The first time I read this passage, I was very young in faith…an adult, but wholly immature regarding scripture.  Back then, I imagined that Peter and Andrew were strangers to Jesus.  I pictured a scene where Jesus is walking on the beach in a bleached tunic; he carries an air of quiet contemplation.  (Give me latitude - I didn’t know anything about over-turned tables or post-resurrection appearances, yet.)  So, he’s walking.  And far in the distance, he sees two men working at their boats.  As he gets closer, he nonchalantly invites these two to come into his inner circle.  “Follow me. And I will make you fishers of men.” They drop their nets and go. [End scene.] 

No conversation.  No questions.  No hesitation.  Just, “Okay,” and they follow.

A few years and a little spiritual maturity later, I assume that Jesus, as he grew into his role as teacher and Savior, spent a few sleepless nights figuring out which of the people around him were best for the tasks of his ministry and that he was looking for just the right set of skills in those people. 

So, what was it about Peter and Andrew?  What makes these fishermen special?  It takes skill to make and mend nets, patience to accept that a small haul is part of a fisherman’s lot, and strength to pull a huge haul over the side of a boat.  It takes strong will and steadfast perseverance to catch fish and feed people day by day. 

Jesus understood the great metaphors in life and taught with them often, so it is possible that he simply liked the humor of “fishers of men.” (Come on. He has a sense of humor. It is a good play on words.)

I would like to believe that he watched his friends and learned their hearts, planned the parts they would play on his team, what he would have to do in order to develop them, and all of this before he invited them.

Church leaders, staff and lay-persons alike, lament over the lack of volunteers in ministry.  We cite society and culture as reasons that our fellow followers bow out of the hard jobs. But have we really done what is necessary?  Have we watched people, identified their strengths, and planned for their inclusion in ministry?  Or are we just throwing our nets out there, hoping for a good catch?

- Amy

On Monday I talked about familiarity, especially with your family, and how being so familiar with someone or something might prevent us from seeing the newness that is offered to us with each and every interaction.  James may have been holding onto the familiarity of his brother Jesus, which prevented him from seeing in fullness, Jesus as the Risen Christ.  It's like having your hands full to the point that you can't accept anything new, so we have to put something down.

This morning we think about the flip side of familiarity - familiarity and comfort.  In so many of these resurrection appearances Jesus eats with his disciples.  On the road to Emmaus he breaks bread with them when they arrive; on the beach Jesus eats a meal with the disciples.  Here in Luke the disciples are still afraid and Jesus uses food as a way to comfort them.  He eats fish with them, something we are sure they would have done together, as fisherman and fishers-of-men, many times.

If the church has done one thing right over the years, we can at least say we haven't failed at the food = comfort part.  "Sharing food is so simple, and yet so important."

After funerals, there is food; after weddings there is always cake; when we celebrate a milestone in the church, there is food; when we celebrate a new beginning with a baby, we bring food to their home.  When we know that not all of our neighbors are able to do the same, we provide food; when strangers are caught in systems that prevent them from the fullness of life, we provide food.  Whether its food pantry, or a soup kitchen, a potluck at church, bringing food to someone in their home, or communion on Sunday, "in breaking bread together, we find reassurance, security, comfort."

Familiarity and  comfort are found in the risen Christ.  Jesus is still the "same ol' " Jesus, "the guy they loved, their friend and master.  He was still the man who had walked with them by the sea and ate fish, cooked over a fire, day in and day out."  Jesus may not be able to physically offer us a piece of fish, but Jesus draws us into that familiarity.  As we wrestle with the risen Christ, and what the means, the fear, the questions, the doubts, Jesus draws us "into the miracle and reality of his resurrection."

Won't you come break bread with us this Sunday morning, and join us in feeling the reality and miracle of the resurrected Christ?

Blessings... Laura

This past week, I have been re-reading a favorite historical fiction novel called The Expected One. Similar to Dan Brown's approach with The DaVinci Code, Kathleen McGowan weaves together pieces of histories, stories, and images to create a compelling account of Mary Magdalene, her life in the teachings of The Way, and the aftermath of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.  The story, in may circles, is considered heretical, and the results of that heresy are played out in the modern story line of the book.  I am not a biblical scholar, so I'll skip over any thoughts I might have about which historical pieces are supported and which are creatively manipulated by the author, but I will share my experience reading it for the first time.

I was travelling on business when I was pregnant with Andrew and had two long cross-country flights.  After the first, I knew I would need something better than television and magazines to occupy time during my evenings in the hotel and on the flight home.  I picked up the book on my first evening, read about three quarters of it during my stay, and - on the third day - took the return flight home.  It was there, in a single front-row seat, adjascent to the flight attendant's station, that I found myself weeping overtly at the foot of the cross.  McGowans description of scene was vivid, and her care in expressing Mary's overwhelming emotions carried me directly into the moment. The roar of the engines and the scraping metal sounds of the wobbling  beverage cart drowned out the sound of my sobs, Mary's sobs, as Jesus died.  Had they not, I'm sure the passangers behind me would have thought that the pregnant lady in the front was about to come unglued.  The stewardess had her suspiscions and eyed me closely.

I write today, on Good Friday, having calculated that I have one hundred and one pages to finish reading after I sing the Agnus Dei at service tonight.  I know what's coming.  But I will still read into the night. And I will weep.  I will follow Mary's example, because I love Him. And because God reveals himself to those who love Him, as he did to Mary that first Easter morning.

May your Easter refelctions be blessed by these thoughts.

                                                                                                  - Blessings, Amy

Lent is completely over at this point – 40 days of penitential prayer and fasting and waiting for that glorious third day.  Some of us had given up coffee, taken on more prayer time, and all of us had waited for Easter morning.  Forty days is a long time, and we’ve put energy into being penitential and spiritual for these 40 days of Lent.  And then we celebrate Easter on ONE Sunday, and then that’s it? Really? That's all we get?

But why?  It’s like taking hours upon hours to get ready for the big party and then staying at the party of the century for 10 minutes.  Really?  Why not celebrate?  Why not stay at the party?  Why not see what joy and life lessons this season can bring?

The early Christians did not believe that Easter was just ONE day, and neither do we!  Easter was on SUNDAY, but it is also an entire season of feasting, a season of celebrating that lasts for 50 days, all the way up to Pentecost.  So why don’t we observe these Great Fifty Days of celebration?

Kate Moorehead says in her book Resurrecting Easter, “I don’t think it’s because we don’t like parties, or we refuse to celebrate.  I think we can’t celebrate for that long because we have forgotten how to sustain joy.  We simply don’t know how.”  These next several weeks will be an invitation to celebrate the resurrection – for the entire 50 days – and sustain the joy of a resurrected Christ!

Beginning Easter Sunday, and these next 50 days that follow we will take a peek at the appearances that Jesus made to specific disciples.  Each Sunday we will focus on a particular appearance, to Mary Magdalene, to Peter, James, Paul and Thomas; we will continue Sundays by glimpsing the visions of the book of Revelation and finally the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

In addition we will also be posting blogs here to go along with that theme of the resurrection appearance.  We will keep focusing on the resurrection appearance of which we heard on the previous Sunday.  Different writers from our faith community will over reflections and thoughts on what it means to "Resurrect Easter."

Join us over these next 8 Sundays, and with the blogs in between (join in the conversation by leaving comments), as we RESURRECT EASTER and focus on what it means to experience the Resurrected Christ in our lives!

Check out what Kate Moorehead has to say about one of the resurrection appearances to Mary!

- Blessings, Laura