Make a splash church!

The ‘splash’ sound has been a sound I have loved throughout my life.

I love the splash of a basketball net! I remember many nights as a kid shooting on the goal at the end of our carport. The best sound in the world was to hear the ‘splash’ of the ball ripping through the net. In fact, I was picky about which nets I chose. Some made louder noises than others.

I love the splashes of the pool! My friends and I had a game growing up. We would try to rock the pool. We would line up at the diving board. Each of us would take a turn making a splash with a cannon ball until the whole pool rocked!

And I love the splashes Jesus made in his ministry. In a story from Luke 5, Jesus was standing beside a lake. He told one of the fishermen named Simon to set out into the deep part of the lake in his boat and to let down his net. Simon replied that he and his fellow fishermen had fished all night long and had caught nothing, but he was willing to give it a go. Simon let down his nets. To his surprise, he has to call others to help. As they strain to pull in the catch they are worried they’re going to break the nets because there are so many fish. Can you hear the splashes of the hundreds of fish as the net reaches the surface? Jesus knew how to make a splash. Jesus would call Simon to catch people from that point forward.

When we follow Jesus and reach new people, we need to make a splash. Rock the boat a bit and send waves into the community. Jesus made splashes everywhere he traveled. It was hard to miss Jesus. People were being healed, fed and raised from the dead. On many occasions, his presence incited rebuke and disdain. Whether people agreed with him or not, you knew Jesus was in the area.

For the modern church, Jesus has called us to make a splash. It’s time to let our communities know God is up to something. Stir up the church to get behind a Habitat House. Organize the youth and parents for a community movie night. Commission new people to sort clothes at the local shelter. Tell the good news of Jesus’ love in a local park. Whatever we do, there needs to be some noise, some activity, some pulling in of nets. Set out into the deep. Make a splash church.