Andrew

This sermon was heard at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Longview, Texas on Sunday January 19, 2014, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary time.



Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
1 Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

A movie I like to see every time it’s on TNT is “A Knight’s Tale.” You might remember; it starred Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, and Paul Bettany. Ledger played a peasant who served a knight who died in the middle of a tournament. Impersonating the knight, Ledger wins. With a bit of mischief, a ton of gumption, and a cadre of great friends Ledger becomes Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein and sets the medieval world afire with his jousting.

Adding fun to the festivities, Paul Bettany plays the poet Geoffrey Chaucer . In this version, Chaucer is a down on his luck degenerate gambler who joins up with our merry gang to provide papers of nobility, vital for a band of peasants masquerading as a knight and his squires, and serves as von Lichtenstein’s herald announcing him before battle.ⁱ My favorite of his introductions goes like this:

I have the pride, the privilege, nay, the pleasure of introducing to you to a knight, sired by knights. A knight who can trace his lineage back beyond Charlemagne. I first met him atop a mountain near Jerusalem, praying to God, asking his forgiveness for the Saracen blood spilt by his sword. Next, he amazed me still further in Italy when he saved a fatherless beauty from the would-be ravishing of her dreadful Turkish uncle.

This is when the crowd boos the dreadful Turkish uncle.

In Greece he spent a year in silence just to better understand the sound of a whisper. And so without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give to you, the seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God, the one, the only, Sir Ulllrrrich von Lichtenstein!

And the crowd goes wild!

I love this, and Bettany sells it so well. You know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is. Then under his breath, as the crowd goes wild, in an aside meant for himself and the theater audience, Chaucer says, “Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week.”

In its own way, this reminds me of the introductory portion of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, which we read today. I enjoy Paul’s writings because they are so rich. There is so much in every letter. It may seem awkward for us to read what we would think of as an intimate form of communication being shared publicly. Then again, in an age of social media; maybe we’re actually getting back to this more open form of letters… but that’s for another day.

Paul’s letter begins as so many of them do, with greetings and uplifting words.

To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours.

How’s that for a greeting. It sure beats “Dear Valued Customer.” Once at the church in Berryville, Arkansas I got a piece of junk mail addressed to the “Owner” of the church. I spent a good hour praying over the glorious theology and horrible polity of that little tidbit.

Paul tells them they are sanctified in Christ Jesus! It is through Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, that they are made holy, set aside for God's work; and it’s not just the church at Corinth. It’s “all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord,” together, all of us, the entire body of Christ; we are sanctified in Christ Jesus. We aren’t “Lone Rangers,” we aren’t flying solo. Now that’s what I call a greeting. So what’s next?

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

When I begin a service, I like to begin with words similar to theseⁱⁱ because, well, those words? How’s that for a blessing? Then Paul said says “God our Father.” First he established that the church is the church of all believers, and then he makes sure that all believers know that God is our Father. Our Father! Absolutely glorious.

Seeing that we just heard the rest of this I won’t rereading more of it, but what Paul writes is so wonderful. He gives thanks for them; the Apostle gives thanks for the congregation. As one who has been sent to congregations, pastors do give thanks; and Paul gets even more specific. He is thankful for the grace God has extended in Christ so that they may be enriched in spiritual gifts as the testimony of how Christ has been strengthened amongst them as they wait for the return of the Lord.

Again, Paul explains that as they have become stronger in Christ they have received these gifts. Now, the gifts aren’t a reward. It’s not “You know Jesus, here’s a cookie.” No, gifts are given for a specific reason, and if you are familiar with Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians you will know what Paul has to say about this. Again... that’s for another day.

Paul also affirms that God will strengthen them to the end so that they may be blameless on the day of the Lord. Code? Maybe a little. He’s saying that until the day of Christ’s return God will strengthen them so that they may be righteous under the law. Would you like someone to tell you that? How about Kemper? How about me? [In the Late Service I added the name of the person who read the passage from 1Corinthians: How about William?] I can do you better. The Apostle Paul speaking with the authority of scripture tells us all that.

