Young at Heart Message

​The Ethiopian official in our last reading today answered Philip’s question by saying, “How can I understand unless someone helps me?”

How can we understand unless someone helps us?

In the context of our story, they are talking about understanding scripture.

But I think this question can apply to many aspects of life.
 
And, perhaps more importantly, how can we understand if we do not seek to understand in the first place?
 
I paired the reading in Acts with the reading in 1 John today because 1 John talks at length about loving each other.
 
“Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows we have been given new life.”
 
Loving each other is much easier to do when we understand each other.
 
But, how can we understand each other unless someone helps us?
 
So, with that in mind, I’d like to do something different this morning and spend about 10 minutes engaging with each other to seek to understand our neighbours a bit better.
 
I would like this exercise to involve a bit of moving around. Try to engage with people you may not know as well, rather than those you know very well.
 
The question options you can ask each other are:



1) Who is one person who had a significant impact on who you are today, and why?
 
2)What is one thing that has warmed your heart this week, and why?
 
Let’s take about 10 minutes, and try to visit with at least 2 different people.
 
Seek to understand with genuine curiosity. The question-asker should ask the question and then listen. Once the person sharing is done, switch.
 
I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes. Here are the questions again:
 
1) Who is one person who had a significant impact on who you are today, and why?
 
2) What is one thing that has warmed your heart this week, and why?
 
The Message
Did anyone learn anything about the people you talked to? You don’t have to share, just a show of hands.
Did this exercise feel difficult or uncomfortable?
The questions we asked each other had the potential to be deep or uncomfortable questions certainly, but they are still pretty surface-level questions.
 
I wonder what would happen if we sought to understand and love others, in all contexts, with genuine curiosity and joy?
 
This reading from Acts tells us as lot about the unnamed Ethiopian official, and about Philip.
 
Philip approaches this person not with arrogance or unsolicited advice.
 
Instead, he simply asks, do you understand what you are reading?
 
This opens the door for the Ethiopian official to respond however he feels most comfortable responding.
 
He could have said “oh yes, I understand everything perfectly, thank you for asking.”
 
But instead, he seeks knowledge and understanding, and he admits that he could not possibly understand what he was reading without help.
 
And Philip then gently guides the Ethiopian official toward better understanding, without judgment or assumptions.
 
It is a moment where both people demonstrate the concept of loving each other deeply that is expressed in the 1 John passage.
 
Truly working to love others sounds easy and ideal in theory, but in practice, it is much harder.
 
We often encounter people that we do not understand, and we can be afraid to try to better understand them, either because we are afraid to ask, or because we are afraid of their answer.
 
I will give you an example that I think many people have a hard time understanding about others, but I also think that it is important to talk about.
 
Younger generations are, in general, finding these topics to be quite natural and not nearly as taboo as many of us who are older have found them to be.
 
So, seeking to understand things that we were never exposed to growing up is an important part of learning and growing with others, and seeking to love and understand people more deeply.
 
So, my example is this:
 
When I was in seminary, I met a person who identified as gender fluid and non-binary – neither male nor female, but the person presented to the world as mostly female-appearing.
 
So, in theory, I wanted to show interest and care in learning more about this person’s world and perspective, but in practice, I really struggled initially to use the pronouns they/them to refer to this person.
 
And for me, it wasn’t because I didn’t want to try. I really did want to try to do better.
 
But, I had never met anyone who identified this way, so I had never had occasion to use pronouns other than he/she.
 
Luckily, this person was like Philip in our scripture reading today.
 
I was honest with them and I told them I had never met someone who used they/them pronouns, so it did not come naturally to me.
 
Essentially, I said “how can I understand unless someone helps me?”
 
And, graciously, they helped me to better understand, and they gave me opportunities to practice my fluency in using new pronouns.
 
And, I must tell you, I am so beyond grateful for this person, who, like Philip, was willing to help me understand.
 
I could have easily avoided them all together – I could have simply not engaged with them at all during my classes.
 
But I also recognized that in a changing world, my fear of feeling uncomfortable seeking to understand this person was not going to serve me well in a pastoral context.
 
Pastors interact with all kinds of people. We get the opportunity to seek to understand people in new and different ways.
 
I knew that if I did not sit in my own discomfort and seek to better understand eventually, and practice this radical love toward others, it would not be easy to learn outside of seminary.
 
And, I am so grateful for the opportunity I had, because I have since met many new people who identify as gender fluid and non-binary.
 
