New Heaven, New Earth

May 26, 2019 Revelation 21-22 New Heaven, New Earth Sixth Sunday of Easter Year C And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it,for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the lamb. Object: A night light. Good morning, boys and girls. Today is going to be a special day because we are going to discover something about the world that we are going to live in forever and how it is going to be different from the one that we live in today. Did you know that you were going to live forever? [Let them answer.] Well, you are going to live forever, and that is one of the things that the Christian faith is all about. Jesus promised us that because he died for our sins and we believe in him, that we would live forever with him and his Father in Heaven. What is heaven going to be like? That's what everyone wants to know. Some people wish that God would take a movie of heaven and show it to us, so that we could know how wonderful it is. But God has his own reasons for not taking a movie or showing us in this way. We are going to have to wait until the right time to find out. There was a man named John who thought a lot about heaven, and he prayed and dreamed about it a lot. He even wrote a book in the Bible that talked a lot about heaven and what it would be like. One of the things that he said is what I am going to tell you about right now. I brought along with me something that a lot of you use. [Take out the night light.] Do you know what this is? [Let them answer.] That's right, a night light. Do you know when you use it? [Let them answer.] You're right, again. You use it at night, so that, if you must get up and walk around, you will not trip and fall. Night is very dark, and unless you are outside, and the moon is very bright, it is hard to see. A night light helps keep us from falling in the dark. John discovered that heaven was never going to be dark. There was never anything to be afraid about, like falling in the dark, or not being able to see something and bumping into it. He talked about God's glory as being so bright that we would not even need a sun or a moon. He said the Father would supply more light than we would need during the day, and Jesus would be like a lamp for us at night. What John meant was that there is nothing to fear about the new world that we are going to live in forever. Everything will be light and beautiful and nothing bad will ever happen to us. That is wonderful, and we are glad to know that in heaven Jesus will be with us forever, and that we will never have to worry, for even a moment, about anything. Jesus is like a night light that keeps us from falling, or even having to worry about falling. God bless you. C.S.S. Publishing Co., WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BALLOON?, by Wesley T. Runk Revelation 21:1-10 Common English Bible (CEB) New heaven and new earth 21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say, “Look! God’s dwelling is here with humankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples. God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look! I’m making all things new.” He also said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 Then he said to me, “All is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will freely give water from the life-giving spring. 7 Those who emerge victorious will inherit these things. I will be their God, and they will be my sons and daughters. 8 But for the cowardly, the faithless, the vile, the murderers, those who commit sexual immorality, those who use drugs and cast spells, the idolaters and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.” New Jerusalem 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues spoke with me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” 10 He took me in a Spirit-inspired trance to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today... Aha-ah... Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion, too Imagine all the people Living life in peace... You... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world... You... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one I am sure that many of us are familiar with this popular song by John Lennon. I have always been touched by the words – imagine a world with no war, no country, no walls – all of the things that divide us are nonexistent. I can go along with the song well until it says imagine a world with no religion. No religion – what does that mean? Interestingly enough – John Lennon is speaking of the same world that is spoken of in revelation 21 and 22. A new heaven always light. A place where everone is happy, a place where the gates are open 24 hours a day. A place flowing with peace. But the most noticeable thing about this place - there is no temple, no church, no mosque, no place for people to gather to be in the presence of God – because God is present everywhere. People don’t have to look for God – or go anywhere to seek God – God is present in every moment, every situation every life. John Lennon says that you may