Sermon for April, 18 2010

Firstly Jesus was asking Peter to look after or to care for those who were following in the new way and trying as best as they could to be found faithful. Moving from what Jesus was asking of Peter to our church life…do you suppose that Jesus would be asking of us just as he asked of Peter, if we love him, and then as we say that we do love him, Jesus would say feed each other, tend to each other, look out for each other? There is a truth that we all know and that we have probably all quoted at some time or another. The truth is that we never know what goes on in a person’s or a family’s home. When the door is closed at their home we don’t always know what is said and done. Extending that truth, those same persons may very well come attend church on Sunday morning and they may attend one of the churches in St. Clair and they may well attend St. Paul’s. And doing the math, if they come to church 52 Sundays of the year you can bet that not every one of those Sundays is going to be a good Sunday for them or a day when everything is going right or a Sunday when their mind and their life doesn’t have some clutter going on. Jesus asked Peter, “do you love me”. “You know that I do” was his answer. Jesus then said ‘look after them’. In this church we keep busy doing the things that we believe and know that God is calling us to. It is true that we are reaching out and there is no shortage of things happening here. And more than likely amidst what we are doing, or in kneeling at the altar or in the quietness of our prayers or as we share the stories of where we have seen God…God speaks to us and asks us if we love Jesus, if we love God and as like Peter we say yes we do. God then speaks to us saying look after each other. Every one of us at some time or another has visited another church when we have been away from here. Isn’t it true that when you look from the outside in, you can tell if folks within a congregation or church are looking out for one another, if they are looking after one another. In the course that I took while on sabbatical there was a reading that had to do with a common misunderstanding of pastoral care. The misunderstanding that was being referred to is that clergy are the only people who provide the pastoral care…because that is what they are just paid to do and besides who else would know how to look after people. The reading went on to say how incorrect to think that others don’t also have a care to provide that is pastoral and have a responsibility to look after each other. Jesus said to Peter, after Peter confirmed that he did in fact love him…Jesus told him to feed the lambs and the sheep to tend the sheep. Here at St. Paul’s and thinking more individually than collectively, how are we doing in looking after each other…how are we doing in caring for each other? Nothing will warm the soul more and help to keep faith alive than the care and the concern and the love that we offer to each other. Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. Look after one another and take care of one another.