“So they went out
and got into the boat,
but that night
they caught nothing.”

It was the summer of 1989.  South Shore little league was told that they had to add two more teams to their major league division and I was asked to coach one of these expansion team. Each existing team offered us a player from their roster. As you can guess none of those teams gave us any of their star players. Starting with those eight players we drafted five other players to round off our team of thirteen. It was a season I vividly remember although I am certain some have chosen to forget. Our record was 0 wins and 16 loses. While each boy was "a good little ball player" what we needed was a pitcher. Since we didn’t have any we needed to score a half dozen runs a game and we needed to play perfect defense. There were some parents who thought the team needed a new coach.

Our gospel story this morning is a story of need as is the season of Advent.

Peter and his fishing buddies needed a break. The events surrounding the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus and the experiences associated with Jesus’ resurrection had been overwhelming. They needed a break from it all. They needed to return to something that was familiar, something that would bring them comfort and strength.  So they went fishing.

What was supposed to bring them comfort resulted in more discontent because they fished all night and caught nothing.

Unfortunately this is often true of Advent, a season of joyful anticipation and preparation becomes a season of discontent. It is a season of needs of which a snowstorm is not one of them. We need to send out cards and mail out-of-state presents. We need to decorate the house. We need to do the Christmas baking. We need to clean the house before the Christmas company arrives. We need to purchase gifts and wrap them. The list of things we need to do seems as long as the night Peter and his buddies said,

As we journey to Bethlehem this advent focused on our needs it would be helpful for us to look at Joseph and Mary’s need. Mary’s need to be pregnant. Joseph’s need to have his fiancée pregnant with someone else’s child. Joseph and Mary’s need to travel 80/85 miles to Bethlehem without the conveniences of modern day. Their needs didn’t stop once they got there. They needed lodging and provisions. In spite of their needs they persevered because when God revealed His plan to them they trusted. They obeyed.

When your life is thrust into the darkness of life what is your response? Is your initial tendency to become scared? Do you become like a child who panics when the lights are shut off?  One night I laid in bed with Adam to prove that there was nothing to be afraid of in the darkness. As we lay there with the lights off our eyes began to adjust and we were able to see in spite of the diminished light. So it is with faith in God. God promised that Jesus was the light of world and no darkness could or would extinguish His light. It is a light of peace, of hope, of grace, of comfort, and of power.

Too often our attempt to pray doesn’t make it to the dawn. Therefore we never see the stranger on the shore. We never hear His command. We never have breakfast with Him. We never receive His great call.

Don’t let discouragement and fatigue cause you  to row to shore in the middle of the night, give up, and go your own way. The birth of Jesus Christ proclaims that the Lord will not strand you at sea.

Like Peter and his fishing buddies who kept fishing all night long even though they were catching nothing, you and I must pray until dawn.

Pray on! Advent proclaims, Pray on with obedience and trust!