say that I am a dreamer, but I an not the only one. The author of Revelation – John says that he was taken to this place in a dream. Many people have seen this place in a dream, this perfect paradise. We see it in images of the wizard of Oz – and the emerald city. In Disney land, that place where we can go where all of our dreams can come true. We speak of this place even in faith – heaven – the place where God lives. The place where there is no sun, no moon – but ever present light. Light is a universal representation of God. That is why we light so many candles in church – to show God’s presence. And where there is light, where there is God’s presence – people are naturally attracted. There is a story of a farmer, whose wife was about to give birth. It was storming outside and they had to summon the doctor to their house. As the doctor arrived, the power went out, but the baby was about to come. So the doctor asked the husband to get a candle and to hold it up, so that he could see to deliver the baby. The husband held the light, as the doctor did his work – and soon after his wife gave birth to a baby boy. They were overjoyed, but the doctor soon said wait a minute – another one is coming – and there was a little girl. And minutes later the doctor said wait – another one is coming. After the third baby was born, the husband stepped away with the candle. The doctor said o wait come back, I can’t see without the light. The husband said no – no more light, the babies are attracted to the light, it’s the light that is making them come out. I gotta stop them from coming. It is the light that attracts us all. When God created the earth, what was the first thing that God did – God said let there be light– where the light is we know that there is healing, there is peace, there is community, there is the ability to live. Heaven is the place where God is always present – a place that needs no sun, no moon, no outside life force – because God is totally present. There are many other great attributes to this city – a river, trees, a city that never sleeps, the gates are always open, there is no need for protection – because it is a place of perfect peace. When we hear of this place – it makes no sense in our world. Many of us shy away from the book of revelation, because it seems to make no sense to us. And it seems like a fantasy land in comparison to the world that we live in. This world makes no sense to us, but to those who John was talking to it made perfect sense. And it wasn’t a fantasy land, it was the promise of God coming in the future. It was a sign of hope that no matter how bad life got – there was something to look forward to. John explaining what heaven looks like was a challenge for the people – to face the present day with fear or with hope. It was a challenge for each of us to choose hope. The hope of Christ in our lives. There is one more interesting feature of heaven. It has a river running throught it, but there was no sea surrounding it. The Jews are afraid of water, and think that every evil thing in the world comes out of the sea – the sea was the place of chaos, or evil, even of sin. Heaven has no sea – meaning it has no evil or ill will. Only the healing presence of God. It says that the cowardly, the vile, the murderes, will be thrown into the sea – and there is no sea in heaven. The light of heaven is God, the light of earth is those who hold God in their heart So there is that. But the best part of heaven, is the ability to see God face to face. God will dwell in heaven. Dwell literally means pitch a tent amongst us. When the scriptures speak of Christ coming into the world to be with us – it speaks of Christ being God dwelling amongst us. Not in heaven, but in earth. The scripture speaks of 4 news a new heaven a new earth, a new Jerusalem, and new life. This story is intended to give a glimpse of heaven, but a glimpse of heaven on earth. In the challenges of life, we can face life with fear, or with hope of something better. Pastor James Moore of Houston, Texas, tells a story about a young man whose wife had died, leaving him with a small son. Back home from the cemetery, they went to bed early because there was nothing else he could bear to do. As he lay there in the darkness, grief-stricken and heartbroken, the little boy broke the stillness from his little bed with a disturbing question, “Daddy, where is mommy?” The father got up and brought the little boy to bed with him, but the child was still disturbed and restless, occasionally asking questions such as, “Why isn’t she here?” and, “When is she coming back?” Finally the little boy said, “Daddy, if your face is toward me, I think I can go to sleep now.” In a little while, he was quiet. The father lay there in the darkness, and then in childlike faith, prayed this prayer: “O God, I don’t see how I can survive this. The future looks so miserable, but if Your face is toward me, somehow I think I can make it.” That’s what the Messiah came to teach us: that God’s face is always toward us As it is in heaven, so may it be on earth. Amen.