In “A Knight’s Tale,” there was more than one stadium introduction, here’s another gem from Chaucer:

Yes, behold my lord Ulrich, the rock, the hard place, like a wind from Guilderland he sweeps by blown far from his homeland in search of glory and honor, we walk... in the garden... of his turpulence!

As we know, Paul teaches hard lessons as well as encourages. He showed people the rock and the hard place like a wind from Guilderland. Paul wasn’t in it for glory or honor and we may still be walking in his turpulence. Whatever that is. ⁱⁱⁱ

While we stopped at verse nine, the timbre of Paul’s words changes at verse ten, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” Yes, Paul's turpulence will be known in abundance by anyone who reads this letter regardless of the century it is read.

So if Paul takes the people to the rock and the hard place, why does he begin with such flowery prose? First it's not unusual to open a letter with something nice to say, but undeserved flattery isn't Paul's style.

That leaves only one viable conclusion, what Paul wrote in verses one through nine is absolutely true, and what he wrote in verse ten and beyond is absolutely true too. Paul loves the people of the church at Corinth enough not to tell them what they want to hear. He tells them the truth. He tells them that they are blessed. He tells them that they are sanctified to do God's work with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He tells them that God is their Father and Jesus is their Lord. He tells them that they are blessed. The grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with them all.

And he will show them where their walk with their Lord lacks, and again... that is for another day.

Paul loves them enough to share the joys and the pain of new life in Christ. He loves them enough to build them up. He loves them enough to point out the rock and the hard place. He loves them too much to lie. He loves them too much to hide their demons; he'd rather they meet them in Christ. He does this as an Apostle and as an evangelist.

This takes us to our gospel reading; Jesus walking through the wilderness as John the Baptist screams out “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” Now John had been proclaiming the coming work of the Lamb of God, and while many of the temple leaders considered him the weirdo-in-the-wilderness, he had followers. So when John announced the coming of the Lamb two of John's disciples left to follow Jesus. One of these was Andrew and the other was unnamed.

Jesus noticed them, of course and asked the big question, "What are you looking for?" They asked in reply, "Where are you staying?" I can only imagine a coy smile and maybe a cock of the eyebrow as the Lord said "Come... and see." There they stayed. Except for that nastiness around the crucifixion, they stayed.

Jesus walked and they followed.

When they followed their world opened up. They lived the greatest story ever told, and went on to tell it themselves. Andrew is known as the great evangelist, and the first person he brought to the Lord is his brother Simon, the man who would become Peter, the Rock upon whom Christ would build the church.

Jesus walked. They followed. But on that first day, where did Jesus walk? Where did they follow? Scripture's kind of vague on this, the city square perhaps. Maybe they went to the garden, maybe a nice sitting room. Maybe there was some place in a vineyard, scripture doesn't say.

I would love to imagine that they had their conversation at the fisherman's or carpenter's union hall. Or maybe they found a place to hold their discussion over a cold one and a game of pool. If they were in a hipster state of mind, maybe they went to a coffee house that sold fair trade coffee. What I'm saying is that I imagine they assembled where people assemble.

We put names and titles and labels on Jesus, Andrew, and the Unnamed Apostle; names they have earned and deserve. But when we do we might forget that they were men. They were guys. They had calloused hands from working a hard trade. They had first century lunch pails. So I imagine when they went to talk about what ever they talked about that day, they were comfortable. They weren't in the Pastor's Study .

So what happened next? What happened after the following of the earthbound Lord?

According to ancient church historians Andrew preached in Scythia. He preached along the Black Sea and the Dnieper river as far as Kiev, and from there he traveled to Novgorod. He became a patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. According to tradition, he founded the See of Byzantium in AD 38, installing Stachys as bishop.

He preached in Thrace, and his presence in Byzantium is mentioned in the 2nd century Acts of Andrew. This diocese would later develop into the Patriarchate of Constantinople where Andrew is recognized as the patron saint.

He is considered the evangelist to the people of Soviet Georgia. After being shipwrecked in Malta, Andrew struck the rocks where they ran aground, A healing spring opened and the ship's captain who was blind in one eye was healed.

