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| North shore of Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador. Image by Sherry Coman. |
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A GREETING
I call to you, when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
(Psalm 61:2)
A READING
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the
deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered,
‘Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.
Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.’ When they had done this,
they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.
So they signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and
help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began
to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees,
saying, ‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ For he and
all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they
had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who
were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be
afraid; from now on you will be catching people.’ When they had
brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
(Luke 5:4-11)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
(Matthew 4:20)
A PRAYER
Our Father above the water,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy rain will come, thy rivers run,
On earth as they do in heaven.
Give us this day our daily fish,
And forgive our excess limit,
As we forgive those who set the limit.
Lead us not into rough water;
Deliver us at the end of season.
For thine is the river, the ocean, and the glory,
Forever and ever, Amen.
- "The Fishing Prayer", anonymous tradition,
found in "The Fisherman's Prayer: Stories, Poems, and Prayers from the Olympic Peninsula"
by Pat Neal
VERSE OF THE DAY
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
(Psalm 128:2)
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| Town of Fogo. Fogo Island, Newfoundland and Labrador. Image by Sherry Coman (click on image to enlarge). |
The Labrador Current from near the shore of Northern Labrador (approximately at Hebron which we visited yesterday) flows down into the Atlantic Ocean east of the main island of Newfoundland. The Labrador Current is responsible for bringing the cod to the area known as the Grand Banks, a fishing region that has a long history of sustaining the people of the province, including the Indigenous and Viking communities who once lived there.
Yesterday we explored the efforts by the Canadian government to move small remote villages into more accessible urban settings. What most of those families were leaving behind was the occupation of fishing, which has been the lifeblood of most Newfoundlaners, and especially those living along the northern coastal region and its islands.
Besides displacement, the fishing industry was devasted by the development in the 1970s and 80s of commercial industrial-sized fishing vessels from other countries. In 1992, a moratorium on cod fishing was established by the federal government. The ban meant that those who had depended on fishing all their lives could no longer catch fish. This had long-lasting and profound impacts on Newfoundland culture and on its economy. Populations dwindled as people migrated in search of jobs, and a way of life was lost. After thirty yeas, last year in 2024 the moratorium was finally lifted and those who fish could once again resume traditional fishing practices.
In our reading today, we hear Jesus both fulfil the dream of a good catch of fish and also expect the fishermen to leave their nets and follow him. If Jesus had provided you with an abundance of what you most rely on to live, but then said 'leave it and follow me', how would you respond?
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A PRACTICE OF TRADITION AND RESISTANCE
This short film made in 2016 by director Justin Simms, profiles the traditional Newfoundland custom of fishing for cod by the hand line method, and documents how much the practice acknowledges and upholds the ancestral approach to fishing. In a time when Newfoundlanders are still recovering from the over-industrialization of the fishing industry, hand line fishing is also an act of resistance and resilience, a return to what matters most. The film is 13 minutes. On Saturdays, longer videos are offered in the hopes that there is more space, or that they might serve as a weekend video.
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Resources in today's devotion:
Scripture passages are taken from The New Revised Standard Version.
Full lyrics for Saltwater Joys, written by Wayne Chaulk, can be found here. For more on the history of the fishing industry and its crises in Newfoundland, go here.
The next devotional day is Monday, March 31st.
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LC† Streams of Living Justice is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!