St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

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Fishing Tips

Mark 1:14-20

January 22, 2006        (Click this link to see the bulletin)

1. How many of you like to fish? I used to love it, but I don’t fish much anymore – maybe if I stocked the hot tub? Better not! Today I want to take us on a fishing trip. We could get a pole and a worm of some sort and go down to the river, but we might not catch any fish. Fishing is an art and a science, all at the same time. So, to keep you from wasting time, I will give you some tips for catching bass.

2. "Doodling" is a very successful way to catch bass. Start with a very sharp hook. Some of the best hooks are not sharp enough right out of the package, and need to be sharpened. You can buy sharpening kits. Then select your bait. Plastic purple worms are the best to use. When "doodling," it is critical to keep your presentation natural. Downsize your hooks and pay close attention to how straight your bait is. A fish will hardly ever hit a worm that is not properly rigged. The secret is to use little worms and a light-weight line so you can "shake" the bait. Once you have your gear ready, go where the fish are! You cannot expect to catch any fish from the comfort of your recliner! When you get there, and have your hook baited, let it fall to the depth just above the fish, and shake the tip of your fishing rod. That’ll get their attention. Then wait about 30 seconds – I’ll time it. Boy! Thirty seconds is a long time, isn’t it. Okay, 30 seconds is up. Now shake it again quickly, 2 or 3 seconds at the most. Then stop, and pull the bait slowly about six inches. Stop again, then repeat the whole process. If they’re not biting, slow down. You cannot rush it!

3. Sometimes it’s hard to know if they’re really biting. So if you feel a slight tug, pull quickly to set the hook, then reel ‘em in carefully! If you jerk it up too fast, the fish rush to the surface and jump, and you’ll probably lose him. Don’t worry. The more often you fish, the more of a knack you will acquire for choosing the right lure and the right technique for the situation. The best advice is to check out the fishing conditions, ask for guidance from anglers familiar with the waters you are fishing, and try all kinds of different lures and techniques until you discover what works best.

4. But what if you can’t go fishing during the day – it’s too hot, or you’re working, or any number of reasons. Then go fishing at night! Night fishing, however, is different. Fish move closer to shore at night, but not far away from their day-time locations. Most people use heavier tackle at night than would be effective during the day time. Purple is still the best color to use. But don’t take as many rods and reels at night – only one or two to avoid tangles and broken equipment. Night fishing is a bit dangerous, and requires extra safety precautions. Make sure your boat has working running lights. Carry a flashlight, and be extra careful after dark.

5. Okay, I think we’re ready. Let’s see where Jesus wants us to go. "Follow me," he says. That’s a bit vague, isn’t it? Follow him WHERE? He went just about everywhere, didn’t he? He went where the religious people were, and he went where the irreligious people were; he went where the in-crowd was, and he went where the outcasts were. He went to mountain villages and he went to coastal towns. He went where the men were and where the women were. He went everywhere the people were. So where should we go? That part’s easy! We should go everywhere!

6. But once we get there, what do we do? We start fishing . . . fishing for people. That’s not going to be quite so easy, is it? In fact, that’s going to be hard for us. We Presbyterians are not very good at fishing for people. So let’s see if we can apply our knowledge of doodling for bass to "fishing for people." First, sharpen your hooks and get your best bait. A sloppily-baited hook will not entice a fish. For me, this means keeping ourselves in good working order and speaking well of our church. If we ourselves are whiney or say bad things about the church or its members, or if we can’t articulate why we follow Jesus, no one is going to be interested in what we have to offer. So when we’re ready, we go where the people are, and we wiggle our bait just a little bit. Make a comment about how you love to hear the choir, or how much it means to you to serve a meal at the Day Center for the Homeless, or how you enjoy teaching your class. The Checotah Church got a whole new family that way. One of the women told a friend that she could not come to their PEO meeting on particular night, because the church was having their annual Thanksgiving Dinner, and she wouldn’t miss it for anything! The friend told me later, after she and her whole family joined, that she wanted to be a part of a congregation that meant so much to her friend. Just a little wiggle of the bait, then move on. If the fish don’t bite, slow down. Or, to put it another way, don’t push it. There will be another opportunity to make an offhand comment later. If they sound interested, if they "bite," set the hook by inviting them. But don’t jerk too hard, or you might loose them!

7. Now, what if you can’t "fish" during the day? Go fishing at night! One pastor I know is very concerned about the lonely people who have nothing to do at night but go to a bar. So, from time to time, he goes and visits with the people who are there by themselves. That’s "night fishing." If you choose to do that, take extra precautions! Remember it can be dangerous to fish at night!

8. Now, about the bait. When I found these fishing tips, I thought it was interesting that the best bait was purple. Purple is the color we use for Advent and Lent, two somber times in the life of the church. During Advent we wait for God to send someone to save us; during Lent we search our souls and look for new direction. But somber times in our lives don’t wait for the weeks before Christmas and Easter! These are very good times to be in the Church! Over and over, I hear people say they could not have gotten through whatever it was they had to endure without their friends in the Church. The very best way to "fish for people" as Jesus asked us to do, is to be their friend. Bring them to church so they will already be here when the tough times come!

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