In short, he got around.

Andrew was an evangelist. Looking at John's gospel he was the first evangelist, bringing Peter to the Lord. His influence has been known far and wide in Asia and Europe for over two millennia. And it is known in this sanctuary.

The name by which this congregation is known, St. Andrew, was suggested by Dr. Joel May and was met with enthusiasm because of Andrew's association with evangelism and with the nation of Scotland, yet another land where Andrew is the patron saint.^iv Where does that leave us today? How has this congregation been sanctified to continue doing God's work?

Gloriously since the very beginning, since 1965 this congregation has been breaking new ground in ministry. While still a mission of First Presbyterian here in Longview, St. Andrew was the first local congregation to scandalize the mission of Christ by ordaining and installing women as Elders. It's as right as rain to us today, but 50 years ago it was a scandal as large as any the church faces today in ordination standards. And St. Andrew led the way.

From the very beginning the congregation has opened the doors of the building and put blade to the land for the community. Within the last ten years, St. Andrew has helped birth the Longview Interfaith Hospitality Network. LIHN is an ecumenical coalition which houses homeless families in various local churches. This provides a safe place for people to get on their feet out of the cold. The next year saw literal ground breaking on the community garden providing fresh veggies to LIHN families.

Throughout the years this congregation has also provided support to seminarians and missionaries including our friend the Rev. Jan Dittmar.

There is no way we can ever forget our Lord's love for children and the love shown through the Little Angel's Academy. Help to those who are homeless began here with Habitat for Humanity. The original Longview offices were on this very campus. St. Andrew is now able to serve as an assistance center with the American Red Cross.^v

As for the future of St. Andrew, a vision is laid out. By the insight of the Spirit, led by the Pastor Nominating Committee, the congregation has developed a mission study to guide you as you seek your next pastor.

At the end of “A Knight's Tale,” when the charade is up, Sir Ulrich has died and Heath Ledger's Sir William Thatcher has risen like a phoenix out of his ashes, Chaucer gives one final stadium introduction.

I would lay rest the grace in my tongue and speak plainly. Days like these are far too rare to cheapen with heavy handed words, and so, I'm afraid without any ado whatsoever... Here he is, one of your own, born a stone's throw from this very stadium, and here before you now, the son of John Thatcher... Sir Wiiiiiilliam Thatcheeer.

Days like these are far too rare, so let me end without any ado. Just last week this part of the Body of Christ responded to new life in Christ by ordaining and installing new Elders to the Session. In the Presbyterian Church in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and installation; the children of God are referred to by their first names alone. The reason for this is glorious. The reason is that in Christ we share the same last name. We are the children of God and by this miracle of grace the family names we carry are an earthly convention. The Lord does not need them to know whose children we are. We are the Lord’s children, the children of God.

So today, as the children of God, living wet in the waters of our baptism, remembering the heritage of Andrew's evangelistic fervor, I leave you with the words of St. Andrew's third pastor, the Rev. Michael Parsons, “As we go about our daily business, we should remember a witnessing church is a living church—and a church is PEOPLE. … This is no easy task for me; it is a day by day challenge to us all... it may well be said that 'fellowship is as fellowship does'—where this church goes depends on you, for you are the church.”^vi

iAll quotes from “A Knight's Tale” come from the Internet Movie Database page for “A Knight's Tale.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183790/trivia?tab=qt&ref_=tt_trv_qu

ii I begin worship saying “May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” To many it seems like a formula, but what it is is a wonderful and powerful blessing.

iii According to the Urban Dictionary, turpulence is “a tumultuous explosion of persona resulting in a feeling of total envelopment by another person's presence.” http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=turpulence

ivRogers Smith, Nancy, “St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, The First Twenty-Five Years, 1965-1990.” page 3.

vFrom the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church Mission Report.

viIbid Rogers Smith p. 10.