I’ve met adults my age who have explored their gender identity as adults, once they had vocabulary and support for the way they have always felt.
 
But, more recently, I have met a lot of kids – more than you might expect – who are exploring these questions at a much younger age. Questions that we never had the opportunity to even ask when we were growing up.
 
Had I not sought to understand when I did, I would still be uncomfortable with these conversations, and I would struggle to relate to any person – young or not – who has taken this journey of self-exploration of their gender.
 
So, the point in sharing this story is all to say that we may not always understand or agree with the way someone lives their life, but when we are called to love others, part of that call is to seek to better understand others.
 
We have opportunities every day – every time we interact with others – to seek to better understand them.
 
Just like Philip could have kept right on walking, or the Ethiopian leader could have declined help to understand, I could have ignored the opportunity I had to learn about someone who was different than me and different than anyone I had ever met.
 
But, the Ethiopian official would have missed his opportunity for baptism.
 
Philip would have missed an opportunity to do the work he was called to do with others.
 
I would have missed an opportunity to get to know an amazing human being, and to grow in my own journey toward loving and better understanding others.
 
Are we ever going to be perfect at loving others?
 
No, of course not. We all have our own biases to overcome.
 
But, if we can, at the very least, approach others with openness and a genuine curiosity to learn about them and understand their perspective, we may just learn something about ourselves in the process.
 
Once the desire to expand ourselves to know and accept other people is cultivated, all we really need to do is practice it and develop the tools and skills to become better at it.
 
But, if the desire isn’t there, it is far less likely to happen.
 
The example I shared today is only one example, but there are so many other examples of people who don’t meet our expectations, or who are different than we are.
 
So, may we open our hearts and minds and approach others with genuine curiosity that leads to love and deepening understanding.
 
As we walk our own paths to love and serve God and others, may we meet others where they are just as we hope they meet us where we are. Amen.
 
Let us pray:
 
God of wisdom and understanding, we ask that you help us to answer your call to love you and to love one another. You are indeed love, and as it says in 1 John, if we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with You, and You will stay one with us.
 
Continue to remind us, God, that loving you and loving others cannot be separated.
 
Help us to love others and seek to better understand others, even when it feels uncomfortable for us. Help us to grow and expand our minds and our hearts, lifting them to you as we open them to other people.
 
Lead us, guide us, and hear us when we ask, “How can we understand unless someone helps us?” Help us to better understand, God. Help us to love with all our hearts. Amen.

Young at Heart Message

In 1992, a movie with the following brief description, as quoted from IMDB (Internet Movie Database), was released:

​“When a nightclub singer is forced to take refuge from the mob in a convent, she ends up turning the convent choir into a soulful chorus complete with a Motown repertoire, until the sudden celebrity of the choir jeopardizes her identity.”
 
Does anyone know what movie this was?
 
The movie was Sister Act.
 
And yes, for those doing the math, it was released over 30 years ago.
 
Of course the movie was released for entertainment purposes, and probably doesn’t actually offer much in terms of true theological conversation.
 
But, at the same time, often movies, books, and other forms of entertainment can be a great launching point for theological or spiritual discussions.
 
So, insofar as it might relate to today’s scripture, I want to share a short clip from Sister Act with you all today.
 
Feel free to clap along or sing along if you feel so inspired. ☺ 
 
https://youtu.be/ctjG4MjJwEA?si=rOhtO9keLVS45roS 
 
What did you all notice in this clip? I have several observations but I’m curious if any of you noticed anything…
 
…
 
Here’s my list, and admittedly we could talk about any of these things as their own sermon:
 
1.   They tap into the individual skills and talents of these choir members, and lift one another up. They’re not in competition with each other, but they’re proud of each other when they do something they’ve never done before.
2.   The demographics of the people sitting in the pews do not in any way match the demographics of the neighbourhood outside of the church.
3.   When people start coming in off the street, the priest kindly waves them in as a form of welcome. I’m not sure the abbess, had she been looking, would have done the same.
 
There is probably much more we could say about this if we really dove in.
 
But today, I want to focus on this “shepherding” the priest does of these people walking in off the street, and in particular, this notion that there is another flock just outside the doors of the church that are needing someone to meet them where they’re at.
 
The Message
So, why bring Sister Act into this sermon at all?
Well, today’s scripture passages, and indeed the theme of every Fourth Sunday of Easter in the Revised Common Lectionary, are about Christ as the Good Shepherd.
And admittedly, it can be difficult for people to truly understand what it means to be a flock shepherd when we are so far removed from a world in which shepherds are required in the way people understood them in that time period.
 