Goodness and Mercy are following us

May 12, 2019 Psalm 23 Mother’s Day Year C 4th Sunday of Easter Children’s sermon – doing what we want to do and listening to our mom. I once again had Children's Sermon., now this was kind of fun since it was Mother's Day. So I started by asking the kids that if they had any of the following living at their home to raise their hand and then I went through the following list: a transportation director a personal dietitian or nutritionist a fashion coordinator a landscaper an accounts manager a pediatric physician a domestic engineer an interior designer a family historian an arbitrator or a personal coach TO almost all of these I got "no" or "huh?" Then we went back through each one and explained what these jobs would be in simple language and who most likely in the homes of our kids performed these duties. I explained that Mom's tend to be the ones who arrange for rides to where we want to be. That Mom is the one who decides what we can or cannot have to eat. "Can I have 1 more oreo?" and that sometimes mom says no because it is good for us NOT to have 1 more cookie. Then the fashion coordinator is the person who buys, washes and let's us know if what we are wearing is appropriate for the occasion and if it matches.The landscaper is the one who might mow the lawn or plants the flowers or shrubs or adds decoration outside to make your home look nice. The accounts manager is someone who makes sure that the bills are paid that there is money for groceries and all the activities that kids would like to do. The Pediatric physician - this I had to explain was "a kid doctor" and who do we go to when we have a sore throat or a splinter? - MOM. A domestic engineer - is someone who makes sure the the home runs properly. The interior designer is the one who makes the inside of our houses look nice and helps keep it clean. The family historian - is the person who helps keep track of our lives, either in photos, or journals or scrapbooks. They are the ones that when asked "What was it like the day I was born?" will be the one that can remember that day and explain it in detail. The arbitrator is the one who breaks up fights or arguments with siblings or friends. And finally the personal coach - I hope that we all have personal coaches as those are the people who encourage us all the time, they are the ones who challenge us and teach us new skills that we need to get through life. But the amazing part of all of this is that all those big titles we sum up with 3 letters -MOM. But when we read Proverbs 31:29-31 we find that "...that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her reward she has earned, and let her works be known at the city gates." Now you knew that mom did all these things for you, but I challenge you to learn 1 new thing about your mom today. Find out what your mom's favorite color is, what is her favorite flower, or her favorite food. Take time and talk to your mom because she is a lot more than you think. Posted by Schick fun ideas at 8:32 PM Labels: Children's sermon Psalm 23 Common English Bible (CEB) Psalm 23 A psalm of David. 23 The LORD is my shepherd. I lack nothing. 2 He lets me rest in grassy meadows; he leads me to restful waters; 3 he keeps me [a] alive. He guides me in proper paths for the sake of his good name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff— they protect me. 5 You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! 6 Yes, goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live[b] in the LORD’s house as long as I live. Footnotes: a. Psalm 23:3 Or my soul b. Psalm 23:6 LXX; MT I will return Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible One of my earliest memories of visiting my grandmother, was her giving me the little golden book of the Lord is my Shepherd. I remember studying that scripture as a child trying to understand it. As I learned how to read, my grandmother gave me that book again and told me to read and study it. My mother gave me this book as I was learning to read, and I have held onto to it. My grandmother would also make sure that each night before I went to bed she would walk me through Now I lay me down to sleep and my evening prayer. So if you want to blame anyone for me becoming a pastor – it is all my grandmother’s fault. – she had a plan for my life, and expected me to follow it step by step. The psalms in general are important, they capture the gamut of human experience, there are happy psalms, sad psalms, psalms for when you are on a journey, when you are at peace. They were an important part of the jewish life. Jesus learned to recite them throughout his life, many times if you don’t know the psalms. You think Jesus is speaking from the heart, many times he is quoting an appropriate psalm. My God why have you forsaken me – a psalm. The spirit of the lord is upon me – a psalm. There are monks who have learned all 119 psalms by heart. I would love to get to that point one day – but unfortunately, I don’t get the chance to study the psalms very often. There is one every week in the lectionary of scripture – but the problem with preaching on them is that there is not a lot of commentary on their meaning, so don’t have the material to develop a sermon. I try to get us to read them during lent, but reciting the words is not the same as really thinking about the meaning of a psalm Today’s Psalm is the exception. Psalm 23 is read at every point in our lives. Children read it, adults read it. It is used at funerals, and at weddings and today it is the reading for Mother’s Day. I love this version, which uses the theme of a mother “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” — Abraham Lincoln “Is this the long way?” asked the young mother as she set her foot on the path of life. The Guide said, “Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.” The young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike, and reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young mother said, “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.” Then the nights came, and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms. The children said, “Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come.” The morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. At all