November 12,2023
"A net full" Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch
November 12, 2023
This is a passage of scripture that is out of place from when we normally hear it. It is normally read in Easter tide, where the church is freshly shrouded in the mystery of death and resurrection.
Right this story, Jesus has just died, and the disciples who knew and loved Jesus, who left their lives behind to follow him and learn from him, who literally dropped their fishing nets at the lakeshore are back at that lakeshore, completely wayward.
Their leader is gone, executed at the hands of the empire. They are hurt, they are depleted, they are lost. What do they do next?
Well, There on the lakeshore looking at the water they knew so well, their natural instincts kick back in.
Simon Peter says “I’m going fishing” and the others say... Us too, and join him.
They find a boat, and a net and experience a homecoming of sorts, back on the waters of their youth to fish, something they haven’t done in years.
Maybe it’s an act of nostalgia, maybe it’s an act of joy… maybe it’s a bit of an act of regression… returning to their old ways, their old life now that Jesus is gone.
They get in the boat, they go out into the water, and the fish are not biting. Night falls and they stay out on the water. They are out there for hours trying to fish but still they have nothing to show for it… their nets are empty.
I grew up fishing, with a rod and reel not a net, but still I think there is some cross over… People like to fish because there is a particular kind of stillness that comes when fishing… You are out there in the quiet water, and you have to remain quiet to not scare the fish… it calms you down it leaves you alone with your thoughts. And the disciples had a lot of thoughts in the aftermath of Jesus death… all of the guilt and shame they felt running away, and abandoning their leader, the betrayal of their friend Judas, And Peter especially, who directly did as Jesus predicted, denying Jesus over and over again.
I imagine, out on the water, they weren’t just finding their nets empty, but their hearts.
Casting their nets over and over throughout the night but still finding no answer… How do we go on? What are we to do?
But day breaks into their depleted and empty night and a stranger shouts out to them from the shore and tells them to try a new spot, and they witness a miracle. Their empty net is filled to capacity… 153 fish, which is an oddly specific number, but it speaks to an absurd abundance... an overabundance… so many fish, they think the net might break… so many fish they can barely get the net back in the boat, and the boat back to shore. Out of their extreme despair and desolation comes another extreme, utter abundance. Enough fish to feed a village.
They guess right away that this stranger is the risen Christ, and this realization brings them another kind of abundance… they cannot help themselves… One of them jumps into the water and starts swimming the others paddle their fish laden boat back as quickly as they can.
As the new day dawns back on the shoreline... They recognize Jesus and share a meal together.
And he asks them… “Do you love me? …then feed my sheep.”
Every time I’ve heard this passage, I’ve thought of it metaphorically… Jesus is telling them to not fall back on their old ways but to continue on the path he’s laid out… Jesus is passing the baton and telling Peter and the disciples to continue his work. Feed my sheep he says, go and care for the vulnerable ones who I have been shepherding.
But reading this story this week, I heard something new.
Jesus tells Peter and the disciples if they love him, to feed his sheep, with their fishing boat behind them loaded up with one hundred and fifty three fish.
What if the call to feed Christ’s sheep is not just metaphorical but specific…
What if Jesus is telling them..
If you love me, I’ve given you one and fifty three ways to show…
Right now… you have an abundance of something.. far more than you need, in fact enough to feed a whole community… so if you love me and want to follow me… go and share it…
Go and feed the hungry, go and care for my people…
If you love me, follow me by feeding my sheep.
This is how God’s restoration comes…
An empty net is filled up to overflowing…
Places of abundance are given so that abundance can be distributed in order that scarcity, hunger, and emptiness cease to exist.
Our lives are each so different. I have abundant places that you do not… and you have abundant places that I have not… When we share from our abundance, all have enough…
I remember back when I was a poor college student, I was listening to the week long pledge drive of NPR, and hearing pleas of financial support over and over again, and I decided to pick up the phone and call in… I said, Hi, I love public radio and really want to support you, but I don’t have any money… But I do have a lot of time… is there a way I can volunteer?
The person was totally surprised.
Today I invite you to ask yourself…
Where are your nets overflowing?
What do you have an abundance of that you could share?
The way we answer this question is different for each of us…. Maybe you have money, maybe you have time, Maybe you have wisdom and perspective to share… maybe you have a net full of love to share…
You each have a sheet of paper. I invite you to consider your life and what you have a net full of… I invite you to name your abundant places on this sheet of paper, and later in the service, during the time of offering… with your estimate of giving card and the little pipe cleaner heart you made offer it to God…
Friends… do we love Jesus?
Let’s follow him… and feed his sheep…
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” arr. Michael Eithun
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it
*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: In worship we tell a story:
All: A story of an unfettered love that changed the world.
One: In worship we tell a story:
All: A story of how we live and how we long to live.
One: In worship we tell a story:
All: Because we are forgetful people.
One: So may we remember who we are.
All: May we release the narratives that trap us.
One: May we reimagine this world to see what God sees.
All: And may we work toward restoration.
One: It’s all that easy, and it’s all that hard.
All: Let us worship holy God.
*HYMN NO. 757 “Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples” KINGSFOLD
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Rev. Rick Nutt
Holy God,
To restore is to bring back;
So today we bring our hearts back to you,
our thoughts back to love,
and our prayers back to peace.
We try to stay in this place, but we confess,
it’s never been that easy for us.
We flirt with reconciliation and then back away.
We come face-to-face with an opportunity for justice, but get scared.
We are offered an opportunity to re-write our story, but we lose our way.
Bring us back to this moment.
Bring us back to your story where brothers extend grace to one another
and even the one who denied it was forgiven.
Bring us back. Restore us. Forgive us.
Gratefully we pray,
Amen
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE NO. 585 “Glory to God” vs. 1 MACHU-PICHU
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “When the Poor Ones” José Antonio Olivar and Miguel Manzano
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE: John 21:1-14
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Ruth Harold
SCRIPTURE: John 21:15-19
SERMON Rev. Trip Porch
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
*HYMN (insert) “The Fishermen Had Gathered
*AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
One: We believe in a restoring God,
All: Who restores our bodies through the gift of Sabbath.
One: We believe in a restoring God,
All: Who restores our souls through the gift of grace and second chances.
One: We believe in a restoring God,
All: Who restores this hurting world through the gift of mercy and God’s son Jesus Christ.
One: And we believe in a restoring God who invites us to join in this restoration work.
All: As people of faith, we seek to restore creation to God
by feeding the hungry, loving our neighbors,
forgiving seventy times seven, welcoming the children,
seeing all, loving all, and living like we belong to all.
One: And so we will work until God’s promised day.
All: This we believe.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE - followed by The Lord’s Prayer as printed on the screen.
One: Oh God, hear our prayer,
All: Restore all of who we are to you.
MOMENT FOR STEWARDSHIP Tom Shockey
TIME OF OFFERING
*PRAYER OF DEDICATION in one voice
*HYMN NO.300 “ We Are One in the Spirit” THEY’LL KNOW WE ARE CHRISTIANS
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
BENEDICTION RESPONSE “Giving God, We Pause and Wonder” NETTLETON
God, we know we cannot pay you For your love in Christ your Son.
Gifts and tithes are just a "thank you" — Ways to pass your blessings on.
We have learned that, in our sharing, We receive more than we give.
By your Spirit, make us daring In this joyful way to live.
Tune: John Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, 1813
ext: Copyright © 2005 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved.
POSTLUDE “Westminster Chimes” Douglas E. Wagner
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452