Try to Remember and Follow

This sermon was delivered at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 1, 2007

2Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

The travelogue is a classic form of literature and a Missouri man named William Least Heat Moon has written two. The first is a heralded compilation of stories collected as the author traveled for three months around the circumference of the U.S. avoiding big cities and taking the road less traveled. Based on the color of these roads in the old Rand McNally atlas this route was the source of the book’s title, “Blue Highways.”[1] This journey took him to among other places Nameless, Tennessee; Selma, Alabama; Dimebox, Texas; and Moscow, Idaho.

Least Heat Moon’s second travelogue, “River Horse” is an account of his four-month coast-to-coast trip across the U.S., using a variety of boats ranging from a cabin cruiser to a canoe with a trolling motor.[2] This travelogue retraces his attempt to recreate Lewis and Clark's expedition to find the Northwest Passage through the Hudson, Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, and Columbia rivers along with many smaller tributaries. He estimated that in the end he traveled across country with less than 100 miles out of water. While this route forces him past many major cities including New York, Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, and Portland; Least Heat Moon again spends most of his time in small towns the world seems to have left behind when rails and roads took most of the freight traffic.

This part of Luke’s gospel, from today’s reading through the first half of chapter nineteen are Luke’s travel narrative. In this part of the gospel, Luke describes Jesus’ travels through Palestine as he gradually works his way through the holy land toward Jerusalem and the triumphal entry, and ultimately his crucifixion.

On the face of this reading from Luke’s gospel, there seem to be two stories in this lesson. The first is the story of Jesus being rejected in a Samaritan village, with its little additional piece of James and John wanting to use power to show the might of the Lord. This part of the piece helps us answer the question of whether we should destroy or have compassion for people who reject the Lord. The second is Jesus on the road and the people he meets along the way. In this part of the piece, we are called to wonder what Jesus is looking for in disciples and what discipleship truly means.

We start with Jesus on the road. Even this early in Luke’s gospel Jesus knows where he is going and what is going to happen when he gets there. Whether despite this or because of this, Jesus has his face set toward Jerusalem. He is resolute; he is determined to go to Jerusalem. Of course this made the Samaritans none too happy. And since the Samaritans and Jews were related like the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s were related, when it was clear that Jesus was destined for Jerusalem, the Samaritans would not receive him.

These peoples were on different roads, the Jews believed the Lord made Mount Zion home where the Samaritans believed Mount Gerizim was the house of the Lord. This difference is never clearer than the story of the Samaritan woman at the well from the fourth chapter of John’s gospel. But in this case, there was no woman at the well to hear the word of the Lord and the entire traveling party was left out in the cold. Here is a group of people, an entire nation of folks who were not ready to hear the word of the Lord because it was in such dire conflict with their society and its faith.

Boy, I can’t say things have changed much since antiquity? I’ve said it before and I’m about to say it again, everything that’s old is new again.

Jesus then meets three travelers along the road after leaving Samaria. The first wants to follow Jesus. I’ve said before that Jesus had two types of followers, those who wanted to follow Jesus and those who wanted to follow a great crowd. This man seems to fall into the latter group. “I will follow you wherever you go” he says. So Jesus tells the man “go” is the operative word. They have everywhere to go and nowhere to stay. Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man was just kicked out of a Samaritan village.

This time there is less than no room at the inn, now there isn’t even an inn.

The next man’s case is a little different, “Follow me” our Lord cries. But this man has plans; he needs to bury his father. But Jesus tells him in no uncertain terms this is not his job, his job is to go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Finally, the last man who didn’t receive the second one’s invitation says he will follow, but wants to bid his family farewell first. Jesus tells him that looking back is no way to go forward into new life. Looking back makes him unfit for the kingdom of God.

You know, maybe Jesus got a lousy night’s sleep because he wasn’t welcome in the Samaritan village; but for whatever reason, he’s more than a little cranky this morning.

In this passage, Jesus is dealing with foreigners and with his own people. He is dealing with people in a strange town and he is dealing with his entourage. He is coping with being rejected by people who don’t want him and by people who do. He also seems to be ignoring people who don’t want him and rejecting people who do. There seems to be a lot of differences between the two halves of the passage, yet there is a very important connection. Jesus is teaching all of these people what it takes to be his disciple. We learn that we must accept the Lord into our community, follow the Lord for his sake, choose life, and move forward. Through this we receive God’s grace and peace and bear the fruit of God’s Spirit.

