one of the great biblical themes. God calls! And all who follow Jesus are called. Wherever we are in our vocation, whatever we are doing with our lives, God calls us. Even in a place like Washington, DC. Even in places like Okemos, Haslett, Williamston, East Lansing, Perry, Mason, Holt, Laingsburg, Owosso, Dansville, DeWitt, Grand Ledge, Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, St. Johns, and Lansing, MI. Even in the most unlikely of places and situations, God calls us, and that place is a holy place of service for God. It is holy ground. In today’s gospel reading, we hear the call stories of Simon, Andrew, James, and John. All these men were fishermen. Now, at that point in time, fishing was not a relaxing, easy job. It was hard, difficult, dirty work. There was nothing easy about it. Anyway, as we meet up with Jesus in today’s reading, we find him walking beside the lake one afternoon and he sees these

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