April 10, 2016 (full size gallery)
A week of events – the April 3, Ladies Night out at the Riverside, April 7, some unusual weather with a wonderful rainbow as a reward and finally the April 8 roof raising. If that wasn’t enough, cabinets were delivered for the kitchen renovation and installation was beginning.
Sunday was clear but very cool for April.The flowers were gorgeous, the new leaves with that lazy shade of green abounding and the river sparkling. We did the Year B reading the "Road to Emmaus" in "Weaving God’s Promises" followed by pictures drawn of the scene. In church we celebrated Brad’s birthday coming up on April 16 and Faibisy’s anniversary today, April 10. We had 39 on hand.
Catherine also announced that the Altarpiece renovation would begin May 1. Before all that we have a concert on Friday, April 15 with the Portland Guitar Duo as a tax celebration concert.
The only thing that could top all this is the Gospel for Easter 3. Similar to last week, this is a resurrection appearance of Jesus. John’s resurrection appearance, however, moves away from Jerusalem about 70 miles to Tiberas on the Sea of Galilee. It is actually considered an epilogue to the Gospel of John. The readings are here and the bulletin.
This scripture is full of images and meanings – from the 153 fish caught by the disciples, to the charcoal fire with fish and bread as well as Jesus call 3 times that Peter express his love for him
I love what David Lose, the President of Luther Seminary says about the importance of this passage this week. "First, a sense of belonging. We all need to feel accepted by a larger group in order to have a stable identity and sense of self. This goes against what may seem like common sense – after all, our culture regularly posits that identity is an individual affair, something we carve out for ourselves and by ourselves. But it turns out that the gift of identity is given to us by those around us, as we see ourselves through the eyes of those closest to us."
"Second, we all need a sense of purpose, the belief that what we do matters, that if we did not show up people would notice. Purpose, as it turns out, is one of the great motivators in the world. More powerful than money or fame or power, believing that you have something of value to contribute draws us again and again into challenging circumstances with joy.
"And so in response to each of Peter’s confessions, Jesus responds by giving him good work to do: feed my sheep. Be a leader. Look out for these others. Devote yourself to this community. Peter is reinstated into the community of the faithful and given a sense of belonging, and then he is given good work to do and given a purpose."
The sermon looked at the Gospel as a doorway between Jesus recent past and future.
"As we stand in this doorway, we find ourselves simultaneously reflecting on the ministry of Jesus and his relationship with his disciples before his death and resurrection, and then looking ahead to see, even if dimly, how the relationship with the Risen Christ and his followers, including us, will continue into the future."
There were 3 scenes recalled from Jesus ministry :
1. Feeding of the 5,000 – "As the story begins, Jesus calls out to the disciples, who have been fishing all night, and have caught nothing, and tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat, which they do.
"So many fish fill the net that the disciples are not even able to haul the net into the boat.
"Do you remember that story earlier in John, Chapter 6, when Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and a large crowd followed him?"
2. Recalling Peter’s denial – "When they get to shore, they see a charcoal fire there.
"Another charcoal fire had burned on the night before Jesus died, in the dark courtyard of the high priest. The slaves and the police had made this charcoal fire because it was cold that night, and they were standing around it trying to stay warm. It was in the flickering and shadowy light of this fire that Peter denied Jesus three times before the cock crowed and the sun rose."
3. Recalling the disciples journey with Christ
"Today’s gospel reading ends with Jesus saying, “Follow me.”
"And this is another characteristic of God—who throughout Holy Scripture has sought out God’s people and has asked them to follow—through the wilderness into the promised land, from exile in Babylon back to Jerusalem, and more recently, from the star lit fields to a manger.
"The Son of God calls the disciples to follow him through Galilee, spreading God’s healing love like seed, and then to follow him to Jerusalem, to the cross, to the empty grave.And this is another characteristic of God—who throughout Holy Scripture has sought out God’s people and has asked them to follow—through the wilderness into the promised land, from exile in Babylon back to Jerusalem, and more recently, from the star lit fields to a manger."
And so for the future. "Jesus says to each one of us–“Do you love me?” “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. Follow me.”
" After having gathered at the table this day to share a meal with the Risen Christ, we will then pass through the doors of this place into the future into which God is calling each one of on this new day—to go in peace to love and serve the Lord in all the ways that God will call us to serve our neighbors in God’s name and for God’s glory.
" And even when The Way takes us where we do not want to go, and we cannot see where we are going, yet we can follow in faith, and walk in love, knowing that another dawn is near, and that the Risen Christ himself waits for us on a not so distant shore, to welcome us all into the heavenly banquet which he has so graciously prepared for each one of us."