Today’s scripture tells us, among other things, that Jesus has “other sheep that are not in this sheep pen.” He says, “I must also bring them together, when they hear my voice. Then there will be one flock of sheep and one shepherd.”
 
This resonated with me, and it’s why I thought of Sister Act as an example of this.
 
The church in Sister Act is half empty, first of all.
 
But, more to the point, the people who are in attendance appear to be mostly older adults, and when the scene cuts to the street outside of the church, the people inside do not at all match the demographics of those outside the church.
 
In other words, that priest is preaching to only a small flock, and there are sheep outside of the walls of the church that are not in that metaphorical pen.
 
It wasn’t until Whoopi Goldberg’s character came into the church – someone who came from a world more like the one outside the church than inside – that this sleepy church started to shepherd to those quite literally just outside the door.
 
So, when Jesus says he has other sheep not inside the pen, it’s possible that this is what he means.
 
Certainly in his context, he’s talking about gentiles in particular - those who are not Jewish. 
 
In today’s context, in order for us to keep up with the new people Jesus aims to bring in, we have to learn to inhabit different cultures and look at Christ in new ways.
 
Often the people who don’t belong to our own fold and hear Jesus’ voice in unfamiliar ways are the ones best able to help us hear it and understand it differently.
 
I think we see this within our own community, but we also see it in the world around us.
 
It requires us to open our minds and our hearts to others who may see the world differently.
 
In conversation with many of you, and with so many others who have a deep faith, I’ve discovered that a concern that many people of faith have is a concern for others – in particular their children or grandchildren – who do not appear to have the same beliefs or the same deep faith.
 
But often I wonder if faith just looks different for different people?
 
If Jesus sees and knows that there are people outside of the pen that he is called to shepherd to, I wonder if the same is true for us?
 
He doesn’t seem to indicate in any way that those outside of the pen are doomed or lost causes.
 
Instead, he seems to embrace them, love them, and shepherd to them by meeting them where they are - outside of the pen.
 
He does say he must bring them together, but he doesn’t say he would do that by necessarily bringing them into the pen.
 
Perhaps he’d do that by bringing those in the pen to those outside the pen?
 
If you watch the whole movie, the nuns in Sister Act actually do start getting outside of their church walls and ministering to those who live in the neighbourhood around the church.
 
The requirement isn’t that people must come inside in order to hear God’s message.
 
Instead, they go out and meet the people where they are – they serve the needs of the community, rather than expecting those in the community to come to them.
 
And that’s a huge shift for this little convent.
 
But it makes an even bigger difference to those outside of the church.
 
If we truly believe that Jesus works in us, through us, and around us, then we also have to accept that is true for other people too.
 
Jesus may be working in other people in ways that look very different than the ways Jesus works in us.
 
And that’s because Jesus meets people where they are – whether that’s in the church or outside of it.
 
Jesus goes to his flock. He seeks people out – even those who are in the depths of despair or hopelessness, or those who seem lost or unsure.
 
And this should bring us comfort.
 
Just because we find a connection with Jesus through a faithful church experience does not mean that is where Jesus meets everyone else.
 
Jesus meets us all where we’re at.
 
And, we are called to meet others where they are at, too. We are called to love and serve God, and we can do that by loving and serving others.
 
So, may we learn to meet others where they are at on their faith journeys, wherever that may be.
 
May we expand our hearts and our ideas of faith and service to others to include those outside the pen.
 
May we seek out those who are different from us with inquisitive hearts and minds, exploring with curiosity and genuine care the ways in which Jesus shows up in the lives of others, and may we do all of that without judgement. Amen.
 
Let us pray:
 
Merciful God,  who is more than we can ever imagine,  give us a wider vision of the world; give us a broader view of justice; give us dreams of peace that are not defined by boundaries of geography or race or religion, or by the limitations of worldly structures and systems.
 
Open our eyes and our ears that wherever we go, we may hear your voice calling us by name; calling us to serve, calling us to share, calling us to praise, so that we never give up on the promise of your kingdom, where the world is transformed, and all can enjoy life in all its fullness. Amen.
 
~ Prayer posted on the Monthly Prayers page of the Christian Aid website. http://www.christianaid.org.uk

Young at Heart Message

Would you believe me if I said I used to live with a cow whisperer?

The cow whisperer had some kind of power over cows, and they would come to the cow whisperer no matter where they were in the pasture.

