|
This Sunday's sermon ("Gone Fishin") will reflect on a story in John 21 about an impromptu overnight fishing trip. Just days after Easter, Peter declares out of the blue, "I am going fishing." Some other disciples quickly responded, "We will go with you." It doesn't seem that unusual, given that Peter and some other disciples fished for a living. But we have to remember what the disciples had just been through. They had entered Jerusalem with Jesus in a "triumphal" way, but things had gone downhill fast. In just a few days, Jesus would be betrayed, arrested, flogged, sentenced, and killed on a cross. Then came the miraculous events of Easter, when mourning turned into dancing. To put it simply, it had been a lot.
What do you do when life has thrown you for a loop...when you feel depleted, exhausted, or overwhelmed? For Peter and the other disciples, the answer was to do something comfortable...something familiar... something predictable and peaceful and hopefully restorative. They went fishing.
This Sunday, as many of us work to create a time of respite, gratitude, and love for the maternal figures in our lives, we will examine how Christ meets our human confusion and frustration with unmerited grace. Through the boundless love of God, victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat, denials are transformed into affirmations, and we are given the chance to try again.
We hope to see you all on Sunday, so that we can wish you all a very happy Mother's Day!
| 