Unlike the people in Samaria, we need to welcome Jesus into our community, into our village, our homes and our lives. Life in Jesus is completely unlike life without him, it is wholly different. All change is frightening, but we are called to change and welcome the Lord to our lives. In the Lord we go from doing things our way to doing them his way. The way Jesus shows us to be.

Unlike the first man, we aren’t to follow Jesus because of what’s in it for us; we are to respond to God because God has all ready responded to us with the offer of free grace. Often we hear of people who join organizations like Rotary or the Optimist club to make business connections. Jesus reminds us we are to follow him to glorify him. We do not follow for our profit, but for the Glory of God.

Unlike the second man, we are called to choose life over death. The way Jesus puts this is shocking, especially in a society that has such rich and deep family traditions as the Jews. But where in last week’s lesson the Gerasene was told by the Lord to stay at home and share the Gospel, here the Jewish man is told by the Lord to go and spread the Gospel. In the end, both of these men are called to respond to the Lord, not to their own needs. Our joy is that in the Lord, grief and suffering are valued and shared by the Lord and through Him is new life, not old death. Through Christ, even our grief is redeemed.

Finally, the last man wants to follow, but first he wants to say good bye to his old way of life before embarking on the new. Jesus tells him about how spreading the Good News is like plowing a field. Straight lines cannot be plowed by someone looking back over their shoulder to see where they’ve been. Looking back shows the old mistakes that can’t be changed; looking forward is the only way to prepare the field for harvest properly.

But there is one more very important thing to note about the three men Jesus speaks with, scripture does not tell us Jesus left even one of them behind. Jesus doesn’t send anyone away. Jesus doesn’t reject anyone. Jesus doesn’t say “no,” instead he says “now there is a new way.” To each of these men Jesus describes what he would have them do now. Jesus gives them each a new command.

Oh, and further, Jesus shows James and John that there is a better way to deal with people who disagree, disregard, and disrespect the Lord than to call down fire upon them. The son of Man did not come to destroy people, but to save them.[3]

Maybe, just maybe they did not change their ways immediately, but they continued with Jesus until they were fit for the kingdom of God, the old “fake it ’til you make it.” Maybe, just maybe each of these men chose the new life Jesus offered instead of the life they were living. And maybe, just maybe, each of these men repented. And hopefully, quite hopefully, the lives of each of these men began to bear the fruit of the Spirit Paul shares in Galatians. Through the love of the Lord, the free gift of his grace and peace, and their life in the Spirit, life bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. And against these things there is no law.

The Eureka Theater Company recently finished its six show run of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones’ (no, not that Tom Jones) long running Off-Broadway musical “The Fantasticks.” The opening number is called, “Try to Remember.”[4] The first two verses end with this line:

Try to remember and if you remember then follow.

This is our call. We are to remember the new life of peace and love and grace which is ours through Jesus Christ. He calls us to put him first, before all things. And through the fruit of the Holy Spirit, his grace opens us to new life. It allows us to live and to love and even to mourn in a new way; a way that shows the love of God in our lives, a way that puts God first; not our priorities, but the Lord’s.

The last line in the song offers advice for remembering and putting the Lord first even in the dark and cold times:

Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow.

In the days of the harvest of joy and glory we should remember and follow. And in the coldest and darkest days of our December we should remember and follow. Be in Christ, remember, and follow.

[1] Least Heat Moon, William, Blue Highways: A Journey Into America. Fawcett, 1982.
[2] Least Heat Moon, William, River Horse: The Logbook of a Boat Across America. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
[3] Reference to verse 9:56a which is not found in the oldest of transcripts and was probably added as a commentary by later scribes. (Metzger)
[4] “Try to Remember” from “The Fantasticks.” Music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics and book by Tom Jones, The Fantasticks Company, 1960.

Three

This sermon was presented on the 3rd Sunday of Easter, April 22, 2007 at the First Presbyerian Church in Berryville, Arkansas.