They would follow the cow whisperer as she walked, and they would crowd around her to be as close to her as possible every time they saw her.
​
Do you believe me?
 
If I could prove it, would it be easier to believe?
 
It can be hard to take my word for it when I say something like this because, while we might be able to envision it in theory, it’s harder to believe the cow whisperer had such a magic touch over a herd of cows.
 
Maybe it happened once, and maybe that was a fluke. But to say it happened every time the cows were in the presence of the cow whisperer is more difficult to believe.
 
So, I can understand why you might want proof.
 
Why don’t we start with a couple pictures.
 
Here she is with one cow…

​Do you believe me now?
 
I will admit that seeing a picture of her with one cow might not be enough to convince you that she’s a cow whisperer.
 
I could have easily manufactured that photo anyway – AI can do some pretty cool things these days.
 
So let’s try another one…

How about now?
 
It’s probably getting a little bit easier to believe that she’s a cow whisperer.
 
But it’s also possible that those cows just happened to be standing by the fence when we walked by.
 
And, nowadays, it’s still possible that I created that image using AI!
 
So, I could understand why you might still be skeptical.
 
Well, there’s one more thing I could do to prove to you that Lyra was a cow whisperer.
 
I could show you a video…
 
https://youtu.be/ZUZEQLSyXo8?si=MC8Q8TuPsWaQclXx 
 
And, just to make sure you believe me, because even in that last video, those cows could have just been hanging out there when we came along, I’ll show you one more short video:
 
https://youtu.be/pplwGkpCPRY?si=RXVOawSX-eMNU8sC 
 
Now, I think this last video offers the best proof that Lyra was a cow whisperer.
 
And, at some point, you kind of just have to believe me when I say this happened any time we saw cows.
 
She was also the only dog I had who prompted the cows to come say hi every time she walked by.
 
The cows didn’t care about me, or any of my other dogs.
 
So, I hope this is enough proof, and you’ll believe me now when I say that I used to live with a genuine cow whisperer.
 
It’s a gift, I know.
 
The Message
 
So, why am I sharing this silly story about Lyra and her cows?
In today’s scripture, we heard the story of one of Jesus’ appearances to the disciples after his resurrection.
And in that story, the disciples are initially afraid.
This seems to be a common theme in the stories in which Jesus returns to the disciples after his death.
 
But it also makes sense that the disciples would be afraid and full of doubt.
 
This is not something the disciples are accustomed to experiencing.
 
It’s not like people just rise from the dead every day.
 
I imagine that if we experienced something like this, we would be full of doubt and fear, too.
 
And, I think we would also want some significant proof, just like it’s easier to believe my cow whisperer story when you can see it.
 
So Jesus offers the disciples proof.
 
First, he tells them to look at his hands and his feet.
 
Then, as though he knows this won’t be enough proof for them, he tells the disciples to touch him and find out for themselves.
 
In other words, they don’t have to just take his word for it, just like you didn’t have to take my word for it when I said I lived with a cow whisperer.
 
Once the disciples, presumably, are satisfied that Jesus is real, and their doubt is eased a bit, Jesus reminds them that he told them everything that would happen, and it was as it was prophesied.
 
Once again, he’s offering them proof that he is who he says he is.
 
And I am actually grateful for this passage.
 
I think it could be read as though the disciples still have a weak faith.
 
But I don’t think that’s what is actually happening here.
 
I think Jesus is well aware that even though he told them he would be resurrected, it is very hard to believe something like that when it is not something you have ever experienced before.
 
In fact, it’s something that most people would have deemed impossible before it happened.
 
So I have to imagine that when Jesus first told the disciples, they wanted to believe it would happen.
 
They had a sense of what Jesus meant, but it had to be a completely foreign notion in actuality.
 
So their doubt is completely normal, and Jesus recognizes it and helps them to come to the conclusion that it is really him, and not a ghost or a figment of their imaginations.
 
I appreciate this passage because it reminds us that doubt and fear, especially about faith, are normal, healthy responses.
 
Doubt and fear are normal, healthy responses not only to faith, but to all kinds of things that happen in our lives.
 
And there are many things that cannot be proven, at least not with the technology or the knowledge that we currently have.
 
So when someone, even Jesus, tells us something that our human minds can’t seem to comprehend, it is normal to seek proof.
 
The difficulty with many faith-based ideas is that proof is hard to come by.
 
We might go our entire lives filled with questions and doubts because there are some elements of faith that we simply cannot prove.
 
