I’ve got to tell you. Last Sunday was pretty cool. There were so many great things going on that day, especially here at our annual meeting. Looking back over the past year: looking forward to this new year; defining our mission, understanding our call as a people and as a community. The rest of my day was just as great as the events of the morning; and most of it can be summed up in numbers. After all I am a numbers kind of guy.

After attending my 25th annual meeting, I went home to watch Roger Federer win his 4th Australian Open, his 16th grand slam. Later that day the AFC won its 20th pro bowl tying the record at 20 games apiece. That evening the 52nd annual Grammy awards were broadcast but there was way too much whoopla for me so I passed on the Grammys. But I must admit that my day was made complete when I discovered that the American Movie Classics channel was broadcasting the Matrix trilogy all day long. They called it the Matrix Marathon; all three movies, back to back. When the three movies were over, they would start them all over again. 12 hours of the Matrix!

If you have seen these movies, you will know that all three are pretty decent films. Matrix Reloaded, the second film, has a lot of cool scenes, where Neo and Trinity are always dressed in black, blazing with guns or hand to hand combat with the enemy. Matrix Revolution the third and final movie of the trilogy, is full of special effects and has this “I am blind but now I see” theme to it, but my favorite of the three is the original movie: The Matrix. So I watched it….for the 15th time……….and the 16th. That’s enough with the numbers.

Every time I watch this movie I see something new, but two scenes always stand out for me. The first is early in the movie.

Mr. Anderson is in his cubicle on his computer. It is obvious that he is bored with his life. He lacks purpose and seems to know only the hard life of computer technology. He wants something better, but has not had much confidence in himself. He has hot impulses but never seems to carry them out fully. He has as much courage as most men, but even so, he cannot count on it to last. No one expects him to do anything that matters much. But he gets a call, and he immediately knows who it is, the one he has been looking for. Morpheus. Morpheus calls him by name: Neo.

Morpheus tells Neo to proceed to an office at the end of the hallway. Neo objects at first, yet he follows the instructions. Once he gets there, he is told to go out the window to the scaffolding. Neo opens the window and steps out onto the ledge and fear sets in.

Simon is in his boat cleaning his nets. It is obvious that he is bored with his life. He lacks purpose and seems to know only the hard life of the fishing fleet. He wants something better, but has not had much confidence in himself. He has hot impulses but never seems to carry them out fully. He has as much courage as most fishermen, but even so, he cannot count on it to last.
No one expects him to do anything that matters much. But he gets a call, and he immediately knows who it is, the one he has been looking for. Jesus. Jesus calls him by name. Simon Peter.

Jesus tells Simon to put out into the deeper water and let down his nets. Simon objects at first, yet he follows the instructions. Once he gets there, Simon casts the nets and catches so much fish that the boat begins to sink. Fear sets in.

Back in the Matrix, Neo has worked through the fear and we now find him face to face with Morpheus in a room. Morpheus holds out his hands. In one hand is a blue pill; in the other is a red pill. The blue pill offers Neo the same meaningless life. The red pill offers him a new vision, a life of significant purpose and mission. Neo must make a choice between the blue or the red pill. Neo chooses the red pill, leaves everything and follows Morpheus.

Back on the shores of the lake, Simon Peter is working through his fear and we find him face to face with Jesus. “Do not be afraid” says Jesus as he holds out his hands to Simon. Jesus offers Simon a choice; you can spend the rest of your life catching fish, or you can follow me and be catching people. Jesus lays out a new vision for Simon Peter’s life. Simon chooses the red pill, leaves everything and follows Jesus.

Both Neo and Simon Peter made a choice and responded when called. Both went to be with their masters from that day on. They would learn amazing lessons and would be led to a kind of devotion which neither could have ever conceived. Both recognized a call that did not depend on knowledge and learning, but on the impulse of a spirit that wants to follow and a spirit that eventually wants to lead.

I have been thinking of when these kinds of scenes might have been played out in our own lives. I remember distinctly eight years ago just this past week. I stood on the floor of the Cathedral face to face with my Bishop. By then I had clearly made a choice but was asked once again if I believed that I am called by God to mission and service in the Church as a Deacon. I respond; I believe I am so called.

Several months ago Dan stood on this very floor, face to face with his Bishop. By then he had clearly made a choice but was asked once again if he believed that he was called by God to mission and service in the Church as a Priest. He responds; I believe I am so called.

Just weeks ago we stood in this very place, face to face with Sarah our rector and one who was to be baptized. Sarah held out her hands and asked all of us if we believed we are called to serve Christ in all persons, to strive for justice and peace, to respect the dignity of every human being; to love our neighbor. We were asked if we believe we are all called by God to mission and service in the world as the baptized. We responded; we will with God’s help.

Whether we are immersed in the water of our own baptism or the laying on of hands at our ordination, one could say that all of us have chosen the red pill. We are constantly called into mission and service in the Church; not only as individuals but as a community. Our vestry has drafted a new mission statement; one that places the work of our parish in the here and now of our culture. It calls us to be an engaged faith community, deeply rooted in the ministry of Jesus; to be hospitable, to worship and serve and to be responsive to the needs of Gods people. We are called put out into deeper water and let down our nets.

In doing so, I hope and pray that we will experience God’s abundance in terms of a catch so big that our nets will begin to break and our boat begins to sink. That part about the boat sinking is a metaphor Sarah.

In our movie, Neo is called to lead the people of Zion. In our gospel, Simon Peter is called to fish for people. In our mission statement we are called to the work of mission and service in Gods kingdom.
In our gathering as a community today and every time we worship, Jesus invites us into mission and service. Jesus invites us to follow him and to fish for people. He calls us forward to the table and we open our hands to receive the bread and the wine. In the context of our movie, one might say that, when we receive the bread and wine, in response to that call, we choose the red pill. In the context of our scripture reading from Isaiah, one might say that, when we receive the bread and wine, in response to that call, we are simply saying; “Here I am Jesus. Send me”.