Acts 9:1-6
Psalm 30
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Three is a magic number. Those of you who know me know my fondness for ABC Television’s “School House Rock.” So you won’t be surprised when I tell you that the pilot episode of “School House Rock” was the episode where viewers learn to multiply by three titled “Three Is a Magic Number.” Our gospel reading this morning plays into this magic in many different ways. It can be divided into three parts, it deals with Jesus’ third appearance to the disciples, the net contains 153 fish, Jesus examines Simon Peter three times and then commissions him three times, and finally Jesus prophesies Simon Peter’s fate in three steps.

But these are not the only three’s found in scripture, theology, and polity. In the beginning, the creation story in Genesis is split into three parts. On the first day, God created the light and differentiated it from the dark, on the second the waters of the earth were separated from the waters of the sky, and on the third the earth’s water is ordered and dry land created. Then God repeats this trio of miracles beginning when the Sun is created to govern the light and the moon and stars are created for the night. The next day flying creatures are created for the skies and sea creatures for the water. Finally, the land was populated by animals and everything that creeps on the ground. On the same day, the sixth day, God created humanity to serve as stewards over it all. Then on the seventh day, God rested. If you will, the creation story can be expressed as a triad: formation, population, and Sabbath.

In a historical setting, the gospel’s penetration into Ireland has been attributed to the three-in-one nature of God. Long before the days of St. Patrick, the Irish had a complex view of their cultural reality and ultimate reality.[1] Their fascination with rhetorical complexity and the number three opened the Irish to the concept of one God presented in the trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Patrick’s famous illustration of the shamrock showed them how a plant can be three and one without compromising either the individual leaves or the single flower. Then he used this image to represent the Triune God as three persons yet only one God. This triune view of God soon saturated Irish invocations, blessings, and lullabies.[2]

Our gospel’s three parts are the fishing story, the meal, and the commissioning of Simon Peter. There is no indication about how much time had passed between Jesus last appearance and this one. It could have been days, weeks, or longer. It has been long enough that Peter decides it is time to cast his nets again. There is almost a sense of resignation in their voices. “Oh well, I’m going fishing.” “Yeah, we’ll go too.” So the men make their way to the boat, they tend their nets, and they set off from the shore. And it’s a long night. They cast their nets again, and again, and again without success. It’s like every fish in the sea knows to avoid them.

Then there is a voice from the shore, “Children, have you caught anything?” You know, it’s one thing to work and get nothing for your effort, but it’s another to be called “children.” This guy on the shore calls seven grown men prepubescent. On the bright side, the term is one of affection.[3] It is a term Matthew’s gospel uses to describe those who will get into the kingdom of heaven,[4] and that’s not all bad. Jesus blesses the little children saying the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are like them.[5] When considering what the Lord thinks of the little children, this man on the shore could surely call them something worse.

So when they answer his question, the man on the shore suggests they cast their nets to the other side of the boat. This reminds me of those V8 vegetable juice commercials, “Wow, we could have cast from the other side of the boat. Why didn’t we think of that?” The disciples may have had sarcasm but they didn’t have objections when they cast their nets to the other side of the boat. There they are rewarded with a catch of many fish. Then and only then does the disciple Jesus loved recognize the Lord.

Did you notice the three elements of this story? First, the Lord is ever present. Even when the disciples did not recognize him he is present. He is there and he is attentive to them. He knows what they have and he knows what they need. He offers guidance, direction, and suggestion. Second, when the disciples are obedient, when they cast their nets to the other side of the boat, they receive the blessings of the Lord. When they follow his directions they catch the multitude of fish. They had to follow directions. They still had to work. They had to get the fish to shore. These are not miracles, this is work. There is one miracle, the presence of Jesus on the shore and in their lives. Third and finally, when they are obedient, the Lord allows his presence to be revealed. Our reading doesn’t mention a blinding light or any sort of transfiguration happening between the disciple and the Lord, Jesus simply reveals himself to them.