We can study and we can learn, we can listen to sermons and we can read the Bible and we can have deep conversations about faith and spirituality, but we can still feel these feelings of doubt and fear rise in us with regard to the unknown.
 
And that is normal. It is healthy, and it is safe.
 
It is human instinct to seek proof, not only for our own realities, but for the questions and doubts we carry as well.
 
So the beauty of this passage is that Jesus understands human doubt and fear.
 
He realizes the disciples have never experienced anything like this, and he offers a gentle reminder and proof of his existence in front of them.
 
He helps them to feel less like they are seeing a ghost, and he helps them to feel more confident in his presence and in his promise to fulfill the prophecy.
 
And he helps us to feel more confident in his grace and mercy, too.
 
But I think most importantly, Jesus helps us to feel normal. 
 
He helps us to understand that our human desires, our human fears, and our human doubts are nothing to be ashamed of.
 
There is understanding in this passage, and there is hope.
 
We receive the grace that Jesus offers to all of us, and we know by this example that we can bring any doubt and fear we hold to God without feeling ashamed or like we’ve failed God.
 
This passage reminds us that it is not possible to fail God.
 
Jesus could have reprimanded the disciples and made them feel guilty and ashamed for doubting, or made them feel like failures.
 
But he didn’t.
 
He loved them endlessly, and we are loved in the same meaningful way.
 
We are loved through our doubts and our fears and our uncertainties, and we receive God’s grace every day.
 
We can come to God with all of this, and lay our burdens down and rest knowing that this love transcends all of our doubts and fears.
 
May we rest knowing that we are loved this deeply every day of our lives. Amen.
 
Let us pray:
 
When we are blinded by anger,
you pour out your love
for all to see;
when we wonder
what tomorrow will bring,
you call us to trust in you;
when sadness fills our hearts,
you plant gladness in our hearts.
God of Easter:
touch us with your grace.
 
You show us your hands,
so we may reach out
to mend the broken;
you show us your feet,
so we may walk with
those the world passes by;
you show us your face,
so we may know who our
sisters and brothers look like.
Risen Christ:
touch us with your compassion.
 
You open our eyes,
so we may see God's love;
you open our minds,
so we may welcome God's Word;
you open our lips,
so we may be God's witnesses.
Spirit of Hope:
touch us with your peace.
 
God in Community, Holy in One,
open us to your presence,
today and every day. Amen.
 
~ Prayer written by Thom M. Shuman - Lectionary Liturgies

​Young at Heart Message
 
Today is our final Sunday using the Wandering Heart sermon series.

I debated whether or not I wanted to finish this series today, or last Sunday on Easter.

But, I think today’s scripture gives us an opportunity to close out the series by bookending it and bringing it full circle.
​
So, I’d like to begin with a retelling of today’s scripture.
 
As I retell today’s scripture, I want you to think about how this passage relates to the story of Peter that we’ve heard so far.
 
What about this story seems similar to the other stories we’ve heard about Peter?
 
What is different?
 
Where are the parallels?
 
As I retell the story, think about these questions.
 
After the retelling, I’d like a few volunteers to try to share what patterns we see in this story and how it’s similar to the other stories we’ve heard.
 
Let’s begin:
 
After Jesus had died and been raised from the dead, the disciples went back to their boats on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where they had been fishermen before they met Jesus. They fished all night and caught nothing.
 
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. He was far away and it wasn’t light yet so the disciples didn’t know it was him. Jesus shouted to the disciples on the boat, “Have you caught anything?” They told him, “No.”
 
Jesus told the disciples, “Throw your nets on the other side of the boat.” They did, and the net was so full they couldn’t pull them all into the boat!
 
It was then that the disciples realized the man on the shore was Jesus. Peter couldn’t wait for the boat to take him to shore—he jumped into the water with his clothes on, leaving the other disciples to bring in the boat and all the fish.
 
When they reached the shore, Jesus had already started cooking breakfast over the fire. He gave the disciples bread to eat and cooked some of the fish they had caught.
 
After breakfast, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter replied, “Yes, you know I love you.”
 
So Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, you know I love you.”
 
So Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.” And a third time, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter was sad that Jesus had asked him again. Didn’t Jesus believe him? Peter told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.” So Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep and follow me.”
 
So, what do you think? What sounds familiar in this story to the other passages about Peter that we’ve heard during the Lenten season?
 
