As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Recall a time when you might have felt guided by the Holy Spirit to receive a blessing from a stranger or give a blessing to a stranger (however you understand “stranger”). Was it sudden? Gradual? Who or what helped prepare you? Have there been, or are there now, language barriers in your life? (Literal or metaphorical.) What can we, the church, do to take away those barriers?

How am I cultivating a sense of wonder and appreciation for what is good and beautiful? How do I remain receptive and hospitable to new possibilities, ideas, and directions? How am I proactively opening myself to finding God in others? How could practicing curiosity be an expression of bravery for me? How might curiosity facilitate the coming of peace and justice in our world?

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

What makes a space safe? For whose safety am I concerned? What is peace? How do I know when it is present? What does it look and feel like? What does the work of peacemaking require of me and of us?

“Then two will be in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken, and one will be left. Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”