There’s that three again, it’s a magic number. These steps of God’s ever presence, our obedience, and God’s revelation still pertain today as they did in Jesus’ day… and albeit in a different order, as they did for Paul in Acts.

In the second act of our gospel reading, Jesus feeds his disciples again, this time a simple breakfast of fish and bread. If you have ever had fresh lake carp in the morning, you will know how light and sweet it tastes. With fresh bread it must have been wonderful. This had to remind them of the fateful last supper they shared together, the meal we call the Lord’s Supper. They break bread with the Lord they love, the Lord who loves them. Through their experience, I imagine the elements of the sacramental meal dancing together; the bread, and the wine. Jesus participates in the sacrament. He didn’t just say do this, he did these things himself. In his actions, he sanctifies these common elements of everyday life for use in the life eternal.

After sitting down and after breaking the fast, the third act of our reading begins. Jesus calls to Simon Peter. Simon Peter whom Jesus called the rock of the church. Simon Peter to whom Jesus cries “Satan, get behind me.” Simon Peter whom Jesus said would deny him three times before the cockcrow. Jesus calls to Simon and asks “Do you love me more than these?” Simon responds, “Yes Lord; you know that I love you.” So Jesus commissions him, “Feed my lambs.”

Jesus then repeats this question. “Do you love me?” Simon again responds, “Yes Lord; you know that I love you.” So Jesus commissions him, “Tend my sheep.”

Jesus repeats this question one more time, “Do you love me?” By now it’s like hearing that old knock-knock joke and Simon is hoping to hear Jesus finally say, “Orange you glad I didn’t say banana again?” Simon is upset. He is angry, offended, and insulted. He is saddened, grieved, and distressed[6] that his Lord, Jesus the Christ would feel like he had to ask him three times if he loved him. “Surely Lord you know everything,” he says, “you know that I love you.” Simon Peter then gets his commission. He receives his mission. He is given his marching orders. He is told by his Lord and Messiah one more time, “Feed my sheep.” But that’s not all.

Jesus warns Peter about the death he will face. He is told that he will face the most horrible, painful, disgraceful death the empire has learned to inflict against its enemies. His arms will be stretched out on the cross. He will be hung from a tree. Jesus even reminds Peter he will not wish to go. He won’t deny Jesus, but he won’t volunteer for this death either.

Then, in a post script to this three act play, Jesus tells Peter, “Follow me.”

Follow me. When Jesus says this, scholars say he is telling Peter to follow him on the cross. I can’t disagree with years and years of scholarship, but I believe the Lord is asking more of Peter than just to die. I think, I hope, and I pray Jesus is telling Peter how to live.

The wondrous love of our Lord calls Peter to build the church; the church which is to be—and is still today—Christ’s body on earth. The church has always been the people of God, and not some structure. Buildings rot, decay and are forgotten, but as the people of God we still speak and act as the body of Christ today. From the songs of David found in the Psalms, to the Acts of the Apostles found in scripture, to the Gospel of John and the Revelation the Lord shows John on Patmos, theirs are the words we speak when sharing the word of God. From the One Great Hour of Sharing to the Loaves and Fishes Food Bank to Project Self Esteem, we continue to act, to do God’s work today. We share the word. We feed his lambs. We tend his sheep. We truly become God’s people when we remember the people God calls us to be and act in obedience.

We remember that like Simon Peter, we are sent to be God’s reconciling people to the world. We are called by our Lord to serve the creation healing the wounds that separate us from God and from one another. In this mission we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, God who walks beside us and guides us as we do God’s will. And though our obedience we are one with the church eternal. We are called yesterday, today, and tomorrow to gather and welcome the broken people of the world and through God’s love make us one.

[1] Hunter, III, George C., The Celtic Way of Evangelism. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000, page 20
[2] Ibid, pages 33-34.
[3] padia entry from the electronic edition of Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Third Edition. Copyright © 2000 The University of Chicago Press. Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker based on the Walter Bauer's Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und für frühchristlichen Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous English Editions by W.F.Arndt, F.W.Gingrich, and F.W.Danker.
[4] Matthew 18:3
[5] Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16
[6] lupeow entry from the electronic edition of Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.