…
 
…
 
The Message
 
Today’s scripture is indeed reminiscent of the story we heard the very first week of Lent, when Simon Peter becomes a disciple of Christ.
In that story, if you recall, Peter and his crew were out fishing all night and hadn’t caught any fish.
When they return to shore, Jesus tells them to go back out, and reluctantly they do.
And then, they catch so many fish that they almost tip their boat over.
 
In today’s passage, we also see the disciples not recognize Christ initially, which is reminiscent of the story in which Christ asks his disciples who they say that he is, and they relay that Jesus has been mistaken for Elijah or John the Baptist.
 
It takes them a minute to realize the man on shore is Jesus, but when they do finally realize it, Peter jumps into the water to start swimming to shore to reach him.
 
This of course reminds us of the passage in which Peter steps out of the boat to try to walk on water toward Jesus, but ultimately begins to sink.
 
Jesus cooks bread and fish for the disciples for breakfast, which is reminiscent of several different stories in which Jesus breaks bread and feeds his disciples.
 
Finally, Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.
 
And this is where the story seems to deviate from other stories of the disciples and of Peter thus far.
 
But, upon closer inspection of this passage, I actually think this story is reminiscent of Peter’s denial of Christ.
 
This isn’t Jesus’ way of reprimanding Peter or making him feel guilt or shame for denying him.
 
I think this is Jesus’ way of offering Peter grace for his denial.
 
It’s as if Jesus says, “Here’s my heart,” which washes over Peter’s three denials like a healing balm.
 
This grace that’s offered to Peter is a reminder that no matter how far we wander, we can entrust our hearts to God, like Peter did.
 
Once again, we see Jesus offer Peter abundance.
 
Peter’s journey – like ours – is not linear. We see his story come full circle in today’s passage.
 
We watch as God’s grace continues to circle back to Peter again and again, like a familiar chorus being played on repeat.
 
It is almost as if Jesus is asking us the same question over and over again – Do you love me?
 
Do we love him?
 
Even though we might stray from time to time – even though our journey does not always follow a straight path – do we love Jesus and follow him?
 
Jesus is offering Peter, and us, his grace in this passage.
 
He is also offering a new command – to feed his sheep and to follow him.
 
What might Jesus mean when he tells Peter to feed his sheep?
 
I don’t think Jesus is referring to literal sheep that he’s asking Peter to feed.
 
I think this is a much deeper and more profound call that Jesus is asking Peter to accept.
 
So far, after Jesus’ death, the disciples have not been sure what to do now that he’s gone.
 
So they do what they know – they return to the work that they were doing when they first met Jesus.
 
This is natural for people who aren’t sure what to do next – we tend to return to what we know.
 
But Jesus is asking Peter for more.
 
Jesus is asking Peter to continue his work with the people.
 
Jesus is telling Peter that if he does truly love him, then he will step outside of his comfort zone and become the new shepherd of Jesus’ flock.
 
Peter’s call is not one that will be easy for Peter, and Jesus knows this.
 
Jesus knows that Peter has not always been consistent in his faith or his trust.
 
But I think Jesus also knows that Peter is ready now – ready to transition to becoming a leader and a guide who will continue to live out Jesus’ message of hope and of grace.
 
The beauty and hope in this command is that whether our faith feels weak or strong, whether we are wandering on our path or steadfast and certain, we can always offer our love to Jesus, and we will always receive his love and grace in return.
 
And even if we are unsure of the path before us, or we feel paralyzed from fear or uncertainty, Jesus is patient and understanding.
 
Jesus waits on the shore and makes us a metaphorical breakfast, reassuring us that even if we deny him, or lose our way, his love for us is never-ending.
 
He proved that to us last week by suffering and dying for us.
 
We can rest assured, on this post-resurrection Sunday and every other day of our life, that Jesus loves us, cares about us, serves us, and forgives us.
 
And this is the Good News that comes to us, knowing that Christ is alive and walks with us as we journey through this life.
 
Amen.
 
Let us pray:
 
God of second chances and God of new life, we have spent our days wandering. Like Peter, we have milled about through nearly every state of faith. We have had courageous days and convicted days, learning days and questioning days. We have had days where we run to you, days for diving out of the boat, days for deep joy, and days where the pain of the world feels too close to bear.
 
So as we bring our wandering hearts to you, we ask that you draw us in. Allow this story to spark something new in us. Allow this story of grace to give us pause and pull us in. Prepare us, O God, to follow you. Amen.
 
* Portions of this sermon reference materials from A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org. Used with permission.