Saint Andrew’s Net | September 2006 | Vol. XXI No. 6 | Page 1

If I have not told you yet, one of the things I love to do is fly-fish. There is nothing better than watching the fish come up and take your fly, and if you’re able to hook the fish, the fun is just beginning. At that point it becomes a test of wills, as the fish uses all of its tricks to try and dislodge the hook from the lip of its mouth. You can actually feel the fish shaking his mouth, through the rod, as he attempts to free himself. Before I go further, let me say that I am strictly a catch-and-release fisherman, and the beauty of fly-fishing is that by catching the fish on the lip, you do not hurt the fish.

I would like to tell you about my favorite fishing experience this summer. It was one of those situations where you know someone who knows someone. Well, my brother knew someone who knew this person who happens to have a cattle ranch in Eastern Oregon. It was a 40,000 acre ranch with 38 lakes. My brother was able to set it up so that we could go fishing on these lakes. Needless to say, we caught fish—lots of fish—and they were big, but that was not really what made this such a wonderful experience (although it did help). I can still remember sitting in my inner-tube with my brothers next to me and looking around; all you could see was the beautiful desert. The wind was blowing ever-so-gently, and birds were flying around.

What you could not see or hear were distractions. You could see, smell, and feel God’s creation. At that moment I knew I was experiencing God, and at that instance what came to my mind were my brothers and sisters at Saint Andrew’s and wishing I could experience this with you. We all have “God moments,” whether it is waiting in line to receive communion and you are singing, “Let us break bread together on our knees”; or you are saying the Lord’s Prayer and not even realizing you are doing it. The opportunities to experience God are not limited to worship, but are alive in every aspect of our lives. My hope and prayer is that we can get rid of the distractions in our lives and live into these God experiences. Live into them and let them refresh, renew, and enliven your life, and then take that love and share it.

Before I close I would like to thank everyone who helped make our Vacation Bible School such a success. As a parent who sent his child to VBS, I say “thank you.” He had a great time. As your priest, I thank you for your loving ministry.

God’s Peace,

  Peter