John 21:4-7a
“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.  He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’  ‘No,’ they answered.  He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’  When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large numbers of fish.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’”

Acts 10:9b, 11-15
“…Peter went up on the roof to pray…He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.  It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.  Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter.  Kill and eat.’  ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied.  ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’  The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’”

Ephesians 2:12b-13
“…you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.”

Loving Father, you surround the nations with your saving Spirit.

When hearts are stubborn, you fill your net with those who are most unlikely .  In our narrow view you welcome the outsiders with inappropriate generousity.

Throw wide the sheet and gather us in.  Though you find us on the wrong side and drifting far away, cast your love upon us and draw us near.

In Jesus’ name we ask this, the unpredictable fisher of souls who has given us hope by calling us clean.

Listen to ‘The Way Home‘ by Ryan McAllister