Rev. Charles Dana, “Dan” Krutz Dan Krutz is the Executive Director for Louisiana Interchurch Conference. He received his Doctorate of Ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1995 and serves as a Priest at St. Francis Episcopal Church. Fr. Krutz resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA.

Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. John 21:5-6, New Revised Standard Version.

So many times I feel like the disciples who fished all night and caught nothing. We know the frustrations of Peter and the others. Jesus had the answer for soon-to-be- apostles, and He has the answer for us, too! I remember a story a friend told me of a man who had a mine full of gold, but he only dug just enough to get by. Every once in a while he would go to the mine, dig a little gold, go the town miles away, pick up a few provisions and return to his cabin and live his meager existence. Why didn’t he explore, dig for more and take advantage of the treasure given to him to live life abundantly?

My mother is an avid deer hunter who also loves to fish. Recently, she and a group went fishing together. While she was gone, I received this phone call, “Dan, we caught 144 fish!” Other than the gospels, I never knew that people counted their fish! I never expect to catch many fish, and I don’t know what I would do if I caught them. It’s like the man who kept throwing back the fish into the lake. His friend asked, “Why are you throwing back these fish?” The man said, “These fish are at least 12 inches long, and my skillet is only ten inches!”

I wonder, is the message of Easter, at least in part, to get a bigger skillet? Could it be that the seventh anniversary of ecumininet is only a tiny fraction of it’s lifespan? Could it be that the most fruitful years of my life are still ahead even although I’m in my seventh decade? Yes, is the answer to each of those questions. If you have similar questions, then the answer can be “yes” for you!

I grew up along the Mississippi Delta in Arkansas, and we had some of the richest farm land in the area. We were dirt farmers without much to show for it, if you looked at our home and our possessions. Yet, I can say that my life was a spiritually as rich as the delta dirt that I helped my father plow. Now I want to get back to those roots in the delta. I think the “way back” has to do with Jesus’ words of encouragement to his disciples that early morning when they, too, were hungry. May God fill us with a plate full of miracles!

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