times, she said to the children, “A little patience and we are there.” So the children climbed and as the climbed they learned to weather the storms. With this, she gave them strength to face the world. Year after year she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all unconditional love. When they reached the top, they said, “Mother, we could not have done it without you.” The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years. The mother grew old and she became little and bent. Her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. The mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to their children.” When the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her strength, just as she had given them hers. One day, they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. Mother said, “I have reached the end of my journey, and now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them.” The children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.” They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. They said, “We cannot see her, but she is with us still.” A mother is more than a memory. She is a living presence. Your mother is always with you. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume she wore, she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well, she’s your breath in the air on a cold winter’s day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of the rainbow, she is your birthday morning. Your mother lives inside your laughter. She’s crystallized in every teardrop. A mother shows through in every emotion – happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow – and all the while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She’s the place you came from, your first home, and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space – not even death. I love this beautiful story about mothers love written by Temple Bailey. It appeared in Good Housekeeping Magazine in 1933. On this Mother’s Day when you feel a little tug at your heart, remember your mother lives with you always. Happy Mother’s Day! This story first appeared in Good Housekeeping in 1933 written by Temple Bailey. On this Mother’s Day when you feel a special tenderness tugging at your heart, remember your mother lives within you always. My mom is my shepherd; I shall not want. She makes me lie down under cool, downy comforts. She watches me play beside still waters. She restores my soul. She leads me in paths of respect, responsibility, and goodness, for I am her namesake! Yea, even though I walk past monsters in the dark, I will not be ascared, because my mom is always near me. Her hands and her voice, they comfort me. Mama sets the table and cheerfully calls me to dinner even in front of big, mean bullies. She anoints my skinned knees and broken heart with kisses. She smiles and throws me a towel when my cup runneth over. Surely God's peace, power, and mercy shall uphold me all the days of my life, for my Mother taught me to dwell in the house of God forever. Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! The previous psalm ended by speaking of the joy of salvation, that is, of discovering what it means to have been put into a right relationship with God, brought back home into fellowship with him in the Covenant. This psalm, which almost surely stems from David himself, describes what it feels like thus to be back at home with God. It is expressed in language that really spoke home to the country folk of his day. David had been a shepherd. Now he was the shepherd of his people. In what way must he now care for them? This problem opened up for him a new awareness of what God, the true Shepherd, is himself like in his relationship with his people. As I have been studying this psalm this week, I find that the greatest lesson for us in the psalm is trust. It is important for us to have a relationship with God based on trust. If we have trust in God all that we need to live will be provided. I have to find my copy of the Tanakh. Tanakh is the Jewish version of the Hebrew bible. What is interesting is that there is a difference sometimes between the Jewish version of a scripture and the Christian version. For instance, for us the last words of this psalm is I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever, whereas the Jewish version says I shall dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life. there is a little bit of a difference. Another difference is our image of goodness and mercy following us. For Christians we think of a little puppy quietly following, but the Hebrew word for follow is much more aggressive, it means I will stalk you and hunt you down until I catch you. In other words there is nothing that you can do to escape God’s love. God is determined that we have all that we need to have a wonderful life no matter what. A mother’s love can be like that. In many ways mothers are shepherds, they are our caretakers. Timmy was a little five year old boy that his Mom loved very much and, being a worrier, she was concerned about him walking to school all by himself when he started kindergarten. She walked him to school the first few days, but one day he came home and asked if he could walk by himself. He wanted to be like the "big boys." Not wanting to disappoint him, she decided to allow him to walk without her, via plan B (which consisted of recruiting a neighbor, Mrs. Goodnest, to repetitiously follow him to school, at a distance far enough behind him that he would not likely notice he was being followed, but close enough to keep a watch on him). Mrs. Goodnest was agreeable, since she was up early with her own toddler anyway, and it would be a good way for them to get some exercise. So, the very next school day Mrs. Goodnest and her little girl, Marcy, set out to follow behind Timmy as he walked to school. Timmy was accompanied by another neighbor boy he knew. As the boys walked to school each day, chatting, and kicking stones and twigs, the little friend of Timmy began to notice that a lady seemed to be following them every day. "Have you noticed that lady following us all week? Do you know her?" he asked Timmy. "Yea, I know who she is," Timmy replied "Well who is she?" "That's just Shirley Goodnest," Timmy said. "Shirley Goodnest? Who the is she? Why is she following us?" "Well," Timmy explained, "Every night Mom makes me say the 23rd Psalm in my prayers 'cuz she worries about me so much. And in it the Psalm says, 'Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life,' so I guess I'll just have to get used to it." Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. What is most valuable, is not what we have in our lives, but WHO we have in our lives! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all of the days of our life no matter how old we get. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. Amen. Other illustrations…….. How can we reply to the love that our mothers gave us. what is it that we can give them to say thank you. Studies say that no matter what we may give them that all they really want is for us to know that they love them. For us to be able to acknowledge all that they have done for us, and to realize that it is all about love. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow us. when you think about the psalm – Psalm 22 Re-Interpeted The Lord is my Shepherd... That's Relationship! I shall not want... That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures... That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters... That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul... That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness... That's Guidance! For His name sake... That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... That's Testing! I will fear no evil... That's Protection! For Thou art with me... That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me... That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies... That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil... That's Consecration! My cup runneth over... That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life... That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord... That's Security! Forever and ever... That's Eternity! No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star. — Edwin Hubbell Chapin

Jesus Charge to Peter and to Us

May 5, 2019 John 21:1-9 Jesus Charge to Peter and to us 3rd Sunday of Easter Year C Children’s Sermon….. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Object: Some charcoal and a loaf of bread. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you ever thought about Jesus cooking breakfast? (Let them answer.) Did you think that Jesus could cook? (Let them answer.) You probably knew that he was a carpenter, but there are not many places in the Bible that tell you about Jesus as a cook. I don't know how often he cooked, but the Bible tells of one time that he did, and it was one of the most exciting events in the Bible. First of all, you have to know that Jesus had been dead and had come back to life. This story happened during one of the times that Jesus visited with his disciples after he was risen from the dead. As you can imagine, the disciples were lonely without him, and some of them had decided that they would go fishing rather than just sit around and think about the good times they used to have with Jesus. They fished all night and did not catch anything, but I guess they really did not care about catching fish. Then, as it became morning, they saw a man on the beach waving to them and asking them how they had done with their fishing. Some of them thought right away that it might be Jesus, but they were not sure. He told them to put their nets down on the other side of the boat to catch some fish. They told the man on the beach that they had fished all night, but that they would cast their nets once more the way he told them to. As you might guess, they caught more fish than the nets could hold. Peter knew by now that the man was Jesus. He jumped into the water and swam ashore. The others followed him in the boat, and when they got there, they saw that Jesus had already started a fire with some charcoal and had some bread ready for them to eat. (Show them the charcoal and the loaf of bread.) It may not have looked like my charcoal or my loaf of bread, but it cooked and tasted pretty much the same. I suppose you can imagine how glad they were to see Jesus. They were thrilled to share breakfast and tell stories about all of the good times they had spent together. Most of all they were glad because they knew once more that Jesus was alive and well, and that he remembered them as people whom he loved and cared for every day, whether he was eating or walking with them. Jesus is that way with us today. He doesn't have to cook for us to show us that he cares for us. We know it anyway, but for the disciples, who had spent so much time with him on earth, it was one of the best things that ever happened to them. Maybe the next time that you have a cookout and you put the charcoal on the fire, you will remember the day that Jesus cooked breakfast for his disciples, and shared some bread and fish with them. I hope you remember it, because it was one of the best moments in the disciples' lives. C.S.S. Publishing Co., CALL IN THE CLOWNS!, by Wesley T. Runk John 21:1-19 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus appears again to the disciples 21 Later, Jesus himself appeared again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. This is how it happened: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus[a]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two other disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.” They said, “We’ll go with you.” They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing. 4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus. 5 Jesus called to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they weren’t far from shore, only about one hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire there, with fish on it, and some bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught.” 11 Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three of them. Yet the net hadn’t torn, even with so many fish. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”None of the disciples could bring themselves to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. Jesus and Peter 15 When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 He asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 I assure you that when you were younger you tied your own belt and walked around wherever you wanted. When you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will tie your belt and lead you where you don’t want to go.” 19 He said this to show the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. After saying this, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.” Footnotes: a. John 21:2 Or the twin Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Bad Advice at graduation There is an important event coming up in the lives of many of our young people. At the end of the school year, many people will graduate from kindergarten, fifth grade, eighth grade, high school, college, and even grad school. There will be many ceremonies, and parties. There will be many cards and well wishes. Even in my own family, I have a niece who will be graduating from the eigth grade. At least this year we only have one, three years ago all three girls graduated from something or another. It is at these moments, that we try to give those who are graduating some words of wisdom. One popular word of wisdom that we like to pass down to those younger than us – “These are the best years of your life, enjoy them while you can”. These are the best times of your life, enjoy it while you can. Now that sounds like pretty good advice. But when you think about it what are your really saying? Life only gets worse from here, so you might as well wake up and enjoy it now. Because you have nothing to look forward to. That is not very encouraging to someone who is trying to start a new life. The good news for us is that the resurrection is our assurance that life always gets better. The best is always yet to come. Because Christ coming back to life and walking amongst us – opens infinite doors of possibility. And gives us not just a second chance at life, but a third and a fourth is we need it. The Sunday’s of Easter are my favorite sermons to preach. Because they are always about hope. Each of these Sunday’s we get to hear a story about how Jesus appeared to his disciples at the darkest time in their lives to give them hope. Jesus appears to them while they are still grieving his death. Today, is the last of those appearances to his disciples. First he appears to Mary, then to the disciples, then to the disciples with Thomas. And now to the disciples and Peter. When we experience a crisis in life, what is it that we usually do? We go back to whatever we were doing before the crisis happened. We try to get back to our routine, and go on with our lives. In this case, many of the disciples were fishermen. So they go back to catching fish. They aren’t having much luck, but they still need to keep busy. Until a complete stranger suggest that they put the net on the other side. And then they catch more than they know what to do with. The bible says that it is 153 fish to be exact. Some say that 153 is the number for completion - the net is the church, and the fish are all of the types of people in the world, all were caught in the net. Some say that was the number of the people in John’s congregation. For me, I will always remember that number because it was the combination to the church key box. There was a sign next to the box which asked how many fish did the disciples catch. And the scripture reference to John 21:11. So if a thief wanted to take the keys, at least they had to read the bible first. But perhaps it does not matter what the number represents – the point is that there were an abundant number of fish. The resurrection provides and abundance of hope, peace and love. One number that is significant in this story is the number of times that Jesus asks Peter do you love me. He asks him three times. Each time Peter says yes. But Peter denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion. Peter gets his second chance to redeem himself. Jesus forgives Peter, but he also challenges Peter and commissions him to feed my sheep. Peter becomes the first bishop of the church. In another chapter Jesus lays hands on Peter to commission him. Peter will later lay hands on others to commission them as bishops to carry on his work. Today, in the catholic church, the episcopal church and the Lutheran church, their bishops are a part of that sucession. John Wesley commissioned bishops of his new church – the Methodist church before returning to England. But unfortunately, John Wesley was not a bishop in the episcopal church. So Methodist bishops are not a part of the Peter sucession. That is one of the major sticking points of the Episcopal church, the Lutheran church and the Methodist church taking a common communion. The good news is that as the Methodist church is preparing to split apart, many of those dialogues around communion with other denominations are coming together. I haven’t gotten a chance to read the document yet, but I know that the episcopal and the Methodist have come to a common understanding that is ready to be presented to the general conference to be accepted. As we take communion today – we can consider the true spirit of a common meal. In those resurrection appearances – Jesus comes to the disciples while they are eating. They have no idea of who Jesus is, until after they have eaten together. And it all becomes clear. – the one thing that brings us together as Christians is really love. Jesus asks Peter do you love me – but Jesus asks each of us that same question today? Do you love Jesus – then feed my sheep. Oral Roberts, Robert Schuller, and Billy Graham all died at the same time and went to heaven. There wasn’t room for them for a few days, so they temporarily had to go to hell and wait until their place was ready. The devil soon called and asked Saint Peter to get them out of there because Roberts has healed everyone, Graham had saved everyone, and Schuller had raised enough money to air condition the place. Fun humor, but is it not our task as God’s disciples to do just that? To heal, to save, and to make conditions better for the less fortunate? The good news of Easter is the God loves all of us – just as we are. No matter what we have done, Jesus forgives us , challenges us and commissions us to give love. This love is what we are called to do and who we are called to be. Let us Pray…..