Sermon for April, 18 2010

Perhaps not unlike here but in a different way, when I lived in Quebec it happened that I conducted many funerals, perhaps more funerals than weddings or baptisms. In a way different than here, most of the funerals were for folks who were somehow connected with the particular church that I had at the time. What I remember most about those funerals was a tradition of what happened in the community and the church at the news of a death. Within a short time of receiving the news of a death a phone tree was put into action. One person would phone another with the news and the details. But then not to be just the sharing of news it was also the arranging of food and meals. It was always understood who would be looking after what food and the only details to be worked out were the ‘where’ and the ‘when’. I suppose that that ritual is played out in many other places but it was something that I had never seen before. My understanding of what was taking place as I saw it played out time and again is that they looked after each other…the people looked out for one another.

The Gospel for this Sunday is about one of the appearances that Jesus again made to the disciples following the Resurrection. The story we heard is about the disciples fishing and not being able to catch anything. Standing on the shore was Jesus but evidently the disciples did not recognize that it was him. Jesus told the disciples to through the net out to the right side of the boat and there they would catch some fish. They caught fish, filled their nets and they ate breakfast together and they recognized that it was Jesus who was now with them. But then Jesus had some personal words for Peter. Three times Jesus asked Peter the same question. He asked him “Simon Peter, do you love me”. Peter answered in the same way each time, saying “yes Lord, you know that I love you”. With that answer each time Jesus gave him something to do… ‘feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep’. This morning I want to make a couple of comments about what Jesus was asking Peter to do.